​Contemporary South African Art

Article credits to: SAHO

​

​Names: Mace, Edward Clark Churchill

Born: 1863, Leicester, England

Died: 19 March 1928, Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa

In summary: Artist

Edward Clark Churchill Mace was born in Leicester, England, 1863. He emigrated to Australia when he was eighteen and made a fortune from mining. Rendered insolvent there, he came to Cape Town in 1901. He served on the British side in the Anglo-Boer War by doing duty at the Cape Town Castle, and then turned to painting full-time.

He was at the meeting at Kamp's Cafe that re-established SASA in 1902. Mace had painted in watercolour in Australia under Charles Rolando (1844-1893), a former teacher at the Cape Town School of Art in the 1870s. He brought a number of tese with him, for five of them, along with fourteen Cape scenes, were shown at the SASA/SADC First Annual Exhibition in 1902. In 1903 he showed 15 new works, and was making a modest living from his art while living in Gorleston Road, Sea Point. His exhibition record seems erratic, even though he served as SASA Secretary from 1907 to 1915.

In 1924 he had a stroke. Unable to paint, he lingered until his suicide on the Sea Point beachfront on 19 March 1928. Although critics had judged his work as "very unequal" and lacking in "grip", news reports reflected kindly on him as "a rare student of nature in her softer moods" (The Cape Argus 20.3.1928). Architect James Morris, then SASA President, addressed that year's AGM by noting that "the sorrow which Mr Mace's friends felt on receiving the news of his death was rendered more poignant by the manner of his going - but it was not for us to sit in judgement" (SASA Minutes, 1928).

Exhibitor on SASA-related exhibitions c.1898 - 1950:

1902: SASA/SADC 1st Annual Exh., Drill Hall, Darling St., 9 Dec.

1903: SASA/SADC 2nd Annual Exh., Drill Hail. Darling St., 1 Dec.

1904: SASA Exh. of Pictures, Div. Council Chambers, Greenmarfcet Sq.

1906: SASA Annual Exh., Society's Rooms, 42 Burg St., 14 Nov.

1910: 3rd Annual Exh of the SAFAA, combined with SASA and SADC, Drill Hall, Darling St., fm. 2 Nov .

1917: SASA Art Exh., MH, City Hall, Darling St., 7 Feb.

1917: SASA Watercolour Exh., Society s Gall., 42 Burg St., 14 Aug.

1918: SASA Art Exh., MH, CityHall, Darling St., 6 Feb.

1918: SASA Winter Exh. (venue not stated) 7 - 24 Aug.

1919: SASA An Exh., MH, City Hall,Darling St., 6 Feb.

1921: SASA 20th Annual Exh. (venue not stated) Mar. (no date).

1923: SASA 22nd Annual Exh., RH, City Hall, Darling St., 8 Feb.

1924: SASA 23 rd Annual Exh., Drill Hall, Darling St., 28 Jan.

1924: SASA 24th Annual Exh., RH. Cm M, Darling St., 4 Dec