1045:
396:
408:
249:
420:
228:, where she stayed for the next 31 years taking care of her elderly parents. Her mother Hester, with whom she reportedly had a close relationship, died of breast cancer in 1941. Her father has been variously described as "eccentric and demanding" and possibly abusive. He lived in an outside room, with a stove and a bed to sleep on. After her father died of stomach cancer in 1945, Helen bricked up the windows, painted his room black, and put a sign reading "The Lion's Den".
38:
320:
Helen
Martins invited her neighbours to view her house when decorated for Christmas. There are also indications that her neighbours helped to care for Helen's father in his last years, and that they gave her food when she did not care for herself. Relationships between her and the community she lived in were clearly complicated and often difficult.
319:
woman. There are also suggestions that
Martins got along better with her coloured neighbours (to whom she reportedly sold illegally brewed alcohol) than with members of the austere Dutch Reformed Church. Nonetheless, although she was somewhat reclusive (and became increasingly so as she grew older),
220:
In 1919, Helen
Martins moved to the Transvaal where she began teaching. On 7 January 1920, she married a colleague by the name of Willem Johannes Pienaar. The couple travelled around the country acting in theatre productions in the Transvaal, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Their marriage was not a
268:
She is believed to have begun within the house, employing locals Jonas Adams and Piet van der Merwe to make structural alterations, and covering interior surfaces with ground glass. Windows, mirrors and lights further enhanced the illumination inside. Martins also used cement and
344:
As per her wishes, the Owl House has been kept intact as a museum. In 1991, the
Friends of The Owl House arranged for Koos Malgas to return to Nieu-Bethesda to care for the site. The Owl House Foundation, which was formed in 1996, now manages the site. The house was declared a
273:, decorating the interior of her home and later building sculptures in her garden. Her partner and lover Johannes Hattingh constructed the first cement animals and build much of the early Owl House bestiary. In 1964, she was joined in her work by
140:
328:
Martin's longtime exposure to the fine crushed glass she used to decorate her walls and ceilings eventually caused her eyesight to start failing. This led her to attempt suicide by ingesting
277:, who helped her build the sculptures in the outside area called the Camel Yard. Theirs was an intensely collaborative process, meeting daily to envisioning and create new works.
370:
was produced by
Abbhivyaktee theatre group from Panaji (Goa). Written and directed by Saish Deshpande, the play was influenced by Martin's story and Athol Fugard's play.
987:
1121:
1062:
231:
When
Martins was about 60, she married Mr. J.J.M. Niemand, a pensioner and furniture restorer in the village. The marriage lasted only three months.
1106:
274:
698:
1007:
395:
261:
Her parents left Helen the house. After their deaths
Martins started to transform the house and the garden, spending years creating a
346:
407:
1111:
863:
206:, she was the youngest of six surviving children of Pieter Jakobus Martins and Hester Catharina Cornelia van der Merwe.
890:
760:
619:
642:
940:
844:
819:
682:
545:
511:
1131:
1101:
419:
451:
311:
There are suggestions that their neighbours may have been suspicious of the relationship between Malgas, a
1126:
221:
happy one, and Helen left her husband on several occasions. She eventually divorced
Pienaar in 1926.
125:, and people. She inherited the house from her parents and began its transformation after they died.
362:
374:
568:
535:
262:
98:
864:"Outsider Art, Outsider Artists : South Africa's Queen of Outsider Art, Helen Martins"
777:
300:, and people. Most are oriented toward the east as a tribute to Martins' fascination with
8:
316:
1044:
1017:
936:
886:
840:
815:
785:
756:
678:
615:
541:
507:
24:
988:"The South African Teacher Who Turned Her Home into a Sanctuary of Color and Light"
199:
1116:
1012:
476:
1050:
252:
1095:
1077:
1064:
1021:
956:
789:
366:, which was later made into a film of the same name. In 2015, a Marathi play
333:
289:
225:
203:
160:
82:
55:
20:
332:
on 6 August 1976 at the age of 78. She was found and taken to a hospital in
751:
Pinchuck, Tony; Heuler, Hilary; Marle, Jeroen van; Mouritsen, Lone (2012).
