
John Kramer
Cape Town,
South Africa
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'The kind of paintings I make are not about architecture as such - structures that have been designed by particular people, rather, they have to do with buildings that have grown and matured over time, that show the ravages of alteration, with all their little quirks and peculiarities, and the funny bits and pieces that get stuck on.
My first step is to see and compose through the eye of the camera: that can be a very satisfying process, for the photographic image has its own reality. If no one else recorded that image,it's as if it no longer exists. In a sense then, it's the photograph that becomes the real subject of the painting, and not the actual reality out there.
For me, this is the only approach that can convey the message I want to put across. With realism, you have to be very calculated - you can't just work from the heart or the imagination - because the weight of every element counts. For, ultimately, my aim is to create a painting that is a comment about a certain place that existed at a specific and unique moment in time.
I have visited most small towns in the Western Cape over the years in search of suitable material for my paintings. Here you will find examples of my work. Most of the paintings are in private collections and are not available for sale.
Contact me
If you have a question about one of the paintings or have some information or a connection with a building, please feel free to contact me.
John Kramer
Cape Town,
South Africa
info