The Johannesburg Art Scene from the 60's to the 90's

 

Lawrence Adler Gallery - Adler Fielding Galleries

 

History and List of Exhibitions

Personal Notes on Maj. Aubrey Fielding

 


 

As from the end of 1957, the Lawrence Adler Galleries, later to be known as the Adler Fielding Galleries, were a very important and exciting art gallery on the Johannesburg scene.

This historical survey lists major exhibitions held at both galleries and includes shows at the latter's new venue, until the end of 1968.

For research purposes, we have highlighted the name of black artists, to show that a few were already included by leading galleries as from the early 60's. 

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Lawrence Adler Galleries started business as an art lending library on the 4th floor of Pinn's Buildings, Kruis & Market Streets, Johannesburg, during 1955.

 

Lawrence Adler Gallery lending Library ill. Jewish Affairs March 1955 p.44

Lawrence Adler Gallery - lending Library - ill. Jewish Affairs March 1955 p.44

 


 

By 1957, it started a regular exhibition programme, as follows:.

 

1957

07/11      GORDON VORSTER

 

1958

03/02      MERVYN EVANS

13/05      AFRICANA EXHIBITION

27/05      AUBREY FIELDING

17/06      ALVA

15/07      4 GREAT NAMES (PICASSO/SOULAGES/FRIEDLANDER/BRAUND)

12/08      FRANK SPEARS

26/08      JOHN COPLANS

30/09      AMERICAN GRAPHIC ART

26/11      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS

 

1959

10/03      MAY HILLHOUSE

24/03      ALFRED KRENZ

14/04      ELEANOR ESMONDE-WHITE

28/04      18th-19th Cent. JAPANESE PRINTS

12/05      ITALIAN/FRENCH/GERMAN GRAPHIC ART

26/05      GIUSEPPE CATTANEO

09/06      ZOLTAN BORBEREKI & ELIZABETH SEBOK

30/07      EVA FISCHER

13/08      FRENCH GRAPHIC ART

27/08      LIONEL ABRAMS

27/08      GEORGE BOYS

10/09      GORDON VORSTER

??/09      FRANK SPEARS

22/10      JEAN WELZ

04/11      FRANK ROSEN

19/11      AUCTION SALE

 

1960

23/02      POLISH GRAPHIC ART

??/03      MASCHA BRAUNGER

22/03      JAN DINGEMANS

22/03      20th Cent. ENGLISH PAINTINGS

10/05      JAPANESE PRINTS (Collection DR S B SACHS)

16/05      18TH-19TH CENT. JAPANESE PRINTS AND MODERN JAPANESE PRINTS

24/05      PATRICIA MCALLISTER

07/06      OSKAR H SCHROEDER

??/07      2ND ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE 1960

02/08      DORELLE

16/08      BIJOU PAINTINGS

30/08      ALFRED KRENZ

13/09      INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC ART

20/09      EDOARDO VILLA (exhibition held at JOUBERT PARK, Johannesburg)

27/09      SIDNEY GOLDBLATT

??/10      FRANK SPEARS

25/10      BLAZENKA BAIKOW

08/11      GIUSEPPE CATTANEO

22/11      WALTER BATTISS

15/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS EXHIBITION

 

1961

28/02      HANNS L KATZ (MEMORIAL EXHIBITION)

14/03      LESLEY COPE

04/04      CHRISTO COETZEE

18/04      CECIL HIGGS

02/05      MASCHA BRAUNGER

02/05      LEON LEVSON (photographs)

30/05      ELEANOR ESMONDE-WHITE

14/06      BIJOU PAINTINGS

18/07      3RD ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE 1961

08/08      LIONEL ABRAMS

22/08      CECILY SASH

06/09      BRITISH GRAPHIC ART

06/09      LASCAUX CAVE PAINTINGS - reproductions

17/10      FRANK SPEARS (closing gallery show)  

 


The gallery, now named Adler Fielding Galleries, moved to the new building "Walbrook", at the corner of von Brandis & Commissioner Street, Johannesburg.  

