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Solly Gutman
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History
-Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Solly is largely self taught, with the exception of a Commercial Art course through the London College of Art. Completed in 1960.
-He has worked exclusively in the scratchboard/ scraperboard art medium, since 1968. He has been operating as a full time professional for +- 5 years, and is currently occupied with extending this website, to include many modern features, and completing new images and commission's.
He is a Fellow of the South African Society of Artists ( SASA), the largest and the most active society of its kind in Southern Africa, and has now been appointed as a senior fellow in October 2024, due to obtaining in the past. Solly was also Chairman of the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa ( Western Cape Branch ), until he stepped down in 2023.
- He is a member of the USA based International Society of Scratchboard Artists ( ISSA), and will be applying for his masters level during 2025
Awards and Accolades
-During 2010, Solly exhibited at the International Botanical Art Exhibition, in Lucca Italy, where he obtained a Silver Gilt Medal, and a 2nd prize at the Gauteng International Orchid Show, Pretoria. His image of the Artist William Kentridge was selected in the first 40 out of 1792 when entered in the first prestigious Sanlam National portrait coemption in 2013.
- At the judging for the annual SASA competition he was awarded the Best Drawing cup during 2008, 2010, 2011, 2023 and 2024. The Society does not categories scratchboard work separately.
-He has held a number of Solo and joint exhibition's in the Cape and surrounds. Presently, he is undertaking a number of portrait commissions and preparing for 2025 exhibition's.
- Original work has been sold in the USA, Europe and Asia, on canvas block prints and in colour. It is available at selected tourist sites, and at selected galleries in Cape Town, and during exhibitions.
Product details
All images are available as below in the following sizes: A5, A4, A3, A2, A1,A0 and special sizes between A5 and A0.
* On various weights of paper up to 350gms
* Paper prints on mount boards I.e.: A5 on A4: A4 on A3 and A3 on A2
* Prints imprinted with Solly Gutman - Botanical art
Solly Gutman - Cape Memories
* Canvas prints block mounted, Wrapped around or with white or black sides.
All the above available in black and white or colour. Allow approximately 2 weeks for delivery.
prints on other surfaces, such as wood, perspex and metal are also available ( see price list )
Faces/ Expressions
-Included are portraits of well known figures and of children, teenagers, homeless persons, and other 'facial expressions'
Animal and Birds
-Besides the ''Big five" being the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros, there is a variety of other breeds shown. Some parts of the images are enlarged, such as the elephant's snout for example. Various bird species are as shown.
Cape Memories
-The Cape has a number of specific and significant areas, which, mainly due to the influence of the Heritage Foundation, and other like bodies, has been able to preserve such buildings and areas from destruction and similar.
A number of these images were taken originally in the 1920's from the Cape Archives records, but other images were mainly photographed by the artist.
Botanicals
-The Cape Peninsula and its surrounds, has been blessed with one of the world's richest diversity of plant life. It is also the site of one of the world's finest, and popular botanical gardens, being the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a tourist dream.
Numerous botanical images are shown, all originally photographed by the artist, and is regularly updated.
Bo Kaap
-Formerly known as the "Malay Quarter ' it constitutes the largest concentration in Cape Town of architecture of and before 1850. Its unique character has long been acknowledged as an asset of the Mother City. It was declared a national monument in 1966.
-The houses are colourfully painted. It is very popular with tourists, who visit daily, and stroll around the area. There are numerious mosques, musuems, restaurants, a large international hotel and other facilities bordering the central city area. The art work created by Solly in this area, are the most popular images purchased, from all around the world, as well as locally. Do not miss the opportunity when visiting Cape Town.
District Six
-District Six arose as the result of the tremendous rise of the population, first in the 1780's and then again in the 19th Century ( between 1875 and 1904 ) from 45 000 to 175 000 people. Unfortunately , this large area in Cape Town was declared by the then Department of Community Development as a 'White Group Area' The rest is history. Overnight, during the late 1960's, not only the entire population of District Six was removed forcibly, but all its buildings were demolished. Fortunately, Solly took photographs of certain buildings during 1970, just before demolition. A very comprehensive museum, some 300 meters from the well known Castle of Good Hope, containing visual records, and has guided tours. Well worth the experience.
Knysna
Since the goldrush in 1886 ( since exhausted by 1924) various areas of Knysna were developed. After an exhibition the artist held at the Knysna art gallery, photographs were taken in and around the town. Early images are also shown.
Durbanville
A beautiful town, some 45 minutes from Cape Town. It has a magnificent art gallery named 'Rust -en-vrede' where regular exhibitions are held. Solly has held a solo exhibition, as well, at this facility. A number of well known sites in the town are shown, including early images.
-Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Solly is largely self taught, with the exception of a Commercial Art course through the London College of Art. Completed in 1960.
-He has worked exclusively in the scratchboard/ scraperboard art medium, since 1968. He has been operating as a full time professional for +- 5 years, and is currently occupied with extending this website, to include many modern features, and completing new images and commission's.
