The Quiet Outer Cape

photographs and words by Cole Barash

My practice is rooted in an ongoing exploration of our relationship to the natural world, with a particular focus on the landscapes of the Outer Cape. This place—with its shifting light, fragile ecosystems, and deep artistic legacy—continues to shape how and why I make work.

When creating here, I often ask myself: how can I contribute to the long conversation of artists who have come before me? How might my work live in dialogue with theirs, while responding to the urgencies of now?

I work with landscape, light, object, and form—the elemental language of this place. These materials are not just subjects, but collaborators in a practice that is both observational and reverent.

As I raise a family, these questions take on new meaning. My work becomes a way of sharing values, of paying attention, and of protecting what is worth holding onto. It is both a personal and generational offering—one rooted in care, connection, and place.

All images: Cole Barash