Memorial for late Perskor artist

A memorial for the late Keith Joubert, acclaimed wildlife artist, previously an illustrator at Perskor, will take place at 16:30 on Monday, 11 February 2013 at the Everard Reed Gallery, 6 Jellicoe Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg. Enquiries can be directed to Peter Comley at peter@chobetravel.com.

K’rant received a number of tributes to Keith, which are published below.

Keith Joubert was ‘n Afrikamens

Dennis Havinga

DENNIS HAVINGA, ook vroeër aan Perskor se kunsafdeling verbonde, skryf: Ek onthou nog toe ek in 1969 ‘n oorplasing van Perskor se rekeningafdeling na die Perskor Boeke-kunsateljee gekry het. Marc Achleitner was die hoof van die ateljee. Toe mnre Gert van Loggerenberg en DS van der Merwe die ateljee se deur oopmaak om my na my nuwe werkomgewing te neem, het die mengsel van Marc se Goulloise sigaret en die aroma van “Artists’ Fixative” my neus tegemoet gekom. Daardie kenmerkende gemengde rook-en-”fixative”-reuk is nou nog in my onderbewussyn vasgelê. Dit was die begin van my kunstenaarsloopbaan.

In die een hoek was ‘n ligtafel en daar was ‘n bebaarde ou besig met illustrasies. Hy het omgedraai, my hartlik gegroet en welkom geheet. Hy het hom voorgestel as Keith Joubert. Ek het later die dag gaan kyk waaraan hy werk en was stomgeslaan om die mooi, vloeiende lyne van sy illustrasiewerk te sien. Die manier hoe die penlyne so maklik gevloei het om die perfekte hand, gesig en lyf van die karakter wat in die storie- en/of skoolhandboek gebruik sou word, het my geweldig beïndruk.

Min het ek geweet watter goeie vriende ons sou word. Keith het ‘n fantastiese humorsin gehad. Sy oë het altyd so ‘n skalkse lag gehad as hy ondeund begin raak het. My Engels was maar so ”Karoo-erig” en elke nou en dan het ‘n snaakse skeef-en-krom uitspraak deurgeskemer. Keith was vinnig van die merk af en het my lekker gespot. Sy spottery was so komies, dat ek nie anders kon as om maar saam te skerts nie en ons het lekker saam gelag.

Hy het by sy pa-hulle op Durban Deep gewoon. Al om die ander week het ons beurte gemaak met die ryery van Roodepoort af na Perskor in Heightstraat, Doornfontein.

Een keer was ons in Keith se Land Rover van Johannesburg af op pad terug Roodepoort toe. Vandat ek vir Keith ken, het hy niks anders as ‘n Land Rover gery nie. Dit het kwaai begin reën. Die Land Rover het ook maar lekker gelek en ek besluit toe sommer dat dit nonsens is dat ek natreën en ou Keith sit lekker droog agter die stuurwiel. In die somermaande het ek oudergewoonte altyd ‘n klein opslaansambreel by my gehad, want soms moes ek ver stap). Ek pluk toe die ding uit en slaan dit oop, tot vermaak van die motoriste wat agter ons ry. Keith se laggende: “Ah, come on, Dennis, put that *&&^%* thing away,” het op dowe ore geval. Hy het dit maar gelate aanvaar en ons het die oomblik geniet.

Keith het male sonder tal so ‘n ondeurdagte en impulsiewe voorstel gedoen soos: “Dennis, let’s pop in for a beer and a chat. Only ONE beer!” Daardie “one beer” het dan sommer ‘n klomp geword, want die ou kon lekker gesels – sommer oor alles en die tyd het verbygevlieg sonder dat ‘n mens dit besef het. Ja, weer eens is daar lekker gelag!

Ter opsomming: hy was ‘n OPREGTE mens. Baie humoristies op sy stil manier. Wat sy werk as kunstenaar betref, was hy ernstig en was hy in my oë een van die topkunstenaars ter wêreld. Sy karikatuursketse was ongeëwenaard. Hy sou iemand een maal ontmoet en sy fotografiese brein het dié mens alreeds in sy gedagte geskets. Hy sou hom of haar dan selfs die VOLGENDE week eers skets en die onderwerp sou maklik herken word. ‘n Merkwaardige talent! Sy beeldhouwerke was/is interessant en het ‘n besonderlike kommunikasie tussen beeldhoustuk en aanskouer aangewakker.

Maar, soos met alle mense gebeur, het ons persoonlike paaie later geskei. Persoonlike belangstellings en gebeurtenisse het dit veroorsaak. Keith is getroud, later ek ook, en ons het elkeen in ons eie rigting aanbeweeg.

Masai-man. Skildery van Keith Joubert.
Prys sowat R125 000.

Ek was drie jaar gelede met Keith in verbinding, maar toe is hy weer op een van sy vele togte na die noorde van Afrika. Hy was nomadies. Kon nooit stilsit nie! Hy het my vertel dat die Masai-stam van Kenia hom bekoor. Ek het agtergekom dat Keith ‘n Afrikamens was. Hy was besonder lief vir die vasteland, sy mense, diere en vanselfsprekend sy natuur.

Nie net Afrika nie, maar die wêreld in geheel, het ‘n besondere interressante en begaafde kunstenaar verloor. Keith se werke hang oral deur die wêreld – in kunsgalerye, raadskamers en portale van groot sakeondernemings.

Vir my was die man groter as sy lewe self. Hy het ‘n wonderlike gawe gehad.

“Keith, my friend, thank you for the laughter, the advice, the genuine friendship. I still have the ‘How to Draw’ book you gave me. I will never part with it! Rest in peace my friend! Paint the Heavens in the special ‘Keith’ style – a style which is being emulated by so many artists, but there can only be ONE genuine ‘Keith Joubert’ style. We all are missing your wonderful being and talent. God bless!”