612:
This is my world : the life of Helen
Martins, creator of the Owl House
357:
329:
285:
214:
210:
90:
86:
906:
723:
1038:
66:
106:
37:
312:
122:
118:
885:. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press. p. 289.
883:
Are we there yet : chasing a childhood through South Africa
202:
who remains something of an enigma. Born on 23 December 1897 in
139:
812:
Double Desire: Transculturation and
Indigenous Contemporary Art
305:
78:
1054:
540:(1st ed.). Pretoria: HSRC Publishers. pp. 160–162.
378:
301:
297:
281:
114:
102:
94:
750:
292:. The Camel Yard contains more than 300 sculptures, many of
270:
213:
and obtained a teaching diploma at the teachers college in
1008:"A Visit to South Africa's Strange, Astonishing Owl House"
401:
One of the interior rooms with crushed glass on the walls.
377:
by Daleen Kruger was released on Afrikaans radio service,
293:
110:
753:
The rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland
360:
published a play based on Helen Martins in 1985 called
1093:
224:Sometime around 1927 or 1928, Helen returned to
413:Sculptures in the garden, most are facing east.
858:
856:
814:. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 265.
308:. A sign in the yard says "This is My World."
834:
452:"The Owl House, Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa"
349:in 1989 and was opened as a museum in 1992.
853:
746:
744:
691:
637:
635:
633:
631:
1043:
677:. Johannesburg: Penguin Books. p. 3.
253:"Helen Martin's Owl House – Nieu Bethesda"
138:
36:
1122:Art museums and galleries in South Africa
985:
949:
643:"The Extraordinary Life of Helen Martins"
537:New dictionary of South African biography
741:
668:
666:
664:
628:
529:
527:
525:
523:
1107:Monuments and memorials in South Africa
930:
924:
899:
775:
469:
93:. The owner, Helen Martins, turned her
1094:
1005:
880:
874:
837:Koos Malgas, sculptor of the Owl House
828:
809:
803:
672:
614:. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.
605:
603:
601:
599:
597:
595:
593:
591:
589:
563:
561:
559:
557:
533:
105:and containing more than 300 concrete
769:
755:. London: Rough Guides. p. 394.
716:
661:
520:
504:Unsolved mysteries of Southern Africa
501:
446:
444:
442:
440:
352:
42:A large arch with an owl at the peak.
933:Tourism destinations southern Africa
835:Malgas, Julia; Couzyn, Jeni (2008).
778:"South African Gaudi: Helen Martins"
609:
495:
101:, elaborately decorated with ground
986:Gotthardt, Alexxa (June 13, 2018).
586:
554:
336:, where she died on 8 August 1976.
217:(now the police training college).
13:
978:
699:"Other Visionary Art Environments"
437:
425:Close-up of one of the sculptures.
280:Martins was inspired by Christian
14:
1143:
1030:
1006:Lyster, Rosa (February 1, 2018).
957:"The Owl House of Nieu-Bethesda"
418:
406:
394:
247:
193:
675:A journey through the Owl House
234:
907:"Helen Martins – The owlhouse"
724:"The Owl House – The owlhouse"
198:Helen Martins was a reclusive
97:and the area around it into a
1:
839:. Nieu Bethesda: Firelizard.
776:Collins, Niki (1 June 1986).
430:
931:Plessis, Heather du (2000).
573:South African History Online
163:, Eastern Cape, South Africa
58:, Eastern Cape, South Africa
7:
1112:Museums in the Eastern Cape
10:
1148:
868:Art and Design Inspiration
387:
18:
703:Philadelphia Magic Garden
569:"Helen Elizabeth Martins"
373:In 2013, a radio drama -
339:
246:
241:
183:
168:
146:
137:
130:
62:
51:
47:
35:
610:Ross, Sue Imrie (1997).
347:provincial heritage site
323:
19:Not to be confused with
16:Building in South Africa
935:. : Juta. p. 152.
288:, and various works by
1132:Women outsider artists
1102:Visionary environments
961:Encounter South Africa
881:Smiedt, David (2004).
534:Verwey, E. J. (1995).
