Ilana SLOMOWITZ – mural from 1983 meas. 3x6m

(commissioned privately for entrance to the Local Departures Restaurant; sgraffito in colorcrete terracotta plaster, ceramic birds set onto wet plaster)

(image artist)

References

South African Panorama, Pretoria – February, 1973

The archives of the Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria

The archives of The Haenggi Foundation Inc., Basel

Basler Afrika Bibliographien BAB, Basel

Further research – Photographic archives

University of the Witwatersrand – Historical Papers Research Archive - Esmé Berman Papers 1964/1990 – Inventory A2286 Box Ba6

University of Pretoria – Dept. of Architecture – Archives – record 06828

Selected Newspaper reviews

Beeld, Johannesburg – 11^th March, 1996; 15^th March, 1996 (illustrated); 3^rd May, 2010 (“Kultuurskat by lughawe vernietig”); 30^th June, 1969;

16^th August, 1970 (illustrated); 13^th February, 2013 (illustrated); 25^th February, 2013 (illustrated)

Die Burger, Cape Town – 30^th June, 1969

Pretoria News, Pretoria – 27^th June, 1969 (illustrated) + 26^th November, 1971

Gedenkprogram vir die inwyding van die Jan Smuts-lughawe Eindpuntgebou, November 1972

(printed and designed by Gothic Printing Company Ltd., Cape Town 1972)

Rand Daily Mail, 20^th June, 1973 (illustrated) + 11^th June, 1974

Sarie Marais (“Pure Silwer en Koper by Jan Smuts laat Lughawe glinster”) (Frans Fourie), 2^nd June, 1971

SA Digest, Pretoria – 18^th December, 1970; 16^th April, 1971; 17^th December, 1971

SA Financial Gazette, Johannesburg – 11^th April, 1974

SA Garden & Home – September, 1979

The Star, Johannesburg – 27^th June, 1969 (“Major Art Centre at Jan Smuts”); 7^th April, 1971 (illustrated)

Vaderland, Johannesburg – 30^th June, 1969; 8^th December, 1971 (illustrated)

Notes

The Minister of Transport, Ben Schoeman, officially opened the new foyer of the airport in November, 1972

Larry Scully and Esmé Berman conducted a tour of the Jan Smuts Airport to view all the art works in June, 1973 and 1974 respectively

This page last updated 2nd August, 2020

Jan Smuts Airport 1969

(image from the archives of Daniel, Smit & Partners, Architects, at the University of Pretoria, Dept. of Architecture – file 00628)

Other art work at Jan Smuts Airport commissioned privately after 1978

Image per https://flic.kr/p/YWDQzd

Architectural Drawings and Perspectives for the new Jan Smuts Airport Project done by Todd, Erik, Austin and Sandilands with Daneel, Smit and Viljoen

were exhibited at the Transvaal Academy 1969 held at the Duncan Hall, Johannesburg, listed under cat. 157

1.35m half scale model of the original stainless steel sculpture at Jan Smuts Airport -Lower Roof – North Transit Garden Area

(image the artist)

Ruth WOLTER-Stijn (Grossman) – large wood panel – Ground floor - VIP Entry Lobby – 1972

Other commissions were given to

Niels COETZEE, S.P. DU TOIT, Johann ROETS, Carmen STAUCH, Nellie TRUTER,

Daneel, Smit and Viljoen

The works were located in the Jan Smuts Airport Terminal Buildings – the International Wing, the Office Block and the Domestic Arrivals Building

Jan Smuts Airport – the façade in 1970

Hannes HARRS “Tokoloshe”, 1972 – sculpture in wood – 170x90x30 cm – located on Ground Floor near base of Escalator

After all art works at Jan Smuts Airport were removed or destroyed in the 1990s, this work was discovered by the artist’s brother-in-law, decaying in a storeroom below the airport;

after restoration it was sold to a well-known SA owned gallery in Los Angeles CA USA

(illustrated in  JCC News no 45 8th Dec 1972)

Other public commissions for Jan Smuts Airport in the 1970s

Richard Jurgens ADAMS – a mild steel frieze and 5 black steel panels on 1^st floor Public Bar and in wall recesses to Public and Lounge Area

Raymond ANDREWS – various woodcuts and silkscreen prints for the VIP lounge (acquired through the good offices of the architect Wynand Smit - no images available)

Maia BEYERS (née Holm) – metal construction steel panel 6.4x2.7m – 1^st floor Transit area Cocktail Bar

Bettie CILLIERS-BARNARD – “Optica” 1971 – Oil mural covering entire wall in Lower Mezzanine - VIP Lounge 3

Christo COETZEE – Tapestry (woven by Susan Moolman), 1971 – Ground Floor – VIP Central Hall

Ernst DE JONG “Frieze” - mural 1.22x38.73 m – 1968/1969 – whole length of South wall over Baggage Claim Conveyor (no image available)

Koos DEN HOUTING – wood carving mural 1970 – 1^st floor Public Bar

Zakkie ELOFF – 3 wild life oils 1972 – Ground Floor - VIP Lounge 1

Richard (Dick) FINDLAY – Oil – Ground Floor – VIP Lounge 2

Willem HEYMANS – glass and concrete – all levels – Stair at West/Central – International Wing – and glass/concrete wall – 1^st floor – Public Bar – Domestic Arrivals Building

Cornelia HOLM (née Potz) – ceramic tile mural – Ground Floor – Coffee Bar above Counter

