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George Alan Campbell   B Arch Rand, MI Arch, KZ-NIA, ARIBA (Retired)

 

George Alan Campbell was born in Bournemouth, England on 3 August 1921. At an early age he dropped the "George" preferring to be known simply as Alan.  He was Educated at Highgate School, London, until his family emigrated to South Africa in 1935. 

 

He then attended King Edward School from 1935 to 1937, going on to study architecture at Witwatersrand University from 1938 to 1940, when he volunteered and joined the South African Corps of Signals and saw service in the East African and Western Desert campaigns, culminating in the Battle of El-Alamein.

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In 1946, having returned to University, he held his first "one-man" exhibition at Langton galleries, Johannesburg. This included some wartime paintings and was opened by Professor G. Pearse.

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He exhibited in the Transvaal Academy Exhibitions from 1947 until 1950, and in 1951 he exhibited with the famous British artist J. Littlejohns RI, RWA in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.​

George Alan Campbell South African Artist
George Alan Campbell South African Artist

He joined the Architectural Department of Anglo American Corporation in 1949, rising to the position of Assistant Chief Architect in 1953.  Later he became Consultant in Exhibition, Design and Construction for the Corporation and De Beers. He was responsible for the construction of the Diamond Pavilion at the Rand Easter Shows in 1962/64/64.

 

He specialised in in "perspective work" in which he illustrated buildings and projects from architectural plans.  In the days before CAD (computer aided design) this was the only method to illustrate buildings or projects prior to them being built. 

 

His architectural and civil engineering perspective paintings and drawings were reproduced in Optima Magazine, The Illustrated London News and various other technical magazines and newspaper articles worldwide. For this he received International acclaim and he was regarded a a world leader in perspective illustrations. 

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The importance of these works, at that time, is that it enabled planners to present the requisite preview of any project in a realistic manner. A number of these works can be seen here  (Perspective Paintings)

During this period he was also commissioned by Opitma magazine to produce a series of Conte drawings of noteworthy financial and industrial personalities.  Portraits of Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, Harry Oppenheimer, Anton Rupert and Charles Engelhardt amongst others featured in the series. 

In 1965 he retired to St Michaels on the Natal South Coast to follow his passions as an artist.  He sold on commission and exhibited oil and watercolour landscapes, seascapes, and floral studies regularly.  Due to his architectural experience he loved painting Cape Dutch Homesteads that are rendered in perfect perspective.  He is highly regarded for his exceptional watercolour technique with many art critics having complimented him on his treatment of water, the sky and detail in his paintings.  His ability to recreate accurate detail in a highly realistic manner separates him from many of his peers.  (View oil paintings and watercolours here)

 

He continued to receive a number of portrait commissions from prominent business people including Desmond and Jean Bolton of Cargo Carriers, the Bell Family, and many others.

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He completed a wide range of perspective commissions for dams, hospitals, grain elevators, power stations, cement factories and blocks of flats, offices and hotels.  All plotted from working drawings. The most notable being the civil engineering works and illustrations for the Kariba and Cahorra-Bassa dam developments. 

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He had the privilege of developing a friendship with another world renowned South African artist, Errol Boyley, who also resided on the Natal South Coast.  Furthermore, he had a long standing friendship with the renowned British artist Terrence Cuneo who would regularly visit, and the two of them would paint side by side challenging each other by painting the same scenes. 

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Alan was an avid and accomplished sportsman playing tennis and golf, representing The Witwatersrand University for golf in his youth.  He was a "scratch" golfer for many years and the captain of the St Michaels golf course.

George Alan Campbell South African Artist
George Alan Campbell South African Artist

Alan finally moved to a retirement village in Pennington on the Natal South Coast where he continued to paint until his death aged 91 in 2013. His works may be found in many South African homes, offices and clubs and in homes and businesses in The United Kingdom, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

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He is survived by his wife June Campbell  (Died 2019)  and his three sons, nine grandchildren and (to-date) 2 great grandchildren.

A eulogy from one of his sons...

"In Memory of my father today, who taught me that great talent shines through humility and not through ego. That all gifts of ability are to honour the creator and not our own arrogance. That material wealth is fickle and irrelevant without spiritual foundation. That self discipline trumps extravagance. That your legacy is the manner you lived and the memories you leave behind, not simply what you left behind. That to live with quiet dignity and respect allows one to die in the same manner. That a long healthy life is manifested through living with integrity".

George Alan Campbell South African Artist
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© G. R Campbell

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