Exploring New Territory: "Eastern Cape Equestrian"
As an artist, I’ve always been drawn to the quiet, often haunting presence of human-made objects in the vastness of the Karoo landscape. For years, my paintings have featured what some might call an "intrusion" — the subtle but deliberate placement of a structure or artefact in the otherwise barren landscape. Whether it’s a dilapidated farmhouse, a crumbling windmill, or a weathered Jo-Jo tank, these objects speak to a human story without showing a human figure. They are like silent witnesses to a past life, a story half-told.
However, my most recent commissioned piece, Eastern Cape Equestrian, marks a departure from that narrative. For the first time, human figures make a direct appearance — but not in the form I’m usually accustomed to. This time, the "intrusion" is not a crumbling building or forgotten object, but rather a group of hunters on horseback in the remote Karoo landscape.
The commission came from Murray and Sandra Thomson, who do hunting trips in the Eastern Cape near Cradock. The challenge they presented me was both exciting and daunting. The landscape of the Eastern Cape, much like the Western Cape Karoo, is vast, arid, and beautiful, but the presence of people — specifically horse riders — was a significant departure from my usual approach.
A departure from the tried and tested norm
Eastern Cape Equestrian is the first time I’ve painted horses in my work, and I must admit, it was a challenge I welcomed. In the past, my paintings have focused primarily on the relationship between the land and the remnants of human habitation — how structures and objects, no matter how faded or broken, still hold a place in the landscape. But this time, I was asked to integrate both the human form and the power of horses into that same landscape, while still capturing the rugged, untamed essence of the land itself.
The challenge was not just about adding people into a scene; it was about balancing the human presence in a way that didn’t overwhelm the landscape but still told a story. The horses and their riders had to blend into the environment while still being the focal point of the piece. It was a tightrope walk between the movement and energy of the human figures and the stillness of the vast Karoo. And yet, in this new dynamic, I found a great deal of freedom and excitement. Being pushed out of my usual comfort zone allowed me to stretch as an artist, and I found the process both invigorating and rewarding.
This piece is special to me for another reason: it marks the beginning of a new direction in my work. Eastern Cape Equestrian is not just a one-off experiment; it’s the first in what will likely become a new theme. Not necessarily hunters on horseback, but possibly more with actual people presence. In fact, I’ve already begun working on a second piece, The Hunt, which will explore the same theme of hunters in the Karoo but without the horses. Like Eastern Cape Equestrian, it will feature the same expansive landscape, but with a different set of figures and a slightly different narrative.
I can’t express how much I’ve enjoyed this journey, and I’m grateful to Murray and Sandra for commissioning this piece. Their vision for the work challenged me in ways I hadn’t anticipated, but it was exactly the kind of artistic "viva la difference" I was craving. It’s one thing to paint a landscape, but to fill that landscape with movement, story, and energy is something altogether different. The result is a painting that still speaks to the soul of the Karoo but does so with a fresh perspective.
I’m excited to see where this direction takes me, and I hope you’ll join me on this journey as well. Eastern Cape Equestrian was the beginning of something new, and I look forward to sharing more of this exploration with you.
Thanks again to Murray and Sandra for their trust and collaboration. It’s been a true pleasure to work on both of these pieces, and I can’t wait to share more in the future.
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