Sebastian Schwagele recently completed three years of
research on a leading philanthropist and Anti Apartheid female South
African artist, Helen Anne Petrie He submitted to me his biography of
her for publication.
Born to a privileged Kensington, Johannesburg family of Scottish
descent in 1933, (Helen) Anne Petrie and her older brother appeared set
to growing up into a very promising life ahead. Her family had made a
fortune out of gold and diamond mining. Her parents kept their rather
comfortable “Summer House” in Fish Hook (The “Hamptons” equivalent in
USA) and were socialites of the day. Her parents were regular guests at
Admiralty House when in the Cape or attending luncheons with Count
Labia.
In 1938 a relative, who noted the great potential Anne had shown
already at a tender age of five, cut out an article from the
Huisgenoot, a local magazine,
 |
| The is a self portrait of Helen Anne Petrie. Click on the image for full size. |
dated 18 August, entitled "Hoekom ek
skilder" ("Why I Paint") by the then renowned artist Maggie Loubser
while on holiday from Boarding School. This article was translated from
Afrikaans into English for Anne by her multilingual nanny. A diary
entry records Anne was truly mesmerized at the contents, and thus her
eventual admiration for Maggie and passion to paint was unknowingly
set.
During this tertiary period, Anne made two trips to Europe touring
leading galleries. Florence was her favorite city, then Rome, she
noted. Returning to South Africa she began painting her first oils and
developing her own style. In 1954 she spent a short period of time
sitting in on lectures at the Kunstakedemie van Mechelen, Sint Niklaas
and Antwerp, where she met artist Jan Vermeiren who assisted her in
mastering her least favorite mediums: acrylic and pastels.
While traveling, Anne met Mary (May) Ellen Hillhouse, who like Anne
had Scottish heritage. Together they consulted on what they both
declared was "soul-destroying commercial work" also resulting in Anne
becoming (like May) an illustrator for various local and foreign
companies, excelling in her graphic design for pottery, pattern design
for Garlicks and Greatermans and Butterick Dress patterns, to name just
a few of the then very popular high-street brands.
In 1955 upon meeting Marjorie Wallace and husband Jan Rabie, they
ended up in a heated debate on politics and thus was cemented her
lifelong interest in humanitarian causes in South Africa. Anne could be
very opinionated and outspoken. In 1960 Anne was infuriated by the
countrywide protests against the so-called Pass Laws and Police
brutality in response to the anti-Pass Laws campaign.
South African Union
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| Bantu Woman Servant. Click on the image for full size. |
In 1961 Anne spent a few weeks with Gillian Ayres at the
Bath Academy of Art, Corsham and again at St. Martin's School of Art in
London. In Anne's few surviving works of that period, one can clearly
note that she did not look to the raw expressionism of the New York
School but to the school of Paris with its painterly cuisine and basic
figuration. Anne's work of this period was disciplined, serene, and
contemplative work in hard-edge idioms. Her artistic experimentation
work is very much concerned with balance, harmony, tension, pleasure,
movement, beauty and mental fragility.
In 1967 Mr. Albert Wert (Then Curator of the Pretoria Art Museum)
together with Matthys Bokhorst (Director of the South African National
Gallery) enquired as to whether Anne would be willing to participate in
the SANLAM Art Collection Exhibition. She declined to participate as
the collection "did not possess that degree of inner unity it would
have had if the collection had from the beginning been built up for the
purpose of exhibition." She further suspected that the main intention
of the SANLAM Collection was to build up a mere collection of
attractive South African paintings and sketches to be left hanging in
the offices of directors and staff alike. The public would only have
access to subsequent prints to feature on SANLAM'S calendars. Further
diary entries indicate that she also declined an offer from Rembrandt
Van Rijn Art Foundation to purchase her works privately. Already at
this stage, her strong opinions, insecurities, inability to interact
with strangers, deep-rooted distrust of people in general and her ever
more frequent bipolar phases were quite obvious.
Anne did however exhibit in South Africa twice in 1967, the most
important exhibition being from 30th October till 11th November at the
South African Association of Artists Annual Exhibition in Cape Town. A
leading Art Critic of the day, Johan van Rooyen stated her works
entitled respectively Indian Girl, Bantu Boy and Late Afternoon,
Kommetjie "should be hailed as proving the standard that is expected at
an exhibition of this calibre," which included works by fellow artists
I. Roworth, S. Butler, V. Volschenk and L. Mears.
In 1971 Anne once again, declined an invitation; this time from
Gunther van der Reis, to participate in the "1971 Republic Festival
Exhibition" which was organized by the S. A. Association of Artists.
She decided to exhibit in Tel-Aviv that year instead. Anne’s works were
exhibited in the late 60’s early 70’s at various galleries in SA, where
she obtained critical acclaim.
