fred schimmel silkscreen print

Schimmel taught at the renowned Polly Street art centre and was the pioneering founder of the Graphics Club of South Africa. His aim was to make high-quality art accessible to middle-class and younger buyers who couldn't afford original artworks by well-known South African artists.

Judith Mason, in a catalogue for Schimmel's retrospective exhibition at the SMAC gallery in Stellenbosch in November 2008, described his life, work, and achievements as deeply satisfying. The retrospective, held to celebrate his eightieth birthday, showcased his prolific artistic journey spanning six decades. It featured a wide range of his creations, including hard-edge landscapes, figurative works, silkscreen landscapes, calligraphic abstractions, handmade paper drawings, and new experimental 'carborundum' prints.