DONATION AND TRUST
The Bloemfontein Group and the Free State Art Scene, 1950-1989 By Yolanda de Kock www.nasmus.co.za
The Bloemfontein Group in 1988 at their 30-year anniversary exhibition at Oliewenhuis Art Museum. From the back and the left: Eben van der Merwe, Arthur Cantrell, Walter Westbrook and Mike Edwards. Front from the left: Renee le Roux, Alexander Podlaschuc and Frans Claerhout. (Photo: Oliewenhuis Art Museum)
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his article is based on the dissertation I completed, Donation and Trust: The Bloemfontein Group and the Free State Art Scene, 1950-1989, during August 2017. The dissertation is a critical analysis of the Free State art scene from 1950-1989, conducted primarily through an account of the Bloemfontein Group. It argues that this period is a significant indicator of a shift in the city’s art scene, from an earlier, formalist focus to a more conceptual orientation in the art scene in Bloemfontein. An important aspect of this research is the significance of the formation of the Bloemfontein Group, and the extent of their role and influence during this period, which together can be seen as a key catalyst in the shift to conceptual art. Through extensive archival research, I have constructed a visual timeline of the art scene in Bloemfontein, including significant events in the wider Free State region. The construction of the timeline is a crucial part of the unravelling and interrogation of undiscovered conceptual developments relating to museum practices in the Free State. This is in turn informed by conversations and debates, how an art phenomenon such as the Bloemfontein Group not only contributed to a contemporary artistic identity in the Free State, but was also the driver behind the establishment of the Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein.
Understanding the Bloemfontein Group: In 1958 the Bloemfontein Group was formally established under the leadership of Professor Frik Scott, with the support of his wife, Dora. The founding members of the group were Frans Claerhout (1919–2006), Reneé le Roux (b 1927), Alexander Podlashuc (1930–2009), Eben van der Merwe (1932) and Marianne Podlashuc (1932–2004). Within this ten-year period, the Group also expanded to include Mike Edwards, Fayetta and Neville Varney, Authur Cantrell, and Walter Westbrook (all joining in 1961), and Iris and Stephan Ampenberger, who joined in 1963. These artists created the group with the intention of sharing ideas, producing art together, and expressing their frustrations with what they understood as the narrow-minded and conservative Free State art world. The geographical position of Bloemfontein as the central city of South Africa would suggest it as an obvious focal point for national cultural activity. However, art life in the Free State has seldom evinced much dynamism. The art societies operating in the province had tended to be extremely conservative and unadventurous, and the advantages of the situation of the main city were never exploited. The Bloemfontein Group desired to hold exhibitions that challenged the limitations of Bloemfontein’s embryonic art scene. While their individual artworks differed in visual appearance, they shared a modernist sense of painting practice. The Bloemfontein Group worked together for approximately ten years. Although artists’ groups in their own capacity are often not considered as important artistic ‘movements’ in the charting of an art history, I believe that the Bloemfontein Group played a vital role in establishing an artistic environment in the Free State. I also propose that the formation of the Bloemfontein Group shifted the conservative mindset of the Bloemfontein art scene by presenting artworks with
Opposite Page: Ampenberger, Young Couple, Oil on board, 60.5 x 45.5 cm. (Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection)
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