The South African Art Times is very sad to report the passing of Alice Goldin who died peacefully in Newlands, Cape Town on Saturday afternoon, 23 January 2016.
Alice Goldin was born in Vienna, Austria in 1922 and on the insistence of her wise mother, her family left Vienna for England when Goldin was 16 years old- days after the Nazis entered Austria. During The Second World War, Goldin served as a nurse. In 1948, a visit to South Africa resulted in marriage and the beginning of her artistic studies at the Pretoria Technical College where she enrolled in 1950. This path led to further studies in Rome, London and Cape Town developing her career towards exhibitions spanning over 60 years.
Alice Goldin was very well loved, with a strong, enduring and gracious character despite having lost loved ones in the Holocaust, and later a husband and daughter. She captivated one with her incredible stories and rich insight into art and beauty.
At a party of close Cape Town artist friends, including Cecil Skotnes, someone asked Goldin who she would come back as if she died. She gave the question some thought and answered, “Cecil Skotnes”. “Why?” asked a friend. “ Well”, she replied, “Cecil is married to the incredible Thelma”.
Alice Goldin’s work includes paintings, woodblock prints and screenprints. A pioneer of South African printmaking, having contributed to the rich language of the canon,
she will be entered into the hall of South African Printmaking Hall of Fame as a master. Her more famous prints include a series of pine trees along Rhodes Drive Newlands as well as The Aniston Series – both locations in which the artist lived. Goldin’s unique style included using the grain of the raw wood she carved into to dictate an impression – contributing strongly to the resulting prints’ character and atmosphere.
For more insight into the woman, Alice Goldin, click onto these Youtube links:
Alice Goldin ‘Coming Home’ PART1 (Mariel Kaplan)
Alice Goldin ‘Coming Home’ PART2
A monograph on Goldin’s life and work has been published, written by Goldin and edited by Jeremy Lawrence and will be for sale at the UCT Irma Stern Museum. Visit the UCT Irma Stern Museum website.
Photo of Alice Goldin: Jenny Altschuler