Anton Sydney Smit (born 2 August 1954[1]) is a contemporary South African sculptor. He is known for his large-scale sculptures and public art exhibitions.[2][3][4][5][6] He is the father of South African Artist, Lionel Smit.[7][8]

Career

Smit began exhibiting art in 1976 in South Africa.[2] In 1979 he won the South African Association of Arts' New Signatures competition.[4][6] His first solo exhibition in 1980 was held at the Beuster Skolimowski Gallery in Pretoria, South Africa with further local exhibitions throughout the 1980’s.[2][3][6]

The first international exhibitions of Smit’s work were held in 1991 in Rome and Milan, and at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoletto, Italy, followed by solo exhibitions at Sweeguan Art Gallery, Singapore in 1993 and Omni Gallery, New York in 1994.[2][3]

His work was exhibited at the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela 1994 at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa.[1][2][9]

In 2003 he established the Anton Smit Sculpture Park at Bronkhorstspruit dam, South Africa.[10][11]

Throughout the 2000’s until present, Smit continues creating new works and exhibiting internationally.[9]

Style

Smit’s body of work comprises heads, human figures, nudes, masks, hands, angels, floating and stretching figures, warriors as well as abstract works in steel, metal, stone, a unique iron and polymer cast mixture, and bronze.[5][12][13] His works often depict the human form reduced to a simplified symmetry,[14] and are often patinated with vivid blue hues or dark rust.[15]

Smit has exhibited in a number of galleries since 1976.[2][4][6][9]

  • 1976: Etno Africa Gallery, Pretoria
  • 1980: Solo exhibition, Beuster-Skolomowski Gallery, Pretoria
  • 1980: A. P. S. A. National Exhibition at the Olivetti Gallery
  • 1985: Exhibition, Michaelatos-Gallery, the Joffa Collection, Los Angeles
  • 1991: Exhibitions in Rome and Milan, Italy. Exhibition at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoletto, Italy      
  • 1993: Solo exhibition at Sweeguan Art Gallery, Singapore
  • 1994: Solo exhibition at Omni Gallery, New York
  • 1994: Exhibition at the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela, Pretoria, South Africa
  • 1994: Exhibition in Bonn, Germany
  • 1994: Public Exhibition, Grand Central Station, New York[16]
  • 1996: Launch of the BMW 5 series, Sandton Square, Johannesburg[17]
  • 1998: Exhibition at the South African Embassy, Bonn
  • 1998: Solo exhibition, Artfolio Gallery, Singapore
  • 1999: Exhibition at the Inter Art Galerie Reich, KoIn
  • 2000: Exhibition Laguna Beach, California
  • 2001: Exhibition Hamburg, Germany
  • 2005: The ID of South African Art, Scheveningen, Holland[18]
  • 2012: Transitions, George, South Africa[19]
  • 2016: Spirit of Tswane, Menlyn on Maine, Pretoria, South Africa[12]
  • 2016 “Colossal”, Australian Bronze, Sydney, Australia
  • 2017: SCOPE Art Fair, presented by DL Gallery, New York
  • 2019: Ferrari Fine Arts Exhibition featuring Anton Smit, Johannesburg[20]
  • 2020: New Futurism, Uitstalling Gallery, Genk, Belgium[21]
  • 2021: SculptX, Fourth Edition, Johannesburg, South Africa[22]
  • 2022: "Anton Smit: The Walk of Life", Leonardslee Gardens, Horsham, UK[23][24][25][26]
  • 2022: Contemporary South Africa, Thompson’s Gallery, London, UK[27]
  • 2023: Anton Smit Open Air Exhibition, Century City, Cape Town[28][29]

Selected collections

Rupert Art Foundation - Stellenbosch[30]

Grande Provence – Franschhoek[4]

Delaire Graff Estate - Stellenbosh[31]

Lourensford – Somerset West[32]

Benguela Cove – Hermanus[33][34]

Century City Arts Foundation - Cape Town[29]

References

  1. 1 2 "Smit, Anton". Dyman Gallery | South African Masters. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "About Anton Smit | Art.co.za | Art in South Africa". www.art.co.za. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Anton Smit". Artyli.com. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Anton Smit". Grande Provence Gallery. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  5. 1 2 cardova. "DISCOVER THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED WORKS OF PROLIFIC SCULPTOR ANTON SMIT – The Insider SA". Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Anton Smit". Boccara. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  7. ↑ Zeicu, Ovidiu. "Lionel Smit". Cape Town Legends. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  8. ↑ "Lionel Smit | Widewalls". www.widewalls.ch. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  9. 1 2 3 "Anton Smit • Rossouw Modern". Rossouw Modern. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  10. ↑ "Anton Smit Sculpture Garden, Bronkhorstspruit". ShowMe™ - South Africa. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  11. ↑ "AT FEATURE: Anton Smit Sculpture Park, Gallery & Art Cafe | An Outdoor Adventure in Art". South African Art Times. 2022-03-23. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  12. 1 2 Balfour, Yonga (2020-06-03). "The Spirit of Anton Smit". Afropolitan. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  13. ↑ "Outside & In | Summer 2023 by Paper Plane Publications - Issuu". 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-07-14 – via Issuu.
  14. ↑ Van den Ende, Janine (2004). Identity: The ID of South African Artists. Amsterdam: Stichting Art & Theatre. p. 83. OCLC 1042891883.
  15. ↑ Contemporary South Africa Catalog 2022 (PDF). p. 16.
  16. ↑ "A New Face at Grand Central: South African Art". The New York Times. 21 September 1994. p. 1.
  17. ↑ "From Bernini to BMW". The Mail & Guardian. 1996-07-26. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  18. ↑ "A R T T H R O B _ L I S T I N G S _ I N T E R N A T I O N A L". artthrob.co.za. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  19. ↑ admin. ""TRANSITIONS" - Anton Smit". Sarie (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  20. ↑ "SA Art Times April 2019 by SA ART TIMES". 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2023-07-14 – via Issuu.
  21. ↑ "Anton Smit | Uitstalling Art Gallery". Vip Uitstalling. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  22. ↑ "The Fourth Edition of SculptX". Visi. 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  23. ↑ "Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens Opens a Major Exhibition of Work by Anton Smit". mutualart.com. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  24. ↑ Thorpe, Annabelle (2022-01-23). "Ten great UK sculpture trails". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  25. ↑ "Art review: Anton Smit: The Walk of Life at Leonardslee Gardens, Horsham". churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  26. ↑ "Brighton Magazine - New Art Exhibition In Sussex Brings Works By Modern South African Artists To UK For The First Time". Magazine.brighton.co.uk. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  27. ↑ "Contemporary South Africa | 26 January - 20 March 2022". Thompson's Gallery. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  28. ↑ "AT FEATURE: Century City Arts Trail presents the Anton Smit Open Air Exhibition". South African Art Times. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  29. 1 2 "THE ART TIMES APRIL 2021 EDITION by SA ART TIMES". 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2023-07-14 – via Issuu.
  30. ↑ "Beginning of wisdom". Rupert Museum. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  31. ↑ Limited, Graff Diamonds. "The Gardens". Delaire Graff Estate. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  32. ↑ urchin-admin. "Experience". Lourensford Wine Estate - Helderberg. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  33. ↑ "Anton Smit | Featured Sculptor". Benguela Galleries. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  34. ↑ "Smit, Anton: Benguela Cove: Great Minds Art Alike". South African Art Times. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
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