He first became interested in archaeology and primitive art as a young boy after moving to koffiefontein in 1917, and drew and painted since childhood. Granted not all of his work appeals to me his earlier bushmeninspired paintings arent really to my taste, and i cant quite fathom fook island, but the works that hes best known for. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Walter battiss was best known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept. In recent years ive become a very big fan of the late south african artist, walter battiss. Walter battiss south african artist crouse art gallery. Walter battiss researched south african rock art and probably discovered his own cultural roots through this. Fook island memorabilia was created by walter battiss in conceptual art style.
I invented myself, a monument to one of the most celebrated south. Walter battiss fook book 1 no 47 of an edition of 50 copies. See more ideas about walter battiss, walter, south african art. Walter battiss created the quirky fook island concept. Two silkscreens produced side by side, printed in colour, each signed by battiss and numbered 80125. Walter senior was a top athlete, with many trophies for cycling and running. Walter w battiss, the amazing bushman, 1939 published privately by the red fawn press, printed by wallachs limited, pretoria, 1939. Abstract 0 the work of the south african artist walter battiss has in the existing literature been analysed and discussed in relation to his biography or in general descriptive terms. Johans borman fine art artist biographies battiss, walter. From an early age, he displayed a keen interest in archaeology and primitive art, and went on to pursue his formal art studies in 1929 at the witwatersrand technical college, and later completed his bachelors degree in fine arts at the university of south africa. Browse through recent auction results or all past auction results on artnet. A search for true identity is when a person or an artist is looking for hisher cultural roots through visual art forms.
Walter battiss researched south african rock art and probably discovered. Warren siebrits talks about walter battiss part 1 youtube. For over 35 years, wellknown art collector and philanthropist, jack ginsberg, has assembled an extraordinary collection of more than 700 artworks, books and ephemera by esteemed south african artist walter battiss. A new donation of artists books to a south african art gallery. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist, who was generally considered to be the foremost south african abstract painter and known. The siebrits essay is on the five lives of walter battiss.
This island of the imagination was a materialization of battiss philosophy for which he created a map, imaginary people, plants, animals, a history as well as a set of postage stamps, currency, passports and drivers licenses. Shadow of fook stamp affixed to page two of this book is illustrated on page 49 of walter battiss gentle anarchist by karen skawran published by standard bank, 2005. Battiss 75 unknown binding january 1, 1981 by walter battiss author visit amazons walter battiss page. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist, who was generally considered to be the foremost south african abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept. Walter battiss was born in 1906 to an english family living in the small karoo town, somerset east. A screenprint of battiss fook script in a numbered edition of 100 will be sold for wam fundraising. In contrast my project aims at revealing the confluence of the modernist.
His first book the amazing bushman cemented his interest in rock art which had a very profound impact on his ideas and he regarded san painting as an important art form. Walter battiss by laurence scully 360 berea street, muckleneuk, pretoria. James findlay and warren siebrits talk about the life and art of walter battiss. Walter battiss was born in somerset east, the eldest of three children, to walter battiss and louise price. Walter battiss braam kruger contributor barry davidow contributor. He created a fookian language with a full alphabet as well. A large retrospective exhibition in 2005 was called walter battiss gentle. The book comprises 36 pages of illustrated text bound in illustrated heavy paper wraps, bound with the original leather thong. Walter battiss paintings on view in one of the gallery 21 rooms, hyde park corner, johannesburg, in 1973 1973 gallery 21 at nicro art dealers fair, milner park, johannesburg abrams, battiss, borbereki, boys, raphael, scully, sithole, skotnes 8 th august. He visited greece in 19661968 and the seychelles in 1972, which inspired his makebelieve fook island.
