SA Art Times April 2011

The South African Art Times: SA’s leading visual arts publication | April 2011 | Free | Read daily news on www.arttimes.co.za

ART TIMES

Esmé Berman

The Grande dame of SA Art Photo: John Hodgkiss Photo: Christo Harvey

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DUNCAN S T E W A R T I N T H E P U R S U I T O F E M E R G I N G TA L E N T, T H E B A R N A R D G A L L E R Y P R O U D L Y I N T R O D U C E S

In his first Cape Town exhibition

watermarks

IDENTIFYING THE MAKER

4 May 2011 – 30 June 2011

55 Main Street, Newlands 7700 Cape Town, South Africa +27 (0)21 671 1553

w w w. b a r n a r d g a l l e r y. c o m

ART TIMES | NEWS The South African

Art Times April 2011 Daily news at www.arttimes.co.za

Published monthly by

Global Art Information PO Box 15881, Vlaeberg, 8018 Tel. 021 424 7733 Fax. 021 424 7732 Editor: Gabriel Clark-Brown editor@arttimes.co.za Advertising: Eugene Fisher sales@arttimes.co.za Subscriptions: Tracey Muscat subs@arttimes.co.za News: Jim Wolf news@arttimes.co.za Shows: Tracey Muscat show@arttimes.co.za Admin: Bastienne Klein admin@arttimes.co.za Daily Website: Liesel Botha web@arttimes.co.za Artwork: art@arttimes.co.za Layout: Bunnyhopdesigns

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Hannetjie de Clercq

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China’s art market now ranks first in the world, ahead of the USA and the UK According to Thierry Ehrmann, founder and CEO of Artprice, world leader in art market information, “this unprecedented news represents a turning point in the history of the global art market: China is now the number 1 in terms of Fine art auction revenue”.

older counterparts: More than half of the 2010 global Top 10 of Contemporary artists are Chinese (Zeng Fanzhi, Chen Yifei, Wang Yidong, Zhang Xiaogang, Liu Xiaodong and Liu Ye) compared with just three Americans (Basquiat, Koons, and Prince)*.

It took just three years for China to jump from third place (previously occupied by France) in 2007 to first place in 2010, ahead of the UK and the USA, the grand masters of the market since the 1950s.

The heart of the market now beats in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, the new driving hubs of the global art market. In 2010 Sotheby’s Hong Kong revenue amounted for 2%.

To reverse the polarity of the global art market from West to East, China has done without artifices such as hypothetical figures from art galleries ( an opaque market compared to public auctions) or even that of furniture or traditional Chinese art objects (the prices of which are shooting up worldwide). Since the 1950s, the reference ranking for the art market has been that of Fine Art at Public Auctions.

In 2010, China accounted for 33% of global Fine Art sales (paintings, installations, sculptures, drawings, photography, prints), versus 30% in the USA, 19 %in the UK and 5% in France *.

Moreover, there were 4 Chinese artists in the Top-10 ranking of global artists by auction revenue for 2010 (vs. 1 in 2009), the lowest of whom generated $112 million dollars during the year. Qi Baishi was in 2nd place ahead Andy Warhol and ahead of his compatriot Zhang Daqian; Xu Beihong took 6th place with a total of $176m and Fu Baoshi was 9th.

The younger generation of Chinese artists is now imposing itself even more forcefully that their

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At the same time, Christie’s 2010 Hong Kong total was 2,5% and China’s big 4 annual revenues were: Poly International (7,4%), China Guardian (5,32%), Beijing Council (2,07%), Hanhai Art Auction in Beijing (2,74%)*.

Not only has China’s economic strength (second global power in 2010) boosted its art market and projected its culture around the world, but China’s art sector has benefited from the support of its government and of Chinese collectors who are as patriotic as they are prompt to invest.

China has understood the Power of Art in the history of nations. In addition, the number of auction records for Chinese artworks is bound to increase as the number of Chinese billionaires rises by 20% per year through 2014 vs. 5.6% p.a. for the rest of the planet. * Extracts from Artprice art market report 2010, freely downloadable starting 5th April 2011 at www.artprice.com in English, French, Chinese, German, Spanish, Italian Source: http://www.artprice.com

Robert Slingsby: ‘Backre’

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

NEWS | ART TIMES

(L-R) Giles Peppiatt is the SA Art specialist and auctioneer for Bonhams, Irma Stern’s Arab Priest that sold for R 34m, Gerard Sekoto’s Yellow Houses and Alexis Preller’s Garden of Eden both broke world records.

Stern again saves Bonhams SA Art R 101m sale

By Michael Coulson Four new artist records – including, inevitably, Irma Stern – allowed Bonhams to claim its London sale of SA art as a success, but as such it was certainly not unalloyed. Only nine of the 19 vaunted SA Masterpieces in the evening session found buyers, or 47.3%. With 88 of the 151 lots in the afternoon session selling (58.3%), the overall return was 97 of 170 lots sold, or 57.1%, a respectable but not outstanding result.

And as Bonhams SA expert Giles Peppiatt warned before the sale, a gross (including buyer’s premium but not sales taxes) of about £8.7m, which the firm converts as R101.2m (in parentheses, roughly twice as much as the two SA auction houses’ recent first sales of the year, in Cape Town) fell short of the pre-sale minimum estimate of £10.1m, though the firm hopes that post-auction deals will take it close to that figure.

First, the good news. The Masterpieces catalogue’s cover lot, Stern’s Arab Priest, fetched £3.044m, or R34m, well above the estimate of £1.5m-£2m. The old record of £2.4m/R26.6m was set at Bonhams’ sale last October, by Bahora Girl. The other records were £748 000 (R8.4m) for Alexis Preller’s Garden of Eden (est £500 000£700 000), £602 400 (R6.7m) for Gerard Sekoto’s Yellow Houses (est £200 000-£300 000, inside back cover) and £90 000 (R1m) for Francois Krige’s Basotho Village (est £50 000-£80 000).

Also among the Masterpieces, a Stern Nude fetched £1.7m (est £800 000-£1.2m, back end paper) and her Malay Child £692 000 (est £700 SA ART TIMES. April 2011

000-£1m, frontispiece). However, only one of the three Pierneefs sold, for £264 000 (est £120 000£180 000, inside front cover).

The nine sales in this section grossed £7.45m, gratifyingly close to the low estimate of £8.04m.

The £1.23m raised by the 88 afternoon sales took the total to the previously mentioned £8.68m.

Highlights in the afternoon were £180 000 for Stern’s Tree Tulips (est £150 000-£200 000, frontispiece) and £102 000 for another Stern still life (est £80 000-£120 000).

Overall, nine of the 23 Sterns on offer sold, 16 of 21 Sekotos, only two of seven Pierneefs, and just one of seven Maurice van Essches (a Sternesque portrait of a young woman). They grossed just under £5.77m, or about 66.5% of the total take, with another £290 000 from the two Pierneefs.

Largely thanks to Yellow Doors, the Sekotos grossed almost £840 00, making about £6.9m or roughly 80% of the total for these three market leaders.

Despite this, Peppiatt says that if the sale has a message it is the growing number of artists other than Stern beginning to command outstanding prices, including Sekoto and Preller. He adds that buyers came from countries as diverse as Canada, Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, Spain, UK, the US, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Bonhams’ next SA sale is only in late October, but the firm is already soliciting entries. Meanwhile, the scene shifts to Jo’burg, with Stephan Welz & Co. scheduled for April 19/20 and Strauss & Co for May 18.

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ART TIMES | NEWS

Art dealer up on fraud The pensioner, Tiny de Beer, claims one of his Pemba paintings was sold for almost double the amount he received from art dealer Harriet Hedley. He suspects the same may be true of two other paintings he entrusted to Hedley.

In January 2008, De Beer contacted Johannesburg art dealership Gilfillan Scott-Berning, who sent Hedley to view the Pemba paintings. In an affidavit submitted to court, De Beer says Hedley valued the paintings and agreed to sell them on his behalf. At the time Hedley was a consultant for Christie’s auction house, based in London.

Image: One of the Pemba paintings, At The Chief’s Place, at the centre of a case in which it is alleged that an art dealer defrauded a client First published on Timeslive.co.za Costly Pemba paintings at centre of row.

By Bobby Jordan Throughout his life, acclaimed painter George Pemba used his talent to celebrate the beauty of the human spirit. But since his death, his paintings have sparked a bitter legal battle amid allegations of fraud and theft.

Three Pemba paintings - collectively said to be worth about R500000 - are now at the centre of criminal and civil court cases involving an 89year-old pensioner and an international art dealer.

The cases are due to be heard later this month, one in the Port Elizabeth branch of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court and the other in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg.

Hedley valued all three paintings at De Beer’s Port Elizabeth home and left with them, promising to consult him before selling them, says De Beer.

He was told later that all three had been sold for between R35440 and R79740.

His suspicions were raised when his son saw one of the paintings, At the Chief’s Place, advertised on the internet for R420000.

This prompted him to make enquiries about the original sale. The family then found that the painting had been sold to the Old Auction House in Durban for R136735.

“Just prior to me finding out that the painting was sold, I had spoken to Hedley, who told me that she had not sold it yet. After I had discovered that the painting was sold, I phoned her and asked her to send my painting back. She only then told me that the painting was sold,” De Beer said in his affidavit. “I am of the opinion that Hedley defrauded me in understating her invoices to me ... she should have sold the paintings for the best price, and she was entitled to 10% of the selling price as commission.”

Further inquiries by De Beer revealed that the painting was resold to Lewellyn Kruger, an independent art dealer in Port Elizabeth, for R165000.

Kruger, who spoke to the Sunday Times last year

when the row first surfaced, has confirmed buying the painting for that amount. He then sold it to a private customer in London. He said he was ashamed to discover the painting’s origin - and that the owner appeared to have been shortchanged.

According to the charge sheet before the court, Hedley faces a charge of fraud and an alternative charge of theft.

Pemba was, in his day, one of South Africa’s top artists. His work depicted scenes from everyday life. Born in 1912, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Ikhamanga.

Legal representatives for De Beer and Hedley declined to comment this week.

De Beer’s lawyer in the civil matter, Angus Bailey, confirmed he had been instructed to seek a default order against Gilfillan Scott-Berning on the basis that his client had been defrauded to the tune of R50000.

De Beer is still trying to track down his other paintings, which he believes were also sold for substantially more than he received.

Leigh-Anne Pillay-Selahle, senior state advocate in the Commercial Crimes Court in Port Elizabeth, confirmed the trial would begin next week.

“Gilfillan Scott-Berning cc and Harriet Hedley (as representative of the cc and in her personal capacity) are charged with one count of fraud, alternatively theft, in the amount of R50347.21,” Pillay-Selahle said.

E-mail correspondence between De Beer and Christie’s in 2009 shows the auction house distanced itself from Hedley since she collected the Pemba paintings.

“The sale that you complain of took place after the termination of our relationship with Hedley,” said Christie’s legal representative, Martin Wilson.

South African National Gallery ERNEST COLE

PHOTOGRAPHER

Ernest Cole believed passionately in his mission to tell the world in photographs what it meant to be black under Apartheid. In order to publish his book, House of Bondage, he left South Africa and, after more than 23 years of painful exile, died in New York in 1990.

Cole left no known negatives and few prints of his monumental work, and the Hasselblad Ernest Cole Collection has never before been internationally exhibited. These extremely rare prints, most of them made by the photographer himself are, for the first time, to be seen publicly in a major exhibition, which is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

25 February - 30 April 2011

Iziko South African National Gallery, Government Ave, Company’s Garden, Cape Town Enquiries: Pam Warne 021 481 3956, pwarne@iziko.org.za

© The Ernest Cole Family Trust

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Thanks to the Hasselblad Foundation, Gothenburg, Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden, Pretoria, Skandia and Volvo Trucks

www.iziko.org.za

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

NEWS | ART TIMES

Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, with the internationally celebrated artist Marlene Dumas. (Photo: Anton Jordaan)

Stellenbosch University honours Marlene Dumas Courtesy of blogs.sun.ac.za/news

Cape Town and, after studying in the Netherlands, has lived and worked there most of the time.

Stellenbosch University (SU) awarded an honorary degree on Wednesday to the internationally celebrated artist Marlene Dumas at the graduation ceremony of the Faculties of AgriSciences and Economic and Management Sciences.

Dumas was awarded the degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) honoris causa for the tremendous standing she has achieved in the international art community through her engagement with the medium of painting, for her role in radically changing conventional attitudes towards the artistic work of women, and for her undaunted commitment to challenging representational stereotypes of gender and socio-political identity through her art.

Throughout the eighties she focused on representing the human body in ways that aggressively challenged societal norms and conventions.

By the early nineties she had become a formidable presence on the global art scene with important retrospective and solo exhibitions at the most prestigious galleries in the world, including those in Japan, the USA, various European capitals and South Africa.

In 1998 she became professor at De Ateliers and also published her selection of writings entitled Sweet Nothings. Major exhibitions of her work and a mid-career survey of her work in New York followed, firmly establishing her as a leader of contemporary Western art. The record prices that some of her works command clearly demonstrate that women artists too are the aspiration of serious collectors and investors.

Since the 1980s Marlene Dumas has been recognised internationally as an artist of unique individuality, who has radically changed conventional attitudes towards the artistic work of women. Her paintings are represented in the most respected international collections. She was awarded a BA in Fine Art by the University of

Intimate Relations, Dumas’ first solo exhibition in South Africa, illuminated her concern with the ethics of representation so pertinent to this burgeoning democracy.

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Simply chat to Eugene and ask what we can do for you. Eugene is at 021 424 7733 SA ART TIMES. April 2011

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ART TIMES | OLD NEWS - THE WAY WE WERE

Dr Raymond van Niekerk Hopping mad

SUNDAY TIMES, April 27 1980 Fleur de Villiers

Forget art, camping is culture To suggest that the Director of the South African National Gallery, Dr Raymond van Niekerk, is annoyed would be putting it mildly.

He is hopping mad. And the object of his anger is the army of faceless bureaucrats who administer a Government budget of R16,5-miilion in the name of “cultural advancement”. When it comes to a true understanding of culture, they are, he says, “hostile, indifferent and ignorant”.

Understandable Dr Van Niekerk’s anger is understandable. Of that R16,5-million “cultural” pork-barrel funded by the South African taxpayer, the National Gallery, the nation’s most important art repository, receives a paltry R30 000 a year for acquisitions, an amount which would buy one-tenth of the Monet sold at Sotheby’s recently for R325 000.

South Africa’s legion of happy youth campers, however, receive some R170 000 from the same source.

By way of contrast the Australian National Gallery receives an acquisitions grant of |2-milllon Australian dollars a year (Rl,8-million), and the small state museum of Western Australia in Perth $250 000 (R225 000).

“I have reached the stage”, says Dr Van Niekerk,

“when overseas visitors ask me what my purchases grant is, I re ply: ‘Nothing,’ “This has, I believe, a kind of bleak dignity which would be destroyed if I told them what the amount really was.”

Lashing out in a speech this week, Dr Van Niekerk asked why it was that talented writers, architects, painters and sculptors in South Africa regarded the officials who controlled South Africa’s cultural life with the greatest suspicion.

Money was invested in the section of the Department of National Education known as Cultural Advancement, Dr Van Niekerk said.

But creative arts and artists received practically no financial help from this source.

“Instead money is given to the advancement of amateur art, home crafts and who knows what other unimportant activities of the uncritical.”

“What must we think? Must we finally accept that creative arts will always be regarded as a threat, a danger to the official who has never given any attention to this side of life, but who will only too easily use the word ‘culture’”?

Dr Van Niekerk supports his argument from an editorial published in June last year in the official journal of the Department of National Education, under which falls the Section for Cultural Advancement.

Having inveighed against the “Utopia of disobedience, indifference, sexuality, hedonism, world citizenship, humanism, liberalism and existentialism” as part of the total onslaught against South Africa, the writer says that “the maintenance and extension of the spiritual, moral, aesthetic and intellectual qualities (according to the Biblical attitude to life is a serious matter which needs persistent This attitude — and lack of official support of the creative arts — represents a fear of almost all the innovative original statements by artists in the modern period”, Dr Van Niekerk told the Sunday Times.

“And it extends not only to fine art, but to literature, where the official attitude is even plainer.

When last did a South African artist or writer of merit receive a grant from the section for Cultural Advancement ?”

The size of the National Gallery’s acquisitions grant meant that it had not bran able to purchase

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striving in our passion towards excellence 10

a work by any artist of international stature for the last four years, he said.

How it’s spent I would like to buy a Bacon or a Hockney — but at between R45 000 to R80 000 for a single work, these are out of range for the South African taxpayer, whose money instead is spent on furthering Aunt Susie’s amateur water colours in Clocolan or the Colbyn East’s Needlework society.”

The R16-million voted this year for “preservation, development, fostering and extension of the culture of the white population of the Republic” in accordance with Act 27, 1969, will not go to art and artists of stature, how will it be spent?

Some R7.1-million will be spent on the administration of “declared cultural institutions “ which range from the SA National Gallery (some-R350 000) to libraries, museums ,-and zoological gardens.

Major amounts Other major amounts include R421 000 for the maintenance of historical and natural history monuments. R4.4-million to the various performing arts councils, R457 000 for technical dictionaries and R290 000 as a subsidy to the Afrikaanse Woordeboek.

Under a subheading “the promotion of cultural services, youth work and publicity”, the estimates disclose an amount of R2 500 for literary prizes, R2 600 for “patronage of artists” and R2 000 for a prize for the performing arts.

There is also R100 voted for “works of art”, presumably to brighten some bureaucrat’s walls in the Department of National Education.

Against this, R25000 will be spent on the “integration of immigrants” and R107 000 for the erection and maintenance of camping sites.

If one should wonder what camping has to do with cultural advancement, the answer comes in the subsidy of R66 200 to campers under the heading of “land service and other youth work”.

Forget about a Monet for the National Gallery.

In South Africa, camping is culture.

Research puts annual SA visual arts turnover at R2bn First published on Timeslive.co.za Comprehensive portrait also highlights public’s lack of interest compared with other developing countries, writes René Vollgraaff The visual arts industry in South Africa has an annual turnover of nearly R2-billion and contributes over R1-billion in value added to the national economy.

This is according to a report on the industry commissioned by the Department of Arts and Culture last year.

The report states that the visual arts sector provides income for approximately 17000 people.

Only 5500 are full-time or part-time artists.

A key finding of the report is that public consumption of visual art is much smaller than among like countries in the developed world.

There is a significant untapped potential for visual arts, it concludes.

Although museums and institutions in South Africa house visual arts with an estimated value of R2.2-billion, the report says, national and municipal public art museums and collections are dramatically underfunded.

The department invested R20-million in four art museums and collections in the 2008/9 financial year - less than 5% of its total allocation of R432-million for national heritage institutions.

Visual arts received just 5.4% of all the grantbased funding allocated to art forms in 2008/9 by the National Arts Council, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, business and Art SA, international funders, the national arts department and provinces.

The report was compiled by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the African Micro-Economic Research Umbrella, the

NATIONAL NEWS | ART TIMES

University of the Witwatersrand and Thompson Research Services, and a consultation draft was submitted to the department in November last year.

