Mostert, Este
Este Mostert is a painter of what may best be termed romantic dream worlds; often landscapes peopled with esoteric figures, all of them the result of an image bank of pictures she has created and stored over the years. She has the ability of many talented artists of conjuring up these images, complete with finite detail, and then conveying them onto canvas. It’s a sort of visual transfer of mental snapshots, some of them stemming back to her childhood.
From a very young age Este showed an interest for fine arts. This inspired her to study formally under Casper Steenkamp, Ben Botha and Prof A.A.F Treurnicht at the University of the Free State. Her career developed from her desire to express her creative abilities. She paints her dream world, giving expression to her views and beliefs. The images in her art is how she sees the world and the characters that live in her imagination. Este held her first solo exhibition in 1981. This was the beginning of many national and international exhibitions.
But it requires a strong discipline, especially when one realizes that Este is a busy mother, housewife, cook and gardener. She seems to live an incredibly busy life and like many creative people, she isn’t always seized by the urge to be creative.
She readily admits the truth of this but says that the very act of creating a paintings, when she feel more inclined to tend her roses or chat with friends on the telephone; even when the need to do nothing for the day is almost compelling is, for her, a process of mood upliftment, the attainment of an almost spiritual satisfaction that has little to do with the mundane technical process of making another art work.
As Este says, “You are left with a feeling of warm achievement that banishes all earlier edginess”. She reflects a world of fascination, a true involvement with her inner self. And yet her mien is unassertive, indeed almost laid back. She hides well a mind of steel, a willpower that drives her to achieve more. And when questioned about it, she says it stems from her very young days in Kroonstad where, in her words “I grew up in a very disciplined environment”.
Impressionism means the total impression of the eye and soul, a fleeting instant in time which is caught on canvas, the atmosphere, the movement, the colour and the light. This is what Este strives for in her work. Este now works in oils, acrylics and glaze. Her work reflects a shared experience of that which lies beyond reality. She paints romantic dream worlds, she uses diverse media to express herself. Her technique is a happy fusion of impressionism and contemporary paint applications. She makes no attempt to comment or reflect on social trends and values. Este’s work can be found in many collections all over South Africa, Namibia and she also exhibited in Taipei and United States of America.