Art Blog

Nurturing Nature - Works on paper by John Moore exploring the fusion of African spirituality and mysticism in wildlife

John Moore is a full-time artist based in Johannesburg. Throughout his career, he has explored the sacredness of wildlife and harmony seeking continuous inspiration from Khoisan iconography. His latest solo exhibition Nurturing Nature features works on paper exploring the fusion of African spirituality and mysticism in wildlife at The White River Gallery in Mpumalanga from 8 - 30 September 2018.

His large-scale 2018 etching entitled The Ferryman depicts an eland and alludes to the transporting of endangered species. A prolific number of detailed animals emanate from the eland that includes a diverse selection of marine creatures, land mammals and birds. In Khoisan culture, the eland is a vital and sacred spirit mammal.

Moore has utilized a continuous interlocution of cross-hatched marks through the background employing the chiaroscuro technique of light and dark. The eland floats ethereally on a large scale leaf with 5 concentric ripples of water emanating over the water surface.

The exhibition was opened by wildlife ecologist, Dusty Joubert from the Selati Game Reserve - a 27 000 hectare private reserve of sincere biodiversity situated in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Joubert's father was a director of conservation for 8 years at the Kruger National Park. Dusty Joubert graduated with a Master?s degree in Wildlife Management through the University of Pretoria.

During his opening address, Joubert spoke to the spontaneity of dynamic interacting and interdependent ecosystems with the inherent capability of reproducing, which is echoed through the multiples of printmaking that includes Moore's The Ferryman etching, Birds of a Feather: Heron over water and Birds of a Feather: Nightjar and Hawkmoths linocuts and The Observation of the Meeting of Two Species stone lithographs, printed at the Artist?s Press in White River, Mpumalanga.

Joubert spoke to the ability of life to persist on different levels and to the disruption of ecosystems especially linked to human encroachment. Joubert commented on Moore?s ability to represent animals with precision and dexterity.

Nurturing Nature runs from 8 - 30 September 2018 at The White River Gallery.