
Jonty Hurwitz
Long Day in Pretoria with Frog, 2018
Bronze and steel
50 x 50 x 45cm
Edition Size of 8
£31,000
Growing up in South Africa, I developed a deep and lasting love of frogs. My most vivid childhood memory is of a long day spent out by a small waterhole...
Growing up in South Africa, I developed a deep and lasting love of frogs. My most vivid childhood memory is of a long day spent out by a small waterhole on a hot day interacting with frogs. They really and truly were gentle and friendly souls. I even discovered that they enjoy a gentle caress along the spine – I never tried kissing one, though, but I suppose I can claim to have experienced some level of intimacy with a frog. As the years went by and adulthood took over, I somehow buried my frog feelings. It was when I produced the first frog sculpture that I came to understand my feelings. It was the small things – literally down to the extent to which I found I knew frog physiology on an intuitive level. So it began. Eight years and 20 or so frog sculptures later, I feel like I'm just starting this relationship. Millions have viewed these Chytrid sculptures on the internet as they form part of my original work (the edition is sold out). They have been written in over 60 articles and several academic papers. So here I present my latest frog portrait. I've called this work "Long day in Pretoria with Frog".