Erik LAUBSCHER – acrylic mural – 1971 – Ground floor – Lift Lobby above Lift Door in Office Block

Ronald MYLCHREEST – frieze of 4 wooden panels – 1^st floor Transit Dining Room and Cocktail Lounge

Laura RAUTENBACH – bust of the State President Jim Fouché, 1970 – Ground floor Central Hall

Cecily SASH – mosaic mural in Domestic Arrivals hall depicting 3 butterflies – abt. 9m square – 1968 – Ground and First Floors – Public Concourse South Wall

Guillaume THERON – 3 wood relief panes 1986 - entrance doors on NW side of ground floor level – VIP Lounge

Leo THERON – commission for « dalles de verre » (glass and concrete) panels – all levels – Stair at South/West – International Wing – and 1^st floor between Public Stair and Public Link –

Domestic Arrivals Building

Andrew TODD – steel plate mural – Ground floor – North Coffee Room

Eben VAN DER MERWE – stained glass and concrete commission – all levels – Stair at North/West and all levels – Stair to Transit Area

Johan VAN HEERDEN

Olivia WATSON – Oil mural – First Floor – Conference Room

(illustrated in South African Digest, Pretoria – 24^th November, 1972)

Danie DE JAGER “Flight in Space”, 1971 – polished bronze mobile rotating once a minute – 3.5m H – first floor Pubic Departure Concourse

(image SA Panorama Feb 1973)

Additional images in

(SA Garden & Home - September, 1979),  (also ill. South African Digest, Pretoria 24^th November, 1972,

in The Arup Journal London Vol 8 No 1 March 1973, p17;

the Rand Daily Mail, Johannesburg 20^th June 1973)

In 1998 the sculpture was removed when the airport was upgraded and when the name changed. It was stored in a warehouse where it was vandalised.

A large portion of the sculpture was also stolen. The remaining parts were, however, later returned to Danie de Jager.

When de Jager passed on, his widow Elsa organised the restoration.

It was renamed "Quo Vadis?" and erected at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria where it was unveiled on 13^th February 2013.

Barbara GREIG “Growth Forms”- ceramic columns in pool on the Ground Floor at the Central Stair

(image SA Panorama Feb 1973)

Eone DE WET – one of the beaten copper clad doors to VIP Suite on the Ground Floor of the Jan Smuts Airport – 1968

(image SA Panorama Feb 1973)

Eone de Wet was also commissioned to do a 6.4x7.9m mural of 28 panels in copper for the 1^st floor Main Restaurant and Dining Room

Jeanne KOTZE-LOUW – mosaic frieze 1971 – Ground floor – Baggage Claim Hall

(image: airliners net)

Eben LEIBBRANDT – “The Family” – sculpture in reconstructed marble on a pedestal of Namaqualand onyx – in the 1^st floor – Transit area Entry Lobby

(image SA Panorama Feb 1973, p.24)

Larry SCULLY – “Astral Cities”, 1972 – one of 6 framed oils each 2.4x2.4 m in the Lower Roof – North Tea Room

(image Die Beeld, Johannesburg - 15^th March, 1996)

(see also ref. in Our Art 3, p59 XVII)

Armando BALDINELLI “African Landscape” 1973 – mosaic and glass relief mural 7x4 m – 1^st floor – Transit area entry lobby

(image “Armando Baldinelli” - ISBN: 0-620-01614-0 - ord. edition + 0-620-01686-8 - de luxe)

Mural demolished!

Günther VAN DER REIS, 1970 – stainless steel plate mural

(silver, red, yellow and blue shapes against pale beige, veined and polished marble panelling) – Ground Floor – next to VIP Entry Doors

(image: the artist)

(also illustrated in “Looking at South African Art” (Frieda Harmsen) (van Schaik) 1985, p127 –  ISBN 0627015654)

Whereabouts unknown!

Berrell JENSEN 1971 – copper mural – 4x18 m – Transit Lounge, Lower Roof

(image: the artist)

Whereabouts unknown!

Esias BOSCH 1972 - mural of stylized birds with 3000+ stoneware tiles - 6.4m high, 57.9 m long – 1^st floor – Northern Concourse

(image “Esias Bosch” – ISBN 0-947-43006-7)

mural destroyed!

Kevin ATKINSON – metal plate mural in the 1^st floor North Coffee Bar at the Jan Smuts Airport International Departure lounge

(image S.A. Panorama, February, 1973)

(illustrated in South African Digest, Pretoria – 24^th November, 1972)

mural destroyed!

Bill HART – 3 cast panels each 4x3m in the Jan Smuts Airport 1^st floor Public Cocktail lounge

(image huisraad.co.za/blogs/news/the-tale-of-the-heavy-chrome-and-vinyl-parastatal-chairs)

(also illustrated in Die Vaderland, Johannesburg, 8^thDecember, 1971)

Joan TEMPLAR “Turbulence” – a vitreous enamel panel decorating a coffee bar in the SA 1^st floor departure hall, inspired by the testing of aircraft engines

(illustrated S.A. Panorama, February, 1973)

JAN SMUTS AIRPORT - Johannesburg

Selected Art Works

commissioned by the South African Public Works Department from 40 young South African artists 1968 – 1972

The art advisory committee included

Nel Erasmus (Director Johannesburg Art Gallery), Prof. Walter Battiss (UNISA),

Prof. Heather Martienssen (University of the Witwatersrand), Prof. F.E. Nilant (Pretoria)

ART ARCHIVES - SOUTH AFRICA