Stuck on nature
Any collection of colourful bumper stickers on the back of a bakkie, caravan or bush trailer is like a road map of all the places you’ve been – and a giveaway that you’re a serious traveller.
“I love it. It’s an honorary signal system that shows you where people have been,” says Ben Grib, an artist, flower farmer and selfproclaimed mountain man who now combines his love of travelling and nature with a unique range of travel stickers and posters.
The stickers, which depict the natural beauty of South Africa, stemmed from Ben’s own adventures in the wilderness. “Every time we did a hiking trail, I designed a logo and had caps made for us. I realised that the logos resembled bumper stickers.”
Ben’s series of posters depicting our national parks, on the other hand, was born from a desire to capture precious memories of experiences in nature in a way that is personal and appealing.
“My first poster was a gift for a friend’s birthday, which we celebrated with a party on a houseboat in the West Coast National Park,” Ben explains. “I enjoyed making it so much that I made another one every time we visited a park.”
Ben, whose work includes logos on packaging and wine bottles, decided to create a poster for a park only if he’d visited it himself. “You get a much better idea of a place when you watch the sunset from your camping chair with a G&T in your hand, as opposed to searching for pictures on the internet. The point of a travel poster is to make you want to visit, after all. It has to look attractive and exciting… and be just a little bit cheesy.”
The latest addition to Ben’s range of posters is the Kruger National Park, but his personal favourite is the poster for the Bontebok National Park. “I like how the colours and textures came together.”
Ben and his family live on a farm outside Citrusdal where indigenous flowers, rooibos tea and citrus are grown. He says he often has his best ideas when he is busy with routine work on the farm, and considers himself fortunate to be able to get away from his computer screen.
His stickers are sold at select Cape Union Mart branches.