IN CONVERSATION WITH MUNRO
THE MYTH OF ARTISTIC RECLUSIVENESS HOLDS AN ALLURE FOR THOSE WHO APPRECIATE FINE ART, AND WHO BASK IN THE NOTION OF THE ARTIST AS A KIND OF ORACLE WHOSE GENIUS MUST BE PROTECTED FROM THE WORLD. HOWEVER, AS THE BOUNDARIES OF MODERN PRIVATE LIFE DISSOLVE, THERE’S NOT MUCH SPACE FOR REFLECTION, TO SAY NOTHING OF VULNERABILITY.
To be left alone with one’s work, in an era in which even Banksy is on Twitter, is an uncommon luxury that few artists can afford. However, some artists seem to transcend the pressures of aspiring to commercial success in order to capture each moment of inspiration in their work.
Renowned contemporary portraitist, Munro, is one such artist whose work raises an unfeigned mirror to innocently reflect an anxious journey from Bushveld boyhood to creative genius.
Officially, Munro’s story begins in 1998 when a moment of divine inspiration steered a young artist towards an inspired new direction, and a new name. In reality, though, art and artistic expression was part of Munro’s life from an early age.
“My life as an artist began when I was young, when I started experimenting with wood, clay, dried organic materials, before progressing to colour on canvas,” Munro says. “Growing up in the home I did gave me little to no scope in any artistic direction, and it looked like my life was set out for me from the start. Most of my growing up happened in the then small town of Ellisras, now Lephalale, at the far northern end of South Africa, surrounded by endless Bushveld and all that came with it. Angry men and robust tannies were the order of those days, and finding a kind heart big enough to nurture a tender soul seemed beyond reason.”
Inspired by one of his teachers, whom the artist describes as having “nurtured back a dying twig to a living branch”, Munro says that he often wonders what his life would have been like without her kindness.
Having escaped the small town that he grew up in, and following a disastrous experience at university, Munro joined the army.There he spent “two wasted years” in a system that cared little for life, and even less for artistic expression.
This experience brought severe introspection, and a rejuvenated desire to be creative. Expression came in the form of sculpture, with various metals being his chosen medium.
“I started playing with paint on canvas and eventually, after deciding to quit using brushes altogether, came the new name and the use of building trowels as applicators. This caused a flurry of interest and immediately transfigured me from an unknown struggling artist into a household name, virtually overnight.”
When the art market fell in love with Munro’s work, he had to work much harder than before to keep up with the demand. In 2005, a Munro figure study sold at a Matla A Bana charity auction for R100,000, highlighting the investment value of his art and causing a sharp increase in the overall prices of Munro paintings.
InFlight recently caught up with him to find out more about what makes Munro tick.
InFlight: What inspired your art before becoming Munro? Munro: Before I became Munro, life was an unending struggle to succeed, to be famous, to make money. After the successful transformation to Munro, nothing changed for a while, and I enjoyed the fruit of the harvest to the max.Then one day it dawned on me that I am here to do my part and that that part was not for my physical benefit, but to be taught to do what is right. We are not here for ourselves. We are here to become better, to love, to have joy, to be patient, kind and long-suffering. We must learn faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, and peace. These things inspire me especially when I apply them to my wife and my son.
InFlight: What inspires you artistically today?
Munro: I am entirely driven by love. I want to make something beautiful and pleasing and mindful of our times. I want to steal away pain and sorrow and evil thoughts, and replace them with something transportive. My paintings are there to make peace between ages and races, to speak something universal to every language and skin tone. I am inspired by reconciliation, by openness, and a spirit of forgiveness. We will always have haters and villains amongst us, but for now, I want people to stand shoulder to shoulder and enjoy the colours of my creations together.
InFlight: To what extent does your spiritually inform your work?
Munro: Spirituality is what we are.We cannot be disconnected from this.Whether good or bad, it forms the basis of everything we do. I can never paint anything beyond the boundaries of my beliefs.To see what a person does is an obvious indication of who it is you are dealing with.
InFlight: Did your life change after you became commercially successful as an artist?
Munro: When I realised the responsibility of success it altered my state of being entirely. Before I knew what I know now, I lived without a conscience. I did what I wanted and said what I pleased. But, it slowly dawned on me that something was missing and I started searching very hard to find the missing component. I became severely conscious of my role here. For some, financial freedom is a key to hedonism, but after a while, it became my vehicle away from self-gratification. Instead, I am here to become better and [to become] complete.
InFlight: How would you describe your work, and what mediums do you prefer over others?
Munro: Joyous, serious, bright, and modern. I prefer acrylic above oils because I work fast and I like immediate results. I cannot stand overworking paintings. I want them to have an impulsive, youthful air about it.
Although Munro officially retired from being a full-time artist in 2009, he has “gradually resumed being that again”, he reveals. “Life without a job is lifeless. I need to work till I die. We need purpose and the means to do good, for those who cannot work.”
The artist currently works from his studios near Roodeplaat Dam in Pretoria, and Marina Beach in KwaZulu-Natal. To date, almost 12,000 Munro paintings have been sold.