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ART EXHIBIT
 Albert
Adams: Journey on a Tightrope
Venue: South African National Gallery, Government Ave, Cape
Town.
Tel: (021) 467 4669
Gallery Hours: Tue- Son: 10:00am to 5:00pm.
Duration: 19 Jul - 16 Nov 2008
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The first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of works by Albert
Adams runs at Iziko South African National Gallery from 19 July to 16
November 2008. Albert Adams was born in Johannesburg in 1930 but at the
age of four came to Cape Town with his mother and sister. He attended
Livingstone High School and studied at Hewat College in Cape Town.
Unable to study at the Michaelis School of Art, University of Cape
Town, because of the apartheid policies, he applied for, and was awarded a
scholarship to study at the Slade School of Art in London where he studied
from 1953 to 1956. He enrolled for a brief course of study at the Munich
Academy of Arts and later in 1957 attended master classes under the
internationally renowned artist, Oskar Kokoschka.
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He returned to Cape Town where he exhibited widely but in 1960 decided
to leave South Africa for good and settled in London. He taught for a
while at schools in the East End of London and in 1979 was appointed to
the staff of the City University, London where he lectured in art history
for 18 years. Towards the end of 2006 Adams was diagnosed with lung cancer
and after a brief stay in hospital passed away on 31 December 2006.
An instinctive expressionist Adams’ subject matter is evidence of a
deep social commitment and he can rightly be seen as an heir to Francisco
Goya (1740 – 1828). Often his subject matter is inspired by international
events but he always returned to South Africa for inspiration, depicting,
amongst others, the homeless people of Cape Town, the darker side of the
Cape Minstrels and in a more allusive way the ‘baggage’ or legacy of
apartheid.
Although Adams exhibited extensively and, on more than one occasion
was chosen to represent South Africa on international exhibitions, his
long period of absence from South Africa has resulted in the undue neglect
of a major talent
This retrospective exhibition will result in Albert Adams being
recognized and established as a major South African artist.
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