Unisa art gallery pretoria 18 may 24 june 1989 battiss, walter. Showing 121 of 140 results sort by popularity sort by average rating sort by latest sort by price. Walter battiss and norman catherine held the first fook island exhibit in 1975. Walter battisss long career as an artist was devoted to the study of man in his environment. Battiss socalled fook island concept has its roots in his extensive travels to relatively remote areas in america, the middle east and europe. The exhibition has been the highlight of the 2016 year at wam. After a lengthy visit to the pacific islands in 1976, walter battiss began to travel frequently and extensively to those remote, exotic areas. Battiss wanted to oppose and speak out against censorship through his art. The book covers his discoveries of rock art treasury at zastron in the free state. He served as a professor of fine art at the university of south africa and is considered one of the most important abstract painters. Ginsbergs chapter figuring fook deciphers battiss unique fun script and language. In the second essay, figuring fook, jack ginsberg presents a meticulous.
Tribute to biggest collection of artists books in the southern. He taught art at pretoria boys high school from 1936 for most of the next 30 years and at the pretoria art centre, of which was the principal from 195358. Walter whall battiss january 6, 1906 august 20, 1982 was a south african artist, generally considered the foremost south african abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept. The collection will be available to scholars by appointment for research. You can order certified walter battiss prints either prints only, or framed in black or white. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist, who was generally considered to be the foremost south african abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept early life.
The walter battiss art museum is located in the picturesque little town of somerset east, where battiss was born on the 6th of january 1906 in an official ceremony held in front of the whitegabled house in paulet street, somerset east in 1981, walter whall battiss bequeathed his collection of his own art works to the people of somerset east and south africa. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist, who is generally considered to be the foremost south african abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept born into english methodist family in the karoo town of somerset east, battiss first became interested in archaeology and tribal art as a young boy. At the end of the exhibition, the collection will become part of wams permanent holdings and form the nucleus of a major walter battiss archive. Walter battiss i invented myself, the jack m ginsberg collection edited by the curator of the walter battiss exhibition at wam, warren siebrits, accompanies the exhibition and is a rich and full coverage of the five lives of walter battiss. Battiss was born into an english methodist family in the karoo town of somerset east.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. In 1980 battiss designed four stamps for the botswana postal service. Walter battiss january 6, 1906 august 20, 1982, south. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. He first became interested in archaeology and tribal art as a. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Walter battiss fook book i male bonne esperance gallery. From his research battiss published many books, one being the amazing bushman.
Weight 642 grams and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In 1938 he visited europe for the first time, and in 1939 he published his first book, the amazing bushman. Walter battiss, the man who lived five lives 10 july 2016 02. Walter battiss was born in somerset east to an english methodist family in 1906, and became one of south africas first and most important abstract painters. Battiss socalled fook island concept has its roots between 1973 1975 through his extensive travels to relatively remote areas in america, the middle east and europe. Walter battiss 1902 1982 nla design and visual arts. The walter battiss museum opened in somerset east the following year, and remains open today. Louise came from england, where she had worked for a top book publisher. I invented myself the jack ginsberg collection on page 88 and refer to items 1968. Walter battiss and the legend of fook island, somerset.
Watercolour, pen and ink, screenprints, litho prints, 1975. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist, considered to be the foremost south african abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept. Find more prominent pieces of figurative at best visual art database. Battiss merchandise such as scarves, tshirts, crockery, wrapping paper and postcards will also be on sale and a screenprint of battiss fook script in a numbered edition of 100 will be sold for wam fund raising and the collection will become part of wams permanent holdings to form the nucleus of a major walter battiss archive available. This collection will be shown at wits art museum for the first time in an exhibition, curated by warren siebrits. The amazing bushman with original watercolour by battiss. Walter battiss died of a heart attack in port shepstone, kwazulunatal on 20 august 1982. After a lengthy visit to the pacific islands in 1976, battiss began to travel frequently to more remote and seemingly exotic areas. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist, who is generally considered to be the foremost south african abstract painter and known as the creator of the quirky fook island concept. Walter whall battiss 6 january 1906 20 august 1982 was a south african artist. Walter battiss past auction artist painting paint painting art draw amen. Battiss displayed an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, his travels and research extended in all directions. Battiss was a founding member of the new group and was unique in that he had not studied overseas. Walter battiss paintings for sale walter battiss art.
1283 378 1260 1367 37 1217 182 1228 1353 921 300 1369 1567 917 146 979 1276 621 702 1209 1005 125 801 809 1313 1306 958 950 1295 384 903