Alien landscape 1 is one of Bert’s earliest abstract paintings and this is the only image he has of it.
It’s not the best photograph but it shows what it looks like.
This painting made quite an impression and is the first abstract painting of Bert’s that ended up in someone’s art collection.
Dimensions: 92x62cm
Painted: 2002
Materials: Acrylic and enamel on MDF board
Private collection
The story behind Alien landscape 1
Early in 2003, late on a Saturday night, after smoking a lot of cannabis, I had a small spaceship land in my backyard. A fuchsia-colored disc with a central bulge – about five meters in diameter, was descending from the sky, accompanied by a strange cacophony of noise; a collection of whistles, whooshes, and pops.
When it landed, a door popped open and out sprang a little alien that looked like a cross between a walrus and a parrot. That’s the only way to describe it. The funny-looking alien spoke perfect English – “Hey Bert, do you want to see something cool?” The answer was “Yes,” and I boarded the space ship.
The spaceship flew to the creatures home planet and entered an orbit where I was treated to the most spectacular view of the colorful planetary surface. I was provided with some art supplies and asked to paint what I saw. The process took some time – it was either hours, days, or weeks – I couldn’t be sure. A time came when the alien stood by my side and examined the painting for a while. “That’s just perfect,” the creature announced, “you’re a bloody good painter!”
Without saying any more, the alien headed for the spaceship controls and set a course for the planet Earth.
Bert Ernie