Mack Lewele, a spokesman for the department, said the report - for which the tender amount was R1.5-million - was commissioned because visual arts have not received the attention they deserve in the South African cultural landscape.

“In order for the department to make a meaningful and informed intervention in the visual arts sector, a process of research needed to be undertaken, identifying the nature, scope and size of the sector, assessing its social and economic impacts and making recommendations for governmental intervention in envisioning and realising the social and economic potential of the sector,” Lewele said.

But the report has not been made public since the department received it five months ago.

Lewele said this was because it was still a consultation draft, which has to be studied by the department before it is made available to the public.

Joseph Gaylard, director of the Visual Arts Network of SA (Vansa), said he and a representative of the HSRC would be doing a presentation on the final report to the director-general of the department within the next month.

“We hope, following that, there will be some action on the recommendations contained in the report,” he said.

The 24 recommendations in the report aim to stimulate demand, promote coherence in the sector, enhance the position of artists, widen access to the sector, strengthen infrastructure and attract investment.

Gaylard said Vansa was also engaging with the department on the possibility of organising an industry event where the department can work with the industry to take forward the recommendations.

Subscribe to the SA Art Times April Special R 320 for 1 years subscription delivered to your door See: www.arttimes.co.za for details, or call Tracey at 021 424 7733

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ART TIMES | PROFILE / INTERVIEW WITH ANTOINETTE MURDOCH

With President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address still fresh in the minds of most South Africans, Michael Smith of Artthrob approached the director of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Antoinette Murdoch to look at the state of the national institutions.

Antoinette Murdoch, Director of The Johannesburg Art Gallery

Michael Smith Michael Smith: Antoinette, you’ve been at the helm of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) for nearly two years now. How is the gallery shaping up, financially, structurally and staffing-wise?

Antoinette Murdoch: Finance will always be a problem for the gallery, as we are a public institution with minimal budget from the Local Government. This has been one of my greatest ongoing frustrations and fundraising remains a large part of what I do on a daily basis.

The Johannesburg Art Gallery building is almost 100 years old and needs a lot of TLC. There are a wide variety of structural problems, which we are planning to address aggressively over the next four years. The beautiful Lutyens building needs

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some repairs to the external façade, and international museum standards with regard to climatic conditions in display areas need to be prioritised.

The Meyer/Pienaar extension to the gallery poses larger challenges, such as the ongoing leaking of the roof.

I am happy to report that the staffing configuration is looking excellent with new appointments including Nontobeko Ntombela (Contemporary Curator).

Other young dynamic women like Reshma Chhiba and Musha Neluheni as well as stalwarts like Nessa Leibhammer and Jo Burger make for a formidable team.

MS: Thus far, what have been the highlights of your tenure there?

AM: 2010 was a magnificent year with international exhibitions such as the Afro-Cuban show, while critics paid specific attention to the Ernest Cole retrospective. The Gallery was named the best gallery for 2010 in the Readers Choice awards as publicised by The Star newspaper, and Okwui Enwezor also named the Ernest Cole exhibition the best show that he saw in 2010. It is also wonderful to see lost audiences returning to the gallery, and people appreciating the space for its heritage value.

MS: The challenges ordinarily faced by national art institutions across the globe have obviously been exacerbated by the financial crisis. Have acquisition budgets been cut or frozen during this time? What is the JAG’s current official annual acquisition budget?

AM: Due to the remarkable foresight of Christopher Till and thanks to Anglo-American South Africa, R4m was invested in a trust fund in the 1980s, the interest of which is spent on purchases for the gallery. The gallery’s acquisition budget therefore remains relatively stable during this recession.

Due to the complicated process of reregistering the trust in which the acquisition budget is held, the exact figure is currently unavailable.

MS: What is JAG’s current policy regarding acquisitions? Where do you locate your emphasis?

AM: As a public institution, the gallery collects for the purposes of education, the preservation of heritage and public enjoyment, rather than for financial investment or according to the personal preferences of any of the curatorial staff. In the past, JAG directors have tried to build up a strong collection of international works (the collection was essentially founded with the purpose of representing modern European art). However, for the moment, partly due to budgetary constraints, the JAG acquires works primarily from South Africa and the southern Africa region.

Moreover, the art gallery committee has decided that the museum’s responsibility lies more in the thorough representation of historical and contemporary art from southern Africa.

MS: Typically, there is a lot of pressure on public art galleries to focus on collecting contemporary art. But given the skyrocketing values of Sterns and Pierneefs, wouldn’t it make good investment sense for national institutions to be collecting SA modern art alongside contemporary work?

AM: Firstly, the gallery never collects for the purpose of financial investment: works from the collection are never sold, and therefore the promise of great financial value is not a factor for consideration when we decide on potential acquisitions.

Secondly, the JAG collection already boasts the most magnificent Sterns and Pierneefs. I feel that it is more important for our institution to focus

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

INTERVIEW WITH ANTOINETTE MURDOCH / PROFILE | ART TIMES

on collecting contemporary art, and important historical art that has perhaps been overlooked or underrepresented in the collection.

MS: In January 2011 the JAG suffered yet another theft, this time of a 71cm-high sculpture by 19th Century French artist Jules Dalou.

This is the latest in a long line of thefts from the institution over the past fifteen or so years. Other thefts include: • Jongkind’s Normandy Beach (1863), stolen in 2004.

• El Greco’s Apostle Thomas, stolen in 2002.

At the time of the theft www.joburg.org.za called the work ‘priceless’.

• Kendell Geers’s Suitcase was removed from the gallery in 2002, but was later found in the adjoining car park. The motive for this theft may have been vandalism more than acquisi tive theft.

• In 1996 a section of a two-figure sculpture by SA artist David Brown was stolen from outside the gallery, where it was on display. The figure was later recovered in a Cape Town scrap yard, was restored and returned to the gallery.

It would appear the gallery is something of a soft target for art thieves. Exactly what sort of security system does the JAG have, and how is it possible that it is continually breached?

AM: On the contrary, art theft is an increasingly common occurrence internationally. The previous Director of the museum upgraded the security system significantly and it is important to note that the aforementioned list of thefts took place more than 6 years ago, before our current security system had been put in place. This obviously does not make the loss of our Dalou less painful and urgent, and we are working tirelessly to improve our systems. It would be counter-productive to reveal the particulars of our security system, but I can report that we have guards on duty 24 hours per day and I would not consider us a ‘soft target’.

Once again, a lack of financial resources restricts us from building on our current security arrangements.

Incidentally, it is also interesting to note that several major thefts around the country have been reported since May 2010 including: • A bronze sculpture by Stephan Rautenbach to the value of R255 000, stolen in Paarl • A Maude Sumner painting stolen in Johannesburg • An Irma Stern painting stolen in Cape Town (the artwork has subsequently been recovered) MS: Are there any leads on the missing Dalou work?

AM: Unfortunately, the Dalou has not yet been found. We do have a private investigator on the case.

MS: Moving to mentorship and development, does the JAG have any policy for developing curatorial skills in Johannesburg? What programmes are you currently running?

AM: JAG and other museums in Johannesburg are currently investigating the development of curatorial skills in collaboration with the Mellon Foundation, but this project is still in its inception, and it would be premature to give any further information at this stage.

MS: It appears that the JAG still doesn’t have its own dedicated website. A Google search on the web still brings up only JAG-related entries on the www.joburg.org.za site. This seems odd, given that the JAG holds one of the largest and most important collections of art on the African continent. Also, both the Pretoria Art Museum and the Iziko SANG have websites. Why is there no JAG website?

AM: This was a decision of the City of Joburg Arts and Culture Directorate, based on their wish to consolidate all Joburg museums and galleries

in this way. The JAG is part of a consortium of museums in Johannesburg, all of which have to abide by this decision.

The direct link to JAG on the internet is http:// www.joburg.org.za/culture/museums-galleries/jag.

We realise that this is not the most practical web platform for users, but I would like to encourage people to make use of it, as the information is regularly updated and we are doing our best to generate quality content for it. You can also find us on Twitter (username: @artthisway) and on Facebook. Please become a friend!

MS: The Department of Arts and Culture is making some encouraging noises about digitally recording heritage items and places. Is there a chance that the JAG’s extensive collection of works could be digitally photographed and become digitally accessible to the public?

AM: In terms of the DAC, I would not hold my breath. We fall under local government, and the DAC will be concentrating on national institutions first. We make ongoing effort to have our collection digitised and hope that in the not-too-distant future this will be possible. Information has been captured on a digital database and the photographing of the collection is an ongoing project.

MS: Moving to the immediate future, what kind of program does the JAG have for this year? Will there be a good mix of local and international work on show again this year?

AM: As we are gearing up for a major international show in 2012, this year will be more focused on local artists and curated exhibitions from our collection. The year starts with a large mid-career retrospective by Tracey Rose from 20 February 2011 and closing on 17 April 2011. The late Alan Crump will also be appropriately honoured with a retrospective exhibition later in the year. In addition to this, visitors can look forward to many curated exhibitions focusing on the schools’ curriculum, and we will also reintroduce the Project Room with some exciting newcomers.

Alette Wessels Kunskamer Maroelana Centre, 27 Maroelana Street, Maroelana, Pretoria GPS S25º 46.748’ EO28º 1.5615’ OPEN Mon to Fri 09h00 - 16h00 Saturday 09h00 - 13h00 BETTIE CILLIERS-BARNARD KLEUR AS TAAL 80X 60 CM OIL ON CANVAS

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

Tel (+27) 12 346-0728 / Fax (+27) 12 346-0729 alette@artwessels.co.za gerrie@artwessels.co.za Alette 082 652 6663

Gerrie 084 589 0711

A quality selection of SA masters and selected contemporary art

www.artwessels.co.za

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ART TIMES | SOCIAL PAGES / ‘SELF CONSCIOUS REFLECTIONS’ / BARNARD GALLERY, NEWLANDS, CT

Chris & Daniela Barnard, Margarida & Silvio Baptista

Ali Joy, Lyndi Sales & Denise Sales

Barry Sacks, Ruth Allen & Charlotte Resnekov

Linnea Moumtzis and Roberto Campobasso

Mina Thomas & Jaro Kalac

Neville Biggs, David Spence, Alexa & Eris Silke

Philip Todres, Wendy and Devis Iosifzon

Rochelle Bomberg, Colin, Deborah and Richard

On 24 February 2011 an exhibition of some of South Africa’s most important and prestigious female artists was launched at the acclaimed Barnard Gallery in Newlands. After a string of successful solo exhibitions, Christiaan Barnard decided to invite three of South Africa’s internationally acclaimed female artists to present ‘Self Conscious Reflections’. Pamela Stretton, Eris Silke and Lyndi Sales all collaborate for the first time to showcase a selection of their works both from the past and present which will be on show until 13 April 2011.

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SA ART TIMES. April 2011

PRIDE OF AFRICA

Last light / Klaus Tiedge /

Limited Edition

/

Giclée print on German Etching

German-born Klaus Tiedge has been a prominent figure in the field of commercial photography for more than 20 years, having worked in numerous countries including India, Japan, Brazil and the USA. In 2008, Klaus decided to pursue his passion for fine art photography and turned his attention to the beauty and diversity of the African continent. Martin Osner Fine Art Gallery is proud to present an exclusive showing of Klaus’s first wildlife photography collection – an exhibition of stylised photographs that are at once awe-inspiring and glamorous. Pride of Africa is a show that presents a clear break from the genre of documentary wildlife photography. In this series, the animals play as important a role in the images as the environments in which they are depicted, forming dramatic backdrops and creating scenes that have a certain fictional quality. Taking advantage of the “modern digital darkroom”, Klaus has successfully traversed the boundaries between painting and photography. Signed limited edition Giclée prints on German Etching will be available in three different sizes.

A showcase of stylised wildlife photography by

KLAUS TIEDGE

The exhibition is on show for the month of April 2011

Gallery hours: Mon to Fri 9h30 - 17h00 / Sat 10h00 - 15h00

proudly sponsored by

D Zd/E OSNER &/E Zd ' >> Zz ǁǁǁ͘ŵĂƌƟŶŽƐŶĞƌ͘ĐŽŵ ^ŚŽƉ ϭϰ͕ ĂƉĞ YƵĂƌƚĞƌ WŝĂnjnjĂ͕ ϳϮ tĂƚĞƌŬĂŶƚ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ͕ ĂƉĞ dŽǁŶ͕ ^ŽƵƚŚ ĨƌŝĐĂ / dĞů нϮϳ ;ϬͿ Ϯϭ ϳϵϬ ϲϰϵϰ / DŽďŝůĞ н Ϯϳ ;ϬͿ ϴϯϰϳϮϭϳϭϳ / ŝŶĨŽΛŵĂƌƟŶŽƐŶĞƌ͘ĐŽŵ

ART TIMES | SOCIAL PAGES / OPENING OF THE NEW EBONY GALLERY - CAPE TOWN

Clementina vd Walt

Albert Coetzee

Marc Stanes, Dewald Prinsloo, Leonard de Villiers

Jeremy Smith

Dolores Fleischer

Jan Desseyn, Albert Coetzee

Eloise and Andries Wessels

Craig Kaplan, Dewald Prinsloo, Leonard de Villiers

16

Michael Tibbs, Marc Stanes

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

NEWS | ART TIMES

Dylan Lewis to hold second solo auction at Christie’s, London Introducing the I Art SA Community Mural Project The project is a collaboration between /A WORD OF ART and adidas Originals to express passion for creativity and originality.

The idea is simple, we want to promote and celebrate local artists, mural art and the original culture within the communities we interact in. This year we start with Woodstock and then we move to Soweto. Thirteen artists have been selected and assigned one wall per venue, with the given brief of either I ART WOODSTOCK or I ART SOWETO. To ensure a sincere and soft interaction with the residents and community, the painting will take place over three days without media attention or the general public spectating.

South African artist Dylan Lewis is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost sculptors of the animal form. For almost two decades he has exhibited extensively, both in his home country and around the world. A Christie’s auction dedicated to his work in June 2007 was an overwhelming success, firmly placing Dylan on the global art world’s stage. The auction was 100% sold and introduced new collectors from all over the world to his work.

At 3:00pm (2:00pm UK time) on the 16th June 2011 a second solo auction of Lewis’s animal works titled Predators and Prey Part II consisting of 58 animal bronzes ranging from maquettes to life-size, will be auctioned. The sale will take place in London at the renowned auction house, Christie’s South Kensington. The auction will be Lewis’s last solo auction of his animal sculptures – which remains his œuvre la plus connue.

This is a very big project and there are various partners who are going to really add to the experience. From /A WORD OF ART curating and producing the project, public participation and partners like Art South Africa Magazine helping us with our media, writing, exhibition and story telling, to the enthusiasm of the Department of Arts and Culture, and adidas without whom this would never be possible.

For those South African’s who would like to bid but are unable to attend the sale, there is the convenience of bidding on-line using the Christie’s Live link.

This can be done via the Christie’s website www.christies.com/christieslive.

It is necessary to register two working days before the sale. Once this simple process has been activated it is possible to watch and hear the auctioneer and place bids.

Not only have they allowed us the freedom to create but they will help us share this story with a global audience.

The pre-auction exhibition will be on view at Christie’s South Kensington from Friday 10th June 2011 until 2pm, Thursday 16th June 2011.

To view the catalogue on-line visit Christies.com, or email the Dylan Lewis studio on info@dylanart.co.za to request a copy of the catalogue.

See more: www.i-art-sa-project.com

your creative drive’s destination ..

ROSEBANK Upper Level, The Mall of Rosebank, Bath Ave, Rosebank.

Tel: (011) 447-3262.

Fax: (011) 447-4146.

Fax: (011) 452-0806.

FOURWAYS Upper Level, Fourways Crossing, William Nicol Dr. Fourways.

Tel: (011) 465-8989.

Fax: (011) 465-0445.

GREENSTONE Upper Level, Greenstone Shopping Centre, Cnr. Modderfontein Rd & Van Riebeeck Ave. Greenstone.

Tel: (011) 452-0777.

Fax: (011) 452-0806.

Follow us on Facebook under ‘Herbert Evans Art Shop’.... hit the ‘like’ button and we will inbox you a discount voucher to use against your next purchase. info@herbertevans.co.za (or you can just email us) www.herbertevans.co.za SA ART TIMES. April 2011

17

THE SOUTH AFRICAN

N GALLERY GUIDE

(Top) Diorama 5 (Middle) Diorama 4 ŠDeborah Poynton. Courtesy of Michael Stevenson, Cape Town.

Lithographs by some of southern Africa's leading artists.

Celebrating 20 years of collaboration & hand-printing.

Deborah Bell Hanneke Benadé Kim Berman Coexae Bob Willem Boshoff Conrad Botes Elza Botha Sibonelo Chiliza Karin Daymond Chris Diedericks Lettie Gardiner Erika Hibbert Robert Hodgins Thami Jali Anton Kannemeyer Thama Kase Espoir Kennedy David Koloane Frank Ledimo Johann Louw Dumisani Mabaso Ditiro Makwena Colbert Mashile Judith Mason Kagiso Pat Mautloa John Moore Tommy Motswai André Naudé Sam Nhlengethwa Tony Nkotsi Fiona Pole Xgaiga Qhomatca Joachim Schonfeldt Claudette Schreuders Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi Penny Siopis Kathryn Smith Paul Stopforth Xaga Tcuixgao Strijdom Van der Merwe Diane Victor Nhlanhla Xaba

The Artists’ Press Box 1236, White River, 1240 • Tel 013 751 3225 mark@artistspress.co.za • www.artprintsa.com

Art Times advert march. 2011.ind1 1

ART & WINE CLARENS 17/2/11GALLERY, 12:31:36

Hannetjie de Clercq Feature

Hannetjie de Clercq lives in a quiet countryside village, Riebeek-Kasteel, in the Western Cape, South Africa. Her career started at the age of 18 in Pretoria, where she exhibited her work successfully for the first time. Since then she has exhibited her paintings in all the main centres in South Africa and Namibia.

Her work is unique in the South African art sphere and shows a juxtaposition of emotions, of things ancient and modern, they are strongly sensual pictures, sometimes light-hearted and often tinged with a sense of sadness.

Her fascination for the purity of medieval iconography interconnected with 20th century technology, social realities and the ambiguity of surrealism is obvious.

The preferred media that she works in is tempera, watercolour and oil on canvas and her inspiration for the special technique she uses in painting, comes from frescoes and icons from the middle ages, especially Giotto’s work. She also finds inspiration in the intuitiveness of her African soul seated in European history.

She feels that an over explanation of her work would render it impotent and therefore does not title her work. For her, the beauty of art is the interaction of the viewers with their subjective personal view with a specific painting, to find meaning in the imagery.

Hannetjie has done illustrations for many books, the latest being the popular astrologer, Petra du Preez’s book, Horoscope 2002.

Hannetjie de Clercq has been acknowledged as one of South Africa’s top artists by SASOL where her work forms part of the impressive SASOL ART COLLECTION, where she shares this honour with other famous South African artists like Walter Battis, Gregoire Boonzaier, Frans Claerhout, Robert Hodgins, Maggie Laubser, J H Pierneef, Alexander Rose-Innes, Irma Stern, Jan Vermeiren, Gordon Vorster and Louis Jansen van Vuuren, amongst others.