Because she became shy, introverted, emotionally
imbalanced and disillusioned at the politics which clearly favoured
predominantly male, Afrikaans artists as opposed to English-speaking
females like herself, she stopped exhibiting at most major galleries
and vehemently declined many invitations to sell her work after that.
Anne noted in her personal diary in 1972 that two major schools of
thought were apparent in the South African art world. One thought was
where artists identified with various aspects of their social,
political, geographical and environmental conditions; the other with
very close ties with international trends, often be related to
Colonialism and the Empire.
 |
| Jug, Apples and Eggs. Click on the image for full size. |
Or the “invisible people of South Africa” as she called them. The
many millions of non-Europeans and vast, underprivileged majority,
which in real fact made the very fabric of the working nation:
Anne felt most at home in the Cape because she found relief there
for her bodily ills, and the Autumns and Winters. At the end of her
life, Anne had amongst her closest friends and fellow artists, mainly
local Cape Coloured and Malay inhabitants. These were the people with
whom Anne felt she could really be herself: a plain, genuine woman who
seldom was impulsive.
In her final years, Anne was mentally and emotionally split in many
worlds. Her bipolar condition, combined with the trauma of emotional,
physical and sexual abuse by her brother, and the loss of her parents
from which she never fully recovered, meant Anne would have been better
off in an institution. She ended her days alone, with grey, messed up,
wiry hair. She wandering and talked to herself, shifting between worlds
only she knew. She became known to the locals as "The Fish-Hoek Old
Witch."
Various European Royal Courts owning works by Anne in their Private Collections
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II & H.R.H. Phillip, the Prince Consort of The United Kingdom
- H.M. King Juan Carlos I & Queen Sofia of Spain
- H.M. Kong Harald & H.M. Dronning Sonja of Norway
- H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf & H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden
- Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie & H.R.H. Henrik, the Prince Consort of Denmark
- Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan
- Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands
- H.R.H King Constantine & H.M. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
- H.R.H Charles, Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall
Represented in the following Public National / International Collections
- National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo
- TATE Modern, London
- National Gallery, Denmark
- National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
- The Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC
- Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
- National Gallery, Finland
- The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
- The Guggenheim, Bilbao
- The Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna
- National Portrait Gallery, London
- Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection
| 5 Comments
Very interesting to see there are still undiscovered gems coming out of South Africa.
May 4, 2009 6:20 AM
2 of her works have now also been added to The Royal Collection
Helen Anne Petrie (1933-2006)
Capri Cape, 30 April 1990
Watercolour
14.0 x 18.9 cm
RCIN 934074
Helen Anne Petrie (1933-2006)
Twin Peaks, Devil's Peak from Rhodes Hems, 10 October 1988
Watercolour
14.0 x 19.2 cm
RCIN 934075
If you wish to obtain images of these, you should
contact my colleagues in the Royal Collection Picture Library,
information on which can be found on our website.
May 4, 2009 6:37 AM
FOLLOWING last week’s article about a former
Paarlite who has sold paintings by an unknown South African artist to
well-known British collections, evidence has reached Paarl Post that
the artist, Helen Anne Petrie, had indeed lived and worked in Fish Hoek.
Glenn Strutt, now an art dealer in Europe, has
sent documentary proof that neither Bonhams nor the Royal Collection
were duped, as was feared, when they purchased paintings from him in
Britain.
Among the documents provided were the catalogue of
an exhibition of the SA Association of Arts’ annual exhibition in Cape
Town in November 1967. Two paintings by the artist, then 35 years old,
are listed.
In the same year she also exhibited at the Fish Hoek Arts Festival.
Reports in the newspaper, Fish Hoek Echo, refer to
paintings exhibited by the artist as a member of St Margaret’s Art
Society in 1966.
August 24, 2009 4:06 AM
REUTERS
American Pension fund acquires works by Reclusive South African Artist Helen Anne Petrie (1932-2006)
Helen Anne Petrie (1932-2006)
2009-10-17 18:25:09 - Leading American Pension fund, specialising in Contemporary art acquires 8 works by Reclusive Anti-Apartheid South African Artist Helen Anne Petrie (1932-2006) via The Strutt Family Trust IT694/2002
Reports in the newspaper, Fish Hoek Echo, refer to THESE paintings exhibited by the artist while a member of St Margaret’s Art Society from 1960.
Furthermore Anne felt that at the time, the taste of small art-public was extremely backward & that there were too few discerning collectors & buyers, particularly in South Africa which was at that point still a
British colony. Anne did however exhibit in South Africa twice in 1967, the most important exhibition being from 30th October till 11th November at the South African Association of Artists Annual Exhibition at 63 Burg Street, Cape Town.
