Notes

‘The Karoo has been the biggest influence of my career. From the very first time I went there, I could not resist going back time and again. It’s hard to describe what I feel when I stand alone in the breeze, with the timeless vistas stretching for miles in all directions. There is something primordial about its landscape. I want to capture that atmosphere.

Usually, I start a landscape with the sky. Exploring various cloud formations setting a general mood that will determine the path forward. In this work I kept adjusting the sky, looking for an explosion of clouds emanating from a certain point in the composition. The subject matter in the middleground or foreground becomes the narrative, but it all hangs on the power of the sky.

For me, creating a strong sense of unending vista is made by the descending clouds merging with the distant horizon. The featureless landscape of the greater Karoo gives me the freedom to place the main subject matter wherever I like.

I am often asked where I get my inspiration, as if it is something tangibly recognisable. I am not aware of what it means other than that it’s something innate. I suppose most of my works start from what I see or read. But it is subconscious and only comes to me later. The karoo is different. I think it has a permanent place all its own in me. I can smell it and feel it even in my dreams.’ — John Meyer, 2023.