Her paintings can be found in many public, corporate and private collections all over South Africa as well as in private collections in London, Paris, Amsterdam and New York.

Free State Bloemfontein Oliewenhuis Art Museum Until 30 April “The Grade 12 Visual and Cultural Studies Exhibition: Let the textbook live” A selection of art from the Permanent Collection of the Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Annex).

14 April- 29 May “Playoff” new sculptures with the theme ‘viruses’ by Gordon Froud and recent works by painter Lance Friedlander (Reservoir) .

19 April- 22 May, “Index: 40 Leading Works from the Sanlam Art Collection” Among others, works from Irma Stern, William Kentridge, Anton van Wouw, Edoardo Villa, Kenneth Bakker, Christo Coetzee, Francois Krige, Pieter Hugo Naudé will be exhibited (Main Building).

16 Harry Smith Str, Bloemfontein. T.051 447 9609

Clarens Art & Wine Gallery on Main The Gallery houses an exquisite collection of art by well-known artists like Gregoire Boonzaier, J.H Pierneef, Pieter van der Westhuizen, Erik Laubscher, Jan Vermeiren, Marjorie Wallace, Eben van der Merwe, Conrad Theys, Hennie Niemann, Hannetjie de Clercq, ceramics by Laura Du Toit, sculpture by Fana Malherbe & Jean Doyle, glass by David Reade & Shirley Cloete and numerous others.

23 April, a solo exhibition of paintings by Hannetjie de Clercq, until 14 May. 279 Main Str, Clarens T. 058 256 1298 or 082 341 8161 Anton Grobbelaar anton@artandwine.co.za www.artandwine.co.za Blou Donki Art

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

FREE STATE, GAUTENG, MPUMALANGA | GALLERY GUIDE A selection of contemporary and functional art as well as photography, ceramics, steel sculptures and handmade glass.

Windmill Centre, Main Str, Clarens T. 058 256 1757 manager@bloudonki.co.za www.bloudonki.co.za Johan Smith Art Gallery A selection of works by old masters and contemporary artists as well as bronze sculptures, ceramics and glass.

Windmill Centre, Main Str, Clarens T. 058 256 1620 manager@bhm.dorea.co.za www.johansmith.co.za

Gauteng Johannesburg Art One Sixty Opening 10 April 4:30pm, “The Layers that Lie Beneath” new paintings & drawings by Bev Michel until 23 April.

160 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Jhb T. 011 447 4967 artonesixty@gmail.com www.artonesixty.co.za Art Afrique Art Afrique specialises in fine collectable African art by a wide variety of southern African artists.

Shop no. U45, Legacy Mall, Cnr Maude & 5th Streets, Sandton. T. 011 292 7113 art@artafrique.co.za www.artafrique.co.za Bailey Seippel Gallery Until 10 April “South African Photography” taken by legends such as Bob Gosani, Ranjith Kally, Cedric Nunn, G.R Naidoo & unknown photographers cover iconic SA moments.

Arts on Main, 260 Fox Str, CBD Johannesburg

C. 071 227 0910 baileyseippel@gmail.com Brodie/Stevenson Until 8 April, “As Terras do Fim do Mundo” black and white photographs by Jo Ractliffe.

Opening 14 April 6pm, “Geography of Somewhere” a group exhibition of various media featuring Zander Blom, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Ângela Ferreira, Meschac Gaba & Nicholas Hlobo to name a few until 13 May. 62 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Jhb. T. 011 326 0034 www.brodiestevenson.com CIRCA on Jellicoe Until 30 April, “Presence” sculpture, painting & works on paper by Deborah Bell.

2 Jellicoe Ave. T. 011 788 4805 gallery@circaonjellicoe.co.za David Brown Fine Art David Brown Fine Art has relocated to Nelson Mandela Square Sandton City.

The new gallery is situated below the Michelangelo Hotel and next to Montego Bay Restaurant. T. 011 783 7805 david@dbfineart.co.za www.davidbrownfineart.co.za David Krut Projects Until 30 April, “Original Skin” a selection of monotype prints, oil painting & wax on canvas and mixed media works by Jessica Webster.

140 Jan Smuts Ave., Parkwood, Jhb. T. 011 447 0627 www.davidkrutpublishing.com Everard Read Jhb Until 30 April, “Presence” sculpture, painting & works on paper by Deborah Bell.

6 Jellicoe Ave, Rosebank, Jhb. T. 011 788-4805 gallery@everard.co.za www.everard-read.co.za

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GALLERY GUIDE | FREE STATE, GAUTENG, MPUMALANGA Gallery 2 Until 9 April, “Creation Stories” featuring works by John Moore, Guy Thiesen and Esrael Thavhana.

140 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood. T. 011 447 0155/98 gots@mweb.co.za www.gallery2.co.za Gallery AOP 2- 30 April, pen and ink drawings by Jaco van Schalkwyk.

44 Stanley Ave, Braamfontein Werf (Milpark) T. 0117262234 www.artonpaper.co.za Gallery MOMO Until 30 April, “Other Stories” mixed media paintings by Sharlene Khan.

52 7th Avenue, Parktown North, Jhb. T. 011 327 3247 info@gallerymomo.com www.gallerymomo.com Gertrude Posel Gallery This gallery has a permanent exhibition of traditional southern, central & West African art.

University of the Witwatersrand, Senate House, Jorissen Str, Braamfontein.

T. 011 717 1365 julia.charlton@wits.ac.za Goodman Gallery Until 2 April, “No Romance” individual and collaborative works by Middle-Eastern artists Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh.

Opening 9 April at 6pm, drawing & installation by Frances Goodman, until 7 May. Mid April, “Projects Editions Show” featuring artists represented by the gallery.

163 Jan Smuts Ave., Parkwood, Jhb. T. 011 788 1113 www.goodman-gallery.com Goodman Gallery / Arts on Main Until 9 April, Estúdio Campana utilitarian furniture, lighting & installation pieces by brothers Fernando & Humberto Campana.

Corner Main & Berea Streets, Jhb T. 011 301 5706 Grahams Fine Art Gallery Grahams Fine Art Gallery presents the Mark Swart Sculpture Garden. Walkabouts with the artists at 10am on the 2nd & 9th April.

Unit 46, Broadacres Lifestyle Centre, Cnr Cedar & Valley Rds, Broadacres, Fourways, Jhb. T. 011 465 9192 sarah@grahamsgallery.co.za www.grahamsgallery.co.za 16 Halifax Works by Michael Heyns, Leon Muller & Mimi van der Merwe can be viewed by appointment in Johannesburg at 16 Halifax Street, Bryanston.

Dana MacFarlane 082 784 6695 dana@michaelheyns.co.za Johannesburg Art Gallery Until 17 April, “Waiting for God”, Installations, photographic and video work by Tracey Rose.

17 April- 15June, “Antagonistic Harmonies in First Arrangement” mixed media works by Peter Mammes.

Until 28 August, “Looking as learning: art in the 2011 schools curriculum” an exhibition of international and SA artists focused on the current school curriculum.

King George Str., Joubert Park, Jhb. T. 011 725 3130 khwezig@joburg.org.za www.joburg.org.za Jozi Art:Lab 7- 27 April, “Floating Bodies” performative sculpture by Katrin Wegemann. Opening 7 April at 6pm with a poetry reading by Charl Pierre Naudé and on 14 April 6pm, “Floating“ a dance performance with Tumi Mokgope an interaction with Katrin Wegemann´s installation.

Arts on Main, cnr of Berea Street, 076 501 4291 info@jozi-artlab.co.za www.jozi-artlab.co.za

Junction Art Gallery Ongoing collaborative exhibition including artists Carl Jeppe, Donna Mckellar, Gordon Froud, Huw Morris, Louis Olivier, Jan de Rooster, John Whittall, Marc Alexander, Stella Olivier & Trish Jackson.

Junxion Centre, Osprey Avenue, Off William Nicol, Dainfern.

Donna McKellar donna@junctionart.co.za 083 778 2737 Manor Gallery Until 16 April, the 85th National Open Exhibition of the Watercolour Society of SA (WSSA), paintings by watercolourist Zanne Bezuidenhout & other well known artists in a variety of subjects on show: still life, wild life, landscapes, portraits & abstracts.

Norscot Manor Centre, Penguin Drive. T. 011 465 7934 gallery@wssa.org.za www.wssa.org.za Market Photo Workshop Opening 6 April at 6pm, “Homelands” a debut solo exhibition of photography by Tierney Fellowship artist Thabiso Sekgala. On 13 April there will be a walkabout with the photographer at 1pm.

Until 21 April, “Working the City” a culmination of a participatory photography project at The Photographer’s Gallery at The Market Theatre.

2 President Str, Newtown, Jhb. T. 011 834 1444 info@marketphotoworkshop.co.za www.marketphotoworkshop.co.za

UNISA Recent Acquisition Art Exhibition

Kgorong

Unisa Art Gallery,Kgorong Building Ground Floor, Main Campus Preller and Ridge Street, Pretoria, 0003 Email: ukun1@unisa.ac.za Tel: (012) 441 5683

Extended to 30 April 2011 Enquiries: (012) 441 5683 / ukun1@unisa.ac.za Gallery viewing hours: (Tuesday to Friday) 10H00 - 16H00

22

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

FREE STATE, GAUTENG, MPUMALANGA | GALLERY GUIDE Museum Africa Until 17 April, “My (Art) Burg” a photographic exhibition with sound at the Bensusan Museum of Photography at Museum Africa by some of Johannesburg’s long-time artists including Nadine Gordimer & David Goldblatt.

Until the end of July a 30 year retrospective exhibition on the history of FOSATU. 121 Bree Str., Newtown, Jhb. T. 011 833 5624 www.knightgalleries.net

Fried Contemporary Until 16 April, “Designs of Living” painting, digital art & sculpture by Eric Duplan, Anne McLaren, Sello Mahlangu & Lucas Thobeyane.

28 April – 28 May, “Designs of Nature”painting, installation & digital art by Frikkie Eksteen, Rina Stutzer, Jenna Burchell & Christiaan Hattingh 430 Charles St, Brooklyn, Pretoria. T. 012 346 0158 art@friedcontemporary.com www.friedcontemporary.com

Seippel Gallery Until 10 April, “Recognition: 2000- 2010” black and white photography by Bonile Bam. 14 April, “Steel Time” sculpture by Robert Schad.

Arts on Main, Cnr of Fox & Berea, Jhb. T. 011 401 1421 www.seippel-gallery.com Standard Bank Gallery Until 9 April, “Super Boring” a retrospective exhibition of works by Wayne Barker.

Cnr of Simmonds & Frederick Str.’s, Jhb. T. 011 631 1889 www.standardbankarts.co.za

Gallery Michael Heyns Gallery Michael Heyns has moved to 194 Haley Street Weavind Park Pretoria.

There will be two open days on 15 & 16 April. For more information contact Michael 012 804 0869 or Jennifer 082 451 5584 www.michaelheyns.co.za

Stephan Welz & Co. 19 & 20 April, Decorative and Fine Arts Auction.

Viewing Dates: 15, 16, 17 April.

13 Biermann Ave, Rosebank, Jhb. T. 011 880 3125 jhb@swelco.co.za www.swelco.co.za UJ Art Gallery 13- 30 April, “Back from Paris” works by Hanneke Benade, Johann Louw, Lehlogondo Mashaba, Musha Neluheni, Molefe Twala & Pontsho Sikhosana will be on display together with that of young French lithographers.

Cnr Kingsway & University Rd, Auckland Park, Jhb. T. 011 559 2099 www.uj.ac.za/artscentre Upstairs@Bamboo Until 3 April, “Yesterday, today and tomorrow: My art is my voice” a group exhibition of about 40 black artists from the 1970s to the present including paintings, drawings, prints & mixed media.

53 Rustenburg Road, Melville, Jhb. Anne Gordon ajgordon@iburst.co.za www.bamboo-online.co.za

Pretoria Alette Wessels Kunskamer The Alette Wessels Kunskamer operates as an Art Gallery and Art Consultancy, specialising in South African art as an investment, dealing in Old Masters, and selected contemporary art.

Maroelana Centre, 27 Maroelana Str, Maroelana, Pretoria. T. 012 346 0728 www.artwessels.co.za Association of Arts Pretoria Until 6 April, “Another year – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter” with paintings by Peter Binsbergen, Margaret Gradwell, Andre Naude & Lynette ten Krooden.

Until 13 April, works by Leslie Reinhardt.

8- 28 April, “Root-Lines” an exhibition of oil-paint line drawings by Isa Steynberg.

15 April- 4 May,“The way to Easter – the 15 stations of the cross” with paintings by Adéle Adendorff, Anna-Marie Bands, Angie Banks, Annelise Bowker, Majak Bredell, Danie de Wet, Liekie Fouche, Leon Fourie, Margaret Nel, Lezanne Regev, Elizabeth Riding, Stefan Rossouw, Alet Swarts, Annemarie Wessels & Judy Woodborne 29 April- 18 May,“The Jimmy Tunnel” an exhibition of photographs by Neville Petersen.

173 Mackie Str, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria.

T. 012 346 3100 artspta@mweb.co.za www.artsassociationpta.co.za Bolsmann on Brooks Fine Art Gallery Selected works by Eric Bolsmann & other fine artists.

3- 30 April, “Essentially Woman”, an exhibition of abstract photography by Lisa Hnatowicz.163 Brooks Str, Brooklyn, Pretoria, T. 012 362 6698 C. 083 454 1797 eric@ericbolsmann.co.za www.eric@bolsmann.co.za Brooklyn Theatre Until 28 April, an exhibition of works by Willie Vos and Leon Fourie as well as a “Masters Exhibition” featuring Walter Battiss, Otto Klar, Anna Vorster, Jan van der Merwe, Karin Preller, Walter Westbrook, Carl Buchner, H Symonds, Claerhout, Ike Nkoana & Michael Teffo.

Brooklyn Theatre, Thomas Edison Street, Greenlyn Village Shopping Centre, Menlo Park For more information contact Stuart 082 9232 551 trent.art@gmail.com

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

Pretoria Art Museum Until 3 April, “Paper Cutting from Shaanxi of China” in the Preiss Hall.

Until 24 April, “Photography 1950-2010” by acclaimed photographers such as Bonile Bam, Sam Nzima, Jodi Bieber, Alf Kumalo, Peter Magubane, Santu Mofokeng, Andrew Tshabangu & several Drum magazine photographers, will provide an insight into life in SA over the past 60 years in the Werth Hall.

Until 30 April, “Tshwane Legends: Mmutle-Ribeiro” On display are loaned artworks by the late Michael Mmutle & the latest works by Johnny Ribeiro in memory of the late artist in the East Gallery.

14 April- 29 May, “Leihlo la Pono (Optic Vision)” a joint exhibition of Lefifi Tladi (oil painting) and Matsobane Morris Legoabe (photography)in the North Gallery.

Permanent display of South African art in the South Gallery.

T.012 344 1807/8 art.museum@tshwane.gov.za www.pretoriaartmuseum.co.za The Tina Skukan Gallery Until 6 April, “Sostenuto” new work on paper by Elsabé Milandri.

Opening 10 April at 11:30am, “Tracing Angels” works by Koos van der Watt, until 12 May. 6 Koedoeberg Rd, Faerie Glen, Pretoria T. 012 991 1733 thea@tinaskukangallery.co.za www.tinaskukangallery.co.za Trent Gallery 1- 13 April, works by Pieter Wanneburg, Karin de Jager, Christa Kearns, Annette Pretorius & Maria.

198 Long Str, Waterkloof, Pretoria. T. 012 460 5497. Trent.art@gmail.com www.trent-art. co.za UNISA Gallery Extended until mid-April, Recent Acquisitions exhibition featuring a lineup of cutting edge contemporary artists like Mary Sibande, Lindy Sales, Colin Richards & upper northern African artists like Owuso Ankomah. Some pieces will be representing a space where the collection will be closing the gaps on famous artworks that were not previously collected, artists like Dumile Feni. Main Campus, Theo Van Wijk Building B-block, 5th Floor T.012 441 5683. ukun1@unisa.ac.za.

Mpumalanga Dullstroom Dimitrov Art Gallery Ongoing, “Expression of freedom” by Branko Dimitrov Lifestyle Complex, shop no.4 on Cnr. Teding Van Berkhout & Hugenote/ Naledi Street, Dullstroom, Mpumalanga T. 013 254 5024 C. 082 679 5698 info@dimitrovartgallery.co.za www.dimitrovartgallery.co.za

White River The Artists’ Press Professional collaboration, printing and publishing of original hand-printed artists lithographs, by the Artists’ Press. Also artists books, monotypes & letterpress prints, particularly for artists working in SA. Waterfield Farm near White River, Mpumalanga T. 013 751 3225 print@artistspress.co.za www.artists-press.net The Loop Art Foundry & Sculpture Gallery Casterbridge Complex Corner R40 & Numbi Roads White River T. 013 758 2409 www.tlafoundry.co.za

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Western Cape Cape Town Absolut Art Gallery Ongoing permanent exhibition with some of the best Masters & Contemporary artists. Namely : Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto, Hugo Naude, Tinus De Jongh, Frans Oerder, Gerard Benghu, Adriaan Boshoff, Carl Buchner, Conrad Theys, to name but a few. Shop 43 Willowbridge Lifestyle Centre, Carl Cronje Drive, Bellville, Cape Town.

021 914 2846 info@absolutart.co.za www.absolutart.co.za Alliance Française of Cape Town 11- 29 April, “En Attendant - While We Wait” a photographic interpretation of the impact of human beings on the environment by photographer Eric Gauss.

155 Loop Str, Cape Town. T. 021 423 5699 capetown@alliance.org.za www.alliance.org.za /A Word Of Art Until 21 April, “I Art SA Community Mural Project ” exhibition of murals, photography, street photo-booth intervention, book & video art by various participating artists. For April artists in residence are Indi Go from Canada & David Shillinglaw from the UK. 66 Albert Rd, Woodstock Industrial Centre.

T. 021 448 7889 rickylee@writeonafrica.com www.a-word-of-art.co.za Art b Until 13 April, the 2011 ABSA L’Atelier Regional Exhibition.

20 April- 5 May, South African Landscapes.

The Arts Association of Bellville, The Library Centre, Carel van Aswegan Str, Bellville. T. 021 918 2301 info@artb.co.za www.artb.co.za/gallery.htm A&I Gallery Until 14 April, “Out of Hand” a series of limited edition prints on paper by Leonard Shapiro. 5 Kloof Street, Gardens. T 021 422 5822 C. 083 749 2719 AVA Until 15 April, 4 exhibitions: “The Long Street Show” photography by David Lurie, “Beautiful World” works on paper

by Chris Diedericks, “And Everything’s Done Under The Sun” prints by Carol-Anne Gainor & “Ten Million Pounds of Sludge” a video work by Hugh Upsher.

18 April -13 May, installation by Elgin Rust, photography

by Dillon Marsh & painting by Cinga Samson.

Association for Visual Arts, 35 Church Str, CT. T.021 424 7436 art@ava.co.za www.ava.co.za Barnard Gallery Until 13 April, “Self-conscious Reflections - Power Of Women in Art” featuring : Lyndi Sales, Eris Silke & Pamela Stretton.

