Surrealism with a message of preservation by Tertius van Dyk
"I love
wide open spaces, full of emptiness and peaceful solitude and I strive to bring this forward in my Art"
Famous southern right whale sculpture in Hermanus to be restored by Tertius van Dyk
Well-known artist Tertius van Dyk and local resident René Hartslief have launched a restoration project that will see the famous life-size southern right whale sculpture on Hermanus Market Square get a makeover - set for completion on 2 March 2022.
Kunstenaar Tertius van Dyk vertel vir Johan Rademan van die restourasiewerk aan die lewensgrootte Suidelike Noordkapperwalvis-monument op Hermanus.
About Tertius van Dyk
The artist was born in the Overberg in the Western Cape in 1974. Although being an "Overberger", he spent his entire school life in a small Freestate town by the name of Virginia, after matriculating he moved to Bloemfontein where he stayed for 10 years, before making the decision to move back to the Overberg Hermanus. Tertius is an avert lover of trees, rocks, rust and everything earthy. The artist uses mixed medium in his art but works mostly in Acrylic.
The Art Times caught up with the surrealist artist in the midst of creating his new body of work.
Tell us a little about yourself… where are you from, where did you grow up, what was your childhood like?
I was born in the gorgeous Overberg Valley, the family moved inland just before I started with schooling. After matriculating, I left home and moved to Bloemfontein and in 2007 made the life changing decision to move back to the Western Cape and since then, I have never looked back.
Share with us that very first moment that you decided to make art.
Ha Ha! It was not my decision to make, but that of my mother’s, who is also a lover of the arts. At a very young age she would put crayons, pencils and paper in my hands to keep me busy, she said It made a lot less noise then playing with her pots and pans…. Very thankful for that lol!
You use mixed media with a preference for acrylic in mostly subtle earthy shades.
What other artists have been inspirational to you in your work?
With all honesty, there has never been a particular artist. Most of my inspiration comes from nature like rocks, flat planes, old trees and all rusted things like derelict buildings etc., I would always try to vision in my mind’s eye, what they would have looked like back in the day and to imagine the memories that would be attached to them.