About

Hello, my name is Mark Rautenbach. I am an artist from South Africa and currently live and work in Cape Town. I am using this space to showcase my current work, and as a catalogue of my work over the past few decades. I have worked as Mark Rautenbach, Mark Splendid, Mark Maria and Splendid Miriam. I work in a variety of mediums; often with material which is considered waste matter, thread and paper. I use many techniques; development of yarns, knitting, public performances and craft-like studio work.

I lectured Design for a number of years at Cape Peninsular University of Technology [CPUT], and education recurs as a theme in my work along with identities born out of narratives [yarns]. I have shown at The south African National Gallery, Everard Read, Open 24 Hrs, Spier, David Krut Projects, and Ebony/curated.

I keep up to date with current projects via Instagram and YouTube and most of my projects are supported by a blog. A list of these links can be found on the links page.

Please contact me via the contact page.

Knitting by hand

Knitting falls outside of normal everyday activities and yet is so mundane and ordinary. In the 21st century it is astonishingly anachronistic/unheimlich [uncanny]. Knitting by hand doesn't fit the prevailing global economic dementia. According to these systems it makes no sense to knit by hand; it's not economically viable, it’s a waste of time.

Yet for me it is such a sanity check. Knitting embodies and expresses something that time and money cannot. It takes a lot of time.; placing me in liminal spaces [outside of time]. It expresses a deep care, a deep concern for, a deep willingness/commitment to sit with things even when they are uncomfortable.

These activities point to presence and embodiment as essential and necessary aspects of being. 

Mark Rautenbach 2016