Christo Coetzee

Place: Pretoria

Born: 1929

Death: 2000

Biography:

Christo Coetzee was a South African assemblage and Neo-Baroque artist closely associated with the avant-garde art movements of Europe and Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. Under the influence of art theorist Michel Tapié, art dealer Rodolphe Stadler and art collector and photographer Anthony Denney, as well as the Gutai group of Japan, he developed his oeuvre alongside those of artists strongly influenced by Tapié's Un Art Autre (1952), such as Georges Mathieu, Alfred Wols, Jean Dubuffet, Jean Fautrier, Hans Hartung, Pierre Soulages, Antoni Tàpies and Lucio Fontana.

Early Life and Education

Christo Coetzee was born on 24 March 1929 at 54 Biccard Street, Turfontein, Johannesburg to Josef Adriaan Coetzee and Francina Sofia Kruger. He attended Parkview Primary School and then Parktown Boys' High School, where he became an enthusiastic art student. In the years 1946 to 1950 he attended the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), where his fellow students were Cecil Skotnes, Esmé Berman, Nel Erasmus, Ruth Allen (Furness), Gordon Vorster, Anna Vorster and Gerda Meyer (Eloff).

Career and Travels

After graduation from Wits with a degree in fine art in 1951, Christo Coetzee had his first solo exhibition in January of that year. This exhibition was opened by South African National Gallery director John Paris, and featured portraits in Victorian daguerrotype style. He later studied at the Slade School of Art under Prof. William Coldstream in London.

• Some of his notable works include Ophelia, Harlequins Homage to Guernica, and Face plate, which can be found on Wikioo.org.
• His work is also featured in the University of Pretoria Museums and the Nuneaton Museum And Art Gallery, showcasing his unique style and contribution to the art world.
• For more information on Christo Coetzee's life and career, visit his page on Wikioo.org or his Wikipedia page.

on Christo Coetzee's work include the Gutai group of Japan and art theorist Michel Tapié, who coined the term "Art Informel" to describe a new movement in art. This movement emphasized the importance of spontaneity and intuition in the creative process. Christo Coetzee's work continues to be celebrated for its unique blend of Neo-Baroque and assemblage styles, making him a pioneer in the South African art scene. His legacy can be seen in the many paintings and ceramic works that he created during his lifetime, which are now featured in museums and private collections around the world.