‘I salute you’

Chris McBride

CHRIS McBRIDE, conservationist and wildlife author (inter alia of The White Lions of Timbavati), writes: I am really very distressed to hear of Keith Joubert's death. I have a huge respect for him and twice when I came out of the bush with nothing he rescued me and set me on my feet again. He was an extremely good friend to me and a true one, completely trustworthy.

One of my functions was to amuse Keith.

Keith Joubert painting

Once in the Timbavati, on my late father's then property, we came across a wildebeeste kill (I was doing research on lions at the time). As we approached the carcass, what was left of it, I quickly urinated and forgot about it, and we started walking round the kill, looking for spoor and trying to find out the sequence of visitations ... lions first, then hyena, then jackal? Or jackal before hyena? We circled around the kill immersed in these discussions and got back to our starting point. I came to a sudden excited halt.

"Look at this!" I said, a discovery, pointing at a fresh urine patch: "Wow! this is fresh, very fresh! The animal must be near!!"

"Ja, it is near (Keith was by this time doubled up in laughter and hardly capable of speech). "It is near! VERY near!"

It is going to take me a very long time to get used to the fact that he is not around.

I salute Keith, and of course he is the best wildlife artist in Africa.

Lions show the way to party

Charlotte McBride

CHARLOTTE McBRIDE, Chris’ wife, recalls an incident in Timbavati in the late 1970s: Another mild, moonlit night. We all set off in an old “borrowed” and battered combi to look for lions. Keith and Chris (and a goodly supply of Amarula) in front, and our newborn baby in a basket and child (our late daughter Tabitha, killed in a car crash in the early 1980's) in the back. Plus food, necessary big kettle and all the makings for tea and sandwiches. Our rather feeble spotlight kept blowing the vehicle headlights – which kept the curses coming, giggles from the back. We eventually stopped and the chaps made a fire. We put the kettle on and sat around, baby basket next to the fire, pillows to sit on … desultory chattering and listening for lion roars. Hearing occasional impala alarm calls, a distant kudu barking, nightjars calling …

I went behind the combi to spend a penny when I heard a soft mow sound – then another, which sounded much closer! I darted to the fire and said “the lions are coming”, grabbed the baby basket and Tabs and jumped into the combi.

Keith and Chris laughed. Stupid woman! And carried on chatting.

Illustration image

Then a lioness appeared just visible at the extreme perimeter of firelight … and within seconds all signs of a relaxed bush night picnic had vanished. We were all in the combi – shivering, cursing, laughing – and the lions came into view. Four of them, and they proceeded to have a proper party. They would show us how it should be!!! Pillows were shredded, feathers flying like snow. The kettle thoroughly investigated, and two great teeth marks remain a visible reminder. Tea leaves and sugar scattered. Mugs vanished, never to be seen again

We watched and waited, but the party was too much fun and the lions lay around. We tired first and went back to camp, to make tea and sandwiches there, before going to bed.

The next morning we went to see what was left of our kutundu. Very little was to be seen except feathers, chewed blanket, a holey kettle …

Die stereotipe was nie vir hom nie

ANNETTE (STORK) GREIFF, oudkollega van Keith by Perskoruitgewery, skryf: Ek onthou Keith as sterk passievol oor wat hy gedoen het. Dit was nie vir hom belangrik om besittings te vergaar en die normale lewenstyl na te volg nie. Sy woorde was as hy dit nie op sy trok kon laai nie dan bly dit agter.

Hy was ook 'n uitstekende spotprenttekenaar. Ek dink as hy wou, sou hy daarvan ook 'n groot sukses gemaak het.

Hy was intens betrokke by die bos, en dit was 'n groot plesier om saam met hom die bos te verken. Ons het baie wonderlike stimulerende tye saam gehad. Keith was veral 'n vriend van my oorlede man, en as ons ontspan het, het ons dit gewoonlik deeglik gedoen en 'n paar dae daarvan gemaak.

Ek sou sê hy het probeer na aan die aarde leef, intens gewerk en intens ontspan. Dis 'n groot verlies dat hy nou al nie meer hier is nie.

Gert Basson

Besonderse knap kunstenaar

GERT BASSON, gewese Perskoruitgewer, voeg by: Keith was een van die knap kunstenaars by Perskor wat onder meer ook illustrasies vir die jeugblad Patrys gedoen het. Hulle was uiteraard ook verantwoordelik vir die uitgewery se boekomslae en van die binne-illustrasies. Hy was ‘n besonderse knap kunstenaar.

He was a warrior for Africa

DERECK JOUBERT, Keith’s brother, writes: Thank you all for your condolences. Keith Joubert was many things to many people, but he embraced life with a vigour that few have had. His fame was underplayed because he wanted it that way. He loved Val (his wife) like no other.

Keith Joubert

His art changed the way art is done in the wildlife arena, each decade stepping it up in a way that others could only follow. He raged against poaching and mediocrity of art or thought and against anyone who had a large ego and a deficient sense of humour. He was a warrior for Africa, its special cultures, the colourful people and its wildlife.

We duelled intellectually and creatively almost daily, testing thoughts, ideas, films, paintings, ethics and more and more we shared a distaste for safari hunting and poaching, (much the same thing, one semilegal, one not) so anyone who still believes in hunting should exit my FB group. If I have relaxed my guard on hunting, saving big cats, rhino wars and the battle to keep African landscapes pristine and safe from bullets and bulldozers, it will be re-energised, bolstered by knowing that I walk this path now with the ghost of my brother on one side and Beverly on the other.

(Lees meer oor Keith Joubert en beskou sy kunswerk by www.keith-joubert.com. – Red.)