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JOHFRA IN VEZERE, FRANCE - JUNE 1990
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THE RECONCILIATION OF TITANIA AND OBERON (1994)
(De verzoening tussen Titania en Oberon)
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15 PAGE ARTICLE
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A glance at Johfra’s mature works reveals a deep fascination with Nature. He seems especially obsessed by the invisible powers which move through all things, and manifest themselves in the swirling dispersion of clouds, the rush and and splash of water, or the slow turning of leaves and branches towards the sun.
His mentor, Da Vinci, initially inspired him in this direction, and Johfra’s Notebooks are filled with detailed observations from life: here, an accurate rendering of wild plants and herbs, there, a study of the movement in clouds. Such a scientific devotion formed the foundation to his work, but he also moved beyond it.
At times, Johfra playfully depicted the invisible forces in Nature as gnomes, elves, and water sprites. Indeed, he delighted in portraying these mischievous creatures, who play hide-and-seek among the acorns and oak leaves. Such a view onto Nature harkens back to folklore and legend, where a more Pagan outlook prevails.
Most of all, his mature works pursue the darker forces that move through the Earth, the primordial powers summoned through Witchcraft and Pagan worship. In the last decades of his life, the artist rendered a series of Witches’ Portraits, returned to the theme of The Witches’ Sabbath several times, and worked intensely on a huge triptych called The Adoration of Pan.
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