The Photo Opportunity http://mype.co.za/new/2014/02/kings-beach-belfie-spot/ Awhile back, the MBDA installed a new art piece at Kings Beach as an extension of the famous Route 67. The artwork titled “The Photo Opportunity” by Artist Mary Duker, is a larger than life deck chair, installed into a reflective stainless steel ‘picture’ frame, and set against a grassy embankment. Mary Duker says “The inspiration for the chair in the work is drawn from the ubiquitous striped canvas deckchair, which forms part of the artist’s recollection of childhood visits to King’s Beach”. The work is intended to have a nostalgic Alice in Wonderland quality, reminding viewers of their own childhood visits to the seaside, tempting them to engage with the artwork; to record visual memories of themselves as a living part of the artwork, reflected in the frame, living the seaside life. Dorelle Sapere, MBDA Planning and Development Manager, says: “The commission was awarded as a result of a public art competition calling for site specific proposals for artworks to form an integral part of the MBDA’s King’s Beach upgrade project. The Photo Opportunity work forms the first part of a two part installation at Kings Beach”. From The Herald Feb 12th 2014 “The picture frame is also symbolic of the autobiographical, referring to the tradition of recording and framing visual memories – it is intended to link the tradition of recording the seaside portrait to the modes of the present – the selfies, the smartphone pictures, the images posted on the Facebook page recording life as we live it, with a spectator as participant, and as the star of his or her own life.”