He is a Fellow of the South African Society of Artists ( SASA), the largest and the most active society of its kind in Southern Africa, and has now been appointed as a senior fellow in October 2024, due to obtaining in the past. Solly was also Chairman of the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa ( Western Cape Branch ), until he stepped down in 2023.
- He is a member of the USA based International Society of Scratchboard Artists ( ISSA), and will be applying for his masters level during 2025
Awards and Accolades
-During 2010, Solly exhibited at the International Botanical Art Exhibition, in Lucca Italy, where he obtained a Silver Gilt Medal, and a 2nd prize at the Gauteng International Orchid Show, Pretoria. His image of the Artist William Kentridge was selected in the first 40 out of 1792 when entered in the first prestigious Sanlam National portrait coemption in 2013.
- At the judging for the annual SASA competition he was awarded the Best Drawing cup during 2008, 2010, 2011, 2023 and 2024. The Society does not categories scratchboard work separately.
-He has held a number of Solo and joint exhibition's in the Cape and surrounds. Presently, he is undertaking a number of portrait commissions and preparing for 2025 exhibition's.
- Original work has been sold in the USA, Europe and Asia, on canvas block prints and in colour. It is available at selected tourist sites, and at selected galleries in Cape Town, and during exhibitions.
Product details
All images are available as below in the following sizes: A5, A4, A3, A2, A1,A0 and special sizes between A5 and A0.
* On various weights of paper up to 350gms
* Paper prints on mount boards I.e.: A5 on A4: A4 on A3 and A3 on A2
* Prints imprinted with Solly Gutman - Botanical art
Solly Gutman - Cape Memories
* Canvas prints block mounted, Wrapped around or with white or black sides.
All the above available in black and white or colour. Allow approximately 2 weeks for delivery.
prints on other surfaces, such as wood, perspex and metal are also available ( see price list )
Faces/ Expressions
-Included are portraits of well known figures and of children, teenagers, homeless persons, and other 'facial expressions'
Animal and Birds
-Besides the ''Big five" being the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros, there is a variety of other breeds shown. Some parts of the images are enlarged, such as the elephant's snout for example. Various bird species are as shown.
Cape Memories
-The Cape has a number of specific and significant areas, which, mainly due to the influence of the Heritage Foundation, and other like bodies, has been able to preserve such buildings and areas from destruction and similar.
A number of these images were taken originally in the 1920's from the Cape Archives records, but other images were mainly photographed by the artist.
Botanicals
-The Cape Peninsula and its surrounds, has been blessed with one of the world's richest diversity of plant life. It is also the site of one of the world's finest, and popular botanical gardens, being the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a tourist dream.
Numerous botanical images are shown, all originally photographed by the artist, and is regularly updated.
Bo Kaap
-Formerly known as the "Malay Quarter ' it constitutes the largest concentration in Cape Town of architecture of and before 1850. Its unique character has long been acknowledged as an asset of the Mother City. It was declared a national monument in 1966.
-The houses are colourfully painted. It is very popular with tourists, who visit daily, and stroll around the area. There are numerious mosques, musuems, restaurants, a large international hotel and other facilities bordering the central city area. The art work created by Solly in this area, are the most popular images purchased, from all around the world, as well as locally. Do not miss the opportunity when visiting Cape Town.
District Six
-District Six arose as the result of the tremendous rise of the population, first in the 1780's and then again in the 19th Century ( between 1875 and 1904 ) from 45 000 to 175 000 people. Unfortunately , this large area in Cape Town was declared by the then Department of Community Development as a 'White Group Area' The rest is history. Overnight, during the late 1960's, not only the entire population of District Six was removed forcibly, but all its buildings were demolished. Fortunately, Solly took photographs of certain buildings during 1970, just before demolition. A very comprehensive museum, some 300 meters from the well known Castle of Good Hope, containing visual records, and has guided tours. Well worth the experience.
Knysna
Since the goldrush in 1886 ( since exhausted by 1924) various areas of Knysna were developed. After an exhibition the artist held at the Knysna art gallery, photographs were taken in and around the town. Early images are also shown.
Durbanville
A beautiful town, some 45 minutes from Cape Town. It has a magnificent art gallery named 'Rust -en-vrede' where regular exhibitions are held. Solly has held a solo exhibition, as well, at this facility. A number of well known sites in the town are shown, including early images.
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The Technique
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The Scratchboard technique is a two-dimensional, subtractive process. It involves the use of abrasive tools to directly remove a surface layer of one value (typically dark) to expose a second layer of a contrasting value (typically white). The values within the artwork are predominantly achieved by varying the amount of surface layer that has been scratched away or left. The texture and form of all key compositional elements within the artwork must be created by subtractive removal, not exclusively by the addition of paint or ink. Reapplying transparent mediums over the scratching is permissible, but the underlying scratches must remain visible. Works may be colour or black and white.
