Passionate lovers of all things with an artistic flair, Tjalling and Louise Terpstra, have fused their love for Jazz and art by turning their home into a masterpiece with two works from budding artist, Ralarno Coutts.
Upon entering the couple’s Glenashley home, one is pleasantly taken aback by the numerous and diverse pieces of art that decorate the walls, however, it takes a few steps into the entertainment area to really grab a feast for all senses. The once muted décor of the walls have been metamorphosed into captivating murals painted by Coutts featuring a massive portrait of Jazz icon, Louis Armstrong, and an expressive medley of the Terpstras’ interests with Coutts’s artistic style which they all fondly dubbed ‘the Faceless Jazz-Man’. “I am from the Netherlands and loved soul when I was young. Thereafter I gradually discovered artists such as Miles Davis and John Coultrane. They were really special and gave life to the genre. When I started to collect vinyls I thought it would be nice to collect some Jazz ones as well,” said
Tjalling, who boasts an incredible 600 vinyl records in his collection with over 60 of them being from Louis Armstrong. Louise shared that she also holds a deep appreciation for Jazz, reminiscing of the times Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald could be heard within her childhood home. While living abroad and globe trotting on the account of Tjalling’s work as an engineer, the couple spent some time in New Orleans, Southern Louisiana, in what is considered the heartbeat of the genre. “The Jazz from the 1920s and 30s was developed in that area of the Mississippi Delta. Besides admiring his work, the history of Louise Armstrong always awed me. Being an African American in that era of the United States, being such an influence on a beloved genre is remarkable and he was loved by everyone regardless of race or background. He is more to me than a Jazz artist and so I wanted something special of him,” said Tjalling. Encapsulating the Terpstras’ travels around the world, a fitting quote from Louise Armstrong’s hit ‘What a wonderful world’ has been transcribed next to the portrait overlooking an outstanding sea view.
Coutts, a graduate of the University of Johannesburg, developed an eye for street art and large-scale murals spurred on by well-known street artist, Dbongz Mahlathi, who Coutts had collaborated with in the past. He shared that while he was not too familiar with Louis Armstrong, the exploration of the concept made him appreciate it all the more. “It was interesting to paint a portrait of a Jazz legend. I used spray paint and acrylic paint. I spray-painted the body and trumpet and then I hand painted the face and the hands. I thought the combination of the two would make for a visually pleasing art piece. “For the second piece, we kept with the Jazz theme. I used a faceless character with a hat, which is a bit of a trademark. It adds some character; I wear a lot of hats myself. I like using faceless characters because I don’t want to limit the possibility of the character in the eyes of the viewer. Anyone can put themselves in the shoes of someone faceless. I also wanted something modern that reflects Ralarno’s style,” said Tjalling.
“If you look at the Nikes, which is representative of modern day Black artists such as Travis Scott and so it flows in the sense of maybe Armstrong in his own way paved the way for many modern Black artists. The facelessness of the character also ties into how the modern generations have been empowered and influenced and inspired by the greats of the past,” added Coutts. The Terpstras first stumbled onto Coutts’s work while visiting a bed and breakfast that Coutts’s father owns in Johannesburg. After a brief introduction, the couple was taken with the young artist’s passion and were utterly excited to have his work in their home. “I like young people who are passionate and driven. I hope he becomes really successful. He is growing and he’s progressing and I figured if Ralarno is going make it big one day then I want something that people can recognise as his work as well,” said Tjalling. In the spirit of sharing art with the world, the Terpstras wish to extend an invite to fellow art enthusiasts who would like to view Coutts’s work. Email tjalling.terpsra@yahoo.com for further information.