209:Helen was schooled in
1078:31.86750°S 24.55278°E
1051:Site by The Owl House
673:Emslie, Anne (1997).
506:. Cape Town: Struik.
263:visionary environment
99:visionary environment
810:McLean, Ian (2014).
456:PBS Independent Lens
315:man, and Martins, a
255:, Adrienne Allderman
1083:-31.86750; 24.55278
1074: /
870:. 15 December 2013.
502:Marsh, Rob (1994).
32:
782:Women Artists News
353:In popular culture
30:
911:theowlhouse.co.za
728:theowlhouse.co.za
363:The Road to Mecca
259:
258:
191:
190:
157:December 23, 1897
72:
71:
25:House with an owl
1139:
1127:Outsider artists
1089:
1088:
1086:
1085:
1084:
1079:
1075:
1072:
1071:
1070:
1067:
1047:
1042:
1041:
1039:Official website
1025:
1002:
1000:
998:
972:
971:
969:
967:
953:
947:
946:
928:
922:
921:
919:
917:
903:
897:
896:
878:
872:
871:
860:
851:
850:
832:
826:
825:
807:
801:
800:
798:
796:
773:
767:
766:
748:
739:
738:
736:
734:
720:
714:
713:
711:
709:
695:
689:
688:
670:
659:
658:
656:
654:
639:
626:
625:
607:
584:
583:
581:
579:
565:
552:
551:
531:
518:
517:
499:
493:
492:
490:
488:
481:Outsider Art Now
473:
467:
466:
464:
462:
448:
422:
410:
398:
284:, the poetry of
251:
250:
239:
238:
178:
176:
156:
154:
142:
128:
127:
40:
33:
29:
1147:
1146:
1142:
1141:
1140:
1138:
1137:
1136:
1092:
1091:
1082:
1080:
1076:
1073:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1061:
1060:
1037:
1036:
1033:
1028:
996:
994:
981:
979:Further reading
976:
975:
965:
963:
955:
954:
950:
943:
929:
925:
915:
913:
905:
904:
900:
893:
879:
875:
862:
861:
854:
847:
833:
829:
822:
808:
804:
794:
792:
774:
770:
763:
749:
742:
732:
730:
722:
721:
717:
707:
705:
697:
696:
692:
685:
671:
662:
652:
650:
649:. February 2015
641:
640:
629:
622:
608:
587:
577:
575:
567:
566:
555:
548:
532:
521:
514:
500:
496:
486:
484:
477:"Helen Martins"
475:
474:
470:
460:
458:
450:
449:
438:
433:
426:
423:
414:
411:
402:
399:
390:
384:
355:
342:
326:
248:
242:External videos
237:
200:outsider artist
196:
174:
172:
164:
158:
152:
150:
133:
67:owlhouse.org.za
43:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1145:
1135:
1134:
1129:
1124:
1119:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1058:
1057:
1048:
1032:
1031:External links
1029:
1027:
1026:
1013:The New Yorker
1003:
982:
980:
977:
974:
973:
948:
941:
923:
898:
892:978-0702233845
891:
873:
852:
845:
827:
820:
802:
768:
762:978-1405386500
761:
740:
715:
690:
683:
660:
627:
621:978-0195715163
620:
585:
553:
546:
519:
512:
494:
483:. 27 June 2014
468:
435:
434:
432:
429:
428:
427:
424:
417:
415:
412:
405:
403:
400:
393:
389:
386:
354:
351:
341:
338:
325:
322:
282:biblical texts
257:
256:
244:
243:
236:
233:
195:
192:
189:
188:
185:
184:Known for
181:
180:
179:August 8, 1976
170:
166:
165:
159:
148:
144:
143:
135:
134:
131:
70:
69:
64:
60:
59:
53:
49:
48:
45:
44:
41:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1144:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1099:
1097:
1090:
1087:
1056:
1052:
1049:
1046:
1040:
1035:
1034:
1023:
1019:
1015:
1014:
1009:
1004:
993:
989:
984:
983:
962:
958:
952:
944:
