Shadowlands in an interior Photo: Habitat magazine, January 1992
CAREER
Born 1949, Middelburg Cape, South Africa.
Studied classics, literature, philosphy and theology. Received a doctorate on the communication of parables.
Gained reputation as airbrush specialist. His large acrylic flower studies were exhibited first at South Africa's renowned Goodman Gallery in 1990.
Portraitist in airbrush, oils, charcoal and pencil.
One of the pioneers of digitial fine art in South Africa. His 'Gargoyle' (a cibachrome mounted on a lightbox) from the Digital Cathedral Series was shown in the prestigious Momentum '93 national exhibition.
A philosopher of art and a critic, Du Plessis is frequently invited to speak at art exhibitions and symposia. He delivered the keynote address at the Volkskas Ateliers Competition Exhibition in 1996.
He has reviewed extensively for various newspapers, magazines and academic publications.
Du Plessis is an external examiner in art history and fine arts for various tertiary institutions. He was also a judge at the 1995 Sasol New Signatures Exhibition.
Since 1995 he teaches part-time at the Open Window Academy and the Pretoria Technikon where he developed a curriculum for a course in creative behaviour which found commercial and industrial applications.
Owner of the design studio: Mind Pilot
Specializes in corporate identity and branding.
Book cover for the author Piet Roodt's 'Die geel geluid van die son' receives acclaim.
Prestigious calendar design assignments for the IMS Group of Companies.
Four solo exhibitions (amongst them at Sout Africa's most prestigious venue, the Goodman Gallery). Numerous group exhibitions.
Public collections: Pretoria Art Museum, Pietersburg Art Museum.
Pivate collections in South Africa, the USA and the UK.
REVIEWS
'One hardly ever experiences vision in this hallucinatory way.' - Muffin Stevens (Pretoria News).
'Work of international quality'. - Fransi Phillips (Beeld).
'The essence of creativity' - Fransi Phillips (Beeld).
'Du Plessis' large airbrush acrylics are technically stunning flower studies, immaculately drawn and in glowing colours. One can only marvel at them...' - Michael Coulson (Financial Mail).
'Working in pencil and charcoal, Bertie du Plessis's sketches portray people. South Africans of all races and all ages, from childhood to old age...What lifts his art above that of a commercial portraitist is his insight into the character of his models.' - Naomi Nowosenetz (Pretoria News)
