Avant-Garde Artist Christo Coetzee on Show at the University of Pretoria

Written by Thandi Tshabalala Friday, 20 January 2012 20:24

Pretoria, SA - The University of Pretoriais showing a retrospective of the controversial avant-garde South African artist Christo Coetzeeuntil July 31st. This extraordinary exhibition of 64 of his works is on view in the Edoardo Villa Museum, Old Merensky Building on the main campus of the University. In 2000 Christo Coetzee bequeathed his entire collection to the University of Pretoria. This temporary exhibition showcases some of the greatest works of Christo Coetzee in the collection of the University of Pretoria, as well as some of his best personal works recently acquired from his home in Tulbach. Also represented in the exhibition will be the artworks of his late wife, Ferrie Binge-Coetzee who was tragically killed in a fire in 2010.

This remarkable exhibition is presented by the Department of UP Arts and showcases artworks by this artist which have rarely been seen before. Avant-garde works shown include a painted typewriter, a miniature painted piano and many more of his unconventional artworks. Five artworks by his artist-wife Ferrie Binge-Coetzee (1926-2009) will also be on show. This winter exhibition, which is on until 29 July 2011, is a must for anyone interested in the exceptionally creative avant-garde creations of this world renowned 20th century South African artist.

Christo Coetzee was born in Johannesburg on 24 March 1929. His father died when he was 10 years old, and he was raised by his mother and his two sisters. Coetzee graduated from Wits University, where among his classmates were a number of artists with whom he would maintain contacts for many years, including Cecil Skotnes, Esmé Bermanand Gordon Vorster. Coetzee had his first solo exhibition in Cape Town shortly after graduating. He then went on to travel the world, spending time in London, Italy, France, japan and Spain during the 1950s and 60s. His work featured regularly in solo and group shows around the world, including Osaka and Tokyo (Japan), in New Hampton, Pittsburgh and New York (USA), Turin (Italy) and at the Galerie Stadlerin Paris. In Japan, Coetzee was introduced to the avant-garde Gutai Groupand he remained in close contact with them. By the 1970's Coetzee's work was being appreciated in South Africa, and he made numerous visits to promote the almost annual exhibitions of his work that were held. In 1975, the day after the opening of a solo exhibition of Coetzee’s work in Cape Town, the artist went back to the gallery and cut up 23 of his paintings in what he called an act of “construction” rather than “destruction”. Four months after this “protest exhibition” as Coetzee called it, he re-imaged the same works by combining and supplementing the fragments and pieces to create new works to be shown at the Rand Afrikaans University’s Gencor Gallery in Johannesburg. Coetzee died in Tulbagh at the age of 71 in November of 2000.

The University of Pretoria’s art and heritage collections encompass fifty-two unique collections, these include four significant collections which are on permanent public display in the Edoardo Villa, Mapungubwe, Van Wouw and Van Tilburg buildings. The UP Arts Museums play a major role in disseminating heritage and cultural information to diverse societies and is an ideal environment for quality temporary exhibitions. All the collections are available for research, education, conservation, and enjoyment purposes. The South African art collection contains the work of 350 painters and graphic artists, 60 sculptors and 14 potters. There are large collections of paintings by particular artists. The sculpture collection, the largest in South Africa, contains work by Sidney Kumalo, Thijs Nel, Maureen Quinn, Michael Teffo, Lucky Sibya, Ian Redlinghuys, Anton Smitand others, while the pottery collection has, amongst others, beautiful pieces from the Ardmore Studio. All these artworks are displayed in uildings spread over the University campus, with the most important works safely secured. As well as South African artists, there are also excellent artworks by prominent international artists including Max Pechstein, Kathe Kollwitz, Max Lieberman, George Grosz, Otto Mueller, Thomas Benton, Marc Chagall, Karol Fox and others. At present the collection consists of 2,760 paintings and graphic works, 800 sculptures and 30 ceramic pieces. Visit the university art galleries web site at ... http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=10318

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