55 Main Str, Newlands. T. 021 671 1666 gallery@barnardgallery.com www.barnardgallery.com

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Blank Projects.

Until 9 April “No More Ice Cream” installation by Vanessa Niloufar Safavi (Switzerland) & “An Imaginary Solution” installation by Io Makandal.

Opening 14 April at 6pm, “Some Dance To Remember, Some Dance To Forget” painting, printmaking & photography by Sanell Aggenbach and “Enchanted Forest” ceramic sculpture by Adriaan de Villiers, until 7 May. 113-115 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, CT. T.072 1989 221 info@blankprojects.com www.blankprojects.com Cape Gallery Until 16 April, “Celebrating Nature” - Klein Karoo and Wildlife Exhibition by Robert Koch & Marinda Koch.

Opening 17 April at 4:30 pm, new works by Judy Woodborne, until 14 May. 60 Church Str, CT. T. 021 423 5309 web@capegallery.co.za www.capegallery.co.za Carmel Art Dealers in Fine art, exclusive distributers of Pieter van der Westhuizen etchings.

Visit the new gallery at Cape Quarter Square, 27 Somerset Rd, Green Point.

T. 021 4213333 www.carmelart.co.za Casa Labia 6 April- 29 May, “Ubuntu Bethu” mixed media works by Lindile Magunya & Gerald Tabata.

Africa Nova at Casa Labia Cultural Centre, 192 Main Rd, Muizenberg. T. 021 788 6067 info@casalabia.co.za www.casalabia.co.za Cedar Tree Gallery In April, a fine selection of various subjects and art in many different styles & mediums will be shown by artists Debbie Field, Johan Slabber, Evan Douglas, Mpumelelo Dube, Arabella Caccia, Hugo Slabber, Mikaela McKellar, Wendy Potgieter, Pauline Fine, Lone Damgaard, Maryann Nuis, Angela Stannard, Suzie Kidd, Valda Preen & Ann Symmonds.

Rodwell House, Rodwell Rd, St James, CT. T. 021 787 9880 cedartreegallery@gmail.com www.cedartreegallery.co.za The Cellar Private Gallery The Cellar Private Gallery of Art deals exclusively in original & investment art, offering works by a variety of renowned & upcoming SA artists.

12 Imhoff Str, Welgemoed, Bellville T. 021 913 4189 info@thecellargallery.co.za www.thecellargallery.co.za David Krut Projects Cape Town Until 30 April, “O/O” works by artists Julian Opie & Chris Ofili.

Montebello Design Centre, 31 Newlands Ave, CT. T. 021 685 0676 alastair@davidkrut.com www.davidkrutprojectscapetown.com David Porter Antiques Buyers and sellers of South African Art. T. 021 683 0580 C. 083 452 5862 david@davidporterantiques.com

The Donald Greig Bronze Foundry and Gallery Donald Greig is a specialized wildlife sculptor and his sculptures ranging from life-size to paperweights will be on display. The foundry will do a bronze pour on most days and the entire ‘Lost Wax Casting Process’ can be viewed by the public through special glass windows.

The Nautilus Building, No.14 West Quay Rd, V&A Waterfront. T. 021 418 4515 greig@intekom.co.za www.donaldgreig.com Ebony In April, Inaugural exhibition featuring works by Pieter Hugo, Conrad Botes, Hannes Harrs, Stanley Pinker & Freida Lock. Recent paintings by Bronwen VaughanEvans & Grace Kotze.

67 Loop Str, CT. T.021 876 4477 info@ebonydesign.co.za www.ebonydesign.co.za Erdmann Contemporary /Photographers Gallery Until 21 May,“Library of the Infinitesimally Small and Unimaginably Large” by Barbara Wildenboer, a Conceptualist working with paper constructions.

63 Shortmarket Str, CT. T. 021 422 2762 galleryinfo@mweb.co.za www.erdmanncontemporary.co.za Everard Read Gallery Until 13 April, “The Length of a Piece of String” by Guy du Toit who will exhibiting a series of small objects cast in bronze – chairs, twigs & skulls amongst others.

14- 28 April “New Works” Mixed media paintings from Ricky Dyaloyi portraying urban life in South Africa.

3 Portswood Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, CT. T. 021 418 4527 ctgallery@everard.co.za www.everardread-capetown.co.za 34 Fine Art Until 23 April, “Naked Lunch” screen prints by Roelof Louw.

2nd Floor The Hills Building Buchanan Square, 160 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock. T.021 461 1863 www.vgallery.co.za / www.34fineart.com The Framery Art Gallery Until 9 April, “Faces and Places” acrylic work on canvas

by Nicolas Truman-BakeR, in the Main Gallery.

Opening 14 April 6:30pm, “Sub-Diffusion” Chantelle Koen shows work in oil & collage on paper in this, her first solo exhibition, until 1 May. The Mezzanine Gallery shows work by Ishmael Thyssen, Patrick Mokuane, Pitsho Mofolo, John Kramer & others.

67G Regent Rd, Sea Point. T. 021 434 5022 debbiegrewe@gmail.com Gill Allderman Gallery Until 22 April, “Breaking the Silence” works in fabric by Marcelle Sprong.

278 on Main Rd, Kenilworth. C. 083 556 2540 gallery@new.co.za www.alldermangallery.co.za Goodman Gallery, Cape Until 30 April, photography by Jodi Bieber.

3rd Floor, Fairweather House, 176 Sir Lowry Rd., Woodstock. T. 021 462 7573/4,

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

WESTERN CAPE | GALLERY GUIDE iArt Gallery Until 23 April, “ The Swimmers” photography by Carla Liesching.

4- 27 April, “This Must be the Place” a group show with artists Abigail Harper, George Chapman, Ian Grose, Kitty Dorje & Leigh Tuckness in various mediums.

71 Loop Str, CT. T. 021 424 5150 info@iart.co.za www.iart.co.za iArt Gallery Wembley 3 April- 4 May, “Beaded Light” first solo exhibition by Yolande Breytenbach of 27 beadworks done over several years. Wembley Square, Gardens, CT. T. 021 424 5150 www.iart.co.za Infin Art Gallery A gallery of work by local artists.

Wolfe Str, Chelsea Village, Wynberg.

T. 021 761 2816 & Buitengracht Str. CT. T. 021 423 2090 www.infinart.co.za Irma Stern Gallery The permanent collection is on display showing Irma Stern’s development as an artist whose subject matter included exotic figures, portraits, lush landscapes and still lifes conveyed in a variety of media, ranging from oils and water colours to gouache and charcoal.

Cecil Rd, Rosebank, CT. T. 021 685 5686 www.irmastern.co.za

who won Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art 2010.

25 Queen Victoria Str, CT. T. 021 467 4660 www.iziko.org.za Iziko Michaelis Collection Ongoing, Dutch treat: Dutch works from the 17th–20th centuries in Iziko collections Iziko Michaelis Collection, Old Town House, Greenmarket Square, CT. T. 021 481 3800 hproud@iziko.org.za Iziko Good Hope Gallery (The Castle) Ongoing exhibition of oil paintings, furniture, ceramics, metal & glassware from the William Fehr Collection.

Buitenkant Str, opposite the Grand Parade, CT. T. 21 464 1262 kmooney@iziko.org.za Iziko SA Museum Until September, “Made in Translation: Images from and of the Landscape.”

25 Queen Victoria Str, Gardens, CT. T. 021 481 3800 info@iziko.org.za

Iziko SA National Gallery Until 17 April, “Boarding House” photographs by Roger Ballen.

Until 30 April, “Imagining Beauty” body adornment from Iziko collections & an installation of work by young SA designers.

Until 30 April, photography by the late Ernest Cole from the Hasselblad Ernest Cole Collection.

Until 15 May, “Endgame” works by Michael Macgarry

ART BOOK REVIEW Making Your Art Work By Ann Gadd.

In a world where theatrical illusion and metaphor so often act as substitutes for sound technical competence and structured knowledge, more direct methods of communication are often the ambrosia that make effort worthwhile. This book could seriously damage your delusions – in the best way!

Not only does accomplished artist and author Ann Gadd provide practical advice about creating art, marketing and internet/podcast potential but she exposes common misunderstandings about art that individual artists are SA ART TIMES. April 2011

Johans Borman Fine Art Gallery Until 16 April, “Aspects of Abstraction” featuring paintings

by Anna Vorster, George Diederick During, Maggie Laubser, Erik Laubscher, Douglas Portway & Walter Battiss.

18 April- 6 May, “Hennie Niemann Jnr Online Auction 2011” an exhibition of oil paintings.

In Fin Art Building, Upper Buitengracht Str, CT. T. 021 423 6075. art@johansborman.co.za wwww.johansborman.co.za Kalk Bay Modern Until 16 April, “Contemporary South African Painters” works by Simon Stone, Kate Gottgens, John Murray & Giovanna Biallo.

1st Floor, Olympia Buildings, 136 Main Rd, Kalk Bay. T.021 788 6571 kbmodern@iafrica.com www.kalkbaymodern.com Lindy van Niekerk Art Gallery A large selection of artworks by new and prominent South African artists and SA old Masters.

31 Kommandeur Rd, Welgemoed, Bellville.

T. 021 913 7204/5 lindy@artpro.co.za, www.artpro.co.za The Lovell Gallery The gallery is hosting a competition for artists to exhibit a body of work. Entries are now open and the submission deadline is 30 April 2011. Details on how to enter can be found at: www.lovellgallery.co.za or info@lovellgallery.co.za.

April till early May, an exhibition of oil paintings and photographs by Diane Harper & Tamzin Lovell.

20a Eden on the Bay, Big Bay, Cnr Otto du Plessis & Sir David Baird Drive T. 021 55 44 065

unlikely to consider because of the inevitably isolated nature of their productive work.This is invaluable particularly because by exposing the bluff and blunder practiced by both artists and galleries Gadd clarifies the essentials of record keeping, consignment notices, gallery etiquette, dodgy dealing practices, scams and many of the realities about websites as marketing tools for one’s art.

Interspersed with quotations from prominent dealers, Gadd draws upon her experiences during a career that started out in the advertising industry until she moved on to become a transformational art workshop facilitator, journalist/author, alternative practitioner and currently full-time artist. Many may associate her with the popular sheep paintings and ‘Ewe’ series which she started working on in 2006 as a reflection of our often common human foibles and folly. Her insights and sense of humour as tools to combat the often pretentious rhetoric and pompous exaggeration of jargonized art writing is a balm for the hype- weary.

A chapter devoted to the issue of copyright and other legal stuff is not as hilarious as ‘Accepting commissions’ in chapter 11 but contains information many of the artists I have interviewed clearly knew nothing about. In fact this book has highlighted so many lamentable areas of ignorance I’ve encountered among graduate, diploma and self-taught artists seeking publicity that I have no hesitation recommending it.

It also deals with blocks to creativity and provides insight that should lead to practical breakthroughs on many levels. It is not a ‘how to’ book but one that can be used as a studio companion and in paperback its light enough to be read anywhere. Hobbyists, students and artists will gain useful information about entering into commission agreements. Collaboration with galleries and the resulting ‘shifts in perception’ in the ‘Engaging with Galleries’ chapter is particularly enlightening; discussing the vanity and glamour aspect many of us are familiar with that is also prevalent in the publishing world. Also of value is the information about the cost factors involved in getting work exhibited overseas.

Available from leading bookstores, online from www.artforewe.co.za for R153.00 including postage- pay by Credit Card or EFT. Retailers can contact Blue Weaver distributors at info@blueweaver.co.za 25

GALLERY GUIDE | WESTERN CAPE

STELLENBOSCH Kunsgalery Art Gallery

Experience the abundance of South African artistic talent by prominent South African Artists.

Conrad Thys Quiver Trees oil on canvas, 50 x 60

www.stellenboschartgallery.co.za e-mail: mjg@kingsley.co.za hester@stellenboschartgallery.co.za

  

 

                                                            

   



Selected artists’ views



Wat kyk ons?

Tel/Fax: 021 887 8343 Cell: 082 566 4630 / 076 279 2175 34 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch

Robert Rob R bertt Ho H Hodgins odgi dgins (19 ((1920 199200 - 20 22010) 0 0) 010 0) ““It’s ItIt’s a kn It’ kknock nockk ou out” t” 200 t” 2000.

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An exhibition of historical and contemporary art by South African artists 10 January 2011 – 1 May 2011 ART AT TOK AR A

011 788 0820 | art@tokara.com www.juliameintjes.co.za EXHIBITION

Viewing: Tues - Sat 09h00 - after dinner Sun 09h00 - 15h00 | Mon 09h00 - 17h00 LOCATION

Tokara Winery Crest of the Helshoogte Pass on the R310 between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek ART AT TOKARA PRESENTED BY

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

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1st oor Cape Quarter Square 27 Somerset Road, Green Point Ph: 021 421 3333

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The Cape Gallery, 60 Church Street Cape Town seeks to expose fine art that is rooted in the South African tradition, work which carries the unique cultural stamp of our continent.

email: carmel@global.co.za website: www.carmelart.co.za

wide selection of works by leading South African contemporary artists

Featured above is artist Robert Koch

THE CAPE GALLERY

Open: Mon - Fri: 9h30 - 17h00 Sat: 10h00 - 14h00 Tel: 27 21 423 5309 Fax: 27 21 424 9063 E-mail: cgallery@mweb.co.za Web: www.capegallery .co.za

Exclusive distributors of

Pieter van der Westhuizen

American express, Mastercard, Visa & Diner cards are accepted. Reliable arrangements can be made to freight purchaces to foreign destinations.

etchings

full selection on website

est. 1977

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Legendary service & advice Custom made hand-finished frames Conservation framing with museum glass All work done in our own workshop Original art by local contemporary artists

Why settle for “run-of-the-mill” framing when you can have something custom made at an affordable price?

If you are going to frame it, show it off at its best!

Wolfe Street  Chelsea  Wynberg  021-761 2816 Buitengracht Street  Cape Town  021-423 2090 email: gallery@infinart.co.za  web: www.infinart.co.za

WESTERN CAPE | GALLERY GUIDE MM Galleries The gallery offers a platform that showcases a wealth of talented artists whose works are affordable and of high quality; the art is available in a mix of mediums.

Shop 3, 31 Palmer Road, Muizenberg, CT. T. 021 688 8370 info@mmgalleries.co.za www.mmgalleries.co.za

roskorb@icon.co.za www.rosekorberart.com Rosendal Art & Framing Until 8 April, relaunch of the gallery with new owners, an exhibition featuring Leonie E. Brown, Frieda van Zyl, Pieter van der Westhuizen, Marike Bell, Marittie de Villiers, Nanna Bakkes & Jaco Benade.

23 Oxford Str, Durbanville, CT. T. 021 976 8232

Martin Osner Fine Art Gallery Until 26 April, “Pride of Africa” a showcase of stylised wildlife photography by Klaus Tiedge.

Shop A14, Cape Quarter Piazza, 72 Waterkant Street, Green Point, Cape Town T. 021 790 6494 info@martinosner.com www.martinosner.com

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery Until 14 April,works by Sandy Diogo & Andrew Munnik.

April 19- 12 May, works by Nic Bladen, Jane Eppel, Theo Kleynhans & Janna Prinsloo 10 Wellington Rd, Durbanville. T.021 976 4691 www.rust-en-vrede.com

Michael Stevenson Contemporary Until 9 April, “Arcadia” recent paintings by Deborah Poynton, “Nightclub Photographs” by Billy Monk and “Ruth Drawing Picasso” a video projection by Rineke Dijkstra.

Opening 14 April 6pm, “Who’s Afraid of the Crowd?” mixed media paintings and video by Penny Siopis, “TONE” a series of pencil drawings, linocut and sculpture

by Paul Edmunds, and “50 g and Tlhogo” a video projection entitled 50 g and a live performance, Tlhogo

by Lerato Shadi. Edmunds, Siopis & Shadi will exhibit concurrently until 21 May. Ground Floor, Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, CT. T. 021 462 1500 info@michaelstevenson.com www.michaelstevenson.com

Salon 91 Until 21 April, “Karoo-kado’tjies” oil paintings by Lizelle Kruger.

Opening 28 April at 7:30pm,”Phantasmagoria” a solo exhibition of etchings & oil paintings by Paul Painting, until 21 May. 91 Kloof Str, Gardens, CT. T 021 424 6930 info@salon91art.co.za www.salon91.co.za

Michaelis Gallery Until 7 April “Paradox of Plenty” by Jeannette Unite featuring a series of composite, collaged drawings in the Upper Gallery.

6- 21 April, “Heimlich Manoeuvre” a variety of media by artists: Mohau Modisakeng, Chad Rossouw, Bryony Purvis, Sunette Viljoen, Dominique Edwards, Nicola Deane, Isabelle Grobler, Renzske Scholtz, Vincent Bezuidenhout, Ceri Muller & Monique Prinsloo 32-37 Orange Street, Gardens, CT. T. 021 480 7170 Original Cape Art Exhibition Until 7 April, Original Cape Art will be hosting an exhibition of works by 22 established, local artists in a wide range of mediums featuring landscapes, still life’s, floral art & innovative abstract paintings at the Sanlam Hall in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Entrance to the exhibition is free after entry to Kirstenbosch Gardens. Contact 021 799 8621 Red! The Gallery In April, an exhibition of new works by Hugo Maritz, Sam Brown, Andrew Sutherland & Kelly John Gough.

Shop G9, Steenberg Village Shopping Centre, Reddam Ave, Tokai T. 021 701 0886 red@redthegallery.co.za www.redthegallery.co.za Rococo Until 29 April, “Scenes from our Favourite Songs” a group show of various media, some artists participating are Nicholas Crooks, Richardt Strydom, Steven Bosch, Thalea Lombard, Kevin de Klerk, Marittie de Villiers, Gerda Claassen, Ross Kerr, Gerda Louw, Jeff Liss, Joe Doe & more.

38 Buitenkant Str, CT. T. 021 462 1348 info@rococorocks.co.za www.rococorocks.co.za Rose Korber Art Until 30 April, “Ceramic Cornucopia : Recent Works by 10 Women Ceramists” a survey of recent works by leading women artists in the field of contemporary South African ceramics: Louise Gelderblom, Clementina van der Walt, Wiebke von Bismarck, Helen Vaughan, Laura du Toit, Martine Jackson, Carolyn Heydenrych, Kendal Warren, Melanie Hillebrand & Sisanda Mbana.

48 Sedgemoor Rd, Camps Bay, CT. T. 021 438 9152 C.083 261 1173

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

SMAC Art Gallery, Cape Town Until 22 May, “Archaeology of Memory” works by Whitney McVeigh In-Fin-Art Building, Cnr of Buitengracht & Buitensingel Str, CT. T. 021 422 5100 info@smacgallery.com www.smacgallery.com South African Jewish Museum Until 9 May, photographic exhibition by David Goldblatt Ongoing exhibition, “Hidden Treasures of Japanese Art: The Isaac Kaplan Collection” 88 Hatfield Str, Gardens, CT. T. 021-465-1546 info@sajm.info www.sajm.info

A permanent exhibition of South African old masters & contemporary art.

