Guest Book – Marshall Baron

Gay French from Cape Town wrote on 24/02/2013 at 00:00

I loved Marshall.Surely one of the most beautiful human beings I ever met. He was so inspiring yet so human and easy to talk to. So good that his paintings are still here to speak of him.

Rene Bernard from Sydney, Australia wrote on 17/10/2012 at 00:00

Great website Merle and Nadav. What a talented man! Proud to be related. How did you get photos of all those artworks? We are lucky enough to own 2 of the paintings - I've located them in the paintings gallery here.

Beverly Caplan from Israel wrote on 17/08/2012 at 00:00

Aside from the beautiful paintings that adorn my home and bring me so much pleasure, Marshall also gave me the precious gift of musical appreciation. I think of him every time I'm in the car listening to the Brandenburg concertos or enjoy a concert.

Gail Adams from Portugal wrote on 25/04/2012 at 00:00

Thundering Hillside nights with Mahler at top volume; arm in arm to concerts at City Hall before you rushed back to file your story at the Chronicle; standing on your head in our living room as my mother appeared, startled, at the door; pushing two beautiful paintings into our hands as Tony and I left the Registry Office on our way down South; then trying to refuse payment for starting divorce proceedings for me some years later; Matopos, smart dinner parties at yours, lying on the lawn looking at the stars and talking about Life... You had the kindest eyes and the naughtiest sense of humour. I would have done anything to assuage your pain.

John Abeles MD from Florida,USA wrote on 14/04/2012 at 00:00

I remember long nights in Hillside with Marshall - listening to all sorts of music.... talking, talking - about everything... I remember being there after doing something on TV at the studios - it was a long way from North End where we lived - and coming there with Gail Wells Adams, his friend and neighbour who was an RTV announcer and for a while my desperate, unattainable muse (caught up with her on Facebook, living in Spain)....I remember him listening to me play the piano and giving me great guidance....I remember the American niece of Arlene Miller being there constantly when she came for a long visit to Bulawayo.

The site is beautiful and so was he....I loved him....

Zinky Wolffe Agulnik from Kfar Saba, Israel wrote on 30/03/2012 at 00:00

Such a talented young man who died so very paintings and music behind for us to enjoy and appreciate!
I love his work the shapes and color and movement speak to all my artistic emotions........Wow!!!

Frank Mayers from Israel wrote on 08/03/2012 at 00:00

I was very fortunate to receive a Marshall Baron painting for my 50th.
Modliani said that the size of sculpture is not important, but it must be monumental in concept.
This painting is exactly such. Monumental in concept and warmth. A real statement.
Frank

Raphael (Ray) Melmed from Israel wrote on 06/03/2012 at 00:00

Marshall was way ahead of his time. Strange that his career, in this respect, shadowed that of many other outstanding artists - and yet, he like so many others, thankfully continued to create regardless. Thanks Merle for your dedicated and loving efforts on behalf of your outstanding brother - they are deeply appreciated.

Pamela Silver from Jerusalem wrote on 06/03/2012 at 00:00

I knew Marshall from when I was very young as we lived in the same road, our parents were friends and Beverly and I were very close..
I was always fascinated by Marshall- his love of music and the paintings he created in the room on the left as one climbed the stairs in their beautiful home.
I once spent 3 weeks staying in their home. I was seven years old and a large part of the time I was there, I spent watching Marshall paint and looking at his art, and listening to the music he played on gramophone.
I loved Marshall and his paintings - they inspired me and remain a very deep important part of my inspiration.

Josie Adler from Johanesburg, South Africa wrote on 12/09/2011 at 00:00

It gave me much pleasure now to re-visit the website you Merle and Nadav so carefully and warmly made. I vividly recall Marshall's astonishing, brilliant and larger-than-life works in your family's home in Bulawayo in the late 50's, and looking at them now brings to the fore again how fresh and pioneering, at the same time mature and profound his talent and his person were.

Denny Sonnenberg from London, UK wrote on 05/09/2011 at 00:00

What a wonderful tribute to your extraordinarily talented brother. I too have such a clear picture of him in your house standing conducting with loud music blaring and I in my youthful ignorance not understanding this at all! Dear Merle, what lovely memories.

Valerie Lonstein from Sydney, Australia wrote on 04/09/2011 at 00:00

I still always feel bereft at Marhsall's loss and how sad that he never got to realise the universal acclaim his paintings receive.

John Quick from Berkeley, California wrote on 16/08/2011 at 00:00

I was 16 years old, a new articled clerk in a Bulawayo law office. It was the first meeting of a discussion group formed by young lawyers and law clerks. We drew straws to see who would give the first presentation at the next meeting. I drew the short straw, to my dismay.Marshall could tell that I was nervous and unconfident. He said, John is clearly the youngest person here. Perhaps it would be better if someone else gave the first presentation. I was immensely grateful to Marshall. Years later, I had successfully represented a couple of people charged because of their political action, and more people started coming to me asking me to represent them. The firm I was working for told me: no more political cases. But I knew where they could go to find representation: the Baron family firm, where Marshall worked.

Tracy Dunn from sydney australia wrote on 15/08/2011 at 00:00

I first saw a Marshall Baron painting aged 13 at a friends house. It seemed enormous to me at the time, I suppose it must have been 6'x 5', an abstract expressionist message scrawled dark and bright, where before there had only been stiff little naturalistic landscapes on dining room walls, elsewhere. It allowed me to see paint in a way I had never seen it before, and it opened neural pathways down which I have travelled for a long time since that first day. I never met him, perhaps because he was gone so young and I was much younger, but I saw more of his work, through Gallery Delta, the late Stephen Williams and various private collectors, as well as the National Gallery collection, acquired mostly I think during Frank MacKewen's time. Marshall inspired my aspirations to paint, and I owe him a huge debt of gratitude, as my life has been made immeasurably richer by what his work taught me when I was young, and new so little. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to revisit his work again now, when I am so far away from that place we call home.

Hilary Meir from Israel wrote on 14/08/2011 at 00:00

I have never forgotten Marshall though I only knew him briefly - his intelligent, creative, gentle, compassionate and modest presence made an indelible impression on me.

Marcelle Trappler Weiss from Raanana, Israel wrote on 14/08/2011 at 00:00

He was a great guy.

Sharon Garber from Johannesburg, South Africa wrote on 14/08/2011 at 00:00

I worked in his office in 1962, and saw him everyday, he always made us laugh, and he was a great cousin, and artist......................

Gavin from Israel wrote on 03/08/2011 at 00:00

I have very fond memories of Marshall, he always made us kids laugh at family functions!

Merle from Israel wrote on 03/08/2011 at 00:00

I was excited to learn that a painting of Marshall's appears on the cover of TOGETHER, a book written by Julius Chinongo and John Eppel, published by AmaBooks. See www.amabooksbyo.com

Rosemary Levin from Cape Town, RSA wrote on 03/08/2011 at 00:00

I am reminded of an early morning mid 1960s, I watched a young man standing quite still on his head perfectly balanced for ages and ages out on the lawn.It was my house guest Marshall Baron doing his yoga exercises. What a fine fellow.He had come out with Gerald our brother for a weekend to the mine a hundred miles from Bulawayo.

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