ART SPOT: Willem Boshoff

Willem Boshoff's art mixes power and play, writes Jackie May

For various misguided reasons I expected Johannesburg artist Willem Boshoff to be very serious and intimidating. Perhaps it has something to do with the solidness of the materials he uses in his conceptual work. Stone and timber don't conjure up images of a man who, when I meet him, has bright, twinkling blue eyes and an alter ego called "Big Druid".

Big Druid goes on walks of discovery, Boshoff explains on his website, and is a healer, diviner and teacher, as well as a man of the trees and plants. The Greek word for druid, drus, means "tree".

"I am in love with trees.They are a bridge between the heaven and the skies. Trees fully experience the elements," Boshoff says.

"Just this weekend while on a Big Druid walk, I was lying on my stomach taking photos of trees from strange and different angles.

"I am a sucker for impossibility. You have to think you can do it. I try to do stuff from another perspective. To shift the boundaries of the art world. Maybe I can find a way to put a spell on people and try to continue a sense of magic."

The Set-ups And Up-sets exhibition at the University of Johannesburg, where Boshoff was once a student, explores the artist's work over a period of almost 40 years.

Walking through the exhibition, viewers will not only see some of his most powerful and playful works, but also what inspires him.

All his work is what he calls "a little naughty".

In explaining the title of the exhibition, Boshoff says we are always challenged by upsets.

"Everyone has things to conquer. But when you take a deep breath, the upsets can become set-ups - the reason for creating things."

• 'Set-ups And Up-sets' at the Fada Gallery at the University of Johannesburg's Bunting Road Campus closes tomorrow. Call 011-559-1098