A leading Art Critic of the day, Johan van Rooyen stated her 3 works entitled respectively Indian Girl (Recently sold at Bonhams Auctioneers in London), Bantu Boy & Late Afternoon, Kommetjie “should be hailed as proving the standard that is expected at an exhibition of this calibre”, which included works by fellow internationally, respected & collected artists I.Roworth, S.Butler, and V.Volschenk & L. Mears.
Yet shy, introvert, emotionally imbalanced & disillusioned at the politics which clearly favoured predominantly male, Afrikaans artists as opposed to English-speaking females like herself, she stopped exhibiting at most major galleries & vehemently declined many invitations to sell her Art after that.
Anne noted in her personal diary in 1972 that 2 major schools of thought were apparent in the South African art world.
One where artists identified with various aspects of their social, political, geographical & environmental conditions; the other with very close ties with international trends, often be related to Colonialism & the Empire.
This duality appeared to be the natural result of a “Nation” shaping & divorcing itself from its’ old rural & colonial character. During the 1970’s 80’s & 1990’s Anne never tried to idealise her subjects.
She always strove for the accurate representation of everyday, apparently casual or overlooked subjects.
Her devotion to her art, especially during her latter years was so great that she also infected her fellow artists, resulting in anti-art people being able to view art with greater respect & admiration.
Finally, there was her own private inner world, to which very few were ever admitted, but, from which derived all her wonderful creative & inspired powers. Anne felt most at home in the Cape. Not only because she found relief there for her bodily ills, but in the autumns & winters there, had she re-discovered her homeland thus her identity? At the end of her life, Anne had amongst her closest friends & fellow artists, mainly local Cape Coloured & Malay inhabitants.
These were the people with whom Anne felt she could really be herself: a plain, genuine woman who seldom made preparatory cause of her impulsive nature.
Anne Petrie, the woman, the benefactor, the pacifist, the friend…
The TRUE Matriarch of South African Female Artists.
EXHIBITIONS OF HER WORKS ARE PLANNED IN THE FALL IN THE HAMPTONS, CHELSEA AND MONTE CARLO
October 17, 2009 1:09 PM
[Comment removed upon request]
November 14, 2009 4:17 PM |
The Incredible Life of James Kuhn
 |
| A rare moment when James is posing in a suit and tie. |
James Kuhn, a 47 year old eccentric artist from
Three Oaks, Michigan says that he has always wanted to be an artist. In
fact, his mother states that he even drew pictures in his oatmeal when
he was a child. James has attended the Art Institute of Chicago and
learned to draw from drawing live models there. Although his paintings
done in a style that resembles ceramic tiles are unique in themselves,
James has been getting notoriety from his face paintings.
James attributes his art to a religious
experience. James says that he thinks visually and if he can picture
something in his head, it becomes real to him. Says James, "I believe
that any talent that I have was given to me from God for me to share,
so I dedicated my art to Him." [1]
Besides face painting, James paints scenes from
the Bible and uses a technique that makes his paintings resemble tiled
pictures that he calls "paint mosaics." This collage style is made up
of painted watercolor paper cut up and assembled on a canvas. Once
James finishes a picture, he keeps it around himself so he "can sort of
get to know it better." He often sees himself in the characters and
situations of his paintings.
Says James of his paintings, "I think of them as
paintings and they are made up of paint; but they are not 'traditional'
paintings. I draw my composition onto a canvas and then paint it like a
normal painting. This is the end of most paintings but only the
beginning of mine. I then cover up this first painting with collage. I
paint many sheets of thick watercolor paper with acrylic paint. This
part is very free, abstract, and intuitive. I later cut up these
abstract paintings and assemble them onto my painting until the entire
surface is covered and often thick. The process seems more to me like
appliqué or quilting, mosaic, or making a stained glass picture,
than traditional painting. Each picture is made up of hundreds of
pieces of painted paper glued into place to create a scene that has
depth and volume. I draw with my scissors and choose very specific
areas of the painted paper to achieve this effect." [2]
 |
| James in one of his costumes at a parade. He dresses up in several characters.- Note: James says this isn't him. Sorry James! |
Although some of his escapades aren't appropriate
to describe in a family friendly site such as The Incredible Art
Department, he frequently dresses up in costumes and performs in
parades. From this, he moved on to what has made him famous- face
paintings. For his face paints he uses Kryolan Aqua Color, Snazaroo, and Paradise by Mehron.
James says he loves to paint on anything,
including human flesh. He records his face paintings in digital
photographs which are also a form of art in themselves. He uses a Canon
Powershot A610 5 Mega Pixel camera. He says that his face painting
takes on magical powers. He attributes the inspiration and change in
his art to his attendance at the annual Burning Man event in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
Says James of Burning Man,
"I believe it completeIy changed the way i think about art and perhaps
the purpose for which I even make art. Art should never be a product.