Shop no 3, The Ivy, Kruger Str, Franschhoek T. 021 876 2497 www.galart.co.za The Gallery at Grande Provence Until 27 April, “Metanoia” paintings by Leon de Bliquy.

Also in the Project Room Tom Burger’s “Beeld van ‘n Bedreigde Wildernis/ Images of a Threatened Wilderness” and in the Shop Sanae Sawada’s “The Mountain Woman.”

Main Rd, Franschhoek. T. 021 876 8600. gallery@grandeprovence.co.za www.grandeprovence.co.za Holden Manz Collection The Holden Manz Wine Estate is proud to announce the opening of its Art Gallery in the city centre of Franschhoek Village. The Holden Manz Collection is focused on contemporary local art and showcases works including charcoals, collages, oils, drawings as well as photography & prints.

30 Huguenot Str, Franschhoek T. 021 876 44 02 info@holdenmanz.com www.holdenmanz.com Is Art Until 4 May, “elements” featuring works by Judy Woodborne & Talitha Deetlefs.

Ilse Schermers Art Gallery at Le Quartier francais, 6 Huguenot Str, Franschhoek. T. 021 876 8443 www.is-art.co.za

South African Print Gallery A wide selection of Fine Art Prints by South African Masters and contemporary printmakers.

109 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, CT. T. 021 462 6851 info@printgallery.co.za www.printgallery.co.za What if the World…

Until 16 April, “Dark Clouds are Gathering” a solo exhibition of paintings by Olaf Hajek.

First floor, 208 Albert Rd, Woodstock, T. 021 448 1438 www.whatiftheworld.com Worldart Gallery 9- 23 April, “Like Water for the Soul” mixed media paintings by Thembinkosi Kohli.

54 Church Str, CT. T.021 423 3075 charl@worldart.co.za www.worldart.co.za Youngblackman Gallery Until 6 April, “Aphroisms” paintings, prints & video projection by Malcolm Payne.

69 Roeland Str, CT. C. 083 383 0656 www.youngblackman69.com

Western Cape All Franschhoek Ebony Until 29 April, recent paintings by Mduduzi Xakaza, new sculptures by Carl Roberts & Stephen Rautenbach. Also on show, works by Cecil Skotnes, Peter Clarke and Gordon Vorster.

11 Huguenot Str, Franschhoek T. 021 876 4477 info@ebonydesign.co.za www.ebonydesign.co.za Galerie L’ Art

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WESTERN CAPE | GALLERY GUIDE 6 Long Str, Knysna. T. 044 382 5107 C. 082 5527262 gallery@finearts.co.za www.finearts.co.za

George Strydom Gallery Until 30 April,“Out of the Wood” annual themed exhibition of South African art – a response by a few selected artists.

79 Market Str, George. T. 044 874 4027 info@artaffair.co.za www.artaffair.co.za

Hermanus Abalone Gallery In April, in the Main Gallery a collection of selected works on canvas and paper as well as sculpture by Gail Catlin , John Clarke, Christo Coetzee, Nomthunzi Mashalaba, Leonard Matsoso, Carl Roberts, Fred Schimmel & Lynette Ten Krooden. In the Annex, graphic works by Kim Berman, El Loko, Judith Mason, Sophie Peters, Margaret Poynton, Andrew Verster & Diane Victor.

2 Harbour Rd, The Courtyard, Hermanus.

T. 028 313 2935 info@abalonegallery.co.za www.abalonegallery.co.za Bellini Gallery and Cappuccino Bar 1- 10 April, “Larger than Life” an exhibition by Annette Barnard and Ed Bredenkamp.

167 Main Rd, Hermanus. T. 028 312 4988 www.bellini-gallery.co.za Walker Bay Art Gallery The Walker Bay Art Gallery operates as an Art Gallery and a Art Consultancy. Specialising in South African Art as an investment with a wide selection of Old Masters as well as established Contemporary Artists. Well known artists represented are, Gregoire Boonzaier, Maud Sumner, Paul du Toit, Dawid Botha, Zakkie Eloff, Pieter van der Westhuizen, Piet van Heerden, Eben van der Merwe, Conrad Theys, Kaffie Pretorius, Aviva Maree, Jan Vermeiren, David Reade, Louis Chanu, Maureen Quinn and numerous others.

171 Main Road, Hermanus, T/F:028 312 2928 or 082 719 0907 Contact: Francois Grobbelaar francois@walkerbayartgallery.co.za www.walkerbayartgallery.co.za

Knysna Dale Elliott Art Gallery Exhibition of new images of the Garden Route by Dale & Mel Elliott Woodmill Lane Shopping Centre, Knysna.

Anneline: T. 044 382 5646 dale@dalelliott.co.za www.daleelliott.co.za Knysna Fine Art 1 April, “Artefact” recent mixed media sculpture by Guy Thesen and “Fragment” recent paintings & mixed media sculpture by Koerien de Bruin.

27 April, “Glamour Girls” paintings by Marinda Combrink as well as recent works by Kali van der Merwe, Phillemon Hlungwani, Simon Stone & Velaphi Mzimba. There will be an on-going exhibition of Peter Cazalet watercolour costume designs.

Knysna Fine Art has relocated to Thesen House,

Langebaan Bay Gallery Bay Gallery supports excellent, local artists, many of whom are members of S.A.S.A. All mediums exhibited.

Until the end of April, an exhibition entitled, “In Celebration of Women.”

Marra Square, Bree St., Langebaan.

Contact: Daphne 073 304 8744 baygallery@xsinet.co.za www.baygallery.co.za

Oudtshoorn ABSA KKNK 2- 9 April, the ABSA Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees.

Various galleries participating in and around Oudtshoorn as well as Calitzdorp, Kruisrivier, De Rust and Prince Albert.

Contact the Festival Office T. 044 203 8600 info@absakknk.co.za www.absakknk.co.za Artkaroo Gallery A selection of authentic Karoo fine art by various established and emerging artists.

Art Karoo is a participant in the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees 107 Baron van Reede, Oudtshoorn. T. 044 279 1093 janet@artkaroo.co.za www.artkaroo.co.za

Paarl Hout Street Gallery The Hout Street Gallery specialises in South African paintings and fine art and features an extensive range of paintings, ceramics and sculptures by more than thirty South African artists.

270 Main Str, Paarl. T. 021 872 5030 zetler@icon.co.za www.houtstreetgallery.co.za

Piketberg AntheA Delmotte Gallery In April a group exhibition “The Big Picture” a 4.7 x 2.7 m painting, consisting of 5500 miniature paintings done by children and artists: Jeanette Unite, Clare Menck, AntheA Delmotte, Madelein Marincowitz, Brahm Van Zyl, Susan Kemp, Mary Duncan, Pieter Bruwer, Tereza Harling & Jaco Joubert.

47 Voortrekker Str, The Old Bioscope, Piketberg.

073 281 7273 anthea@lantic.net

Plettenberg Bay Lookout Art Gallery A fine selection of interesting contemporary paintings, sculptures & blown glass.

The Courtyard, Lookout Centre, Main Str, Plettenberg Bay. T. 044 533 2210 mwdawns@mweb.co.za www.lookout-art-gallery.co.za

Somerset West Liebrecht Art Gallery In April, “My Naieve Art Is Not Naieve At All” works in acrylic by Marius Maritz, lecturer at the Hugo Naude Art School in Worcester & one of South Africa’s most prominent “naieve artists”.

34 Oudehuis Str, Somerset West.

T. 021 852 8030 C. 082 304 3859 www.liebrechtgallery.com

Stellenbosch Art on 5 Permanent exhibition of paintings and ceramics by Maryna de Witt, Pera Schillings & Karen Kieviet.

7b Andringa Str., Stellenbosch. T. 021 887 7234 Glen Carlou Estate On exhibition is The Hess Art Collection, including works

by Deryck Healey, Ouattara Watts & Andy Goldsworthy.

Simondium Rd, Klapmuts. T. 021 875 5314 www.glencarlou.co.za SMAC Art Gallery Until 8 May, “Fugitive Lines” mixed media works by Sue Pam-Grant.

De Wet Centre, Church Str, Stellenbosch.

T. 021 887 3607 info@smacgallery.com www.smacgallery.com US Art Museum Until 24 April, an exhibition of oil on canvas by Walter Meyer.

52 Ryneveld Str, University of Stellenbosch T. 021 808 3691/3/5

Villiersdorp Elliott Art Gallery Themed Boland and Overberg Exhibition by Dale and Mel Elliott 80 Main Rd, Villiersdorp. T. 028 840 2927 dale@daleelliott.co.za

Wilderness Beatrix Bosch Studio 1-30 April, The Awakening 57 Die Duin Wilderness T: 044 8770585 www.beatrixbosch.co.za BLOG: http://beatrixbosch.blogspot.com/ Pharoah Art Gallery Following the fire that destroyed the gallery in June last year the newly opened gallery features an exquisite collection of Peter Pharoah’s fine art originals & prints including rich colourful portraits, unforgettable African wildlife and bold textured abstracts that are inspired by his travels around Africa.

Wilderness Centre, George Road, Wilderness T. 044 877 0265 C. 076 976 2629 gallery@peterpharoah.com www.peterpharoah.com

Advertise in our Kwa Zulu Natal - SA Art Times May Special.

And our Eastern Cape Special in June Call Eugene on 021 424 7733 SA ART TIMES. April 2011

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You are invited to our 19 & 20 April Johannesburg Auction

Decorative & Fine Arts Viewing Dates: 15 April 10h00 - 17h00 16 April 10h00 - 14h00 17 April 10h00 - 17h00 Johannesburg: 13 Biermann Avenue Rosebank | Johannesburg | 2196 011 880 3125 | jhb@swelco.co.za Cape Town: The Great Cellar | Alphen Hotel Alphen Drive | Constantia 7806 021 794 6461 | ct@swelco.co.za Currently consigning for our 31 May & 1 June 2011 Cape Town Auction.

www.swelco.co.za

GALLERY GUIDE | EASTERN CAPE

Introducing Maimeri’s New eco friendly range of oil mediums - A first in South Africa

By Jane Odem It’s ironic that many of us spend so much time reading food labels in the grocery store, yet we expose ourselves to harmful chemicals such as turpentine on a regular basis. Turpentine is harmful to the environment. It is harmful to aquatic organisms and can cause long-term detrimental effects in aquatic environments. Turpentine is also harmful to human health. Short-term exposure to turpentine vapour leads to eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. It can also affect the central nervous system, bladder, and kidneys.

More and more artists are developing bad reactions and allergies to turpentine.

Turpentine, and all solvents, must be treated as household hazardous waste no matter where you live, and should never be poured down the drain, as they kill bacteria that break down other waste products.

Italian based paint manufacturer, Maimeri, is once again making waves in the market, with their new and eco friendly solvent that can be used exactly like turpentine, but without the harmful side effects. It can be disposed of down household drains.

This eco medium has been specially formulated with non-toxic ingredients that

make it safe for you and our environment.

Maimeri has been making artist paints and materials in Milan for over 85 years, producing one of the purest paints available on the market (containing no waxes or fillers, and a very high pigment concentration) and according to Gianni Maimeri, ‘This is a revolutionary product. The world is becoming more aware of environmental fragility, and starting to demand that we look after our planet better. Our Eco range is one step in the right direction, and will also help those who suffer from allergies to the traditional solvents’ Due to the quality and purity of their paints, Maimeri products have exploded onto the South African market, and are now available all over the country- and I foresee the same success with their new ECO range, as more and more consumers are considering the environment and health when choosing the items they purchase.

Oil Cleaner ECO Non Toxic Oil Cleanser • Thoroughly cleans painting tools such as brushes, knives, palettes and mixing bowls from all oil paint.

• Non hazardous to human health or the environment • An ammonia-free cleaner that can also be mixed and diluted with Water • Slightly straw yellow, it is odourless and has excellent dispersion power, removing all traces of oil and pigments Oil Medium ECO Turpentine substitute suitable for all oil colours • The ideal alternative to traditional solvents (turpentine, white spirit, odourless thinners) • Non hazardous to human health or the environment • It evaporates more slowly than tra¬ditional solvents. Liquid, colourless, with a barely perceptible odour. It can be disposed of down household drains

Eastern Cape East London Ann Bryant Gallery 7 April at 7pm, entrance: R35 per person, “The Realistic Image: Then & Now” a slide lecture by Barry Gibb.

Until 9 April, “ H-U-M-A-N: A Unique Journey into the Universal” painting, sculpture & photography by Surisa Surisa at the Coach House. Opening 12 April at 6pm, a tribute to Auriol Batten for her long & outstanding achievements as a botanical artist, in the Main Gallery, until 30 April.

Opening 14 April at 6pm, works by Peter Midlane, landscape painter and etcher at the Coach House, until 30 April.

9 St. Marks Rd, Southernwood, East London.

T. 043 722 4044 annbryant@intekom.co.za www.annbryant.co.za

Port Elizabeth artEC (Previously EPSAC) Lower Gallery: 5 -15 April, “Images from the Unconscious” paintings by Deon Lemmer.

17- 29 April, “Where the Ocean Ends” paintings by Cedric Vanderlinden.

Upper Gallery: Until 8 April, “Organic Mobiles 3” organic mixed media sculptures and installations by Peter Vaczi.

36 Bird Str, P.E. T. 041 585 3641 gallery@epsac.co.za Art & Antiques New gallery with works by Rick Becker, Les Bird, Matthew Calitz, David Lister, Angel Mey, Yvette Mey, Len Nel & Leoné Spies.

31A 8th Avenue, Walmer, P.E. Yvette 072 186 5475 braveheart.mey@gmail.com Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Until 13 April, “Public Art: A Journey from the Colonial Past into the Present” an exhibition of artwork from the Art Museum’s permanent collection including images & information on public art in Nelson Mandela Bay. 9 April -31 July, “Weird And Wonderful” filled with treasures from the NMMAM’s permanent collection, this exhibition promises to delight the senses and ignite the imagination. Selected works includes prints by Walter Battiss, ceramics by Hylton Nel & paintings by Derrick Erasmus.

20 April – 8 May, “Who’s Who and What’s New? 2011” the annual unselected exhibition is a chance for the Nelson Mandela Bay’s art community to exhibit new work at the NMMAM. 1 Park Drive, PE. T. 041 506 2000 www.artmuseum.co.za Ron Belling Art Gallery 5- 30 April, oil on canvas by Bob Mckenzie.

30 Park Drive, P.E. T. 041 586 3973 ronbelling@mweb.co.za www.ronbelling.co.za

Kwazulu- Natal Durban The African Art Centre Until 8 April, “Artist and Crafter of the Year” wood sculptures by Widus Mtshali & paintings by Victor Shange.

13 April – 15 May, “Transformation and Innovation” new trends in traditional beaded Zulu jewellery and a unique range of contemporary jewellery by Fiona Simmons.

94 Florida Rd, Durban. T. 031 312 3804/5 africanartcentre@afri-art.co.za www.afriart.org.za

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

EASTERN CAPE | KZ- NATAL | GALLERY GUIDE The Audrey Rudnick Gallery Surrealist Paintings, Sculptures and Pod People by Audrey Rudnick.

77 North Beach Rd, Shop no.10 Upper Level, Umdloti Centre, Umdloti.T. 031 568 2445 audrey@thehoozoo.com www.audreyrudnick.com ArtSPACE Durban Until 16 April, “Inspiration”-Durban Art Gallery Archive Show, a group show of various artists including Steve Mandy, Claude Chandler, Carla da Cruz, Pascale Chandler, Welcome Danca & Marlene Wasserman to name a few.

18 April- 7 May, “WO.MAN” mixed media by Coral Spencer Domijan, Di van Wyk, Jane Oliver & Michele Silk.

3 Millar Rd, Stamford Hill, Durban. T.031 312 0793 info@artspace-durban.com www.artspace-durban.com Durban Art Gallery Until 17 April, “A Vigil of Departure: Louis Khehla Maqhubela” a retrospective exhibition of his works from 1960-2010.

2nd Floor, City Hall, Anton Lembede Str (former Smith Str), Durban T. 031 311 2264 strettonj@durban.gov.za The BAT Centre Until 15 April, the “Human Rights Exhibition” at the Menzi Mchunu Gallery featuring prints by more than 30 artists from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights International Print Portfolio.

Also until 15 April, the “Human Rights Exhibition” at the Democratic Gallery, a group exhibition consisting of three upcoming artists: Sibonelo Mbanjwa, Xolile Mazibuko and Nozipho Mbhele working in various media.

45 Maritime Place, Small Craft Harbour, Victoria Embankment, Durban T. 031 332 0451 publicity@batcentre.co.za/ events@batcentre.co.za www.batcentre.co.za

Margate. T.039 312 8392 C.072 316 8094 huey@hcm.gov.za www.mam.org.za

Pietermaritzburg The Blue Caterpillar Art Gallery 12 April to 20 May, oil on canvas paintings of still life & landscapes by Shirley Howells.

The Blue Caterpillar Art Gallery at Butterflies for Africa 37 Willowton Rd, Pietermaritzburg. T. 033 387 1356 art@butterflies.co.za or bluecaterpillarart@hotmail.com www.butterflies.co.za Tatham Art Gallery Until 15 May, “Art and Politics” group show.

(Schreiner Gallery) Until Mid-June, “Whitwell Collection 1923-1926” (First floor Galleries & Ceramics Room) and ‘Storm in the Wheatfields: The Gallery’s History 1903-1974” (Perimeter Gallery) Cnr of Chief Albert Luthuli (Commercial) Rd & Church Str. (Opposite City Hall) Pietermaritzburg. T. 033 342 1804 www.tatham.org.za

Underberg The Underberg Studio A gallery specializing in South African fine art landscape photography and ceramics. Owned by photographer Lawrance Brennon & his potter wife, Catherine Brennon, the gallery is set in a delightful garden facing the mountains. Currently on show is a photographic exhibition entitled ‘Disintegration’ featuring Lawrance’s black & white pinhole images and a selection of Catherine’s newest ceramic work. 21 Ridge Rd, Underberg. Signage from R617 T. 033 701 2440 C. 072 141 9924 / 082 872 7830 www.underbergstudio.co.za

Elizabeth Gordon Gallery Established nearly 30 years ago the gallery is well stocked with original works by eminent and emerging SA artists and hosts exhibitions of new works on a regular basis. New oil paintings by Wim Rautenbach.

120 Florida Rd, Durban T. 031 3038133 joy@elizabethgordon.co.za www.elizabethgordon.co.za Fat Tuesday 16 April, “Domestics” an exhibition by Lesley Magwood Fraser combining drawing marks with collage.

Bellevue Campus, 5 Belleview Rd, Kloof T. 031 717 2785 www.fattuesday.co.za Imbizo Gallery Until end of April experience the “Soul Of Africa” at Imbizo Gallery in Ballito with artists Everett Duarte, Frances Schandera Duarte & sculptor George Kockott.

Shop 7A, Ballito Lifestyle Centre, Ballito 4418, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa T. 032 946 1937 info@imbizogallery.co.za www.imbizogallery.co.za KZNSA Gallery Until 9 April, “Of This and That” oil paintings, drawing, cutouts & small sculptures by Andrew Verster at the Main Gallery.