 

Irma STERN exhibition - Adler Fielding Galleries Johannesburg 1961

Opening exhibition of Adler Fielding Galleries' new premises designed by Donald Turgell, with solo show by Irma Stern

 


 

1961

01/11      IRMA STERN (opening gallery exhibition)

14/11      SIDNEY GOLDBLATT

28/11      GORDON VORSTER

14/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS EXHIBITION

 

1962

07/02      ALISON ROUX

20/02      EDOARDO VILLA

08/03      TOWNSHIP LIFE (Louis MAQHUBELA, Gerard SEKOTO, Lucas SITHOLE)

20/03      EDIN CURRIE-WOOD

17/04      EONE DE WET

01/05      EASTER EXHIBITION

15/05      PAINTINGS FOR CHILDREN

28/05      ARMANDO BALDINELLI

12/06      GEORGE ENSLIN

09/07      ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE 1962

31/07      DOUGLAS PORTWAY

14/08      SOUTH AFRICAN PAINTERS PAST AND PRESENT 1818 - 1962

28/08      300 PRINTS FROM THE 16TH TO 20TH CENTURY

11/09      SIDNEY GOLDBLATT

24/09      GREGOIRE BOONZAIER

09/10      FLOWER SHOW

23/10      SOLLY DISNER

06/11      EUGEN JUSSEL

20/11      FRANK SPEARS

04/12      NEIL SACK

04/12      JURGEN SCHADEBERG & FRANK FISCHBECK

20/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS EXHIBITION

 

1963

05/02      RHODA LAZARUS-TRAUB + ISRAEL TRAUB

19/02      Ephraim NGATANE

05/03      BRITISH GRAPHIC ART 1963

19/03      JOAN OSBORN

02/04      EASTER EXHIBITION

16/04      PRANAS DOMSAITIS

30/04      John HLATYWAYO

14/05      SOUTH AFRICAN PAINTERS PAST AND PRESENT 1818 - 1963  

04/06      BLUMÉ AMOILS

18/06      AFRICAN SCULPTURES from the NYARUTSETSO SCHOOL, Rhodesia

16/07      ARTISTS OF FAME AND PROMISE 1963

30/07      ALFRED KRENZ

13/08      CARAL PHARO - HAMILTON (Batiks)

13/08      ELSE WONGTSCHOWSKI (Jewellery)

27/08      24 WOMEN ARTISTS

10/09      IRMA STERN

24/09      AILEEN LIPKIN

22/10      FRANK SPEARS

28/10      SA INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS - challenge exhibition

06/11      HORSES

20/11      WIM BLOM

04/12      CONTEMPORARY FRENCH PAINTING

17/12      Peter MAGUBANE ("My People" - photographs)

17/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS

       

1964

28/01      ADELE WHITE

13/02      EDIN CURRIE-WOOD

25/02      ALICE COCKETT

10/03      EASTER EXHIBITION

24/03      WILL OGILVIE

14/04      18th & 19th Cent. JAPANESE PRINTS

28/04      SOUTH AFRICAN PAINTERS PAST AND PRESENT

18/05      ANN LINDSELL-STEWART

02/06      Ephraim NGATANE

16/06      JO RORICH

30/06      24TH ANNUAL AMERICAN NEWSPAPER NATIONAL SNAPSHOTS AWARDS

14/07      ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE 1964

11/08      WALTER BATTISS

11/08      PIDIE WILSON

25/08      SIDNEY GOLDBLATT

28/08      PIERNEEF FESTIVAL (jointly with EGON GUENTHER GALLERY, over two venues)

01/09      ADVERTISING CLUB OF SA - charity show

08/09      PETER NEL

14/09      ASAF BERG

22/09      RONALD MYLCHREEST

 06/10      BILL AINSLIE

12/10      Gladys  MGUDLANDLU

20/10      FRANS CLAERHOUT

27/10      JEFF HUNTLY

03/11      LIONEL ABRAMS

17/11      FRANK SPEARS

01/12      FRANCIS N SOUZA

15/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS

 

Lawrence Adler left the gallery on 22/11/1964 to go to Europe for a time. The Adler Fielding Galleries' new partners were now Leon Lipkin and Maj. Aubrey Fielding.

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  Aubrey Fielding explaining Edoardo Villa sculpture to Zoltan Borbereki and Armando Baldinelli (© www.joburg.org.za/culture/latest-news/photos-of-the-week July 2011)

Aubrey Fielding in August, 1965, organiser of the Witwatersrand Art Festival Exhibition at the Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, examining Edoardo Villa's African Figure in steel, in discussion with Zoltan Borbereki at left and Armando Baldinelli at right (downloaded from  www.joburg.org.za/culture/latest-news/photos-of-the-week (July 2011)

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1965

21/01      JENNIFER DICKSON

26/01      PEARL COHEN

09/02      FOUR AFRICAN ARTISTS (Louis MAQHUBELA, Lucas SITHOLE, Ephraim NGATANE, Andrew MOTJUOADI)

23/02      MAISIE LIEBMAN

24/02      CECIL BEATON

09/03      EASTER EXHIBITION

23/03      EDOARDO VILLA

07/04      GROUP SHOW (9 ARTISTS)

20/04      TREVOR COLEMAN

04/05      PETER LAMB (MEMORIAL EXHIBITION)

