Janet Botes
Born: 1984
Hometown: Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
Based in: Wilderness, Garden Route, South Africa
Janet Botes (1984-) is a visual artist working in various media - including Land Art, Installation Art, Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media, Photography, Digital Art and Assemblage - and involves her working just as much in the outdoors than in the studio. Her conceptual focus primarily revolves around our place and connection within the web of life, and aims to honour the sacredness, cycles and biodiversity of the Earth.
Janet has been involved with various projects, including residencies and festivals that include the Global Nomadic Art Project by YATOO (South Korea); Thupelo (South Africa), OPENLab2016 (South Africa); Tankwa Artscape (South Africa); and Site_Specific (South Africa). Her first solo exhibitions 'Wild & Still: expressions of the landscape' and 'ORGANISM' was shown in 2014 and 2016 respectively at StateoftheArt Gallery in Cape Town, South Africa. Her art is included in corporate and private art collections, and she has created the artwork for the Sandown MyCiti bus station for Cape Town.
8 works for sale
More About Janet Botes
What inspires you?
I am always inspired by the plants, animals, trees, flotsam, nests, seeds and other natural elements that I see around me. I love things that symbolise, express or honour the rhythms, seasons and cycles of nature. And I get excited by seeing the potential in projects, people and places. Metaphysical or spiritual themes are also a great inspiration.
Describe your creative process.
My creative process is very intuitive and process-based, and the outcome is often very different from my initial intention, or simply grows from a tiny seed of an idea. My work in the outdoors often informs my work in the studio - land art becoming the inspiration for a painting, drawing, or digital artwork. My limited edition prints are often a combination of photographic documentation of land art, landscape photos, painted textures and scanned drawings.
What are 3 words that best describe your work?
Earthy, explorative, natural
Who are some artists that have influenced your work?
Strijdom van der Merwe, Judith Mason, Ana Mendieta, Willem Boshoff, and LOT of other incredible artists have - and still do - influence and inspire my work and processes.
What is the most important tool when creating your work?
Photo-documentation of the natural world is a main starting point for all my work, so... my camera
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
To be authentic and true to my heart - especially when it comes to my art - to keep exploring and experimenting.
Where do you go for inspiration?
Onto the beach, into the forest, into second-hand stores and book shops.