RECENT APPARITIONS

& OTHER PAINTINGS

NICOLAAS MARITZ

DAWID RAS GALLERY

RECENT APPARITIONS
& OTHER PAINTINGS

5 - 24 MARCH 2016

NICOLAAS MARITZ

DAWID RAS GALLERY

18 Silvela Road
Sandown Estate, Sandton
Johannesburg
SOUTH AFRICA

www.dawidras.com
 INTRODUCTION

RECENT APPARITIONS & OTHER PAINTINGS

Art does not lie down on the bed that is made for it;
it runs away as soon as one says its name;
it loves to go incognito.
Its best moments are when it forgets what it is called.
Jean Dubuffet
(quoted by Alan Magee: Paintings, Sculpture, Graphics. Forum Gallery, New York, 2004)

Painting is absolutely primordial, and an exquisitely involved process. It is an activity

fraught with small sensuous successes and considerable boring disappointments; a la-
boured layering of pure chance. This makes every new painting an apparition of sorts; a
transformation. But explanations can be odious.
To conceive of a finished painting is foolish. In the tradition of non-professionalism,
informalism and the happy accident, these recent works are testimony to the creative
methods of chance, a surprisingly constructive working procedure, by which the paint-
ings, given a little advance artistic encouragement daily, seem to magically appear by
themselves.
Painting is surface architecture rooted in complex preliminary painterly stages; a land-
scape of meandering impressions finally charted by paint; an expression of the particular,
relying on a large amount of the general. It is another country, haunted by strange juxta-
positions of artistic intelligence. And all of this from my suburban garage! Well, I can only
tell you.
Contemporary culture looms very large, and is extremely alienating. It is almost true to
say that no-one really fits in. Just about everyone I know is mentally distracted.
Nowadays there seems to be little difference between being and fantasy, between street
and gallery, or between website and museum. Even anachronisms have become contem-
porary. How infinitely nice for culture. But find meaning we all still must.
Individualist artistic intention is so easily altered and adulterated by the realities of con-
ventional artistic medium, that to surrender to the scintillating will of paint, is possibly the
only enduring answer to a painter. It is to enter at once a hidden world, with its own subtle
colour rules and revelatory language. It is an open-ended adventure penetrating the fas-
tidious poetry of accidental line and liquid colour. It establishes and nurtures personal
possibilities and artistic miracles. If only everybody could paint!
Unlocking painterly secrets are not for the faint hearted. Like Gauguin I yearn to be more
mysterious. Like Matisse I yearn to conjure up and atmosphere of luxe, calme et volupte.
Like my younger self I still yearn to be a painter. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.
This exhibition features a selection of my recent paintings, roughly divided into three sec-
tions: Landscape, Still Life and Apparition. All the works are in enamel paint on board.

Nicolaas Maritz, Darling, February 2016

1. Gedaante met Blou Vol, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 498 x 635mm /
Apparition With Blue Bird, 2014, enamel paint on board, 498 x 635mm
2. Twee Droomvols, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 340 x 450mm /
Two Dream Birds, 2014, enamel paint on board, 340 x 450mm
3. Twee Suurlemoene met Rooi Bessies 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 495 x 580mm /
Two Lemons with Red Berries 2014, enamel paint on board, 495 x 580mm
4. Stillewe met Geel Beker en Suurlemoene, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 820 x 1205mm /
Still Life with Yellow Jug and Lemons, 2014, enamel paint on board, 820 x 1205mm
5. Swart en Geel Suurlemoene, 2013, emaljeverf op bord, 295 x 392mm /
Black and Yellow Lemons, 2013, enamel paint on board, 295 x 392mm
6. 7.
Swart Lyn Suurlemoen, 2013, emaljeverf Blou Suurlemoengloed, 2013, emaljeverf
op bord, 240 x 320mm / op bord, 232 x 317mm /

Black Line Lemon, 2013, enamel paint Blue Lemon Glow, 2013, enamel paint on
on board, 240 x 320mm board, 232 x 317mm
 RIGHT
9.
Pienk Vis op Geel Bord,
2015, emaljeverf op
bord,
400 x 507mm /

Pink Fish on Yellow

Plate, 2015, enamel
paint on board,
400 x 507mm

LEFT
8.
Blou Visskadu met Suur-
lemoene, 2015, emaljeverf op
bord, 410 x 320mm /

Blue Fish Shadow with Lem-

ons, 2015, enamel paint on
board, 410 x 320mm
 RIGHT
11.
Vaal Takke in n Gespik-
kelde Blompot, 2014,
emaljeverf op bord,
495x 625mm /

Pale Branches in a
Spotty Vase, 2014,
enamel paint on board,
495 x 625mm

LEFT
10.
Pienk Blompot met Rooi
Bessie-takke, 2014,
emaljeverf op bord,
580 x495mm /

Pink Vase with Red

Berry Branches, 2014,
enamel paint on board,
580 X 495mm
12. Drie Suurlemoen See-uitsig, 2012, emaljeverf op bord, 665 x 1000mm /
Three Lemon Sea View, 2012, enamel paint on board, 665 x 1000mm
13. Uitsig met Wit Bord, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 580 x 990mm /
View with White Plate, 2014, enamel Paint on board, 580 x 990mm
14. Gompou en Doringbos by Dordabis, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 600 x 613mm /
Bustard and Thorn Bush at Dordabis, 2014, enamel paint, 600 x 613mm
15. Kaaskop, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 395 x 640mm /
Kaaskop, 2014, enamel paint on board, 395 x 640mm
16. Tweetoon Maan, 2012, emaljeverf op bord, 590 x 790mm /
Two-tone Moon, 2012, enamel paint on board, 590 x 790mm
17. By Spoegontein, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 650 x 950mm /
At Spoegfontein, 2014, enamel paint on board, 650 x 950mm
18. Somerwolke naby Kalkrand, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 165 x 248mm /
Summer Clouds near Kalkrand, 2014, enamel paint on board, 165 x 248mm
19. Rooi Bult by Toktokkievlakte, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 163 x 250mm /
Red Hill at Tapping Beetle Flats, 2014, enamel paint on board, 163 x 250mm
20.
Swart Kaatjie
met Rooi Saad-
peule, 2013,
emaljeverf op
bord,
605 x 595mm /

Black Kitty with

Red Pods, 2013,
enamel paint on
board,
605 x 595mm
21.
Die Laaste
Koedoe,
2012/13, emal-
jeverf op bord,
780 x 780mm /

The Last Kudu,

2012/13,
enamel paint
on board,
780 x 780mm
22. Le Bottels met Blou Vol, 2014, emaljeverf op bord, 498 x 590mm /
Empty Bottles and Blue Bird, 2014, enamel paint on board, 498 x 590mm
23. Twee Stille Gedaantes, 2009/14, emaljeverf op bord, 1220 x 1520mm /
Two Still Apparitions, 2009/14, enamel paint on board, 1220 x 1520mm
DAWID RAS GALLERY
18 Silvela Road
Sandown Estate, Sandton
Johannesburg
SOUTH AFRICA

TEL: 011 444 5480

CELL: 082 492 9777
www.dawidras.com