19/05      FRENCH CONTEMPORARY PAINTING

01/06      CLAUDE VENARD

15/06      BETTINA & NANDO

29/06      FRENCH CONTEMPORARY PAINTING

20/07      ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE 1965

03/08      DIRK MEERKOTTER

17/08      WALTER RICHARD SICKERT

31/08      S A PAINTERS PAST AND PRESENT

14/09      RHONA STERN

28/09      SYDNEY HARPLEY

07/10      TONY VAN NOORT

12/10      FRANK SPEARS

26/10      WIM BLOM

09/11      LEONARD GROSSET

10/11      ADVERTISING CLUB OF SA - charity show

23/11      KENNETH ROBINSON

14/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS

 

1966

18/01      ADELE WHITE

01/02      Ephraim NGATANE

15/02      SOUTH AFRICAN PIONEERS OF PAINTING

15/02      ZAKKIE ELOFF

01/03      EBEN LEIBBRANDT

15/03      PRANAS DOMSAITIS (MEMORIAL EXHIBITION)

29/03      EASTER EXHIBITION

13/04      Lucas SITHOLE

13/04      ADRIAN HILL

26/04      BIG NAMES OF TOMORROW

04/05      CHARITY AUCTION (AFRICAN SELF HELP ASS.)

10/05      HANNATJIE VAN DER WAT

24/05      JUNE TE WATER

07/06      ANN LINDSELL-STEWART

21/06      BILL AINSLIE

21/06      BEN ARNOLD

19/07      ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE 1966

02/08      ANNA VORSTER

16/08      AWARD WINNERS

30/08      LIONEL ABRAMS

30/08      JOHN HERITAGE

13/09      Barry DE VILLIERS, Ben MACALA, Cousin WALAZA

27/09      SIDNEY GOLDBLATT

28/09      1ST ART AUCTION SALE

11/10      FRANK SPEARS

25/10      TRADITIONAL ZAMBIAN SCULPTURE

08/11      13TH TRANSVAAL ACADEMY

22/11      ELSA MARSCHALL

23/11      2ND ART AUCTION SALE

06/12      "DIE SESTIGERS": BISSEKER, HEYNIKE, LOUW, MYLCHREEST, VAN RENSBURG, VENTER

20/12      THE YEAR'S FINDINGS

 

1967

07/02      THE EVERARD GROUP

01/03      3RD ART AUCTION SALE

07/03      NEVILLE LEWIS

28/03      Louis MAQHUBELA

08/04      MAKE-ME-AN-OFFER AUCTION

18/04      10 TOP WOMEN PAINTERS OF SA

08/05      Durant SIHLALI

09/05      LANDSCAPE PAINTERS OF SA - PAST AND PRESENT

23/05      PEARL COHEN

06/06      MODERN BENIN BRONZES

13/06      JAN HEYNIKE

04/07      THE STILL LIFE AS AN ARTISTIC SUBJECT

02/08      KEVIN ATKINSON

12/09      SCULPTURE.SA 1900 - 1967

03/10      ANN LINDSELL-STEWART

17/10      LEON DE BLIQUY

17/10      ASHER AMID

07/11      SOUTH AFRICAN GRAPHIC ART

07/11      SIDNEY BECK

??/12     THE YEAR'S FINDINGS

??/??     Hargreaves NTUKWANA

 


The Adler Fielding Galleries ceased to be. As from 18.02.1968, the gallery was now carried on under a new management, including Herbert Prins, Zandberg Jansen, Ken Arber and Diana Norwood Young. It was named "The Gallery" for short. However, this venture did not last long; the gallery's assets were disposed of by public auction end of August, 1969.

 

Maj. Aubrey Fielding, who had had a most interesting life, turned again to painting, exhibiting his own works occasionally in Johannesburg at other venues. He died in 1981.


The above lists were compiled by Fernand F. Haenggi in January, 1993, from selected data taken from the files of:

                    LAWRENCE ADLER

                    ADLER FIELDING GALLERIES (BOOK II) (MRS M PARTRIDGE)

                    WHIPPMAN'S GALLERY (ESTHER ABRAMS)

                    GALLERY 101 (INCOMPLETE)

                    GALLERY 21

                    RICHARD CHEALES

                    ELZA MILES

                    ZOLTAN BORBEREKI

                    FRED SCHIMMEL

                    MICHAELIS ART LIBRARY, Johannesburg  

Additional information on Maj. Aubrey Fielding was uploaded in March, 2009. Should you be in possession of additional information or photographs, or needing further details, in particular regarding the various group exhibitions which also included black artists, please contact us at pelmama.thf@gmail.com! 

 

IMPORTANT!

To find more information about the afore-listed exhibitions or artists, we invite you to go to

http://www.art-archives-southafrica.ch/

 which website will be updated from time to time.

 

Updated 9th June, 2016

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