Cecil Skotnes facts for kids

Cecil Skotnes "Figure Composition"

Cecil Skotnes (born June 1, 1926 – died April 4, 2009) was a very important South African artist. He was known for his unique style and for helping many other artists.

Cecil was born in East London in 1926. He studied art in Florence, Italy, and later at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. In 1952, he became a cultural officer at the famous Polly Street Art Centre. He also helped start the Amadlozi Group in 1961. Cecil moved to Cape Town in 1979 and lived there until he passed away in 2009 at age 82. In 2003, the South African government gave him a special award, the Order of the Ikhamanga (Gold), for his amazing work in art.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Cecil Skotnes was born in East London, South Africa, in 1926. His father was from Norway and his mother was from Canada. They were missionaries in Africa. Cecil was their fourth child. He loved drawing from a young age and was praised for his talent at school. He also enjoyed playing outdoors, exploring rivers, and finding old ruins near Johannesburg. This natural landscape, with its bright light and open spaces, greatly influenced his art later on.

After school, Cecil joined the South African army in 1944 and fought in Egypt and Italy. The landscapes he saw there, like the desert and ruined buildings, also shaped his ideas about light and space. After the war, he spent time in Florence, Italy. He was deeply inspired by the old masters like Masaccio and Giotto. He noticed how different Europe felt from Africa. Europe had a long, visible history, while Africa's history often felt hidden. This contrast between the two places became important in his artistic journey.

When he returned to Johannesburg, Cecil studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and earned a degree in Fine Arts in 1950. He was part of a group of artists called the Wits Group. He married Thelma Carter in 1951, and they traveled to Europe. There, he saw ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, and Greek art. But it was the African art collections in museums that truly inspired him. These collections made him want to return to Africa and make it his permanent home, just like his father had done.

Developing a Unique South African Art Style

At first, Cecil Skotnes painted, but a friend encouraged him to try woodcutting. He found this art form perfect for him. His early woodcuts showed landscapes. He wanted to create a style that was truly South African, different from European art. Woodcutting allowed him to explore new ways to show local symbols and stories. Even though he later returned to painting, woodcutting remained a favorite technique. He used it to tell important South African stories that had been forgotten.

Cecil started to use the wood blocks themselves as art, not just for printing. He would color and shape the blocks, using them as surfaces for paint. He also created large wall murals using a special technique. He would engrave colored cement, revealing layers of color and lines. He made many public artworks this way.

His art began to focus on powerful stories from South African history. One important story he told was about the great Zulu king Shaka. The government at the time often presented African history in a negative way. But Skotnes showed Shaka as a brave hero, similar to ancient Greek heroes. His art helped change how people viewed the important kingdoms that existed in South Africa before colonial times.

In 1961, Cecil was part of the Amadlozi Group. This group included other talented artists like Cecily Sash, Edoardo Villa, Guiseppe Cattaneo, and Sydney Kumalo.

Moving to Cape Town and Later Reflections

In the late 1970s, Cecil moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town. This change in environment brought new inspiration. The Cape landscape, with its blues, violets, and softer light from the ocean, influenced his art. He created a series of landscapes inspired by the sea and by places he had visited before, like the Brandberg mountain in the Namib desert. This mountain was once home to ancient hunter-gatherers who left rock paintings there. Through these works, Cecil showed that the South African landscape is full of history and memories.

Throughout his life, Cecil Skotnes was also a well-known teacher and mentor. He believed that a person's achievements are measured by what they leave behind. For Cecil, this meant not only his many artworks but also how he helped change the lives of others. He worked to support and encourage young artists, especially those who were prevented from studying art during the apartheid era. His efforts greatly helped make South African art more diverse and inclusive.

The Polly Street Art Centre

In the mid-1950s, Cecil took a job at the "Non-Europeans Affairs Department" in Johannesburg. His main role was to run the Polly Street Centre. This center offered education and recreation for black adults and children. It had choirs, bands, boxing, and dancing. But when Cecil arrived, there was only one art student. Because of his work, Polly Street is now mostly remembered as an important art school.

As the director, Cecil traveled between the city and the townships, organizing many cultural activities. Much of his work happened after hours, when adults were free from their jobs. He wanted Polly Street to be a serious art center, not just a place for hobbies. At that time, black students were not allowed into art schools or universities. Cecil wanted to create a place where talented young black adults could train to become professional artists.

Helping these artists was not easy. Resources were limited, and classes were held after work. Students had to use cheap paper and paints. The authorities were also against educating black people, but they often avoided visiting the center at night. Cecil found companies willing to donate art supplies. A local food store even gave soup, and the sound of jazz from next door helped attract more students.

Cecil also helped his students become professionals. He used his connections to the church, as he had a strong interest in Catholic Italy. The first big art job he found was for Sydney Kumalo, who later became a famous artist. Sydney and other Polly Street students, with Cecil's help, decorated a Catholic church. More church commissions followed, and soon, more black artists were creating and selling their work. Cecil arranged more art jobs and exhibitions. By the 1960s, many art galleries were looking for art by black artists. Even when the government eventually closed Polly Street, a strong community of black artists had already been established.

Later Life and Legacy

In his later years, Skotnes thought more about his own family history. He reflected on his father's journey from Norway to Canada and then to Africa. He also thought about his uncle who died in the cold Spitzbergen region, and how different that was from the hot South African highveld and the damp Cape coast. He created artworks about these themes, including portraits of his uncle.

His final artworks brought together all these experiences. These engraved paintings showed hints of old Renaissance altarpieces, lost kingdoms, and ruined cities of the Mediterranean. They held memories of ancient gold masks, bronze figures, and carved sticks from early African farmers. Through his lines and shapes, he expressed sadness for lives lost and the unfairness of the system that controlled South Africa for many years. Most importantly, his art celebrated imagination as one of the most valuable human experiences, something everyone should have access to.

Cecil Skotnes had a rich and rewarding career that benefited many people: his family, his students, young artists, and his friends. His contributions were recognized by universities that gave him honorary degrees (UCT, Wits, and Rhodes). The South African President also honored him with a gold medal for his service to the country, especially for helping to remove racial barriers in South African art.

Musical Reflections

Cecil Skotnes's art has even inspired music! Composer Peter Klatzow created a piece called A Sense of Place for marimba and cello. This music was inspired by two of Skotnes's artworks: The Mask and Shaka's Victory Dance.

See also

• Ezrom Legae
• Louis Maqhubela
• Durant Sihlali