Obituary - Marj Bowen - WSSA

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OBITUARY

MARJ BOWEN

Marj Bowen the doyen of watercour artists in South Africa passed on to a
higher plane of consciousness on Sunday 6 December, 1998,
after a long illness at her home in Palm Beach, Kwazul-Natal.

Born Marjorie Visser was born in Luderitz, SWA, in 1920, she was a
descendant of an artistic family, her great –great grandfather
was an artist as was her mother and one of her brothers. She was
educated in East London where she attended The East London
Technical College Art School and later studied at the Port Elizabeth Art
School.

Her mother stimulated Marj’s interest in art at an early age.
Greatly influenced by the works of Sydney Carter and W. G. Wiles, she
was truly a South African artist. She travelled extensively throughout
South Africa and drew her subject matter from the country’s
varied landscapes: the vastness of the Karoo; the sky in all its
changing moods; the forests of Swaziland; the exotic foliage of the
Natal
South Coast; the Southern Cape coastal region, especially Arniston with
its quaint cottages; the tribal life of Zululand; the majestic
scenery of the Northern and Eastern Transvaal; the baobabs of Tshipise;
scenes of the Transkei.

Marj’s earlier oils showed a coarse application of the medium,
especially the use of the palette knife. Her style later evolved to a
point where she achieved a synthesis between her watercolour and oil
techniques.

Besides being an artist, among her many activities, she managed three
art galleries in Johannesburg, where she helped to promote artists
of ability and promise. She was also a teacher and lecturer in art and
was always prepared to give demonstrations, lectures and workshops
to societies and groups throughout South Africa.

As a result of a holiday in France in 1965, Marj was inspired to
introduce the idea of painting holidays in South Africa and organised
over
fifty such holidays throughout the Republic and abroad.

Marj’s greatest achievement however, and her living memorial, was
the establishment of the Watercolour Society of South Africa
in 1974. Starting with a handful of artists in Johannesburg, the Society
soon boomed and today has branches throughout the country. Its
head office is situated in its own gallery at Norscot Manor near
Fourways, Johannesburg. There are branches in Johannesburg (separate
from the head office), Durban, Pretoria, West Rand, Klerksdorp,
Mpumalanga and Bloemfontein, as well as smaller informal groups in
other centres.

The WSSA holds regular open exhibitions of selected works by its
members, which are shown in main in different parts of the Republic
with a preview in its own gallery. The Society has held two successful
exhibitions in London, England and one in Hong Kong. It also
curated a special exhibition of well known watercolourists to celebrate
Johannesburg’s centenary.

During its existence it has advanced the art of watercolour painting and
members strive to maintain the exceptional standards that are
being attained. Besides the open exhibitions, branches have their own
local shows. Head office is responsible for the gallery and all
WSSA activities on a national scale, whilst the branches organise
lectures, workshops, demonstrations, etc. The WSSA has arranged
many symposiums and publishes its own periodical.

Marj was the first chairman of the watercolour society, became a Fellow
of the WSSA in in 1978 and honorary President in 1983 until now.
She and her husband, Lance, retired to Palm Beach on the Natal South
Coast in 1977.

She is survived by her husband, and sons Sholto, Pat and David, who are
now living in Austria, to whom the members of the WSSA send
their deepest sympathies. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her
and were in one way or another influenced by her..

--

Arts & Culture Trust of the President Award 1998
Electronic Media of the Year

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