Koos den Houting

1939 – 1992

Sculptures in wood, bronze, stone, ciment fondu, also engraved painted panels

J.J. (Koos) den Houting in 1982

Brief C.V.

Born on 12^th April, 1939, as Jacobus Johannes (Koos) den Houting at Alicedale, C.P., South Africa; Koos den Houting matriculated at the Tweespruit Landbouskool in 1958, enrolled at the Technikon OFS in 1960, studied at Johannesburg Art School under Phil Kolbe from 1962, gaining his ND in Art and Design in 1963. In 1964 he taught art in Durban then moved to Pretoria in 1965.

As from 1966, Koos den Houting was teaching Std. 9 and 10 art students at the Pretoria Art School; in 1968 he was appointed a lecturer and after obtaining a HD in Art & Design (sculpture) at the Pretoria Technikon in 1978 he was appointed its Senior Lecturer in Sculpture.  In 1982 he was preparing for the ND in Technology (Sculpture) and was Departmental Head for Basic Courses and Sculpture at the Pretoria Technikon.

After a short illness, Koos den Houting passed away in 1992, survived by his wife Annie and 3 children. 

Selected Solo Exhibitions

Gallery 101, Johannesburg - 3^rd August, 1970

Gallery 101, Johannesburg - 8^th November, 1971

SA Association of Arts, Pretoria - 28th August, 1972

SA Association of Arts, Pretoria – 6^th August, 1974

SA Association of Arts, Pretoria – September, 1974

R.A.U. Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg - 16^th to 31^st October, 1979 (32 sculptures)

Other solo shows were held in Pretoria (SAAA) and Bloemfontein (1982), Benoni (1982), Nelspruit (1983).

Included on Selected Joint and Group Shows

Republic Festival Exhibition, SAAA Pretoria – May, 1966

Gallery 101, Johannesburg – 10^th February, 1969 (included in “Top South African Artists”)

“Art South Africa Today” 1969 (July), Durban Art Gallery, Durban – cat. 107, 108

Republic Festival Exhibition 1971 (“Art/Kuns SA 1971”), Cape Town - 1971

Gallery 101, Hollard Street, Johannesburg – 17^th February, 1972 (“Second Exhibition of Transvaal Sculptors”)

Gallery 21, Hyde Park, Johannesburg – 7^th October, 1972 (included in “Selection ’72" (28 artists)

A sculpture in wood by Koos den Houting on view at Gallery 21 Hyde Park Sandton - 1972

Gallery 101, Johannesburg – 20^th November, 1972 (panels) with Justinus van der Merwe (sculptures)

University of Pretoria (Beeldhou 80), 6^th to 27^th June, 1980

Republic Festival Exhibition, Durban - 1981 (4^th May to 2^nd June) cat. 90+91 (ill)

The Haenggi Foundation (Gallery 21), Fox Street, Johannesburg – 2^nd May, 1982 (sculptures) jointly with Basie Yssel (sculptures)

The SASOL Art Collection, Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg – August/September, 1988, cat. 159, 267

Koos den Houting with two of his sculptures at Gallery 101 Johannesburg in 1969 - click on image for better view!

Selected Commissions

Jan Smuts Airport (wood panel, 1970); Volkskas Bank (branches in Newcastle, Piet Retief, Parys, Bronkhorstspruit, Johannesburg), IBM Johannesburg; SA Police H.Q., Pretoria (emblem, 1983) 

Museum and Corporate Collections

William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley

“Vrouefiguur II.”, 1973 – hardekool/leadwood – 34 cm H. - acq. 25/10/1973 ref. 1382 – Coll. WHAG

Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria

“Bird form II.” – wood – 50x20x10 cm – acq. 87-26 - Coll. PAM

Polokwane Art Museum, Polokwane / Pietersburg – image not available!

Municipal Collection of Estcourt and Secunda

SASOL Art Collection, Johannesburg

Other Selected Works in wood

“Bird forms” – Ironwood on metal base – 79 cm H excl. base – Lot 642 / P45

“Abstract Bird”, 1986 – olive wood on boekenhout base – 85cm H Lot 516

"Untitled", 1972 - illustrated in SA Arts Calendar, Pretoria - August 1974 (please click on image for better view!)

“Mother & Child” – wood  - 62x67 cm – Lot 441

"Running bird man", 1982 - Hardekool - 65x14x41 cm - © The Haenggi Foundation Inc., 1989 (click on image for different views!)

