|
East London-born Geoff
Horne’s early career was
something of a contrast
to his current metier
as an artist. “I started
out in banking and then moved into
sales, working in book printing and
publishing,” he says. “I’d always
drawn, but never had any formal art
training. It was when my son Justin
was recovering from an injury at home
that I decided to give up sales and
began painting from my garage. Being strictly
self-taught, it was a hard slog. There
were plenty of canvases destroyed
and paint splashed on the walls!”
Geoff began working in oils, but
finding the drying times too tedious,
soon turned to acrylics. “I painted all
sorts of different subject matter and
eventually plucked up the courage to take
my paintings to a gallery.
I decided to meander
through the Karoo, stopping over at the
most remote little towns and just fell in
love with the region.” Taking photographs of out-of-the-way
trading stores, cinemas, houses and
pool rooms, Geoff soon realised that
he was surrounded by subject matter. “The images aren’t ‘prettied up’,” he
says. “I prefer to paint the streets as I see
them – complete with vehicles, fences,bins and lamp posts. But I do adjust the
composition to give the most impact.” Influenced by the works of American
Richard Estes and local artists Keith
Alexander and John Meyer (he refers to
the latter as the master of the Karoo).
Geoff says he’s intrigued by capturing
a moment in time. “There’s no hidden
message. My paintings are about places
that appeal to me, about buildings that
may not survive and people who are
going about their daily activities.”
Geoff also appreciates the way that
buildings take on different personas
over time. “You’ll see an old pharmacy
that’s become a café or a lovely Victorian
broekie lace façade that’s covered with
advertising slogans. And there’s the
informality of people selling fresh
produce from the verandas.”
“It’s been a strange and
wonderful life,” he admits. “Leaving
the sales world was the best thing I
could have done. I’m so grateful to my
son who inadvertently got me into the
world of professional painting. There’s
still a great thrill in putting your name
to a work you’re really happy with.”
|
