Alexis Preller is op 6 September 1911 in Pretoria gebore, waar
hy ook op 13 Desember 1975 oorlede is.
Hy was die jongste van vyf kinders van Olivia Maria Sandenberg
en Mauritz Herman Otto Preller, ‘n neef van die bekende
Afrikaner-historikus en -taalstryder Gustav Preller. Tydens sy
skooljare aan die Pretoria Boys High School het Preller aktief
belanggestel in die toneel- en skryfkuns. Na die voltooiing
van sy skoolopleiding was hy werksaam in die stadsraad van
Pretoria. Gedurende 1932 raak hy bevriend met Norman Eaton,
wat hom aangemoedig het om na Groot Brittanje te gaan en hom as
kunsskilder te bekwaam. In 1933 het hy uit die betrekking wat
hy by die Pretoriase Stadsraad beklee het, bedank en die jaar
daarop na Groot Brittanje vertrek waar hy met J. H. Pierneef
kennis gemaak het. Tydens sy verblyf in Groot Brittanje het hy
sy kunsopleiding ontvang aan die Westminster School of Art
onder Mark Gertler. Na sy terugkeer na Pretoria in 1935 het hy sy eerste
eenmanstentoonstelling gehou. Sy werke het uit die staanspoor
getoon dat kleur ‘n belangrike element in sy werk sou wees.
Aanvanklik was hy sterk beinvloed deur Van Gogh en Gauguin. In
1937 vertrek hy na die suide van Frankryk waar hy tuisgegaan
het in Monte Carlo. Met sy terugkeer in 1938 het hy by die
Nuwe Groep aangesluit en deelgeneem aan hul eerste
tentoonstelling. Daarna het hy en Truter na Swaziland gereis.
In 1939 onderneem hy ‘n reis na die destydse Belgiese Kongo
(Zaire) wat 'n sterk stimulerende uitwerking op sy kuns gehad
het. Hy keer terug met talle idees en veral die ‘urn-kop’
(ritueel misvormde kop van Kongo-kinders) het onmiddellik en
telkens daarna in sy werk na vore gekom.
Tydens die Tweede Wereldoorlog (1939 - 45) het Preller in 1940
by die Suid-Afrikaanse Mediese Korps aangeslui t. Hy is die
volgende jaar na Noord-Afrika en meer spesifiek na Egipte waar hy in die 14de Veldambulanseenheid diens gedoen het. In
1942 word hy krygsgevangene geneem en na Italie gestuur. Na
onderhandelings met die Rooi Kruis word hy in 1943 gerepatrieer
na Suid-Afrika. Met sy terugkeer na sy vaderland in 1944 het
hy ‘n tentoonstelling van sy werke in Johannesburg gehou.
Hierin het nuwe idees na vore gekom en het Afrika-visioene en
oorlogsindrukke saamgevloei op sy skilderdoeke. In dieselfde
jaar laat bou hy sy eerste ateljee ‘Ygdrasil’ na die ontwerp
van Norman Eaton.
Tydens ‘n volgende besoek aan Europa in 1946 het hy twee maande
lank die versamelings in die groot kunsmuseums in Londen en
Parys bestudeer en in die Louvre die klassieke Griekse beeldhoustukke
bestudeer. In die volgende jaar het Preller sy
ateljee verkoop en na die Seychelle vertrek. Na sy besoek aan
die Seychelle het Preller twee tentoonstellings in Johannesburg
en Pretoria gehou waarop skulp- en vismotiewe maar ook
Christuskoppe in sy werk voorgekom het.
Deur middel van sy gebruik van kleur en die invloed van die
inheemse kuns in sy werk, het hy Suid-Afrika bewus gemaak
daarvan dat ‘n Europese benadering nie summier op die Suid Afrikaanse
toneel oorgedra kan word nie.
Alexis Preller was born in Pretoria on 6 September 1911 where
he died on 13 December 1975.
He was the youngest of the five children of Olivia Maria
Sandenberg and Mauritz Herman Otto Preller, a cousin of the
well known Afrikaner historian and activist for Afrikaans,
Gustav Preller. During his school years at the Pretoria Boys'
High School, Preller was actively interested in the art of
writing and drama. After completing his school education he
worked for the City Council of Pretoria. In 1932 he made
friends with Norman Eaton who encouraged him to go to Great
Britain in order to study art and train as an artist. In 1933
he resigned the position he had held in the City Council of
Pretoria and in the following year he left for Great Britain
where he met J.H. Pierneef. During his stay in Great Britain
he attended the westminster School of Art under Mark Gertler.
On his return to Pretoria in 1935 he held his first one man
exhibition. From the start it was obvious from his works that
colour would be an important element in his work. Initially he
was strongly influenced by Van Gogh and Gauguin. In 1937 he
left for France where he stayed in Monte Carlo. On his return
to South Africa in 1938 he joined the New Group and participated in their first exhibition. After this he and Truter
travelled to Swaziland. In 1939 he travelled to the then
Belgian Congo (Zaire) which had a most stimulating effect on
his art. He returned with numerous ideas, especially the "urn
head" (ritual misshapen head of Congo children) which occurred
in his work immediately and over and over again in his ensuing
work.
During the Second World War (1939- 1945) Preller joined the
war effort by enlisting in the South African Medical Corps in
1940. In 1941 he was sent to Egypt where he served in the 14th
Field Ambulance unit. In 1942 he was taken prisoner of war and
sent to Italy. After negotiations with the Red Cross he was
repatriated to South Africa in 1943. On his return to his
fatherland in 1944, he held an exhibition of his work in
Johannesburg. In these paintings fresh ideas were presented.
Africa-visions and war impressions converged on his canvasses.
In the same year his first studio, Ygdrasil, was built according
to designs drawn up by Norman Eaton.
On his next visit to Europe in 1946 he spent two months
studying the collections of the large art museums in London and
Paris. In the Louvre he studied classical Greek sculpture. In
1947 Preller sold his studio and left for the Seychelles. On
his return from the Seychelles Preller held exhibitions in
Pretoria and Johannesburg in which shell and fish motives as
well as Christ heads appeared.
Through his use of colour and with the influence of indigenous
art in his work, he brought an awareness to South Africa that
an European approach cannot be summarily transposed to the
South African scene.
