Posted on December 12, 2010
In 2007, the artist and art educator, Professor Kevin John Atkinson passed rather suddenly leaving behind a vast collection of art works in a subterranean vault below one of Observatory's industrial buildings. He was the retired head of the painting department at Michaelis, U.C.T. where he had lectured since 1972. I had known Kevin for many years and had been assisting him on occasion in his studio and with installation. I was asked to initially just to clean up and organize the studio. What I uncovered over the next 15 weeks took me somewhat by surprise. The body of work spans a period from the early 1960's to the early 2000's. Formative student work filled dusty files dating back to 1962 awaiting re-discovery while other folders contained vivid colour etchings printed in 1965 at Stanley William Hayter's legendary Atellier 17 in Paris. The overall quality of the work was simply astounding. Known predominantly for his large, abstract acrylic canvasses these works shed new light on the artist's extensive output and suggested some surprising influences not immediately apparent, especially when only concentrating on the later works. His discussions with among others, Joseph Beuys (German conceptual artist), Marcel Duchamp and Jack Burnham (Art Theorist/Writer) had a profound influence on the stark, ritualistic and often monochromatic 'Arena' works that were to follow in the 1970's.
I met both Kevin and his wife Patricia Pierce-Atkinson in 1991. She too was lecturing at Michaelis. I was a first year fine art student at the time. My intention to major in painting had already been firmly decided which meant that Kevin was to be my supervising lecturer for the next four years.
Little did I know that this seasoned artist/lecturer was about to challenge my many half-baked notions regarding art and years later to become a dear friend. I had much to learn. What little I did know, I knew predominantly on an intuitive level. There was an urgency in those somewhat haunted eyes that urged me to pay attention to what was being said as uncomfortable as it was at times. The dismantling of false notions can easily be misconstrued and even strongly resented. These are often the familiar which we protect as if our own. A genuine warmth towards his students and disarming smile convinced one that these interactions were completely non-aggressive, difficult, but necessary. The intention was clearly to facilitate creative personal growth and to stimulate thought, to ask essential questions, or in his words... "to begin to strip away the layers". He was fond of the word rigor and expected nothing less from his students than complete engagement in one's creative process.
A few years later he moved to Lower Wrench Road, Observatory, around the corner from where I was living and painting at the time. Tragically, his wife, Patricia had passed and he had subsequently sold his house in Tamboorskloof. A time of great loss and personal upheaval. The year was 1996. He would visit in the evenings and talk till the early hours or on some occasions even sunrise.
It was around this time that he went to look at a basement space underneath the old Price's Candle Factory that was for sale. It was huge (520msq), subterranean, dark and filled with rubbish and wax. A fire had destroyed the ground level many years earlier, which had subsequently been rebuilt, but the basement was original. It is common for artists to take a studio in top floors, often without elevator access or hot water seeking rather low rental or even a skylight. Most artists would strongly agree that good light is an absolute prerequisite for a studio. Why was this artist going underground? He simply said that it had a 'rightness' and signed the transfer papers for what he would later refer to as 'Plato's Cave'. The enigmatic French artist Marcel Duchamp did state that artists of the future would go underground but of course did not mean it literally. Then there is the reference to Plato's cave to consider..
The labor-intensive task of colonizing the space began. An industrial extractor fan was fitted, essential for air circulation, and movable flood lights made up. The interior was painted and numerous shelves and cabinets installed. Damp and heavy winter rain was an issue at this earlier stage and unfortunately and some work was damaged. Subsequent improvements to the building have remedied the situation and the reservoir water level is monitored electronically. The studio has been dry for many years but needs constant monitoring and upkeep especially with regards to dust.
Kevin and Patricia had been prolific in their output as artists over the years and most of the work was stored at Kevin's two studios at Michaelis. Approaching an early retirement he was motivated to find a space that could house the work and function as a studio at the same time. A railing system was installed so that the work could be safely suspended and moved with ease. The large canvases were hung in a way that allowed them to be slid aside to reveal the others behind them. A working area was set up at the far end with several large fans to expedite the drying of the acrylic paints that he was using at the time. Artists, students and friends were sometimes invited down to the mysterious 'cave' for discussions or to engage with a few of the many works silently waiting there.
That which is displayed is enough to satiate the visual appetite of even the voracious but the collection is, in fact, much larger than can possibly be displayed there and will take a great deal of time to document thoroughly.
The archive includes drawings in Indian ink, charcoal, pencil, soft pastel, a large variety of prints especially etchings and serigraphs, photographs (some documenting performance and or installation pieces), paintings in both oil and acrylic, mixed media works, light sculpture, anodized aluminum, hinged paintings, dyes on silk, collage, documents, posters, catalogues, academic papers, 35mm slides, large format negatives, newspaper clippings, art education notes and even 8mm film. Photographic documentation is already well under way. Obsolete formats however do present certain challenges.
Works by other artists also surfaced such as a George Rouault print from the 1930's, photographs documenting a performance piece by Marlene Dumas (a former student) and Joseph Beuys' diagrams to name a few.
The Kevin and Patricia Atkinson Trust was formed approximately a year and a half ago out of the urgent need for ongoing custodianship and is motivated to seek means by which future generations will be able to access the work. Documentation, research and fund raising are ongoing.
Recently Kevin's work featured at the "1910-2010: From Pierneef to Gugulective" Exhibition at the Iziko National Gallery C.T.
His etchings were also featured in the "Dada South?" Exhibition curated by Roger van Wyk also at the Iziko National Gallery C.T. earlier this year.
The trust has recently been informed that their proposal to hold a posthumous retrospective has been accepted by the Iziko National Gallery C.T. for November 2012.
Stephen Croeser is an artist and curator of the Kevin and Patricia Atkinson collection