adminZimbabwean painter John Kotzé’s realistic impressions secured on the walls of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare confirm the established painter having patience as one of his virtues and preys on prestigious painting as we have known it.
The National Gallery’s intra brightness because of the natural light that pierces through the transparent segments of its roof, pristine floors and sparkling walls have been immensely complemented by the elegant solo show that came six years of his previous at the same venue.
John’s paintings portraying the simple world around him where attained by lengthy periods of intense observation of photographed images, ingenious colour mixing and unsurpassed application skill that matured with the interminable rotation of the earth around the sun.
He successfully managed to ensemble an impressive body of work that he themed “Abstract”, a rather confusing term in relation with the achieved imagery. But with 54 years of visualising the world with a particular desire and talent, the result is phenomenal. Kotzé, holder of a BSc Engineering degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, has an artistic conduct that screams perfectionism from the way he engineers his stretchers and preparation of his stretched canvases, ready to sip in the vibrant colours of superior oils, convey sincerity to his chosen theme and media.
Kotzé has achieved remarkably on his artistic endeavours both at home and abroad. He boasts numerous magnitude exhibitions which include “Havana Biennale” in Cuba, “Transmission International Contemporary Art” in Manchester, England, “Next Wave”, in Melbourne, Australia others in Sweden, Mozambique, and several in Zimbabwe.
On the local front, he has been rewarded with a handful of awards at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in the yesteryear’s prestigious Zimbabwe Heritage exhibitions and at Gallery Delta Foundation for Art and the Humanities. He was also selected to represent Zimbabwe, attending “Documenta 12” in Kassel, Berlin, Germany.
Since childhood I have startled flocks of African white collared crows menacing in the groundnuts fields and observed them stealing chicken eggs and small bars of washing soap, often forgetting where they would have hidden them. I have listened to their raucous voices when startled or in conflict as well as considerable number of sweet sounds they use when relaxing in the shed during the blazing summer heat, or when joyously feeding and other communication, but has never scrutinised their glossy black and white plumage, heavy bill or tough web talons until abstracted in life size in eight various standing postures on the same number of small pieces in oils on canvas by Kotzé.
In one of the pieces the crow has its beak in the merest of openings that you would feel like you are hearing the low decibel communication sounds they use at their seminars.
In another immaculate piece on show titled “Cool Cucumbers”, an aerial view of an open sleeveless cardboard box filled with fresh young spiky cucumbers (magaka) in rich greens, seem so real that you feel like selecting a few for the fox on a weekend braai. “Pumpkin Patch” too leaves one craving for the various species of colourful pumpkins on a huge pile in all shapes and sizes, making you feel like picking up some during their off season. Only the noticeable manipulation of colour, light, shadow and perspective on certain pieces disrupts our sense of realism but the body of work testifies the painstaking abstract deconstruction journey that John undertook to reconstruct the realism that we enjoy.
This “Abstract” exhibition is part of a project which has seen John holding a two week oil painting workshop earlier in 2011 for the National Gallery of Zimbabwe Visual Arts Studios’ second- and third-year students sponsored by British Council and Friends of the Gallery.
Through Kotzé’s willingness to help young artists, massive sponsorship has since come on board in support of his endeavours.
The African Capacity Building Foundation, Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, delegation of the European Union in Zimbabwe, Delta Breweries, African Distillers, Alliance Francaise, KDB Holdings, British Council, Goethe Institut and Alpha Media Holdings are among the15 sponsors of this show and the high quality catalogue. Through the generosity of these organisations, John will be running three more workshops for the next three years for local artists. Kotzé said he is overjoyed and grateful for the amazing support he received from the partners.
His fund-raising project has since received impressive response from the public and he hopes such an initiative will go a long way in nurturing local talent.
The show exploring the interplay between realism and abstraction through the use of photography as the source for recording the everyday images that surround us will come down to earth in January 2012 after two months of high flying.
l Stephen Garan’anga is an international fine art practitioner, independent art projects co-ordinator, chairperson of AfricanColours Artists, critical visual arts writer amongst other things. He can be contacted on [email protected]
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