Visual Arts at the University of Pretoria – a brief history

SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES IN 2022

TIME AND LOCUS

1932 (90 YEARS): The Department of Afrikaans Art and Culture starts its first lectures.

1955 (31 YEARS): Art practice is first taught in 1955. The 1986 cohort of artists included in the Another Time, Another Place exhibition graduate 31 years later.

1972 (50 YEARS): The Department of Fine Arts moves from the grounds of the Pretoria Technical College to the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield campus.

1972 (50 YEARS): Information Design is introduced as a specialisation of the Fine Arts course.

1982 (40 YEARS): Visual Communication is included as a subject, providing students with grounding in theoretical issues that are germane to the visual arts study.

1987 (35 YEARS): The Department of Fine Arts moves to the old Human Movement Sciences building – a former gym becomes a hub of visual arts.

1987 (35 YEARS): The Department of Fine Arts develops the corporate identity for the University of Pretoria (UP) and thereby establishes its status as a reputable design school nationally.

The University of Pretoria (UP) has long encouraged the growth and development of the study and practice of the visual arts. The journey of the Department of Visual Arts has been one of great diversity and evolution and has undergone a number of name changes over the years, often reflecting a change in focus at various points in time.

It all started when the Department of Afrikaans Art and Culture was formed in 1930 to stimulate interest in culture and placed under the headship of Prof. Martin du Toit. He was determined to make this department, the only one of its kind in South Africa at the time, a success. To this end, he undertook an extended study tour to Europe in 1931 to observe recent artistic trends, and lectures only started in 1932. Prof. Du Toit died in 1938 and was succeeded by Dr H.M. van der Westhuysen.

The department was renamed Afrikaans Cultural History (Afrikaanse Kultuurgeskiedenis), but the history of art continued to constitute an important part of the syllabus. Art History was taught for the first time as an independent subject in 1954. At that time, practical Fine Art was not possible owing to a shortage of suitable lecturers. However, this was rectified in 1955, because Prof. van der Westhuysen disapproved of the lack of art training available to the serious student of art. From 1955 art practice was taught at the Pretoria Art Centre (and later at the Pretoria Technical College), and 20 first-year students enrolled for training. It was only in 1960 that the partnership between visual theory and visual practice was established when the Department of Art History amalgamated with the Department of Fine Arts to form the Department of Art History and Fine Arts. In 1972 the Fine Arts division moved from the grounds of the Pretoria Technical College to the grounds of the University of Pretoria, first accommodated in temporary structures and later (1975) into the historic Old Merensky Library building (a national monument since 1990). Also in 1972 the discipline of Information Design was introduced as a specialisation of the Fine Arts course.

In 1978 the Department of Art History and Fine Arts’ two disciplines were split into two independent departments. Prof. Nico Roos became the head of the Department of Fine Arts and under his leadership the department gained recognition for its academic and creative excellence and became one of the leading visual arts departments in South Africa.

In 1982 the subject Visual Communication was included in the curriculum, providing the Fine Art and Information Design students with grounding in theoretical issues that are germane to the study of the visual arts. Visual Communication was given full accreditation as a BA subject in 1996 and was opened to any student who wished to further their knowledge of visual culture. In the early 1980s the BA(Ed)(Arts) programme was also introduced as a specialisation degree in arts education but was phased out in the early 2000s as part of the restructuring of secondary school-level arts education.

In 1987 the Department of Fine Arts moved to what was then the Human Movement Sciences building, and so a former gymnasium was turned into a hub of creative learning and application. Around the same time, the corporate identity of the University of Pretoria was developed by the department. This helped the department to gain fame throughout South Africa as a reputable design school.

In May 1989 there was a re-merger of the traditional practice and history disciplines and the name was changed to the Department of Fine Arts and Art History.

At the beginning of 2000 Prof. Marian Sauthoff succeeded Prof. Roos and the name was changed to the Department of Visual Arts as a response to current international trends. Also in 2000 the study of Information Design came into its own, no longer falling under the banner of Fine Arts. The BA Visual Studies programme was introduced in 2002 incorporating art history, visual culture studies and elective humanities subjects.

At the end of 2006 Prof. Jeanne van Eeden was appointed head of the Department of Visual Arts. In 2008 she oversaw the staging of two milestone exhibitions which formed part of the of UP’s centenary celebrations. Visuality/Commentary, curated by Elfriede Dreyer, included the works of more than 80 alumni and fine artists who have been associated with the Department of Visual Arts since 1955. X-ings: Shaping culture through design (X-ings pronounced “crossings”), curated by Jacques Lange, featured career profiles of more than 100 Information Design alumni and part-time lecturers, and around 2 000 design projects. Many of the artists included in the Another Time, Another Place exhibition also participated in the two UP centenary exhibitions.

Prof. van Eeden retired in 2017 and was succeeded by Prof. Raimi Gbadamosi, who was with UP until 2018. In 2019 the Department of Visual Arts joined the Music, Drama, Museum and Conservation programmes to form the University of Pretoria School of the Arts under the leadership of Prof. Alexander Johnson. Prof. Lize Kriel is currently deputy head of the school and chair of Visual Arts. Visual Arts at UP is the largest of its kind in South Africa and offers undergraduate degrees, postgraduate degrees and modules in Fine Arts, Information Design and Visual Culture Studies. In the years of its existence, the department has produced not only outstanding fine arts and design practitioners, but also influential theoreticians.

Compiled by Jacques Lange

REFERENCES

Primary source:

Van Eeden, J. 2008. The Department of Visual Arts: a brief sketch. Included in X-ings: Shaping culture through design digital catalogue (DVD). Pretoria: Department of Visual Arts, University of Pretoria.

Other sources:

Bergh, J.S., Ferreira, O.J.O., Pretorius, F., Grobler, J.E.H. & Stals, W.H. (eds). 1996. Ad Destinatum III 1983-1992. Pretoria: University of Pretoria.

Department of Visual Arts. About the Department / History. University of Pretoria website [O]. Accessed August 2018.

Department of Visual Arts. The Department of Visual Arts at the University of Pretoria. University of Pretoria website [O]. Accessed August 2018.

Du T Spies, F.J. & Heydenrych, D.H. (eds). 1987. Ad Destinatum II 1960-1982. ‘n Geskiedenis van die Universiteit van Pretoria.

Pretoria: University of Pretoria.

Grey, S.V. (ed). 2019. Ad Destinatum V 2001-2009. Grey, S.V. (ed). 2019. Ad Destinatum V 2001-2009. Pretoria: University of Pretoria. Pretoria: University of Pretoria.

Rautenbach, C.H., Engelbrecht, S.P., Pelser, A.N., du T. Spies, Rautenbach, C.H., Engelbrecht, S.P., Pelser, A.N., du T. Spies, F.J. & de Kock, W.J. (eds). 1960. Ad Destinatum 1910-1960. F.J. & de Kock, W.J. (eds). 1960. Ad Destinatum 1910-1960. Johannesburg: Voortrekkerpers Beperk. Johannesburg: Voortrekkerpers Beperk. University of Pretoria, 2008. The Department of Visual Arts University of Pretoria, 2008. The Department of Visual Arts showcases alumni as part of UP’s centenary celebrations. showcases alumni as part of UP’s centenary celebrations. Press release. Press release.

Van der Watt, F. (ed). 2002. Ad Destinatum IV 1993-2000. Van der Watt, F. (ed). 2002. Ad Destinatum IV 1993-2000. Pretoria: University of Pretoria. Pretoria: University of Pretoria.