Gunther van der Reis 95th birthday exhibition
By CityLife Arts Writer
Established visual artist Gunther van der Reis is celebrating her 95th birthday in style, by mounting an exhibition at the Association of Arts Pretoria, opening on April 8 and running till April 30, 2022.
Gunther van der Reis is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s most eminent artists. His works are included in almost all our public and corporate collections. A long-awaited exhibition of his works opens on his 95th birthday – Friday, 8 April 2022 – at 18:30 in the Mackie Street art gallery of the Association of Arts Pretoria. Gordon Froud gives the opening address.
Van der Reis’ work has remained true to his unmistakably distinctive style and strong landscape orientation with its emphasis on the aesthetic content of the work rather than the relation to a specific place. However, some places are easily recognizable, for example the Namibian desert, Etosha plains, Richtersveld and rocky coastal scenes, because throughout the years his work has remained dominantly influenced by his fascination of the sea, capturing the rocks through a myriad of surfaces and texture on canvas.
During his formative years as an artist, he developed a personal South African vision. Through study and many visits to Europe he became interested in the multiplicity of European modern art movements from the 1940s to the 1960s and beyond. He was challenged and inspired by the tactile surface treatment of the artwork, rather than the representation of ideas and subject matter. His strong connection to the African landscape and interest in geology and archaeology became the vehicle for this surface exploration.
These influences have remained with him throughout his life. They are still very evident in the forms, vibrant colours and textured surfaces which in themselves are strongly expressive and imbue the works with a life that transcends the painted object.
Gunther conducts a walkabout on Friday, 22 April 2022 at 11:00 and the exhibition runs until Saturday, 30 April 2022.
.Gunther van der Reis 95th birthday exhibition is on from 8 April to 30 April 2022
At the Association of Arts Pretoria Gallery,173 Mackie Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretroia.