Conversation
Cally Lotz
2024
Oil on paper
20,2 cm x 13,2 cm
Cally Lotz painting “Conversation” shows a white-beige bellied jug, standing on an orange rectangle, which is in turn placed on another, blue rectangle. The background in beige shades is also indefinite as the coloured footing squares. Therefore, the only determinable element is the jug and its shadow: the protagonists of the still-life. Even though the vessel is almost positioned in the centre of the lower image half, it seems to have a certain dynamic, due to the diagonally from the lower right coming underground. At the same time, this “movement” is blocked by the traditional reading direction from left to right and even more by the to the left oriented spout.
On the other hand, for right-handers, the vessel seems ready to be taken away and its potential content could be poured into another container. Therefore, the impression arises, that the jug has a “face” which is directed to its shadow. This, a in dark grey tones executed reflection, reproduces the original form slightly distorted. In consequence, it gets a certain zoomorphic silhouette with the spout directed to the left like a beak of a bird. Hence, the title “Conversation”: the jug “looks” to its shadow and the reflection “looks” back.
“Conversation” is part of a series presented as the exhibition “Stop the Clock” in the West End Art Space, Melbourne in October/November 2024. The paintings refer to each other, since they depict the same objects or/and have the same size. Using the same or similar “protagonists” enabled Cally to concentrate on the technique. In consequence, the styles differ from nearly photo-realistic over slightly distorted to more expressive like in “Conversation”. They have different characteristics, depending on the lightning, colour, texture and formal configuration. This is particularly evident, if we compare “Conversation” with “Threefold Focus”, which shows almost the same objects. Due to the less expressive style of “Threefold Focus”, we can identify the colour of the jug as probably white. Our orange rectangle form “Conversation” seems to be a notebook or a cardboard folder. Even though the position of the vessel is similar, the perspective and the light incidence are different. Thus, the shadow of the jug is blurred, like vague clouds. Here the impression of a conversation between the vessel and its reflection is not present.
The title “Stop the Clock” recalls the genre of still-life, where mostly inanimate objects are depicted. We are looking at a scenery, where the life stands still, the clock is stopped. Activities regarding the objects have happened before or will happen after the frozen moment. However, the silent “Conversation” between the jug and its shadow seems to go on endlessly like the milk in Johannes Vermeer’s Milkmaid (c. 1658, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam) is still flowing.
Cally Lotz
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Cally Lotz grew up in Zimbabwe. After attending Bath Academy of Art, Great Britain, she obtained a Bachelor of Visual Arts (hons) from the University of South Africa in 2009. Following this, she completed a Professional Practice in the Visual Arts at Artspace/Art Source in Pretoria, South Africa and made her Master in Fine Art at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) in 2019.
Since 2006, Cally has participated in many group exhibitions, mainly in South Africa and Australia, but also in Germany, India and France. Moreover, she has had several solo exhibitions in Australia and South Africa and curated a group show at the Tatham Gallery, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. She was awarded several times as finalist with different art prizes and granted residencies in Australia. Her works are represented in public and private collections such as St Vincent’s, Melbourne, University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria, A.I.R Vallauris, France and Sasol, Johannesburg, South Africa. Besides, she is a volunteer at the Heide Museum of Arts, Melbourne.
With Trish Rodwell, Cally organises Art Tours for artists and art lovers. The stays are divided in painting workshops and excursions to art venues (Cally), enriched by regional meals in the residency (Trish) or in restaurants during the tours. Past journeys led to Sicily and the Provence. Also, the ninth Artist Dream Tour will lead to the South of France in September/October 2025.
In her work, Cally has the still-life on focus. She paints everyday objects: keys, containers, wrapping papers and foils or – like our Artwork of the Month / January 2019 – buckets. Her earlier paintings are mostly realistic or even photorealistic. There are rarely traces of usage and reflections are strongly highlighted. In the last years, this style modified to softer depictions, where the objects are arranged on velvety fabric, or the background is only a plan or a blurry space. Most recently, Cally made a series, where she repainted the same or similar objects in different arrangements and light incidences. Here she concentrated on the technique. Therefore, her style is more variable. In the resulting exhibition “Stop the Clock” in the West End Art Space, Melbourne in October/November 2024, there were still photorealistic pictures and slightly distorted images. Additionally, a more expressive style entered in her oeuvre. An example is “Conversation”, our Artwork of the Month / January 2025.
Cally lives and works in Melbourne.