Kouebokkeveld

Provenance

Acquired from the artist by the current owner in 1994.

Notes

The Kouebokkeveld is a mountain range in the Western Cape, an area familiar to the artist and a subject that recurs frequently in his work. The high mountains make this one of the coldest places during the winter months and this painting depicts such a day, a remote spot with mists swirling around the rocks in the foreground, the extensive landscape dropping away behind, and weak sunlight attempting to penetrate the cloud-streaked sky.

Laubscher describes his aim toward expanding composition as follow: “In South Africa the landmass is sharply defined against the sky, making two separate elements. We are engulfed in light, very much aware of space, and the continuity of the land which extends beyond our vision. What I am trying to achieve is to create the illusion of the landscape having continuing vastness and the painting being part of the whole, instead of being something complete and contained.”