ANDRE DE BEER
After completing his school career at the Helpmekaar High School in Johannesburg, Andre further his academic potential by achieving a BA degree at the University of Pretoria as well as a MA degree in Visual/Fine Arts. At Pretoria Teachers College he received a Transvaal Higher Teachers Diploma which he completed in full colours. At Unisa Andre achieved a BA degree in Sculpture Art. After a short career as a school teacher he was appointed Art Lecturer. In 1962 Andre de Beer was promoted to senior lecturer and then head of the department. Before his early retirement in 1982 he was Vice Rector for 7 years at the College of Education.
On administrative and organisational level and more specifically the field of art education he made several contributions. He was a member of various provincial as well as notional committees that was responsible for coordinating the syllabus of on for schools and tertiary institutes. He was chairman of various exhibition committees of the Tranvaal Educational Department,
He was member of the curatoriam of Pretoria’s Art Museum who was responsible to define the policy and function of the museum. For several years he was also the chairman of the National Art Association of South Africa. In 1976 he was awarded a bursary and did research in nine overseas countries regarding the implementation of television as education medium for art.
As the years past he did numerous one man exhibitions of his paintings in various major cities in South Africa, as well as, on invitation only, participated in group exhibitions. For several years he contributed political caricatures to the Capital City’s Daily News. Andre received numerous assignments from various government and provincial institutions, for paintings, including portraits of several ministers. In assignment of the South Africa Wool council he painted a few Karoo landscapes which were a gift to the Australian and New-Zeeland international wool secretariats.
Many of his paintings torte part of representative as well as private art collections in both South Africa and abroad.
As pad of the South African Republic Festivals in 1993 he received an invitation from the South African Consul General in Frankfurt and had a successful exhibition. In 1994 Andre De Beer received an invitation from Eskom (RSA International turned into a successful exhibition in London, During 1996 Mr Thomas Langley, RSA Ambassador to Prang invited him to exhibit during their “South African Week’ which was held in the Tjechoslovakia Republic. This was a phenomenal success and all 37 paintings were sold to the various embassies. On his return he had to finish 17 paintings on order and export them to their new owners.
Andre can be designated as the most versatile artist in South Africa. He is skilled in all aspects of the art form, whether it is portrait studies, figure compositions, landscapes, still life, street studies as well as sketch work using any form of various graphic media. In addition to this he is without a doubt one of the best caricaturists in South Africa and there is still an enormous demand for his work.
Artwork of Andre de Beer exhibited at Crouse Art Gallery. Original art of more than 60 top South African Artists – Since 1999.