It should be a gift of love and a prayer. Art is silly, and fun, and
can be powerful and sacred. I do show in galleries, but selling should
never be your motivation for creating art." [3]
James has had an interesting life. He made a vanilla milkshake for Michael Jackson, danced with Stevie Nicks, met Andy Warhol at the Limelight Club in Chicago, met Pee-Wee Herman, served champagne to Yoko Ono and "partied" with Dr. Ruth Westheimer and the Fonze. He has appeared as a guest on the Jenny Jones
show in Chicago. He has appeared in a television commercial and has
traveled the world. His hairdos are extreme with his hair around three
feet above his head. He says, that the higher the hair, the closer to
God. One of his aliases is Junie Moon and has appeared as her in
several parades. He creates his own costumes. He loves Klingons and
attends the Wizard of Oz Festival
in Chesterton, Indiana every year. He makes a point of chatting with
the last living munchkins and wears various Oz costumes. James worked
as a singing and dancing waiter at the famous Ed Debevics in Chicago for nine years. You can still see his picture on their menus.
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| James poses with his mother wearing one of his famous hair-dos. |
James listens to contemporary Christian music
while he paints. He gets some of his inspiration from attending
circuses. His primary inspiration comes from Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo.
James says he is an artist who refuses to give up against all odds and
continues to make art in a world that really does not care. James
believes that Van Gogh intoxicates people with his use of color.
As mentioned earlier, his face paintings have been
what has put him on the map recently. He says that some faces take
hours to create and other faces may portray the emotion with just a few
lines. He likes many of his characters to be comical and fun. His
pictures now appear all over the internet.
"Painting for me is not work, it is my pleasure
and my prayer. I paint to relax and recharge. The obsessive nature of
these pictures might wear another man out, but to me they bring me
peace," says James. [4]
James has some great advice for all artists,
teachers, and students. "Never quit. Express yourself and never waste
your God given gifts." [5]
Below you can see his work on YouTube. As you can
see, he has many fascinating faces. It is unfortunate that each
painting must be destroyed to create another. However, the images are
digitally reproduced for all to see for years to come.
Links to James Kuhn's work
May 12, 2009
Hey all! I found a few new pics of his face paintings that were so good I had to post them here:
| 1 Comment
Hey thanks! I love your article about me alot, but the guy with the
silver face and glasses is not me. I took that pic at [a] Parade, but i
don't know the man. James.
May 4, 2009 6:20 AM |
World's Largest Art Prize
 |
| Rick DeVos announces the world's largest art prize. |
Artists from around the world will descend on
Grand Rapids, Michigan this fall to compete for the world's largest
prize given for art during a two-week event.
Amway heir Rick DeVos announced the event
on April 23 in Grand Rapids. The part that makes this competition even
more unusual than the large financial winnings of around $500,000,
prizes will be awarded based on public votes cast via text messages,
the Web and special applications developed for devices such as the
iPhone. The competition is designed to draw worldwide attention to
Grand Rapids.
The competition begins Sept. 23, 2009. Ten top
vote recipients will be chosen after the first week to compete in a
second round of public voting for the $250,000, $100,000 and $50,000
first, second and third place prizes to be awarded Oct. 8. Each
finalist will receive at least $7,000.
DeVos is an entrepreneur who has two popular websites, Spout.com, an Internet community for film buffs, and TheCommon.org, a Web site that matches the abilities of people in communities with organizations in need.
DeVos said to the Grand Rapids Press, "A lot of my
ideas are around using technology to connect people to each other or to
art in new and interesting ways," said DeVos, 27, grandson of Amway
co-founder Rich DeVos and son of former Amway chief executive and
Michigan gubernatorial candidate 
Dick
DeVos. "Thinking about that, thinking about events, thinking about an
overall love of art, I started to come up with questions like, 'What if
we took a completely different approach to having an event in Grand
Rapids?' "What if the city itself was a gallery?"[1]
DeVos said how people react to the competition will be part of what makes ArtPrize
a unique and an engaging experience. Hundreds of venues are expected to
be part of the event, ranging from corporate lobbies and empty
buildings to public parks. "The call is going to go out to thousands
and thousands of artists tomorrow to kick this off," he said during an
interview with the Press.
Registration for the event ends on July 31, 2009.
the artist and venue matching ends August 15, 2009. Open day and voting
begins on September 23, 2009. The top 10 artists will be announced
October 1, and the final winner will be announced October 8, 2009.
Artists can register online on the ArtPrize website.
A webcast below of the public announcement of ArtPrize was available at the Internet broadcasting site Ustream.tv.