942:9780702152726
938:
934:
927:
912:
908:
902:
894:
888:
884:
877:
869:
865:
859:
857:
848:
846:9780953505821
842:
838:
831:
823:
821:9781443867436
817:
813:
806:
791:
787:
783:
779:
772:
764:
758:
754:
747:
745:
729:
725:
719:
704:
700:
694:
686:
684:9780140255560
680:
676:
669:
667:
665:
648:
644:
638:
636:
634:
632:
623:
617:
613:
606:
604:
602:
600:
598:
596:
594:
592:
590:
574:
570:
564:
562:
560:
558:
549:
547:9780796916488
543:
539:
538:
530:
528:
526:
524:
515:
513:9781868254064
509:
505:
498:
482:
478:
472:
457:
453:
447:
445:
443:
441:
436:
421:
416:
409:
404:
397:
392:
391:
385:
382:
380:
376:
371:
369:
365:
364:
359:
350:
348:
337:
335:
334:Graaff-Reinet
331:
321:
318:
314:
309:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
290:William Blake
287:
283:
278:
276:
272:
266:
264:
254:
245:
240:
232:
229:
227:
226:Nieu-Bethesda
222:
218:
216:
212:
207:
205:
204:Nieu-Bethesda
201:
194:Helen Martins
187:The Owl House
186:
182:
171:
167:
162:
161:Nieu-Bethesda
149:
145:
141:
136:
132:Helen Martins
129:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
83:Nieu-Bethesda
80:
76:
75:The Owl House
68:
65:
61:
57:
56:Nieu-Bethesda
54:
50:
46:
39:
34:
31:The Owl House
26:
22:
21:The Owl House
1059:
1011:
995:. Retrieved
991:
964:. Retrieved
960:
951:
932:
926:
914:. Retrieved
910:
901:
882:
876:
867:
836:
830:
811:
805:
793:. Retrieved
781:
771:
752:
731:. Retrieved
727:
718:
706:. Retrieved
702:
693:
674:
651:. Retrieved
646:
611:
576:. Retrieved
572:
536:
503:
497:
485:. Retrieved
480:
471:
459:. Retrieved
455:
383:
372:
367:
361:
358:Athol Fugard
356:
343:
330:caustic soda
327:
310:
286:Omar Khayyam
279:
267:
260:
235:Construction
230:
223:
219:
215:Graaf-Reinet
211:Graaf-Reinet
208:
197:
91:South Africa
87:Eastern Cape
74:
73:
1081: /
275:Koos Malgas
1096:Categories
1069:24°33′10″E
653:1 February
431:References
175:1976-08-08
153:1897-12-23
109:including
107:sculptures
1066:31°52′3″S
1022:0028-792X
790:0149-7081
647:lynnssite
375:DRAADWERK
997:June 24,
966:11 March
708:11 March
578:11 March
487:11 March
461:11 March
313:coloured
304:and the
123:pyramids
119:peacocks
52:Location
916:4 March
795:4 March
733:4 March
388:Gallery
368:Prawaas
63:Website
1020:
939:
889:
843:
818:
788:
784:: 28.
759:
681:
618:
544:
510:
340:Museum
306:Orient
298:camels
115:camels
79:museum
1117:Karoo
1055:SAHRA
1053:, at
992:Artsy
324:Death
317:white
302:Mecca
103:glass
95:house
77:is a
1018:ISSN
999:2018
968:2016
937:ISBN
918:2016
887:ISBN
841:ISBN
816:ISBN
797:2016
786:ISSN
757:ISBN
735:2016
710:2016
679:ISBN
655:2015
616:ISBN
580:2016
542:ISBN
508:ISBN
489:2016
463:2016
294:owls
271:wire
169:Died
147:Born
111:owls
379:RSG
81:in
23:or
1098::
1016:.
1010:.
990:.
959:.
909:.
866:.
855:^
780:.
743:^
726:.
701:.
663:^
645:.
630:^
588:^
571:.
556:^
522:^
479:.
454:.
439:^
381:.
296:,
265:.
121:,
117:,
113:,
89:,
85:,
1024:.
1001:.
970:.
945:.
920:.
895:.
849:.
824:.
799:.
765:.
737:.
712:.
687:.
657:.
624:.
582:.
550:.
516:.
491:.
465:.
177:)
173:(
155:)
151:(
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