Until 9 April, etchings by Paul Painting at the Mezzanine Gallery 166 Bulwer Rd, Glenwood. T. 031 202 3686 gallery@kznsagallery.co.za www.kznsagallery.co.za

Margate Margate Art Museum Museum’s art collection on display which comprises a variety of modes, techniques and media that attempts to reflect the cultural and artistic diversity of the KZN region.

Margate Civic Centre, Dan Pienaar Square, Vikings Rd,

‘A work from the exhibition entitled: Storm in the Wheatfields: The Gallery’s History 1903-1974” (Perimeter Gallery) Tatham Gallery

Send your gallery listings to: show@arttimes.co.za

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SA ART TIMES GALLERY GUIDE | ARTIST’S SHOW / SUE WILLIAMSON

Sue Williamson’s Voices at The Goodman Gallery, CT Lloyd Pollak The most moving exhibit at Sue Williamson’s show “Voices” which is partly a retrospective, and partly new work, is a series of 11 dry, detached, almost clinical, B. & W. photographs recording the impact the forced removals had on one District Six family. There is no lapse into the sentimental or the patronizing in this harrowing narrative documenting Naz and Harry Ebrahim’s last days in the house where they lived for thirty years, before it was bulldozed in 1981. The original eviction order is juxtaposed with scenes of family life during the fraught, terminal weeks when the doomed rooms were covered by their visitors’ messages of support which acted as constant reminders of the dreaded event.

Sue’s humanitarian concern emerges from the bitterly ironic title which alludes to the last Eid the Ebrahim’s celebrated at that address, but otherwise sentiment is subjected to iron control, and the deliberate understatement intensifies the suite’s resonance. The Goodman’s location, in the midst of the very area where the evictions took place, further heightens the impact. The photograph of Mrs Ebrahim standing at the gateway to her home, as she mulls over her imminent dispossession with impotent fury and grief, is placed opposite the window, so her gaze is fixed on the site where her home once stood, giving the image a heart-rending reality. The last photograph, taken in 2008, depicts the erstwhile site of Manley villa, and the empty plot draws attention to the utter futility of the evictions.

The crusading urgency of Sue, the impassioned activist combating the iniquities of the Nationalist government and its ANC successor, also informs the art works devoted to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the depredations of Aids.

“Some South Africans”, a pantheon of portraits, iconizes the heroines of the struggle who were virtually unknown to the white public in the early 80’s. This was long before Winnie Mandela, Helen Joseph and Miriam Makeba were elevated into icons of resistance. At the time they were loathed as enemies and traitors, and Sue remem-

Works from “Last Supper at Manley Villa” (1981-2008),

38

bers how these images threatened the general public, and how a woman once spat upon them.

The politicized, issue-driven art, with which the artist originally made her name, has yielded to far more relaxed and mellow art-making. In “The Diaries of Lady Anne B”, 24 monotypes inspired by the diarist’s account of daily life in the 18th century Cape, the intimacy of the individual mark replaces the cool impersonality of the photograph.

Lady Anne possessed a flair for observation, a sensual responsiveness to sight, sound and smell and her vivid descriptions crackle with a vitality absent from the desiccated accounts of academic historians precisely because she was recording her own lived experience. The monotypes radiate the sense of pleasure the artist so obviously experienced in the making of them, and they possess a seductive off-the-cuff freshness, immediacy and tactile appeal. They range from the droll and quirky to the grim and terrifying, but always exploit the medium’s loose and washy quality, and nowhere more so than in a study of the full-bellied masts and sails of a ghostly galleon battling the high seas in a swirl of tempestuous clouds, waves and spray brilliantly evoked through the quiver and run of pigment under pressure.

The grandly scaled “Other Voices, Other Cities”, a recent work examining what living in a particular city, means to its residents, dominates “Voices”.

To answer this question, Sue contacted young artists who participated in a workshop where they formulated pithy phrases intended to capture the spirit of their city. The final statement was chosen by vote, and then transferred letter by letter to individual cardboard sheets which the participants held up in front of typical landmarks, like the Reichstag in Berlin, and the old harbor in Havana.

This bureaucratic method of making art by committee, yielded predictably dull results in the main, and what compels our attention are not the words, but the visual context in which they are displayed.

The Cuban images of derelict buildings, the decaying shoreline and the historic harbor empty

Helen Joseph from: “Some South Africans”

of vessels, are richly evocative, and capture the pathos of a deeply demoralized society succumbing to attrition with a haunting poignancy. The blockade is also in the mind, is the verdict on Havana, and the terse words speaks volumes about how censorship becomes an internalized reflex in repressive, communist dictatorships.

The photograph exudes an even more powerful sense of hopelessness, disillusion and disaffection. A pristine stadium, freshly painted blue and white, and very much the gift of the party leadership to the proletariat, is surmounted by an immense billboard in which the heroicized head of a resolute Chef Guevara stares fearlessly into Marxism’s promised golden dawn, but the stadium is deserted, and the ideology it was built to celebrate, discredited, and without adherents.

The series work by juxtaposition and contrast.

Berne is represented by plump, well-fed, wellshod, well-dressed but dour young Swiss. Although they cannot possibly have any grievances to ventilate, they form the kind of straight-lined, regularly spaced formation one associates with vigils and protests as they hold up the words “Even Nothing Works” in a manicured public garden where well-trained roses obligingly bloom.

Sue commenced her career as a journalist before embracing art in her mid twenties, and her trained reportorial eye for witty observation, telling details and expressive minutiae also shines forth in the open, expansive London composition which fills an entire wall with a view from the Festival Hall over the river to Somerset House. Here her placard-wielding cast includes Indians, blacks and a doting suburban, househusband with a baby strapped to his chest in demonstration of the changing gender roles and demography of multiracialised, post-feminist Britain.

One hopes “Voices” will inspire the SANG to mount a far more comprehensive retrospective of the oeuvre of this pioneering conceptualist, valiant adversary of apartheid, art historian, author, editor and critic whose writings have stalwartly championed South African art both here and abroad, and furthered the careers of two generations of young artists. It is only Sue’s due.

Works from: “Other Voices, Other Cities” SA ART TIMES. April 2011

Photo (detail): Mikhael Subotzky

ART LIFE | FEATURE / RUTH PROWSE SCHOOL OF ART

Ruth Prowse School of Art blooms with new creativity

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SA ART TIMES. April 2011

ARTLife

/ FEATURE | ART LIFE

THE SOUTH AFRICAN

This week saw the official ribbon cutting of the school’s brand new Laubscher Art Gallery and the Stemple Fine Arts Wing, representing the finishing touches of a mammoth growth over the past few years under the dynamic and inspired directorship of Eunice Geustyn.

“We approached the Apostolic church whose church bordered our art school, just over two years ago. It had been mainly empty and our initial enquiry about its purchase rolled out very quickly, especially because we were on the same page regarding the importance of community work and outreach programs in Woodstock” says Eunice Geustyn, a Michaelis Masters graduate and Director of the School. “We are also very fortunate to have had a financial donation from The Stemple Foundation, who we named the fine art wing after, they gave us incredible support”. Mr. Stemple was the founder of the insurance giant AIG) - and their daughter who cut the ribbon today is the great niece of Ruth Prowse herself. In addition to this we have opened up

the new Laubscher Art Gallery to honour Erik Laubscher who did so much in realizing the school - from the building being a derelict farm homestead (owned by the famous South African artist, Ruth Prowse who initially left her estate to become a creative centre), to become one of the most dynamic and formidable art schools in the country.

The opening of the Stemple wing and Gallery means that the whole school is properly organized, all the fine art department is under one wing, while the well stocked library and lecture theatres could be put to good use – all making the art school work as a whole, and function extremely well. “We have been lucky to have had a hard working and dynamic art school board were many highly skilled people have come together and given of their valuable time and expertise in order to make the art school a beautiful and special place in which our students may grow and flourish in a first class, international educational environment for years to come” says an inspired and excited Geustyn.

Starting from page 38 (L-R) Daren Gwynne - student photographer snaps the ribbon to be cut, South African art icon Erik Laubscher, Eric cutting the ribbon to the gallery named in his honour (DG) , current fine art students looking on, Eric with some of his works as part of the gallery’s first show, Ilhaam Bahardien Head of Fine Art in The S Fine Art Wing, Student- Ian Gagiano (Above) Ms. Eunice Geustyn Director of The Ruth Prowse Art School, Ms. S cutting the ribbon to the Fine Arts Wing (DG) , the School’s well stocked library with Bellina Molaoa Librarian. All Photo’s: Jenny Altschuler. DG -Daren Gwynne SA ART TIMES. April 2011

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ART LIFE | FEATURE / 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDIVIDUALISTS - BY THE ARTISTS OF THE ACADEMY, PRETORIA

Ernst de Jong has been teaching Modern Art and Design for 54 years and is something of a legend in the Art world. He has taught at universities in South Africa an overseas in academies in New York and Oslo, Norway. Today he is the Principal and Professor of Art at the Ernst de Jong Academy of Fine Art in Pretoria and his paintings hang in major museums and private collections worldwide.

The Academy’s main area of expertise is the teaching of contemporary painting to Professional Painters, some of whom have been with him for more than eight years.

The Academy prides itself on its ‘Artists of the Academy’ who are remarkably successful here and internationally.

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The New Individualists This year, 2011, the Academy celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ‘Individualists ’ with shows in various galleries and unusual venues in South Africa by The New Individualists, all Artists of the Academy.

Like the ‘Individualists’ before us, Henk Pierneef, Peter Wenning, Jack Hafner, Anton an Wouw and other prominent artists who founded the ‘Pretoria Art Club’ and also exhibited together between 1910 and 1912, the ‘Artists of the Academy’ are a bright new contemporary group of Individualists rapidly making a serious mark in the South African Art world. Some of our artists are already well known: Legendary Ernst de Jong with 50 solo shows and several Museum shows to his credit,

Jan van Schalkwyk whose work is very sought after here and abroad, Carol Aslin of Zambia with 4 sell out shows in Lusaka to name but a few. Our group presently is Ernst de Jong, Jan van Schalkwyk, Bijou Moynot, Cecile Ronga, Carol Aslin, Constance Pansegrouw, Esther Booysen, Carol van Tonder, Christa Cronjé, Lino da Silva, Ronel Wheeler, including former Artist of the Academy, Eva Sydow. The ‘New Individualists’ have arrived, are on fire and will begin with the Inaugural Exhibition in Pretoria. We hope you will enjoy viewing our work for many years to come.

“Art is anything done essentially to achieve Beauty” Ernst de Jong 1960 Academy address for further information: Tel: 012 430 4677 | Fax: 012 430 6391 E-mail: edejong@lantic.net Cell: 082 951 4533 Captions: Ernst de Jong, Principal of the Academy of Fine Art in front of his painting – “American Dream Wheel” / / Academy Studio scene with painters, Constance Pansegrouw, Bijou Mognot and Cecile Ronga / From Copenhagen, Douglas Pringle / Constance Pansegrouw with her Abstract Precisionist painting – “Fish” / Jan van Schalwyk, the brilliant painter of the South African condition. / Cecile Ronga with “Paternoster” / Christa Cronjé – Action Painter / Abstract Expressionist Painter, Ronel Wheeler Photo / Ernst de Jong studying graphics in one of his studios / Lino da Silva painting “African Images “ in the Academy / Façade of the Academy in Pretoria

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

ART LIFE | FEATURE / SHARON SAMPSON’S PRINTMAKING STUDIO CLASSES, JHB

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

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‘PHANTASMAGORIA’ Paul Painting at Salon91

28 April – 21 May 2011 through a syntax of deeply personalized symbols and ambiguous constructions, while remaining largely figurative and accessible. Painting has held a number of successful solo exhibitions and participated widely in group shows around the country. His current body of etchings, form the basis of his upcoming solo exhibition “Phantasmagoria” at Salon91 in Cape Town, and also represent a new development and direction in his output.

Carny hardground/aquatint/spitbite

Paul Painting (b1974- ) studied graphic design at the Technikon of Witwatersrand between 1993-95.

Finding that commercial art satisfied little of his creative motives, Painting went on to balance his passion for traditional painting techniques with his fascination for filmmaking. Though the two mediums remain quite discrete in his production, there is an undeniable exchange of ideas between them. His preoccupations centre around the inner self, expressed

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The Thaumaturgist Hardground/aquatint

Reggie Kray hardground/aquatint

Ape’s Progress hardground

“It is unsurprising that my choice of subject matter and handling should so embrace the macabre and fantastical work of Francisco de Goya, whose ‘Caprichos’ cycle represents my initial fascination with the venerable medium of etching. The power and depth of his plates affect me tremendously and I find myself returning to his work time and again, and, in my opinion, demonstrate the height of the type of expressive potential allowed by the medium. His towering example has inspired me to attempt to apprehend some measure of that same richness of subject and breadth of handling, while remaining true to my own obsessions and pre-occupations, and the set of personalized symbols that articulate them.

My current work reflects an exhaustive overhauling of banks of imagery obsessively collected and hoarded over the years, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. An attraction toward the grotesque and enigmatic, qualifies the work, and reflects a series of personalized and equivocal responses to the ghosts of memory and desire (in all their ambiguities), notions of individuality and alienation, and a penchant for the offbeat and the bizarre. Their dark and often moody narratives are counteracted by a sense of wry humour, wherein anthropomorphic taxidermy apes square off against burlesque wrestlers, vicious criminals rub shoulders with ersatz dinosaurs: in a phantasmagoria of ill starred misfits.” – PAUL PAINTING 2011 –

“Phantasmagoria” will show at Salon91 Contemporary Art Collection (91 Kloof Street, Cape Town) from the 28th of April until the 21st of May. For more information please visit our website or contact the gallery.

Gallery Hours: Tue – Fri: 10am – 6pm; Sat: 10am – 2pm

Aviva Maree Exhibition at Walker Bay Art Gallery from 23 April to 7 May 2011 Aviva Maree is an artist who acquired extensive experience over the past 26 years. Without formal training, but captivated by the vibrancy and brilliance of colours and light, she developed her own individual style of painting, using acrylic on canvas.

Having lived in Gazankulu, Venda, Tzaneen and currently in Knysna, Aviva uses her imagination and intimate knowledge of rural scenes to depict ordinary people and their everyday activities. She invites the viewer to engage with her pictures, using their own imagination to complete the stories with their personal experiences of life. “The manner in which the viewer can easily interact with the paintings, their subject matter, the brilliance of the colours and condent brush

Vrugteverkoper, 50 x 58 cm, acrylic on canvas

strokes makes the work come alive, full of depth and emotion”, comments Nicole Palmer, renowned Cape photographer.

Aviva is not afraid to paint with her heart and it is this spirit that gives her work that something extra which is enjoyed by art lovers in this country and abroad. Aviva’s work is sought after and her three major exhibitions held at Walker Bay Art Gallery in Hermanus, Art and Wine Gallery in Clarens and Stellenbosch Art Gallery, were all sell outs.

“She is a South African contemporary artist to notice and remember”, says Hester Borgelt, respected art dealer. Aviva expresses herself with honesty and simplicity. She feeds the imagination and she feeds the soul.

Vye vir Fran, 75 x 85 cm, acrylic on canvas

Blommemense, 90 x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas

San se Skuit, 40,5 x 30,5 cm, acrylic on canvas

Waterblommetjies, 60 x 73,5 cm, acrylic on canvas

Blomme Pluk, 75 x 85 cm, acrylic on canvas

Aviva Maree Exhibition at Walker Bay Art Gallery from 23 April to 7 May 2011 For more information please visit our website or contact the gallery.

171 Main Road, Hermanus Tel: 028 312 2928 Cell: 082 719 0907 E-mail: francois@walkerbayartgallery.co.za www.walkerbayartgallery.co.za Opening times: Tuesday to Friday 09h00-17h00 Sat/Sun 10h00-15h00 Mon 10h00-17h00

GALLERY, STUDIO & ART CLASSES (021) 686 3469 CELL: 082 424 1033

lescharnock@telkomsa.net www.lesleycharnock.com

As an artist I see beauty in most things but it is the diversity, colour and warmth of the South African people and the landscape that really inspire me. I am very aware of tonal values and how they affect my colour choices. If I get this right my paintings are lled with light.

Capturing the early morning, evening or midday sunlight is often the essence of the painting. I also enjoy experimenting with different styles and brushstrokes I work very spontaneously and impetuously and often whisper to myself, “Slow down, slow down.” But I can’t.

I seem to react to what is in front of me way before my brain catches up!

Nasturtiums and blue jar, oil on canvas

As a result, these quick oil sketches and paintings, have an energy that I would hate to lose with too much planning. I am regularly invited to run workshops and oil painting demonstrations at Art Societies in and around Cape Town.

Teaching in 2011 I usually run one day workshops from April to November in my gallery at Montebello Design Centre in Newlands Cape Town. This year, however, I will be taking up a residency at the Cite Internationale Des Arts in Paris during September and October.

Print on canvas I sell high quality pigment prints on canvas.

Still life with Watering Can, oil on canvas

River Crossing, oil on canvas

Horses in the Mist, oil on canvas

Fishing off the Rocks, Hermanus, oil on canvas

Marlin and his Lamb, oil on canvas

Mother’s love, oil on canvas

Winter Fishing, oil on canvas

Trek Fishermen caught in the early morning light, oil on canvas

Chiappini Street, Cape Town, oil on canvas

Afternoon Commuters, oil on canvas

Cape Flower Pickers, oil on canvas

Dawn Goatherd, oil on canvas

The Poppy Sellers, oil on canvas

Heat Haze, oil on canvas

Nasturtiums, oil on canvas

A Splash of Colour, West Coast, oil on canvas

African Rhythm, oil on canvas

Lesley Charnock Gallery and Studio I sell my paintings through my own gallery at Montebello Design Centre, 31 Newlands Ave, Newlands, Cape Town 021 6863469 cell 082 424 1033 The Cape Gallery In the Cape I am also well represented at The Cape Gallery, Church Street, Cape Town, tel 021 423 5309 Kirstenbosch Gardens Ros Molteno and Christine Cherry Jones represent me at ďƒžve exhibitions a year, held at the Kirstenbosch Gardens in the collections of Art Portfolio and Original Cape Art. For exhibition inquiries please phone Ros Molteno at 072 158 7548 For CV and more information please go to the website www.lesleycharnock.com

A Long Ride Home, oil on canvas

Still life with Pears and Chinese Jar, oil on canvas

Life is Hard, oil on canvas

BUSINESS ART

EsmĂŠ Berman Photo: Christo Harvey

BUSINESS ART | ART LEADER

Esmé Berman Wilhelm van Rensburg

handbook. You are going to write the book of South African art!”

“I have lived a whole other lifetime since last speaking to you” was the way Esmé Berman, grand dame of South African art greeted me when I rang to arrange an interview. The first time I interviewed her was on the occasion of the Alexis Preller retrospective exhibition at Standard Bank Gallery and at Iziko in 2009 and 2010. “The show was, for me, a celebration of a lifetime that embraced my friendship with him,” she said at the time. And the time since that exhibition? “I published another book: Africa, the Sun and Shadows” – a popular, inexpensive version of the deluxe edition that accompanied the luxurious catalogue of 70 prime Preller works she and Karel Nel chose for the retrospective. “I want everybody to have access to the experience that I have had when researching and writing about art and artists.” A lifetime indeed.

