Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg Auction Week – a three-day live virtual sale – will take place from 7–9 November, and feature contemporary South African art and photography.

Contemporary South African photography, strange enough, is better known abroad than locally.

The reason: to date, a number of major exhibitions of South African photography have been mounted in major museums overseas in recent times, only one of which travelled to South Africa: in 1998: Democracy’s Images: Photography and Visual Art after Apartheid, Bildmuseet, Umea, Sweden; in 2000: Porträt Afrika: Fotographische Positionen eines Jahrhunderts, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, also in 2000: Gavin Janjes: Rhizomes of memory: tre srafrikanske fotografer: Oslo, Norway; in 2011: Figures and Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography, Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and in 2013: Rise and Fall of Apartheid: Photography and the Bureaucracy of Everyday Life, International Center of Photography, New York, an exhibition that was also mounted at MuseumAfrika, Johannesburg in 2015.

Strauss & Co aims to redress this situation by offering collectors of contemporary art exemplary photographic works by leading South African artists who use this as their main medium of expression. The 2018 report compiled by Mary Corrigall, Contemporary African Art Ecology, maintains that25% of Contemporary African artists use photography as their main means of creating art works.

The photographic lots on the Strauss & Co sale, the majority from the collection of a prominent art collector and dealer, include works by Jane Alexander, Nontsikelelo Veleko, Steven Cohen, Berni Searle, Mikhael Subotzky, and David Goldblatt. His iconic works on the auction, Semi-Final of the Miss Lovely Legs Competition (Lot 119) and Victoria Cobokana with her Children (lot 133) attest to the diverse, if not troubled history of our country.

All these lots reflect the different ways in which the photographic medium can be applied to phenomenal effect in art works, such as the giclee printing technique of the Zanele Muholi portrait MuMu XIX (lot 120), the Stephan Inggs’ silver gelatin emulsion printing technique used in his still-life (lot 128), and the Minette Vari’s Quake video installation (lot129).

The three-day live virtual sale from 7–9 November also features important paintings by JH Pierneef and Alexis Preller, exceptional works on paper by contemporary master William Kentridge, as well as five paintings by Vladimir Tretchikoff. Johannesburg Auction Week also includes an 18-lot mini-session exploring the persuasive influence of classical African Art and early European Modernism on post-war South African artists.

Strauss & Co will preview works in Johannesburg Auction Week at its dedicated exhibition space at 89 Central Street, Houghton, Johannesburg.

Visit straussart.co.za to view the art works on sale. 

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This Spring, Aspire returns to Cape Town with a much-anticipated auction of Modern and Contemporary art taking place over two days on 29 and 30 September. Presenting an outstanding collection of 132 works by 80 renowned artists, the auction will impress collectors with an exciting and considered selection of artworks.

With a strong focus on South African art, the sale also proudly represents artists from 8 African countries (Benin, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe) and international artists from Europe the UK and USA.  Reflecting the spirit of our time, more than half of the artworks on offer are by artists of colour and women artists feature prominently. Important and significant historical works are presented alongside a diverse collection of contemporary art which includes photography and new media work.

Headlining the contemporary section is a special collection of ten lots of remarkable prints by William Kentridge, spanning nearly three decades. The leading lot is a monumental depiction of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Portrayed on a wooden horse, the image of the great general is comprised of twenty etchings mounted on raw cotton cloth folded and housed in a handmade box. Other prints like West Coast Landscapes, the Universal Archive series and The Battle Between Yes and No, showcase well-known themes, a wonderful range of printmaking techniques and the unsurpassed technical accomplishment for which the artist has gained world-wide recognition.

Works by eminent contemporary artists include paintings by Sam Nhlengethwa of Jazz icons, Richard Mudariki, Nelson Makamo, Bambo Sibiya and Zemba Luzamba’s depictions of African pop-culture. Dan Halter’s monumental work titled Rifugiato Mappa del Mondo made from plastic-mesh bags addresses the themes of migration and displacement in his work. Large scale images by Mohau Modisakeng and Cyrus Kabiru alongside documentary works by Mickael Subotzky complete the photography collection.

