Serenity meets Sustainability

Working alongside Rosy Surfboards’ Ronan Harkin, Eben Rautenbach created his piece ‘Last Man Standing’, demonstrating how his exposure to surfing has infiltrated his artwork. Such refined and intricate detailing on the board, creates something far beyond the average artwork in which emotions resonate from within. The combination of the two passions, art and surfing, has allowed Rautenbach’s life to seep into his career, producing works that bear the weight of his own emotional experiences. Created over the course of more than 450 hours, Eben’s ‘Last Man Standing’, is indicative of this. Illustrated on the surfboard is a stag, standing upon a hill of antlers and skulls. The pictorial beauty of the work may be an initial distraction, but the message interwoven within each burn, accentuates this beauty, allowing the stag to come alive against the backdrop of the surfboard. Rautenbach has incorporated the stag as a symbolism for himself, in which the chaos of the mangled skulls and antlers, are an illustration of the personal struggles and hardships that the artist has overcome, the lessons he has learnt and the knowledge he has obtained from this time. It is a message that stands true to each of us, despite the turbulence and toils we may encounter throughout our lives, we must strive on and find strength from within.

In conjunction with Gallery Different’s debut into the virtual exhibition world, with ‘Wild’, I have been in touch with one of the participants of the show – Eben Rautenbach. Born in South Africa and later moving from Ireland, to Scotland, Rautenbach has experienced many different landscapes, which are all paid homage to within his work.

Eben’s principal practice of pyrography – the free handed art of decorating wood (or leather) with burn marks – is a deeply personal skill the artist acquired from his aunt, whom he often saw burning designs into leather, when he was a child. After much pestering from Rautenbach, his aunt complied, teaching him the art of pyrography. Such a technique became, what the artist calls ‘a guilty pleasure’ during a time in which graffiti art was at the height of its popularity. However, during his 20s, Rautenbach’s portfolio extended to burning designs onto the longboards and skateboards of his friends, paving the way for his future artistic career.

For Eben, the rich and diverse landscapes to which he has been exposed to, have always played a pivotal role in the creation of his works. Not only does the artist depict the nature that surrounds him, but he goes further to ensure each piece of work is true to its origins, particularly now he resides in Scotland. The wood used in each of Rautenbach’s pieces is locally sourced from a mill in Fife, only working on Scottish hardwoods to maintain all Scottish authenticity. His workshop, a roof space gallery situated above a welders workshop in Walkerburn, sits in the heart of the Tweed Valley, through which the River Tweed runs. From his window the Plora Forest and Glenbenna beckons him, where wildlife is in abundance. And, even from the artists home, he is never far from the vast Scottish landscape, where with just an hour drive, he can be in the Scottish highlands, where most of his ideas and inspiration originates.

Set against the smooth surface of sycamore wood, Rautenbach’s work ‘Roaring’ (2019) is a clear example of his ability to capture a tender moment within nature. Standing alone, the stag’s dominance is augmented against the delicate shrubbery upon which he stands. His antlers and fierce call into the wild give an indication of his authority, in which his antlers are untarnished by battle, and remain poised for danger. Yet beyond all this, the shaggy mane gives him an air of youthfulness, drawing the viewer in. Such an artwork takes us away from the chaos and uncertainty in which we are currently living, and into a landscape where the natural world prevails, untouched by mans fight against a global pandemic. To capture the shadows of the stag with pyrography, as if the sun is emitting its rays down, immediately sets the scene. The viewer can resonate with the work, and imagine what lays beyond, with the vast and expansive landscapes of Scotland.

Alongside his two-dimensional works, Rautenbach has continued to work in collaboration with sports professionals including Jamie Kunka, a gold medallist awardee for his ski making at ISPO Munich, the worlds leading trade fair for sports business. The ‘Lonely Mountain Skis’ made between the pair, were sustainable and high performance, set to fuse tradition and innovation whilst provoking conversations about global climate change. The skis became a symbol of craftmanship, the Scottish landscape and the continuously evolving climate of Scotland. Eben Rautenbach and Jamie Kunka were then approached by the National Museum of Scotland to incorporate the skis into their collection, ‘Collecting the Present’. This collection includes ‘objects that reflect major shifts in Scotland during the 21^st century, or change our understandings of the past, can tell inspiring stories, now and in the future.’ (National Museums Scotland)

Rautenbach’s work has grown rapidly since the production of surfboard artwork, appearing in cafes to small galleries, to museums, and now into the world of commercial art. Eben’s extensive portfolio, demonstrates his ability to work with numerous materials, shapes and sizes, further illustrating the great strength and skill of the pyrography artist. Eben Rautenbach’s staggering ability to capture the intimacy of his subjects, is reason why his skill is often in demand for commissions. Commissions the artist creates can vary considerably from his natural path of animals and landscapes, creating a work symbolic of all that is close to the client’s heart. One such commission, which depicts an owner, her horse and her dog, demonstrates this. After the passing of her horse, Rautenbach set to work creating a fitting portrait to depict the tender moments shared between the sitter and her horse, whom she worked with at the Forestry Commission Scotland to retrieve fallen trees that machines were unable to get to within the forest. The close physical proximity of the lady and her horse is reminiscent of the bond shared, with the delicate embrace further revealing this. By setting the work against a black backdrop, Rautenbach is constructing a sombre yet serene scene, that allows the viewer to immediately understand the mutually beautiful relationship.

In a time where the world is beginning to grow more concerned with the health of the planet, turning more towards recycling and sustainability, artists like Eben Rautenbach prevail. Not only is he continuously sourcing his materials both locally, and sustainably, but he also aims to give life to old and unloved objects. This has seen the artist extend his work to vintage axes. Upon finding old axe heads in peoples’ sheds, in the forest, and online, Rautenbach shapes new handles out of ashwood, and creates pyrography on them. Eben has found an affinity with the work he does, suggesting he may never retire. As long as the artist’s body can withstand the physical toil of working with large segments of wood prior to the pyrography, the artist will continue to produce. His works have great sentimental and educative value, shedding light on the natural beauty of the world. Should you wish to enquire about a piece of Eben’s work, or enquire about commissioning a piece, please email info@gallerydifferent.co.uk.