Anton Kannemeyer – Continuing a study of trees

We’ve been fortunate to work with screenprint veteran Anton Kannemeyer on a number of tree portraits, starting with his striking studies of weather-beaten stone pines and dead oaks – alien and deformed yet impressive, singular shapes within the landscape.

These alien specimens hold both a personal and political interest for the artist, but his fascination with trees extends beyond this specific concern. His interest includes indigenous trees (which he has planted, collected and carried with him over two decades of house moves across South Africa) and, in general, a visual preoccupation with the anatomy and structure of trees, at once both figurative and seemingly abstract.

Kannemeyer explains:
“Formally, I’m fascinated by the natural yet almost abstract forms created by large trees in the landscape. Mostly, I resolve these drawings with pen and ink which eventually become either silkscreen or lithographic prints. The mark-making is the basic challenge here, giving life to what essentially is a portrait of a specific tree. I’m neither interested in animal or human life to validate the artwork, nor in a landscape surrounding the tree, though these are not necessarily excluded…”

This latest release by Kannemeyer is the first in an upcoming series of the iconic baobab (“kremetart”) tree, known, among other things, for its unusual profile and its longevity; its arresting appearance present to thousands of years of change in the surrounding landscape.