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| Springbok Rock Art |
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| Grotto Bay Nature Reserve |
ME
THE ARTIST
MARTIN ERASMUS
Martin Erasmus has been practising art in some form or other since 1991, as an owner of a Bathroom & Kitchen Renovations company in Johannesburg, South Africa and in 1996 in Cape Town, South Africa, as partner in a Construction company, with innovative building technologies. As a result of his experience with Architectural Themes, decorative paint techniques and sand cement plasters in the construction industry he became a self taught artist through various courses with mixed mediums, oils, water colours, acrylics, pastels, paint techniques, spray-gun, airbrush and sand cement plasters. He developed “Artistic Rock Theming” or 3 dimensional lightweight rock art that can be utilized in Architectural design / themes, exterior and interior decorating options with rock pubs/bars, San rock art paintings, landscaping, water features etc.
Relocating to Cape Town from Johannesburg in 1996 paved the way for Martin to become a fulltime Artist and up to 2007 he had his home studio at the Family holiday home in Grotto Bay Private Residential Estate and Coastal Nature Reserve on the Cape West Coast. Grotto Bay Coastal Nature Reserve forms part of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve and it is the West Coast, Namaqualand and Namibia, with its exceptional character, diverse and breathtaking natural beauty, that inspires most of his art. As a resident in Grotto Bay Nature Reserve he became involved with nature conservation on the Reserve, managed the Honey Bee Management Program, formed the African Black Oystercatcher Conservation and Breeding Program and completed a course as Tour Guide at the West Coast National Park. This link with nature was the catalyst that inspired him to continue with Art on a full time basis.
His love for nature, hiking and visiting numerous San Rock Art Painting sites in South Africa, was the catalyst that inspired his rock art paintings. As a result of many original African San paintings being lost, destroyed or vandalized, Martin’s interest in this form of art was established as a conservation effort and to capture some of these ancient paintings on a modern canvas.
A project that Martin is currently busy with is the African San Rock Art - Sport Series which will comprise rock art paintings of rugby, soccer, cricket, golf, athletics etc. depicting oil painted scenes/and photo’s from major sport games, matches, events and tournaments.
As an example, a “Springbok Rugby Rock Art” painting is done to celebrate rugby in Africa, as well as, one of the oldest forms of art in the world “San Rock Art”. The painting captures images of a modern day rugby match in the Kalahari Desert as it would have been observed by a San Shaman or Artist hundreds of years ago. Using my knowledge of San Rock Art I captured the Rugby match using examples of the many unfamiliar San Art images to record most of the many facets of the game of rugby football as we know it today – lineout, scrum, blood-bin, try, tackles etc The painting depicts some of the spirit, passion and ecstasy that rugby fans and enthusiasts have for the game. The same spirit, passion, ecstasy and pride depicted on all the San Rock Art paintings done hundreds of years ago.
Currently Martin resides in the Western Cape Coastal town of the Strand and has completed an extensive art course with renowned Art Master, Ryno Swart, resulting from this they have formed a an art group of like minded artists who get together weekly at numerous scenic Western Cape sites where as a group they paint directly from nature. Martin has had various exhibitions together with other artists and his work is available in various galleries in SA.