The Art Times caught up with the surrealist artist in the midst of creating his new body of work. 

We know very little about the talented Tertius van Dyk. 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!

The Mist

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…..

You seem to avoid cities and prefer living in less dense areas and have a love of open spaces.
You document the state of the earth and your surrounds in a surreal manner through your dreamscape art. Whether a rusted screw or a ship anchored in the Karoo; what is it about your subject matter that inspires you
to put it to canvas and give us an idea about the process involved.  

Strangely I do love the buzz of Cape Town, but will always want to live away from it as far as possible, hence me staying in the Hemel en Aarde Valley in Hermanus, with all the green around here, still nothing compares to the vast openness of the Karoo, and the peace I feel from it when I paint.

Oasis

What has been your most touching or amazing moment you’ve experienced as an artist?   

Mainly because of my immense passion for trees and hatred for the destruction of the Rain Forests, I would say that my soul is mostly touched by the spirit of a man from India by the name of JADAV PAYENG, who has planted hundreds of trees since 1979, and therefore creating a manmade forest, amazing!

What would you like our readers to know about your new body of work and can we look forward to a
solo exhibition sometime in the near future?

As I evolve, my art evolves….My exhibition in Cape Town at The Young Blood Gallery was a success and was very well received. There are talks of exhibiting in Johannesburg but no dates have been set yet. My new works will include something I have not done yet in the past, exciting stuff, watch this space!

Follw on Facebook: Tertius van Dyk Art
Artwork availabe at Walker Bay Modern
Art Gallery – www.walkerbayartgallery.co.za