A highlight is a group of paintings by Robert Hodgins featuring the deliciously comic and poignant work Left out of Making Love in the Shadows in which he hints at the delights and dramas to be discovered in the shadows. Two early paintings from the Pink Suite: Trojan War titled Menelaus and Paris and Helen show off his signature style of expressive draughtsmanship and glorious colour and in Men with Structures I, Hodgins makes his acute sense of humour evident.

Of the formidable women’s voices featured in the sale is Penny Siopis with early works from her Shame series, Georgina Gratrix’s visually captivating Most Beautiful Woman in thick oil paint, Diane Victor’s monumental drawing Pasiphae and Turiya Magadlela’s large textile works. Also included is a beautiful early landscape scene painted by Gladys Mgudlandlu.

Sculpture is a prominent and powerful medium in local art and the auction focuses on a unique and impressive body of sculptural works led by Edoardo Villa and Sydney Kumalo, arguably Africa’s greatest modernist sculptors. 

Villa’s powerful early work Sculpture III from 1969/1970 is notable for its balance of rest and momentum, achieved through the sculptor’s mastery of generous proportions, spatial dynamics and highly finished surfaces. While his forms are abstract, they retain a sensuous organic quality that references the human body and social interaction.

Study for Mythical Rider II, produced in 1970, is typically a major motif in Sydney Kumalo’s oeuvre, famous for his powerful figurative bronzes. Drawing on his deep pride in Zulu traditions and the rich cultural influences of growing up in Sophiatown, Kumalo has created a poignant figure, with hands extended in supplication to the universe ­­– an impressive symbol of humanity in harmony with nature.  Another sculpture by  this artistic master title Large Seated Woman  is also featured.

Key sculptural works are Lucas Sithole’s moving Don’t worry your father will come, Brett Murray’s Donkey first exhibited on Sleep Sleep in 2005 and Willie Bester’s sculptural tableau, Transition, which captures his unique approach in using found objects to evoke the gritty realities of life experienced first-hand on the streets of South African cities. Other contemporary sculptors represented are Norman Catherine, Dylan Lewis, Gerald Machona, Stefanus Rademeyer and ceramist Nico Masemola. Look out for Miniature Figure III by British Modernist, Lynn Chadwick RA, who in 1956 was awarded the coveted prize for sculpture at the 28^th Venice Biennale.

Art historical treasures for seasoned collectors include two exquisite still life paintings painted in 1948 by Erik Laubscher during his time at the Anglo-French Art Centre. Paintings from the artist’s ‘London Period’ are extremely rare and remain highly sought after, as well as a collection of early, small-scale Alexis Preller works showing the artist’s experiments in subject, style and medium.

Landscapes have always been an integral part of South African painting and remain an important collecting category. A selection of important and valuable paintings by master landscapist J.H. Pierneef alongside Ruth Everard Haden, Maud Sumner and the much loved Cape painter Hugo Naudé magnificently capture the beauty, light and uniqueness of the local landscape.

Available on auction for the first time locally is a striking, large-scale still-life painting by leading contemporary Swiss artist Uwe Wittwer. The artist’s work rarely comes to auction and Aspire is proud to debut Wittwer with this exceptional work.

Other newcomers to auction in South Africa are Kenyan artist Richard Kimathi and  Cameroonian Moustapha Baïdi Oumarou. Already established at auction in Nigeria and having featured in London and Paris, Nigerian artist Gerald Chukwuma debuts locally with Adam and Eve – a monumental work painstakingly created from wood and recycled objects.

The live auction will take place from Aspire’s exquisite new gallery space at 37A Somerset Road in De Waterkant. Buyers are invited to join for in-room bidding or make use of telephone or Aspire’s real-time online bidding platforms.  

The preview exhibition is currently on display in the gallery and can be viewed from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.

A fully illustrated auction catalogue is available and can be downloaded at www.aspireart.net.

For Aspire Art Auctions – Cape Town enquiries, phone +27 21 418 0765 or email ct@aspireart.net.

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Artists 4 Equity is an art-based initiative set up by @protest_aspraxis on Instagram to raise funds for community upliftment in the form of an online art auction.

The Nelson Mandela Day fundraiser will run from now until Sunday 19 July at 8pm – you will be able to bid on a large number of pieces created by local artists, with the money raised being donated to the artist’s charity of choice.

