Johannesburg’s newest art gallery – the Afropolitan Gallery at Victoria Yards – has opened with a stunning exhibition of new works by John Moore which will run until August 1.
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Moore’s passion for wildlife and natural heritage visually fuses themes of spirituality and mysticism and, in addition to depictions of wildlife and the plight of endangered species, his work often also includes references to Southern Africa’s ancient San- and Koi- bushman rock painting heritage.
Moore’s show at the Afropolitan Gallery is titled In the Beginning in which he engages primarily with a coloured pastel medium yet there is a body of classical work from this master print maker in etchings, linocuts and mixed media.
Schooled at St John’s College in Johannesburg, Moore’s childhood was marked by long holidays and explorations of South Africa, particularly the Kruger National Park where he
was taught to love and appreciate wildlife in every form, and learned to enjoy not only the wonder of the “Big Five” but also the complexity and detail of “the little things”.
Moore remembers sitting at waterholes for hours armed with binoculars and nature books. He studied birds, trees and insects and over the years his appreciation for detail and micro organisms was firmly fixed into his growing imagination.
Moore also learned to appreciate the different ecosystems that inhabit Southern Africa, visiting the contrasting coastal forests of KwaZulu Natal and the arid deserts of Namibia, and he was also able to witness and appreciate the indigenous people of the country and its neighbours, sharing and listening to tales of the fauna and flora around the fire.