Writing Art and Artists of South Africa channeled Berman’s life in another direction: she inadvertently became a full-time researcher. “There was no Google to help with the research” she observed wryly. “I had to crisscross the country for information. In a sense I rescued South African art. In typical fate, the the custodian of the Natal Society of Arts, started in 1905, burned their archive when she entered a retirement home.! The South African Society of Artists, started in 1902 was on the verge of destroying their documents as well. In the end they allowed me access, but only from seven one night till seven in the next! But I promised Balkema, who really pressurized me, that he’d have the book before my 40th birthday, and I duly submitted the manuscript on 1 July 1969. The book was published on 1 6 November 1970 and was sold out by Christmas. One of the most memorable experiences of my life was when I saw the window display of it at City Books in Jeppe Street, covering the whole shop façade with its signature horizontal striped cover design.”

But life was not always good. Berman pre-empts the following story by singing a couple of lines from a well-known 1960s pop song: ‘It was not always smooth/Sometimes we jumped a groove’. She then related how, “following the publication of Art and Artists, I received an increasing number of phonecalls from strangers, wishing to know whether the price being asked for a specific artwork (which, of course, I couldn’t see over the telephone!) was indeed appropriate. My solution was to create Art Institute South Africa, as a vehicle for publication, education and consultative services. The South African Art Market 1971/72 - a handbook for collectors was our first formal production. It enjoyed the co-operation of art fundis from various regions of South Africa, and included extensive tables detailing information with regard to 1971 & 72 art sales, data provided by the major auctioneers and commercial gallery directors.

“The book was a handsome production – a model of fine typography, designed by Ernst de Jong, with witty illustrations and perceptively drawn portraits of well-known national art dealers, by Nils Burwitz. In addition to the market data, it included a Directory of South African Art Dealers and relevant texts by Natalie Knight, Jaap Boekkooi, Peter Miller and myself, as Editor.

“Two days before the handbook’s release, a full-page review was published in the Rand Daily Mail. Below the generally laudatory article, reproduced without explanatory commentary, was a series of short tables, representing the meticulous analysis by Art Institute staff of the rating for their collectability of artists listed in the Price Survey, as evaluated by four notable members of the national art scene.

“The publication of that bare listing doomed the book A local luminary, offended by his low ranking in the tables, initiated an instant telephone campaign, aimed at denouncing the – unpublished – handbook. Within hours, I had become the target of a flourishing vendetta. The ‘experts’ hastily revoked their previously-eager involvement in the rating exercise; the National President of the SA Association of Arts, who had wired his congratulations, now withdrew them. My friend and colleague, Cecil Skotnes, expressed the fear that my career in art was over!

“However, there was also an opposite camp, appalled by the knee-jerk response. Among the outspoken defenders of the handbook were two prominent Pretorians, Judge Kowie Marais, President of the Transvaal branch of the SAAA, and Alexis Prelller. Artist Wim Blom wrote from Spain, expressing his scorn for the aggressive reaction. The rating of artists was routine in Europe, he asserted – why was it such a scandal in South Africa?”

In a sense South Africans are still not able to deal with this type of rating, judging from the outcry over ‘who-is-in-who-is-out’ after the publication of South African Art Now by Sue Williamson in 2009. Berman, not wanting to be confrontational, did the honourable thing: she destroyed all the printed copies of the handbook!

“Then there was my 16 year lifetime in the United States, learning about another culture and integrating with another society. Americans think completely differently from the rest of us. The distinctive grace is that nobody gets old there: in my contact for a teaching position at UCLA Extension there was no mention of age, religion or country of origin. The only criterion was whether you were a good educator.”

Teaching has been in Berman’s blood from the beginning. She enrolled for two degrees at Wits: a BA Fine Arts and a BA Honors degree in Psychology. She became undergraduate tutor for both these qualifications at age 18! Maria Stein-Lessing was her mentor and Berman met her weekly at her shop, L’Afrique to discuss the next week’s lectures. The Johannesburg Hebrew Seminary also invited her to lecture “on ‘creative teaching’, of all things.”

Berman’s phenomenal teaching skills are only set off against her entrepreneurial drive: as a result of her Psychology studies, she started the Children’s Art Centre, also using art as a therapeutic and projective technique, while working voluntarily with disabled, orphaned and disadvantaged children.

Then there was the time she spent as art critic for Newscheck magazine from 1962. The magazine modeled itself on the American Time magazine and she worked alongside Robert Hodgins, assistant editor at the time and later, art critic. “He concentrated on journalism and not on his art at the time!” she said exasperatedly. In addition, Berman began broadcasting regular radio reviews at the SABC after Harold Jeppe started an arts programme for the corporation.

After World War II a left wing party started the Hillbrow Study Centre, arranging evening classes for workers. I in a small seminar room. As a short experimental course about a shared South African culture. Doreen Greig lectured on South African architecture. There were two lectures on South African literature; and Esmé was invited to lecture on South African art. Her first lecture drew 30 people, but the second, 80. The organizer, Philydia Wentzel then approached Wits for a bigger venue and arranged another six lectures

by Berman, all in the auditorium of the Geology Building.

Involvement with the Centre not only confirmed Berman’s exceptional teaching abilities, it also provided the impetus for her magnum opus, Art and Artists of South Africa. The Study Centre insisted on providing handout notes for the workers of the lectures to which they listened. The problem was the Esmé did not have any notes for her lectures. Philydia suggested putting together her existing radio scripts in handbook format and that is how Berman started writing her book. Anna Smith, chief librarian at the Johannesburg Public Library, took it one step further: she introduced Berman to Balkema, “a little man with thick glasses and a giggle, who asked me to send my manuscript to him, which I duly did. After months of not hearing from him, he telephoned me out of the blue to say ‘I am not going to publish your

Photo: Christo Harvey

In a sense one could say that was the advent of the Preller connection.

It started in 1972 when Berman wrote the catalogue for his retrospective exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum. Karel Nel, a young friend and contemporary of her late son, was thrilled by the exhibition and subsequently urged her to write Preller’s life story. He kept on reminding her about the book, even while she was living in the United States. Berman, however, was writing the second edition of Art and Artists. “It had to be revised. The original title was ‘Notes on South African Painting’. Because people thought of ‘art’ as separate from sculpture, I needed to fill that gap.” Alexis’s life story had to wait another couple of decades. “Many people proposed to write about Preller, but – over the years – no book emerged. I had, however, managed to make a film about him, screened by the SABC in 1977. Years later, when I was approached to work on a book, I aimed to break with the prevailing trend of assembling essays on aspects of an artist’s career; instead, to provide a synoptic view of his life and work, so that other people may penetrate the artist’s expression and in that way extend their own experience.”

“Preller was an imaginative painter, not a surrealist. Everything he did became magical, and acquired an intensely immediate presence.” This is typical of the apt pronouncements Berman made about South African artists.

They are indicative of the lives and times she shared with many local artists.

Of Walter Battiss she said: “He was the activist among them. During a talk on pornography, with the two of us on the stage at Howard College in Durban, Battiss told the audience: ‘When the rich buy it, it is erotic art. When you buy it, it is pornography!’ Battiss presented me with a diploma for being one of the ‘most complete human beings on the planet’ and I reciprocated by writing ‘The Invisible Book of Fook’ for his 75th birthday.”

Berman enjoyed a long and close relationship with Maggie Laubser. “Maggie was the only artist, apart from Judith Mason, who ever thanked me for a review I wrote about her art in Artcheck News/Check. Once, after a public lecture at UCT, she rang me to say she had heard that I told an audience of 600 people that I loved her! “ “I did not have as close a friendship with Irma Stern, but on one occasion I stroked her face. I had to respond to the vulnerability in her. And afterwards, at an art exhibition opening that same evening people looked aghast at me and exclaimed: ‘You touched her ?!’.”

Berman has indeed touched many people’s lives with her incisive take on South African art. She has become a legend in her own lifetime. She has lived many lives and she plans to live a lot longer!

BUSINESS ART | A FUTURE CAREER IN VISUAL ART

Career Advice: Art will put more than a crust on your table “the essence of a career in art is hard work.” in arts not being a “real” job - and that artists are generally poor - have changed over the years.

“The career possibilities for different art programmes are only limited to a person’s imagination, talent and work ethic.”

Image: Art teacher Dan Cook says he has to train pupils for careers that don’t yet exist Picture Katherine Muick-Mere First published on Timeslive.co.za

By René Vollgraaff Stereotypes intimidate many wanting a job in this diverse field, writes René Vollgraaff.

Not all parents would countenance their child studying art rather than law, medicine or engineering. But in fact, the field offers a wide variety of career options for those who are prepared to work hard.

Kathryn Smith, senior lecturer in the Department of Visual Arts at Stellenbosch University, says prospective art students are often unaware of how many diverse jobs are available in the field.

“They include everything from studio-based work; teaching at school or tertiary level; arts writing and journalism; publishing; curating for museums or galleries; initiating and co-ordinating arts-orientated social investment projects in the non-governmental organisational sector; arts administration for cultural agencies and festivals; working collaboratively with film and theatre; design and advertising; or simply using your creative talent to invent a career for yourself,” she says.

Dan Cook, a teacher of art theory at the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, says the field is evolving so fast that he often has to prepare children for jobs in art that don’t even exist yet. He says whereas many people still have a romantic idea of the arts - imaging creative people starving in garrets and dying penniless - this is not necessarily true.

“Think of William Kentridge,” says Cook. “He is considered one of the top artists in the world and his earnings are in the millions.

“The whole La Bohème idea of struggling artists has been disproved over and over. Even some very mediocre artists have been making a comfortable living in the past years,” says Cook.

Irene Botes, head of marketing and communication at the faculty of arts of the Tshwane University of Technology, says the notions of a career 54

Cook says when parents approach him with doubts about their children’s plans to follow a career in art, he simply asks them to name one man-made thing that was not designed by someone. “Children should look for themselves at the world around them,” says Cook.

“People are ill-informed about the impact of design on their lives. There is always a designer at the base of everything we work with. The car that you drive and the pen that you hold and even the box of the computer you work on all had to be designed by an industrial designer, who is an artist and who had art training.

“The problem is finding the right niche, and that is where we as teachers are important, as we can direct people into what we think that forte should be.”

But all is not lost for those who didn’t study art from an early age at school, says Cook.

“With dance and music it is a little different, but training in visual arts is not always necessary to study art. Sometimes (early training in fine arts) is not even desirable, as it can create a sort of preconceived idea of what art really is,” he says.

However, it is important for prospective artists to get some kind of tertiary qualification.

“The world is evolving so fast. A person needs some kind of formal access to those new ideas,” says Cook.

“It is very rare for a good artist to be completely untrained, the kind of Mozart or Picasso syndrome. A child genius is very rare,” says Cook.

Smith agreed that studying art at school wasn’t necessarily an advantage: “You have as much chance qualifying for a visual arts degree at Stellenbosch University without having taken arts as a subject,” she said.

Although talent is important for a career in art, Botes says talent which is backed up by a tertiary qualification expands one’s career opportunities and lead to more exposure, specifically with regards to how various disciplines in the arts interact with each other. “A professional qualification also increases one’s credibility,” she says.

One area in which art training often fails at both school and tertiary level is in the provision of business and financial skills, which artists need if they are to market themselves and manage their careers. “Business skills are a huge problem,” says Cook.

“We artists often fall short on that, and although the school does offer business and administration as a subject, it is not part of the art department.”

Although few South African tertiary institutions teach business or management skills to art students - apart from some optional extra subjects - this seems to be changing.

Botes says the subjects of entrepreneurship and arts administration are major components of all programmes at the Tshwane University of Technology.

Smith says the art courses at Stellenbosch University include training in designing and producing catalogues and websites; writing CVs and artist statements; loan agreements and exhibition contracts. Not everybody who studies art at school or tertiary level ends up working in art.

Cook says only a small percentage of his pupils eventually follow a career in art.

Stereotypes - such as artists being poor - are partly to blame. “There is also a feminist theory that artists ... are treated like women - whether they are women or men,” he says.

“Another stereotype is that one has to be sloppy and dress the role to be an artist. “But ... if you see people like Judith Mason or Kentridge in the street, there would be nothing to clue you in to the fact that they are not just artists, but reputable artists,” says Cook.

“But you get these ‘wannabees’ who spend all their time trying to dress the part or act differently.”

Cook says the essence of a career in art is hard work. “It depends on yourself,” he says. “As an artist, you are not like an office worker who can park off at your desk and not do any work.

“There is a relationship between your earnings.

Talent is important, but I firmly believe in the saying of 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.”

Apply early to audition The NSA admits pupils based on auditions or portfolios, depending on which art direction a pupil wants to follow, as well as a test and an interview. This usually takes place in August, but prospective pupils should apply as early as possible. Apart from the regular school subjects, the school offers visual art, design, drama, dance, light music and classical music as subjects. About a third of pupils live in the school’s hostels as pupils from throughout South Africa, and Botswana and Zimbabwe, attend the school. The school’s annual Festival of Fame, which runs from March 14-19, is part of its recruitment drive and features performances and exhibitions from pupils and professional artists. Phone 011 3396539 for more information.

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

STEFAN HUNDT : AUCTION OPPORTUNTIES FOR 2011 | BUSINESS ART

Opportunities abound for savvy art investors in 2011 Sanlam Private Investments: The art market is likely to enjoy a rebound this year, if 2010’s performance is anything to go by. And according to Stefan Hundt, specialist at Sanlam Private Investments’ (SPI) Art Advisory Service and curator of the Sanlam Corporate Art Collection, investors are advised to keep a close eye on a number of maturing contemporary artists, whose works may enjoy solid gains over the next few years.

Renewed emphasis was placed on the art market last year, after a number of South African records were set. Irma Stern’s ‘Gladioli’ fetched the highest price paid for a local painting sold in the country, when it reached R13.3-million. Her work also set a world record for a South African artist overseas, with her ‘Bahora Girl’ selling (left) for R26.7-million at a London auction.

Hundt however warns that while prices soared for well-known artists last year – lifting the art market in general – prices for mediocre pieces tumbled.

He says many returns barely scraped over inflation. “The fact that the big name artists did well is a good sign of confidence in the local art market.

But demand for cheaper paintings by mediocre artists fell through the floor last year.

Either people didn’t have the money to buy these pieces, or they’re becoming more choosy.” Hundt is also warning that the huge sums paid for important artists will likely flatten out over the next two to three years, although unique pieces from the likes of Stern will remain in demand.

The first two auctions of the year held some surprises. The first Stephan Welz & Co (Swelco) sale just two weeks ago saw bidders keeping their auction paddles close to their chests as top lot after top lot was left unsold or just barely scraping over the reserve mark.

The Irma Stern portrait that punted at between R16-million and R20-million, looked ambitious and would appear to have been riding on the success of last year’s Bonhams sale, was left unsold and so was the quality Pierneef piece. However this was not the case for the Pieter Wenning Still Life which sold for a respectable R600 000 on the hammer, double the estimate.

The recent Strauss & Co auction sale held on 7 March, experienced similar results in that top lots failed to attract any keen bidding and most of the bigger Sterns did not sell or just scraped over the low estimate.

No doubt the market has become more discerning and the trophy hunters from the last two three years have either disappeared or become cautious. There is still good and growing value in the market and anyone that bought a good Pieter Wenning some ten years ago will be handsomely rewarded and it’s about time too. This holds true also for some of the better works by some of South Africa’s most innovative yet less celebrated artists such as Christo Coetzee.

However at the end of the day it’s the quality of the individual work that will attract the discerning bidder and not the artist’s name.

Overall Hundt believes that 2011 will prove a good year for those selling art, as they could enjoy returns of around 15 percent on a painting if the artwork is of a decent quality.

However, he has also spotted a number of opportunities for buyers, particularly among the maturing local contemporary artists. “Many artists who finished their degrees 15 years ago are maturing now, and they are reevaluating what they are doing.”

He particularly likes sculptors Wim Botha and Gerhard Marx, with the latter working on public sculptures with the more famous William Kentridge.

Hundt is also watching Lawrence Lemaoana, Johann Louw, and Diane Victor, who has languished in Kentridge’s shadow to date, but is “one of the stars for the next 10 years”.

Among artists who are no longer alive, he likes Cape artist Kenneth Bakker – whose artworks

have in some cases enjoyed a 1000 percent increase since 2000.

The next auction of note, to be held by Bonhams in London, is selling a well-known Stern (‘Arab Priest’), that experts say could make R30-million – a new world record. “But the buyer shouldn’t expect to make a good return on this painting over five years; instead this is likely to be a 10-year investment.”

Hundt leads the Sanlam Private Investments Art Advisory Service which was launched last year.

It is the first of its kind in South Africa. The Art Advisory Service helps investors choose artworks that are likely to enjoy good returns, as well as set up an art portfolio that forms part of an investor’s overall portfolio.

Hundt says, “Art is a great alternative investment which doesn’t correlate to the market. If you buy wisely, your pieces are likely to prove resilient during downturns serving as a hedge for those ‘rainy days’.”

Hundt warns art investors to remain cautious at auctions, even if they find a piece they want to buy. “People do get carried away at auctions, which is partly why some of Stern’s works have enjoyed a 50 percent increase in price every eight months.” That’s where expert advice becomes invaluable.

Hundt says, “At Sanlam Private Investments, we’ll help you develop a strategy and stop you getting carried away at an auction, so that you rather spread your risk as opposed to buying say one Stern.

Sanlam Private Investments will strategise properly for the investor, and crucially, we’ll point out the flaws in the market.”

Sanlam Private Investments; Sanlam Art Collection Curator Stefan Hundt Tel: 021 947 3359 Cell: 083 457 2699 Email: Stefan.hundt@sanlam.co.za

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

55

BUSINESS ART | STRAUSS & CO’S CAPE TOWN SALE REVIEW

History repeats itself at Strauss & Co’s auction At Strauss & Co’s auction held on Monday this week, the stars of the show were JH Pierneef’s masterpiece Extensive Landscape Northern Transvaal and Irma Stern’s spectacular Still Life of Delphiniums which fetched R10,5 million respectively, once again making auction history.

Extensive Landscape Northern Transvaal shook the South African art market in 1985 when it became the first painting to break through the R100 000 mark. It is now the most expensive Pierneef to have sold at auction in South Africa. Similarly, Still Life of Delphiniums, which in 1995 sold for R209 000 setting a new record for Irma Stern and for any South African painting sold at auction, is now the second most expensive still life by the artist sold in South Africa, following closely behind Strauss & Co’s record achieved last year for Gladioli, which sold for R13 368 000.

A gem by Pieter Wenning titled At Claremont, CP realised R1 782 000 which broke the record set by Strauss & Co last year setting a new record for the artist. It was painted in 1919 when Wenning was lodging at the Vineyard Hotel and leading businessman and Member of Parliament, Dr William Duncan Baxter of Baxter Theatre fame, came to his rescue and settled his bill.

His View of Keerom Street realised R1 448 200 the proceeds of which were donated to charity. These results indicate that Wenning is earning his rightful place alongside Pierneef and Stern.

