Prils Gustaaf
Gustaaf Prils was a Belgian artist who was born in Gentbrugge in 1921 and who died in Ghent in 2006. He was a painter, draftsman, watercolorist, printmaker and photographer. Training at the Academy in Ghent, led by Gaston Pauwels and in the workshops of Achiel Lammens and Camille D'Havé. Worked both figuratively and abstractly. From the press: “His themes can be the formal beauty of a woman's body, the rhythm of a cityscape, the fading of a landscape, and a fascinating play of lines, shapes and colors that lead to a concise composition. Everything shows a sense of structure, balance, leaf filling and color ratio" and “He sees man in the cosmos at times cubist, at other times expressionist; he paints Flemish landscape and still life. He is independent of any theory and shows an eclectic mind-set, which is typical of the non-academically educated with thorough scientific training” and “Graphic and pictorial is the art of G.P. and it has always been an escape from the daily grind, a practice of disciplines that give him visual, aesthetic and philosophical satisfaction.” Was a member of the Faun group (1940-1945) and later worked at the Grafiekgalerie Rosa Roos in Ghent. From 1960 he also made films about artists such as R. Raveel, M. Mayer, R. Wittewrongel, Ach. Pauwels. Gave drawing and painting lessons to adults from 1979. Selected for the Provincial Prize of East Flanders for Painting in 1956. Mentioned in BAS II and Two centuries of signatures of Belgian artists. Source: Piron.