IRMA STERN (1894-1966) SOUTH AFRICA’S GRANDE DAME Stephan Welz and Company, in associ<strong>at</strong>ion with Sotheby’s, has a proven reput<strong>at</strong>ion as South Africa’s Premier Auction House. Established in 1968, we have consistently improved upon our own history and sales records. SOLD IN 1999 SOLD IN 2007 Record results for South African Masters like Irma Stern have been the milestones by which we judge our success, just as Stern used her paintings from which to gain strength. Johannesburg Upcoming Sale 20 & 21 April 2009 Viewing: 17-19 April 2009 Call for further details: 011 880 3125 Venue: 13 Biermann Avenue Rosebank Irma Stern STILL LIFE WITH FRUIT AND DAHLIAS SOLD 1999 R 1 100 000 Irma Stern THE INDIAN WOMAN SOLD 2007 R 7 260 000 Visit our website www.swelco.co.za Cape Town Upcoming Sale 26 & 27 May 2009 Closing d<strong>at</strong>e for entries: Friday 13 March 2009 Call now for an appointment: 021 794 6461 Venue: The Gre<strong>at</strong> Cellar, Alphen Hotel, Alphen Hotel, Constantia
South African Art Times. March 2009 Page 3 Hyme Rabinowitz’s passion for pottery Steve Kretzmann To give up a potentially lucr<strong>at</strong>ive career as an accountant in order to follow a more precarious p<strong>at</strong>h of pottery is evidence not only of a passion for potting, but also of a willingness to defy convention in search of a fuller life. It was a choice acclaimed ceramicist Hyme Rabinowitz made in his thirties, subsequently leaving us with innumerable beautiful and functional clay vessels. And he certainly lived a life full of adventure and accomplishment. Born in 1920, twin to brother Sol – who l<strong>at</strong>er settled in Kenya - he was nineteen years-old <strong>at</strong> the outbreak of World War II. His age, and being Jewish, meant there was little moral choice but to interrupt his articles and join the fight against Hitler. Judging from the character th<strong>at</strong> emerges from his memoirs, Hyme would have undoubtably been drawn to travel and an outdoor life of some sort, but three years in an anti-aircraft b<strong>at</strong>talion trekking through East and North Africa (whereafter he fell ill, serving the rest of the war in the Saldahna region nearer home) likely whetted his appetite to experience more of the world. He completed his articles after the war, but office life was not his preference, and, in a post-war decade marked by conserv<strong>at</strong>ism, he hitchhiked across the UK, Europe and the Middle East – starting his self-educ<strong>at</strong>ion in the arts along the way – and returned home overland across Africa 17 months l<strong>at</strong>er. It was while making a living working <strong>at</strong> the Pl<strong>at</strong>e Glass Company th<strong>at</strong> he “quite by chance” discovered his voc<strong>at</strong>ion. As often happens, there was an <strong>at</strong>tractive girl involved, who was taking pottery lessons <strong>at</strong> the Frank Joubert art centre. Hyme joined in, and was given his first lessons by Audrey Frank. “The penny had dropped,” wrote Hyme. He had a continental style kick-wheel built and took over a corner of Paul Boonzaier’s sign writing workshop on Long Street. “Every S<strong>at</strong>urday afternoon after the office I went and practiced my throwing in Paul’s workshop till it was time to c<strong>at</strong>ch the last bus (around midnight) from the terminus to Camps Bay. Then I’d hike (with backpack) to Llandudno, land up <strong>at</strong> (a rough hut in the bay), and hike the next day with “Ginger” (Townley) Johnson to Sandy Bay and Oudeschip.” His friendship with Ginger and a love of the outdoors led to the pair N U Q E L L A LI Y T CT E Z PR O D U 1920 - 2009 , PROFESSIONAL of them, with Percy Sieff, amongst others, documenting over 500 rock art sites in the South-West Cape in the ’50s and ‘60s, a book of which was l<strong>at</strong>er published. Around this period he returned to the UK and spent time working <strong>at</strong> St. Ives with Kenneth Quick, who used to work <strong>at</strong> the famed Leach Pottery. He also worked with the “explosive” master potter Michael <strong>Car</strong>dew. He spent more time with <strong>Car</strong>dew in Abudja, Nigeria, who was running a training centre there, and also spent six months working with Esias Bosch in White River. He set up wh<strong>at</strong> was to become his permanent pottery studio <strong>at</strong> Eagles Nest in Constantia in 1962 (thanks to the p<strong>at</strong>ronage of the Maggs family) originally working with a <strong>Car</strong>dew-Wenford Bridge wood-fired kiln for many years before changing to an oil-fired kiln. He did a lot more travelling though, much of it through Africa, studying the continent’s ancient pottery traditions, before marrying Jennifer Rom when he was 56. Although a l<strong>at</strong>e starter in pottery, according to Leach, Hyme’s dedic<strong>at</strong>ion to the craft resulted in his being awarded a N<strong>at</strong>ional Silver Medal by Pretoria University in 1990, a Master of Fine Arts Honorary degree from the University of Cape Town and the ‘Master Potter’ title by the Associ<strong>at</strong>ion of Potters of South Africa (APSA) on his 80th birthday. Yet his success never went to his head. “He’s always been a gre<strong>at</strong> supporter of other potters. People <strong>at</strong> the top of their field are often snooty, but he always had time, and a word of encouragement, for everyone, says young potter John Bauer. Although Hyme suffered from ill health again in his l<strong>at</strong>er years, having, according to Ceramics SA Cape region co-chair and “dear friend” Betsy Nield, “a few heart <strong>at</strong>tacks in his time”, it appears he was more concerned with the wellbeing of his friends than his own discomfort. Nield said he had his last heart <strong>at</strong>tack a year ago, <strong>at</strong> around the same time she had to undergo an oper<strong>at</strong>ion. She said whenever they spoke he used to enquire after her health, never mentioning his own problems. She said Hyme was also very active in the pottery community. “He used to come to all our (Ceramics SA) workshops and was always <strong>at</strong> our AGMs and exhibitions. He would be there, and <strong>at</strong> all the potters markets. At the last one, in June, Jenni had to push him around in his wheelchair.” Tributes <strong>at</strong> his funeral repe<strong>at</strong>edly mentioned his warmth, humour, cre<strong>at</strong>ivity, purpose, and interest in other people. And he seemed to be able to mix modesty and pride quite effectively. His son, Nikolas, said his dad’s response to being famous was: Artists’ Acrylic Paint “Well, I was the best, and most famous potter… on Eagles Nest!”
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