• Artist / Sculptor

Johann Moolman was born and schooled in Johannesburg. He studied art at the then Johannesburg College of Art and during 1975 - 1976 completed postgraduate studies at St Martin's School of Art London, majoring in sculpture. From 1979 - 1989 Moolman lectured in Sculpture and Printmaking at the University of South-Africa, Department Fine Art. During 1990 - 1996 Moolman was Senior Lecturer in the Fine Art Department and also lectured Drawing and History of Art. Since 1997 Moolman has been living and working as a full time artist in Groot-Marico, North West Province. 

Exhibitions - Moolman has held various one-person exhibitions and has partaken in various group exhibitions nationaly and internationaly over the past twenty-five years. In 1981 Moolman exhibited as guest artist at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Joubert Park.

Collections - Moolman's work is represented in various public and private collections nationaly and internationaly. National Collections include: Johannesburg Art Gallery, Rand Afrikaans University, University of the Witwatersrand, University of South-Africa, Pretoria Art Gallery, Olievenhuis Bloemfontein, Kimberley Art Gallery, The National Art Gallery Cape Town and the Pelmama Collection.

Commissions - Moolman has completed various public and private commissions amongst other   The life size full length portrait figure of Mahatma Gandhi - Lenasia Hindu Community Centre, The full length, life size portrait figure of the then chancelor of the University of the Orange Free State, C.R. Swart - University Campus, Bloemfontein (as is seen above left), and The life size portrait bust of the late Godfrey Maloi.

Present Work - Presently Moolman is working on a twice life size figure portrait of the ANNC co-founder and author Solomon T. Plaatjie, as well as a portrait bust of the Baralong leader Kgosi Besewe Montshioua. Both monuments will be completed by October 1999.

Media and Style -  Moolman works in a variety of materials including stone, wood, steel, clay, plaster of paris and bronze. Moolman is also a prolific draughtsman and produces both perceptual and conceptual drawings in a variety of media. Moolman's art includes both non-figurative sculpture, drawing and computer scanned prints as well as figurative realism. Both directions can be classified as falling within the mode of post modernism.

Theme, Content and Form - Formally Moolman's work reflects current post-modernism concerns combined with a historic conciousness of European and Africa Art. A purposeful objective of his work is to merge Africa and Western aesthetics in order to create art which is unmistakenly South-African but party to the International scene.

Moolman refers to himself as a Neo-primitive, which explains his choice to work outside of an urban milieu in the rural rawness of Groot-Marico. "... in the Marico I am able to make contact with the spirits of old, to awaken the primordial within me, to nurture a primal perception."

Moolman's ideas and forms are influenced by classical African art, San rock engravings and the archeology of the Stone and Iron ages as well as all aspects concerning pre-history. Other influences are the first world - third world mix of South-Africa as well as the material effect on the environment of an industrialized throw away society. Moolman believes that art transcends political and social issues to awaken within the viewer or participant the primordial subconcious and spiritual.

Tuition - Moolman offers tuition in sculpture and drawing on request.

Contact Detail:

Cell Phone No: 082 494 7022  

Email:       grootmarico@mweb.co.za

Address:  Johann Moolman, P.O. Box 225, Groot-Marico, North West Province, Republic of South-Africa.

Contact the Information Centre for more information.

Phone Santa at Cell 083 2722 958 or send an Email message to: info@marico.co.za

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