Paraat, a state of mind indicating vigilance or the ability to perceive and react, is the name of the upcoming show at Platform on 18th. This vigilance could range from being quietly observant to being overly wary or even slightly paranoid. The artists showing their works are Lionel Smit, Sarel Petrus, Guy du Toit, SA Burger and Vasti Wilkinson. They confirm their vigilance by looking outward and engaging with the zeitgeist, or by looking inward to monitor the psychic world which gives rise to particular images, colours and processes. In either case being conscious is key. Du Toit’s opportunistic plover is at home in the fake, inhospitable environment of the urban sprawl, always on the alert for new habitats and possible danger. SA Burger, sardonic comments on the ‘hysterical and the historical’ sides of the ‘art scene’ and modern urban life in general, share this adaptability, facilitated by their paraat endeavours at symbiosis, transmutation and camouflage. At the opposite end of the spectrum of vigilance, the works of Wilkinson, Sarel Petrus and Smit are attentively introspective. Wilkinson tries to recapture the atmosphere of childhood experiences with evocative colours and images of swings, high chairs and pets, allowing these to trigger the viewer’s own memories and emotions.Similarly Smit observes the intuitive process of his controlled Pollock-like action painting. His role is to create a space-time arena for the portraits to come into being without overly determining the outcome. The work of Sarel Petrus, such as ‘gum-boots’ cast in wax, affirms the transience of objects and stories. If text can’t capture forgotten objects and untold stories to make them part of the stream of consciousness, perhaps art can... The works on show exemplify the important link between being paraat, and art.