A man of Action
THE ART ACTIVIST
"Sure, I belonged to an angry generation. We were politically angry, we were trying to survive, we were sincere and clap trap annoyed us. I spoke out because others did not. My father set an example..."
Erik Laubscher
"Erik has not always been only a painter, he’s always been, ’mensch’, he has lived on so many different levels, he has opened so many new layers of experience of possibility of imagining to us that one will constantly live in the gratitude of having knowing or having someone walking a little way of the long long road that he has travelled, with him". André P Brink - South African author
« His art activism is embedded in the culture of the Cape.
When we start the fight for a decent memorial for Nelson Mandela in the precincts of parliament right now, we recall Erik’s outspoken comments about the two Smuts sculptures around the corner from that institution.
Erik Laubscher, single among many, sincerely believed in the power, position and value of the artist in society. He made art politics. » Melvyn Minaar - Cape Town art critic
Quote by the artist: ‘As the 50’s progressed Abstraction and non-figurative painting seemed logical. I expressed my anger at the political situation by using aggressive shapes and compositions’.
In this powerful cruel work called ‘Rape of District Six’, Erik Laubscher expresses the destruction of his environment in this violent painting using aggressive shapes and colours as well as graffiti with a provocative vocabulary typical of the Cape Coloured folk when in anger*.
A sociological statement on a dramatical event which took place very close to his home in 1972….the Demolition of District Six. These were the homes of the Coloured community occupying valuable land in the city bowl that were demolished after the government brutally expropriated them to so-called ‘better homes’ further out of the city without any financial compensation for land that they often owned.
The painting ‘Rape of District Six’ symbolises the Cape Coloured people’s past and roots disappearing by the demolition of the historical Victorian houses, to leave way to modern office buildings, the future, on the backdrop of Table Bay. In fact this land was never truly developed for many years.
‘Where are my friends?’ portrays the aftermath, an atmosphere of the desolation, despair and loneliness on the site after demolishing District Six.
Erik took many photographs of District Six which he developed himself.
The Ruth Prowse School of Art
A man of Action
THE TEACHER
THE RUTH PROWSE
SCHOOL OF ART
ERIK LAUBSCHER HERITAGE TRUST AWARD
Erik had to seriously start to providing for his family. The sales of his work were not at all sufficient.
He discussed taking over the Continental School of Art with it’s previous owner and teacher, Maurice van Essche. This was a short-lived experience as the school was financially viable on the books but when he took it over little did he know that many of the students were ex-servicemen subsidised by the government.
The Ruth Prowse School of Art
« He courageously refused to bend to the segregation of the time and all races were admitted to the school. We even had a student who had spent many years on Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned)».
David Brown – sculptor and teacher at the Ruth Prowse School of Art
Erik founded The Ruth Prowse Art Centre in 1970 which then became the Ruth Prowse School of Art. The School opened its doors in 1971 offering part and full-time diploma courses. Erik forfeited government subsides under apartheid in order to respect a policy of non-discrimination based on race or colour. He also believed that a matric diploma was not necessary to become an artist.
On his retirement after 25 years of directing Ruth Prowse he wrote:
" It seems like only the other day when on the 3rd of January I unlocked the front door of the late Ruth Prowse’s thatched cottage, dumped all the Tools I possessed, had a discussion with friends and my family as to where to begin and who would do what.
Walls had to be broken, floorIng replaced, window paned, partitions removed, trestles made ( a few are still in use).Dr Heini Einhorn told us which lighting to use. My children brought their friends who even brought their parents to help.
The only professionals we could afford were the plumber and electrician plus some building material.
Chaos reigned, phones ringing, dust everywhere, then Lee Jansen walked in, sat down at the makeshift desk and answered the phone. Everyone, whatever their age, was known by their first name.
The character of the Ruth Prowse School of Art was established.
The excitement of creating an art school in the house of the late Ruth Prowse, an artist of considérable note, protagonist for the préservation of our historical buildings, imbued not only myself but the many helpers with tremendous energy".
The Erik Laubscher Heritage Trust proudly awards a needy and talented student for his creative excellence and academic merit with a grant allowing him to pursue his studies.
See Olwethu Mahlatini receiving the award with School director Eunice Steyn: https://www.ruthprowse.co.za
A LECTURE ON LANDSCAPE PAINTING to the students of Ruth Prowse School of Art July 1999 by Erik Laubscher
"Let me start by saying that landscape painting is different to Still Life, Figure, various forms of comment painting.? Why? With Still Life you are concerned or you use the objects in an interpretive context based on your visual reactions to the colours and objects and the way they have been arranged. `the result depends entirely on your interpretation and the way you handle the paint, colours and compositions.
With the figure or human form, you are primarily concerned with conveying your feelings or reactions to a situation in which you see your subject. This reaction can be to a nude in an environment. It can be the expression /s of people or a person. It can be the way a group of people have accidentally arranged themselves in relation to their surroundings and perhaps the overall colour combinations.
With Abstract painting was I knew it, we had a kind of intellectual emotional reaction to society life, to the political situation, plus we wanted to include other dimensions.
Whatever it was, the composition, colour combinations, forms/shapes and technique was concentrated on conveying the artist’s feelings.
In all three of these categories it is the artist’s knowledge of composition, ability to create interesting colour combinations and paint application/techniques. In many instances the artist conceives the subject almost the same as a still life within certain parameters".
Erik Laubscher