Art can mean a lot of different things to many people, but for Elrie Joubert art is everything.
She is a Bloemfontein-based visual artist, an obsessive collector of small objects, and a lecturer in printmaking, drawing and Visual Culture studies at the Central University of Technology, Free State. She has a long list of accolades and qualifications on a national and international level, dating back to 2006.
“My husband (Jacques) and I have been together since I was a second-year art student, so you can say art has been a part of our lives from the beginning. He is my biggest supporter and usually travels with me when I am invited to exhibitions. My children are both avid collectors and are constantly on the lookout for what I am collecting at any given time,” she said.
Joubert mentioned that being a collector and observer of nature is about the combination of wonder and curiosity. “Seeing what God has created and having the privilege to keep and preserve a little piece of nature is what drives me to collect,” she expressed.
When asked about her creative process, the artist noted that process is rooted in seeing beauty, value and meaning in the overlooked and challenging conventional ideas of worth. “I like the idea of turning something discarded into something that tells a story or sparks curiosity. People will be surprised by what you can find around you if you slow down and observe what’s at your feet.”
Joubert has collected buttons, seeds, small animal skulls, insects, feathers, plants, green pieces of plastic, shoe soles (lost soles), to name a few. “Before I start with a new collection, I start seeing a certain object everywhere until it piques my interest so much that I can’t help but pick it up.
“Once a new collection is started, I set some limitations to what may form part of the collection,” she explained.
Joubert also uses her art to raise environmental awareness as well as highlighting notions of sustainability. “In a world of excess, it is worth fostering awareness and thinking critically about materials, the environment and the impact artistic expression can have.”
If you would like to take a look at some of her collections, head on to her curated Instagram page, elriejoubert artist/collector, for more.
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