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Hanns Bergs, architect of de Beers building in Kimberley |
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Bill Hart, model for de Beers relief mural, circa 1970 |
On the 4th of January, we were invited to have drinks with Bill's old friend, Hanns Bergs. Hanns was once on the jury to appoint an artist to design an artwork for the entrance of the de Beers building in Kimberley, Bill won the commission with his little maquette for the relief painting, (shown above). Hanns describes the installation process:
When Bill and Keith were assembling the enormous mural on site in Kimberley I often went to supervise the building construction, watching as Bill and Keith laboured to lift up the heavy panels which were to be fixed to the concrete wall.
When I arrived on this particular day, I had the gut feeling that the mural was somehow smaller then Bill had promised and after much discussion Bill finished the argument by saying: I am an artist and I am entitled to change my mind and make the mural smaller!
I responded: Then we will have to reduce the payment aswell! Bill didn't like that at all! So in the end we all agreed that the mural looks great and suits the look that I wanted.
Hanns has told me that the building still stands and Bill Hart's mural will still be there! This is good news, particularly because I am led to believe that a lot of Bill's work may have been destroyed under the new gouvernment of South Africa. Many buildings were re-designed after apartheid.
I have yet to go to Kimberley, it is quite far from Cape Town, where I now reside.
I am however, very keen to see some of Bill's artwork, especially the large-scaled works.
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| Bill Hart, de Beers building, Kimberley circa 1973. |
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| de Beers, Kimberley Architect: Hanns Bergs |