Priv. Coll. J Ginsberg Johannesburg – Provenance: PELMAMA Permanent Art Collection

http://www.pelmama.org/DenHOUTING.htm

Selected works in bronze and ciment fondu

“Verwantskap”, abt. 1980 – bronze – 22 cm H – illustrated in Republic Arts Exhibition 1981 Durban cat. 91

"Man's Destiny" ("Die Val van die Mens"), 1982 - bronze 1/1 - cat. X21 - exhibited in 1982 and illustrated in Hoofstad, Pretoria, 14th April, 1982, p. 12

A sculpture in ciment fondu by Koos den Houting

Awards

1973 Afrox Thermal Weldart ‘73 Award – Open category - Joint winner with Johan van Heerden

"Flying Dutchman", 1973 - work in silver - 10cm - Joint 1st prize in Open Category Thermal Weldart '73, illustrated in ARTLOOK 82 + ARTLOOK 84

1985 Hans Merensky Foundation Sculpture in Wood Competition - University of Pretoria - Joint winner with Guy du Toit

Selected Publications

Republic Festival Exhibition, SAAA Pretoria – May, 1966, cat. 79

ARTLOOK 22 Johannesburg – 1968 September, Vol. 2 No. 10, p. 19 illustrated

ARTLOOK 28 Johannesburg – 1969 March, p. 6 illustrated

“Art South Africa Today” 1969 (July), Durban Art Gallery, Durban – cat. 107 (“Women”) and cat. 108 (“Reisiger”)

ARTLOOK 45 Johannesburg – 1970 August, pp. 36/37 illustrated

Click on image for details!

ARTLOOK 47 Johannesburg – 1970 October, p. 30 – listed under “Leading contemporary South African Artists”

ARTLOOK 69 Johannesburg – 1972 August, Vol. 5 No. 8, p. 23 illustrated

ARTLOOK 82 Johannesburg - 1973 September, Vol. 6 No. 9 (“Weldart”), illustrated p. 10

ARTLOOK 84 Johannesburg – 1973 November, Vol. 6 No. 11, p. 3 illustrated

University of Pretoria (Beeldhou 80), 6^th to 27^th June, 1980, cat. 8

“Art & Artists of South Africa” (Berman) (Balkema) (1983), pp300, 395, 516+517 - ISBN 0-86961-144-5

South African Arts Calendar, Pretoria - Summer 1985-86, Vol. 10 No. 3, p 8, illustrated:

"Dying Swan" pre-1985

“The Dictionary of South African Painters and Sculptors (Everard Read) (Ogilvie) (1988), p.167

“The SASOL Art Collection”, Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg – August/September, 1988, cat.

“Images of Wood” (Rankin) (Johannesburg Art Gallery) (1989), p41+59, ill p99 cat47 – ISBN 0-620-13867-X

“Images of Metal” (Rankin) (Witwatersrand University Press) (1994), pp 55, 117 – ISBN 1 86814 257 4

Selected Presscuttings

“Twee vrouens” 1965/6 in Eucalyptus wood by Koos den Houting entered for Republic Festival Art Exhibition, Pretoria – cat. 79 (with organiser Coba van Heerden), illustrated in unrecorded SA English newspaper article dated 15th March, 1966

The Star, Johannesburg – 13^th August, 1970

Hoofstad, Pretoria – 14^th April, 1982, ill. p12

Beeld-Kalender, Johannesburg – 29^th April, 1982, ill.

Transvaler Ritsgids, Johannesburg – 21^st May, 1982, ill.

“Where”, Johannesburg – 16^th to 22^nd May, 1982

Beeld, Johannesburg – 3^rd September, 1986

Signature

Koos den Houting usually signed his work:  

Selected sculptures auctioned

Bernardi Auctioneers, Pretoria - 26th October, 2015 - Lot 32, 33

"Dancing Birds", 1970 - wood - 83cm incl. base - Lot 032

Bernardi Pretoria – 22^nd October, 2012 – Lot 587 (panel)

Bernardi Pretoria – 16^th April, 2012 – Lot 511 (panel)

Bernardi Pretoria – 28^th November 2011 – Lot 642

Bernardi Pretoria - 13th June 2011 - Lot 516

Pair of door handles 1970 - coppered wood - 56 and 54 cm H - Lot P122

Russell Kaplan Auctioneers, Johannesburg - 1st April, 2017 - Lot P122

 ”Leaping figure" , 1971 - wood - 50x13cm - Lot P123

Russell Kaplan Auctioneers, Johannesburg - 18th June 2016 - Lot 123

“Male figure” – wood – 37cm excl. base - Lot P83

Russell Kaplan Auctioneers, Johannesburg – 26th October, 2013 – Lot P83

Russell Kaplan Auctioneers, Johannesburg – 28^th February, 2012 – Lot P45

5^th Avenue Auctioneers, Johannesburg – September 2009 – Lot 441

5^th Avenue Auctioneers, Johannesburg – March 2009 – Lot 91 (panel)

Stephan Welz & Co., Johannesburg – 4^th November 1996 – Lot 371 – “Mother & Child” sculpture (no image)

Selected sculptures in Private Collections

"Sacré Sang", 1976 - wild olive wood - 128x25x23 cm - Private Coll. M.Z., U.K.

Selected panels auctioned

“Figures” – incised painted wood panel – 60x50 cm – prov. Gallery 21 Hyde Park - Lot 91

“Nudes in a forest”, 1974 – incised painted wood panel – 106x81 cm – Lot 511

“Three nudes”, 1974 – incised painted wood panel – 198x60 cm – Lot 587

Other works in Private Collections

Incised painted wood panel - priv. coll. JG (details to follow)

Further References

Obituary in Beeld

http://www.pelmama.org/DenHOUTING.htm

Updated 21st March, 2017

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