Page 38 - Intra Muros November 2023 Issue

ARTS AND CRAFTS

BERNIE VAN DER VYVER’S

ARTISTIC PROCESS

ast month, we explored the life and
work of artist and sculptor Bernie van
Lder Vyver. We traced the origins of his
love for art and nature which stemmed from
a childhood spent in Bethal, Mpumalanga.
Over time, Bernie developed a passion for
working with bronze “for its strength and
longevity”. He began using it to craft
aesthetic representations of the African
wilderness.

We delve deeper into Bernie’s
artistic process and find out what
inspires and challenges him.

Q: What were the initial materials
you used to create your artworks?
A: I used simple things like pencils, paper and
clay. These materials were easy to use and
helped me express my ideas. Q: Is this why you
choose to sculpt in bronze?
Q: How were you introduced to bronze A: Yes. I love the way bronze pieces
sculptures? stand the test of time. Unlike drawings or
A: Everything changed when I saw the bronze clay models, bronze sculptures don’t fade or
sculptures of Coert Steynberg and Jo Roos change over time. They keep their beauty for many,
at an exhibition in Knysna. Their work was many years.
unique. They had a way of making their
subjects in bronze look incredibly real and Q: Why is this endurance so appealing
full of life. The way they managed to craft to you?
such vivid, lifelike subjects in bronze was A: After seeing the enduring
mesmerising. Their works didn’t just look real; magnificence of Steynberg and Roos’s
they felt alive, almost as if their subjects could works, I was inspired to create my own
spring into motion at any moment. bronze sculptures. I want to produce art that can
withstand the test of time so that it becomes a
Q: How did the realism and detail in lasting tribute to the subjects I am so passionate
Steynberg and Roos’s works affect you? about.
A: Beyond the realism, what struck me was
the lasting nature of their art. Bronze doesn’t Q: What are you currently working on?
fade or change over time. It preserves the A: I’m working on an extraordinary project: I’ve been
beauty and essence of these sculptures for asked to make a bronze sculpture of a Khoisan man in
generations to enjoy. a hunting pose with a traditional bow.

36 | INTRAMUROS NOVEMBER 2023