LANDSKIP
An exhibition of recent landscape works by Nicolaas Maritz UCT Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town, 11th May to 1st June 2019
“Most of the landscape works on this exhibition were inspired by a road trip through the Northern Cape and southern part of Namibia during December 2018. Flat and barren wastes, now and then interspersed with sudden crusty rock formations with deep shadows - such personable geological events in an otherwise seemingly endless wasteland. Many miles of obviously dry landscape glided by, as the tar road stretched straight ahead, like a pencil line over brown paper. No rain has fallen here since I don’t know when. But it’s beautiful in its own repulsive way. There were few people about, and the one’s I noticed, seemed to appear out of nowhere, and to be living very far apart. The sheep looked tired, in the nicest way possible. The inhospitable aspect of the landscape was exacerbated by extremely hot weather during the day. And a blistering sun. But towards evening a surprisingly cool wind came up. At night the moon and the stars were so much more brilliant than I could recall. The fresh morning landscape was deliciously bathed in a soft and surreal violet light, which I found didn’t photograph well at all. But the purples have always been such difficult colours, especially when it comes to painting; so often too telling, too prosaic… Crossing the national border between South Africa and Namibia held its own grim fascination; the stern officialese; the strictly formalised process of leaving and entering; the anxious faces of tourists, uncertain in this sudden existential moment, alarmed by loud stamping noises from behind a bullet-proof glass partition. It is a venerable rite of passage, approaching a nightmare, but stoically borne.
Ancient Hill, 2019, enamel paint on board
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