Fingerless artist promotes Knysna
What may seem a devastating tragedy to one, may become the challenge that propels another to greatness.
Such is the case with Knysna artist, Bryan Keenan (60) who lost all the fingers of his right hand in a work-related accident in 2000 when the clutch of a train block, which he and colleagues were transporting, snapped.
“I looked down and there all my fingers were lying on the ground – it happened so fast,” Keenan recalls the day when his destiny, unbeknownst to him, changed. At that time he was working at a mohair factory and had previously been a train driver in Braamfontein for five years, and in the Rhodesian Infantry in 1974.
“The first day in hospital my mind was spinning – how was I going to continue working? How was I ever going to be able to paint again? What was going to become of my life?”
Although his employer at the time took Keenan’s fingers to the hospital in a towel, too much time had elapsed between the accident and medical attention for the fingers to be re-attached.
But it wasn’t long before this brave man set himself straight.
“You aren’t exactly dead, you know,” he had told himself. “I began to think this could actually be a challenge – how could I be the best painter – it would be difficult, but I also had no choice.”
Both Keenan’s parents were artists. He grew up in Alicedale near Port Elizabeth and distinctly remembers asking his dad to teach him how to paint perspective when he was eight years old.
“You know where the library is – get off your butt and go do it yourself,” his father’s unsympathetic advice installed in him a drive to prove himself independent of other’s help. When Keenan left the mohair factory, he took a dog with him which he felt had been terribly abused by its owner.
At that stage he had no idea what a huge role his faithful companion would one day play in his future life as street artist.
After many hardships and travels, Keenan and Jock ended up living in a sandstone cave in Knysna for two years – a far cry from the acceptance and admiration Keenan and his dog enjoy today. They are often asked to pose for visiting tourists and their picture has been published in numerous international travel magazines.
As unique as his eccentric take on life is, so is Keenan’s incredible oil paintings in which his dog always features. His work is almost as popular as Jock, he grins.
“I got tired of poor little me very quickly and thought if I could go for the extreme, to paint really difficult compositions of beautiful train locomotives and Knysna’s ever-changing lagoon, I might just inspire others also not to give up on life and the talent they may not have the self-confidence to develop.”
And this is exactly what happened when a Japanese television crew recently filmed an episode for a series, Breakfasts of the World, in Knysna.
Explains Hannetjie Coetzee of Orbit Tours, who acted as their host: “The Japanese asked for a Knysna icon and I immediately thought of Bryan and Jock – they are so well-known and loved by everyone.
After discussing it with Bryan we also decided this might be a wonderful way to help put Knysna back on the map as a hub of creative people like Knysna used to be in the olden days.”
As part of this vision, Keenan suggested that he paints and donates two oil-paintings to Yuka Kondo of South African Tourism’s Japan office.
“We hope this will create awareness not only of Knysna, but also of the plight of the Choo-Tjoe train,” says an enthusiastic Keenan. They hope to hand the paintings over to Kondo on Keenan’s birthday on July 17.
“We want to make Knysna the Paris of South Africa like it was 40 years ago,” agrees Coetzee.
Keenan decided to add his dog into all his paintings in an effort to show his gratitude for Jock’s companionship.
“I was trying to figure out how I can give Jock what he gives me? So I began to put him in every painting on his favourite chair – the response was amazing and now it’s become my trademark!” chuckles Keenan as he gives 12-year-old Jock a mighty hug.
“And this way,” his voice becomes quiet with a sudden moment of emotion, “I will always have him with me.”
Article: Anoescha von Meck, Knysna-Plett herald Journalist
Source: The Knysna-Plett Herald