The organisations include:

• SWEAT
• Rape Crisis CT Trust
• Khayelitsha CAN
• Keep The Energy
• Restoring Hope
• Reclaim the City SA
• James  House
• Scalabrini Centre CT
• Femme Projects
• Happy Girls SA
• Feed SA

To bid on an artwork, you will need to comment on the artwork of choice and place your bid in increments of R100. The artist will send you the banking details of their chosen charity, which you will pay directly. Upon receiving a proof of payment, the artist will organise delivery of your piece. Delivery, shipping and collection of artworks is arranged between the artist and the buyer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqIiVWJ2F8/

For more information and to bid, go to @artists4equity on Instagram.

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The Siyakhula Michaelis Auction will feature the work of top contemporary South African artists.

Work that will be auctioned off includes pieces by Penny Siopis, Athi-Patra Ruga, Zanele Muholi, Michael Taylor, Jane Alexander, William Kentridge, Deborah Bell, Georgina Gratrix, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Siwa Mgoboza and Bronwyn Katz.

Revenue from the auction, which will be held at the Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town, will go towards scholarships for promising students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The initiative is driven by artist and Director of Michaelis, Berni Searle.

Aspire Art Auctions will conduct a live auction in Hiddingh Hall at the Michaelis School of Fine Art on 17 October 2018. An online auction will take place on 11 October on aspireart.net. Bidder registration is open and you can download the digital catalogue here.

For more information, call 021 418 0765 or visit aspireart.net.

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WORDS Cheri Morris

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Ever wondered how the art market really works? Not sure how art auctions operate and how art is valued?

This captivating video explains it all in an exciting and informative way.

Whether you’re a collector, thinking of investing in art or are simply fascinated by the exorbitant prices some pieces fetch at auction, this clip is a must-watch.

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Famed street artist Banksy’s 2003 Think Tank is up for grabs at the Stephan Welz & Co. Fine Art and Design Auction.

The Banksy work will go on auction alongside pieces from Gerhard Sekoto, Vladimir Tretchikoff and William Kentridge.

Think Tank has an estimated value of approximately R200 000. Last year saw another piece by the satirical street artist value at around the same number.

Stephan Welz & Co. will also run a charity auction. The Kalashnikovv Gallery, as part of their Creative Project art fund has donated 27 artworks (including works by Maja Malevich and Craig Smith) in aid of the upliftment of Braamfontein and developing artists.

The Stephan Welz & Co. Fine Art and Design Auction will take place on Tuesday 21 April and on Wednesday 22 April 2015 on the 4^th floor, South Tower, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg. Pre-auction viewing is open to the public daily from Wednesday 15 April until Monday 20 April from 10am – 5pm. Catalogues are available from both the Cape Town and Johannesburg offices, as well as on the website.

Bid online via the-saleroom.com. For more information, visit stephanwelzandco.co.za.

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Iconic South African artist Irma Stern’s Nude, an 88cm x 88cm oil is up for sale on Tuesday 17 February 2015 at Stephan Welz & Co.’s Fine Arts and Collectables auction in Cape Town.

The work is estimated to fetch between R10 – 15 million. Late last year saw Stern’s Still Life With African Women sell for R17.6 million at the Bonhams London South Africa sale.

The auction will also include Ndebele portraiture from Constance Stuart Larrabee and a traditional Pierneef landscape, with an estimate of R1.6 million.

For more information about what you can expect, visit stephanwelzandco.co.za.

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The first original Banksy artwork to go on auction in Africa was sold this week (27 & 28 October 2014) at the Stephan Welz & Co. Fine Art and Collectables Auction in Cape Town.

Titled “Flying Copper”, the highly collectable serigraph is numbered 123/150 and signed by the artist. Estimated to sell for between R200 000 and R300 000, it sold for R200 000.

“Madonna”, from the ICON series by acclaimed Los Angeles-based street artist, Mr Brainwash was also up for auction. Signed and dated by the artist, the work was estimated to sell for between R250 000 and R350 000. It sold for R260 000.

Visit stephanwelzandco.co.za to find out more about the results from this exciting auction.

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