Of the R2 million realised for the important Cape silver, the Du Plessis collection which comprised only four lots totalled R1,1 million. The important 18th century coffee pot by an unknown maker sold for R512 440 setting a record for Cape silver. It was followed closely by a sugar basket, also by an unknown maker, which sold for R490 160, in both cases nearly trebling the highest price paid for a piece of Cape silver.

Stephan Welz, Managing Director of Strauss & Co commented after the sale: “The preview and auction were very well attended with the highest number of buyers yet registering for the auction. We are satisfied with our turnover of almost R51 million, up by R5 million from last year’s October auction and the 82% sold rate. We noted a slight readjustment in the market for the high value paintings which tended to sell on the lower estimate”.

Irma Stern: Still Life of Delphiniums, oil on canvas laid down on board, 99 by 73,5cm SOLD R10 583 000

SA Art beats JSE index Cape Town: At Strauss & Co’s first auction of the year held last week, showcasing some of the best that South African art has to offer, a total of R50 815 000 was achieved, the second highest total in the company’s third year of operation. Three new records were secured: JH Pierneef, Pieter Wenning and Cape silver.

The stars of the show were JH Pierneef’s masterpiece Extensive Landscape Northern Transvaal and Irma Stern’s spectacular Still Life of Delphiniums which fetched R10,5 million respectively, once again making auction history.

Extensive Landscape Northern Transvaal shook the South African art market in 1985 when it became the first painting to break through the R100 000 mark, selling for R120 000. Twenty-five years later it has become the most expensive Pierneef to be sold at auction in South Africa. Furthermore it has proved that art has major investment potential. The gain of R9 380 000 equates to a tax-free 19.11% annualized return, compounded over twentyfive years, which exceeds the 17% (including dividends) generated by the JSE All Share Index for the same period.

Still Life of Delphiniums, which in 1995 sold for R209 000, setting a new record not only for Irma Stern but for any South African painting sold at auction, is now the second most expensive still life by the artist, following closely behind Strauss & Co’s record achieved last year for Gladioli, which sold for R13 368 000. The latter generated a very pleasing tax-free return of 28.97% annualized, compounded over 15 years, also far outpacing the average 17.5% (including dividends) that the JSE All Share Index produced over the same period. The annualized return in both cases compares very 56

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef: Extensive Landscape Northern Transvaal, oil on canvas, 76 by 102cm, SOLD R10 583 000

favourably and is indeed much higher than the JSE All Share Index. As well as being a sound form of investment, art has the added benefit of providing daily enjoyment.

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

signed and dated ’56, oil on canvas, 101,5 by 86,5 cm Alexis Preller, Primavera R2 000 000 – 3 000 000

Important South African Art Monday 16 May 2011 Country Club Johannesburg, Woodmead Day Sale at 4pm Evening Sale at 8pm ENQUIRIES AND CATALOGUES :

Telephone: 011 728 8246 Fax: 011 728 8247 jhb@straussart.co.za

PREVIEW :

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BUSINESS ART | LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Runaway Chinese Art Stock Exchange Halts Trading on Top Paintings After Surge of Investment The Tianjin Cultural Artwork Exchange has brought trade to a halt on its two top artworks.

Courtesy AFP/Getty The Tianjin Cultural Artwork Exchange has brought trade to a halt on its two top artworks.

The Chinese art market’s headlong growth over the past few years, propelling it to become the world’s second largest as of this month, has left some awaiting what seems an inevitable bursting of the bubble.

The emergence of China as a pioneer of the art stock exchange — a new mode of investment that is beginning to pop up around the globe, to various degrees of success — has only led to greater worries of unsustainability. Now, Reuters reports that the country’s Tianjin Cultural Artwork Exchange, which was launched in January, has brought trade on its two top artworks to a grinding halt, fearing that runaway over-evaluation that caused shares to rocket to 1,700 percent would endanger investors. Two months ago, the Tianjin exchange — which offers investors fractional ownership of works — listed shares in two Chinese paintings, “Roaring Yellow River” by modern Chinese painter Bai Gengyan and “Autumn in Fortress.” After the surge of investment in the works, shares in “Roaring Yellow River” jumped to 17.2 yuan ($2.62) from their issue price of 1 yuan, valuing the work at 103 million yuan ($15.7 million) — around 52 times higher than the top price achieved at auction by the painter.

According to Reuters, however, dramatic swings 58

in asset prices are nothing new in China, where investment frenzies occur for items as diverse as mung beans to ant-based aphrodisiacs in recent years — a fact that perhaps influenced the Tianjin exchange’s decision to list seven new paintings and a diamond on their site last week.

But another art exchange in China, the Shenzhen Cultural Assets and Equity Exchange, is even less diversified, exclusively selling shares in paintings by contemporary artist Yang Peijiang, Vogue for Treating Art as Stocks Comes to China BEIJING— In the latest sign that money is continuing to flow rapidly into the Chinese contemporary art market, a financial corporation has gone public with China’s first openly traded art portfolio, on the Shenzhen Cultural Assets and Equity Exchange (SZCAEE).

Issued by the Shenzhen Artvip Cultural Corporation, the art portfolio comprises 12 paintings by contemporary artist Yang Peijiang in the form of 1,000 shares, which sold out on the first day of trading, netting $354,480. As the artworks are traded by Artvip, which is managing the 12 works, profits are dispersed to shareholders.

Established in 2009 by the Chinese government, SZCAEE functions as an alternative platform for the trading of a wide range of cultural assets — including artworks, luxury goods, and films — as part of the Chinese government’s attempt to commercialize, diversify, and regulate the public exchange of such cultural properties. SZCAEE plans to offer a second 1000-share portfolio, featuring 40 works by Yang Peijiang, sometime in the future.

Art Insurance launches local Art Loss register New Art Industry on the rise - Art Insurance launches the Art Loss register.

Artinsure announces the introduction of South Africa’s first Art Theft Register and enhancements to their Collectors product. Art loss register In response to the increase in frequency of art theft in South Africa, we have created an art loss register which will be accessible to all.

This register will help in maximising publicity on stolen artworks and lower the probability of resale and movement.

Anyone will be able to register missing or stolen artworks. Please send all details of missing art works to info@artinsure.co.za The register can also be used to cross check when encountering works of art that are on offer for sale The register is not intended to be all encompassing, but the higher the utilisation of the register, the greater the probability of identifying missing works.

See the website at: http://artinsure.co.za/stolen-missing-art-a-55.html For a quote or more information contact us on 086 111 1096 / or Gordon@artinsure.co.za / www.artinsure.co.za SA ART TIMES. April 2011

STEPHAN WELZ & CO./ JOHANNESBURG APRIL’S SALE | BUSINESS ART

Lot 510, Pieter Wenning: Lourenço Marques (R800 000 - 1 200 000)

Stephan Welz & Co. Johannesburg sale 19 & 20 April 2011 The first sale of 2011 for the Johannesburg branch of well acclaimed auction house, Stephan Welz & Co, will be taking place on 19 & 20 April. Five sessions over a two day period are sure to cause some excitement with wonderful pieces all round up for offer.

Session 2 starting at 14h00 kicks off with the carpet and furniture section which is followed by the first of the paintings section. Approximately one hundred works fall into the categories British and Continental (Fidler, de Chazal, Piper, Nicholson etc.) and Traditional South African (Carter, Welz, Timlin, Oldert, Boonzaier, Benzon, Harrs, Squibb, Baker etc.) to name but a few.

At 18h30, the third session of the two day auction starts off with four beautiful collectors cars. The evening session, continues as per tradition, with the rest of the paintings section. First up, a charity section for the University of Pretoria Alumni Trust made up of a selection of 13 works, kindly donated by various artists. Of special mention here lots 455 by Jacobus Kloppers, lot 456 by Michelle Nigrini, lot 460 by Hanneke Benade and lot 461 by Guy du Toit. The session continues its contemporary feel with works by the likes of Page, Alexander, Hodgins, Catherine, Battiss, Kentridge, Schreuders, Gietl and Barker to name but a few. Some photographic print media by acclaimed photographer Michael Meyersfeld will be up for grabs in lots 481 and 482 – Enough and Boys on the Roof, at R 25 000 – 35 000 each.

The Traditional art section kicks off with a wonderful Volschenk landscape (lot 508, R 100 000 - 150 000) entitled Where the Motor Winds its Way: Baineskloof, Wellington. Closely following this is lot 509, a beach scene by Frans Oerder, R 70 000 – 90 000. The allure of Lourenco Marques is conveyed by lot 510, a Pieter Wenning – being one of the most well SA ART TIMES. April 2011

respected artists in South Africa, it will be a wonderful addition to any art collection at R 800 000 – 1200 000. Lot 511, Pieter Hugo Naude, (pre-sale estimate R 250 000 – 350 000) captures the essence of Brandvlei Dam in a rather undersized way. A selection of Pierneef works (lots 518 – 521) are represented by watercolours, drawings and oils. Artists to the likes of Coetzer, Klar, Ampenberger, Boonzaier, McCaw and Botha are also well represented in this section.

One of the most famous impressionist artists of South Africa, Francois Krige, is well represented – of special mention lots 542 (Still Life Ranunculus and Appels) and lot 543 (Ontagu, Swartberge). The magic of this section is continued with a wonderful selection of sculptures. Van Wouw is represented firstly by The Bushman Hunter (R 800 000 – 1 200 000). Also, lots 573 & 574, both originally from the collection of Govenor Rissik, Leemans, the Postman and The Mieliepap Eater, both Italian castings. Furthermore, a wonderful Brett Murray maquette of the larger scale public sculptural work, Africa, is up for grabs as lot 578, for a relatively low R 20 000 – 30 000.

Representing the African sector of the market two works worth mentioning, lot 589, Lost Heritage, by Helen Sebidi and lot 590, a wonderful Township scene, by Gerard Sekoto, conservatively estimated at R 250 000 – 300 000.

Sale Information: 19 & 20 April Johannesburg Auction Decorative & Fine Arts Viewing Dates: 15 April 10h00 - 17h00 | 16 April 10h00 - 14h00 | 17 April 10h00 - 17h00 13 Biermann Avenue | Rosebank | Johannesburg | 2196 011 880 3125 | Email jhb@swelco.co.za 59

BUSINESS ART | MICHAEL COULSON / SA ART AUCTIONS, THE FINAL WORD

Strauss & Co Cape sale: Most disappointing in the firm’s history

By Michael Coulson It may not been as much of a disaster as the recent Stephan Welz & Co (Swelco) sale, and a couple of years ago a gross of R42m would have been considered a great result, but by its own standards Strauss & Co’s first sale of the year, in Cape Town this week, was the most disappointing in its short history. As at Swelco, the featured front cover lot, an Irma Stern figure study (this time of Lemon Pickers), failed to sell. And while eight of the top 12 estimate lots (those with low estimates starting at R700 000) sold, the first two to come up, both Pieter Wenning landscapes, raised false hopes.

While they sold for R1.78m (estimate R800 000-R1.2m) and R1.45m (est R700 000--R900 000) respectively, hammer prices mostly were at the lower end of the estimate range, though reported prices are (as always) flattered by the inclusion of buyer’s premium and any other charges. The exception was an Irma Stern Venetian landscape, at R6.12m (est R4m-R6m), but the two top prices of R10.58m, shared by a Pierneef landscape and Stern still life, were equivalent to hammer prices of R9.5m, below the respective estimates of R10m-R15m and R10m-R12m.

The house may not have done itself any favours by putting out a pre-sale release extolling these pictures, saying that the Pierneef was the first SA painting to go for more than R100 000, fetching R120 000 in 1985, while 10 years later the Stern became the first to top R200 000, and at R209 000 remained SA’s most expensive painting for five years. This may just have made potential buyers wonder whether the indication appreciation over relatively short periods was justified.

Three other Stern still lifes did sell, however, for R1m (est R900 000-R1.2m), R3.34m (est R3m-R4m) and R1.11m (est R1m-R1.5m) respectively, while

just below the cut-off point two Stanley Pinkers almost reached their hammer price estimates of R600 000-R900 000, each being bid up to R613 000.

Other notable casualties included another Stern still life (est R7m-R9m) one

by Freida Lock (est R700 000-R1m) and an Alexis Preller Kouros (est 1.8mR2.2m.

The sale included two sessions of SA art, but the afternoon session of minor work comprised only 25 lots, of which 15 were sold (68%) for a gross of R279 000, just ahead of the low estimate of R265 000. Average price was about R16 400, against the estimate of R10 400.

There were 129 lots in the main, evening, session, of which 98 (74.3%) sold.

The gross of just under R41.8m was well under the low estimate of R58.5m, with an average of about R426 100 (est R453 100). The total was thus just under R42.1m, against the low estimate of R58.7m, for an average of about R365 700 (est R381 300).

In spite of the prominent casualties, the sale confirmed the dominance of Stern and Pierneef in the market. The seven Sterns sold together grossed R22.5m, the same number of Pierneefs R10.9m, the two together contributing a rounded-off R23.5m, or 56% of the total. Of the nine on offer from each of Pierneef and Stern, each sold seven; also sold were six of seven Walter Battisses, all six Maggie Laubsers, four of six William Kentridges, all five Terence McCaws and four of five Gregoire Boonzaaiers.

All eyes will now switch to Bonham’s high-powered two-part sale in London on March 16, catalogues for which are eagerly awaited as I write, though I’m assured they left London a week ago. SA buyers may have lost their competitive spirit for now, but will the same be true in London?

Stephan Welz & Co. Cape sale falls way short

By Michael Coulson The failure to sell of the keynote work – Irma Stern’s Zulu Woman, estimated to fetch R16m-R20m – cast a damper on the first SA art sale of the year, held

by Stephan Welz & Co in Cape Town last week.

While the percentage of lots sold, at about 62%, was less than disastrous, the loss of such a big-ticket item, and poor results for other high-estimate lots, meant that gross proceeds of about R7.7m (including buyer’s premium and any other charges) were only about 22% of the low estimate of R35m.

In fact, of the 14 top works (the 13 highest estimates plus the back cover lot) only five sold. All three R1m-plus lots were passed.

The Stern appeared to attract an initial bid on the telephone of R14m, but there was no advance on this from the room and when the price list was posted on the web site a couple of days later there was no price against the lot number. So either the R14m was taken from the ceiling or the bidder, on finding nobody else was interested, decided even R14m was too much.

The two other seven-digit works were both Pierneef landscapes, estimated at R2.5m-R3m and R1.4m-R1.8m respectively.

As usual the sale was in two sessions. The first (afternoon) session of minor work comprised 126 works with a low estimate of R1.06m; 76, or about 57%, sold, for R876 000, about 86% of the low estimate and an average of 60

about R11 540. In the major (evening) session of 106 lots, 68 sold (64%) for R6.8m (low estimate: R33.9m), an average of about R64 500. Taking both sessions together, 144 of 232 lots sold (62%) for a gross of just over R7.7m and an average price of R33 200.

The highest price attained was actually the back cover lot, a Pieter Wenning landscape, at R672 000 (est R200 000-R300 00). Of the baker’s dozen of high priced works (those with low estimates starting at R350 000), the top price of R560 000 was reached by a Keith Alexander Namibian shipwreck scene (est R400 000-R600 000) and another Pierneef landscape (est R500 000-R600 000). A second Alexander Namibian scene went for R537 600 a William Kentridge drawing for R470 400 (both est R400 000-R600 000).

Another Kentridge with a lesser estimate also did well, going for R425 800 (est R150 000-R200 000), while the top price in the afternoon session was a mere R31 360, shared by Adriaan Boshoff’s Boatyard (est R30 000-R40 000) and a Tinus de Jongh landscape (est R20 000-R30 000).

Of the most represented artists, seven of 10 Walter Battises sold, five of eight Carl Buchners, two of six Pierneefs, and wo of five each by Robert Broadley, Zakkie Eloff and Cecil Skotnes.

Bonham’s and Strauss & Co both have sales scheduled for this month, and one can only hope that they will gauge the market better.

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

NUSHIN ELAHI’S LONDON LETTER| BUSINESS ART

By Nushin Elahi, London A major retrospective at the Tate Modern of the leading Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco (b 1962) features over 80 of his most critically acclaimed works. A sculptor of global significance, Orozco draws on the histories of western and Latin American art practice with a playful sense of experimentation. He has become renowned for his boundless experimentation with found objects, both natural and man-made, which he subtly alters. The Tate shows key early examples of this practice, including La DS, a classic Citroën DS car which the artist sliced into thirds, removing the central part to exaggerate its streamlined, aerodynamic design. Like Damien Hirst’s diamond-studded skull, Orozco’s Black Kites is a human skull upon which he has drawn a dense geometric checkerboard pattern, which is another highlight of the show.

Instead of a blockbuster exhibition, England’s oldest gallery, the Dulwich Picture Gallery celebrates its 200th year by featuring a loaned work each month. Masterpieces from the Prado, The Met, the Uffizi, the Rijksmuseum, the Frick Collection, the Van Gogh Museum, the National Gallery of Art Washington, the Royal Collection, the Royal Academy of Arts, Tate and Sir John Soane’s Museum will all be on show for a month as part of the celebrations. This unusual exhibition started with a portrait of founder Sir John Soane in January, and April features El Greco’s The Vision of St John from the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Newspeak: British Art Now Part II is the Saatchi Gallery’s second instalment of their museum-scale survey of emergent British contemporary art.

It provides an interesting insight into the art being made in the UK today.

The gallery believes that “Far from manifesting a visual language in decline, which the Orwellian title might suggest, the exhibition celebrates a new generation of artists for whom the stimulus of our hyper-intensified, codified, contemporary world provides a radical pathway to a host of new forms and images.” From sculpture and painting, to installation and photography, the artists here employ a hybrid of traditional and contemporary techniques and materials to create a new language with which to articulate the “wikified” world around them.

One of London’s most popular exhibitions features a treasure trove of gold found in an ancient grave in a remote corner of Afghanistan. Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World reveals the melting pot of cultures that country has always been. Influences from Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese and Persian civilizations are visible in this collection. Taken from treasures the world thought lost forever when the museum in Kabul was repeatedly looted in the civil war, it shows the rich heritage of this forbidding place. In fact, a handful of officials from the National Museum of Afghanistan – at great danger to their own lives – had concealed the artefacts now on display to preserve them for future generations. While the museum in Kabul is undergoing reconstruction these works are travelling around the world, and are currently at the British Museum until 3 July, along with a large collection of priceless ivories that were stolen from Kabul which have been gifted back to the Afghan museum by an anonymous British donor.

Two other bijoux exhibitions in London focus on Antoine Watteau, a man associated with frivolity and pleasure - the fêtes galantes for which his paintings are famous. The Royal Academy presents an exhibition of his drawings, the first in the UK. It would be easy to dismiss, until you hear one of the curators, an expert from the Louvre, describe a Watteau as “the greatest painting in French art” and you take another look. The painting, The Gersaint Shop Sign, 1721, is in Berlin, but you can see a preparatory drawing here. Watteau considered his drawings autonomous works and in three simple colours teased out images that he would reuse, but it is in their ambiguity and subtlety that their mastery lies. His brief career can be measured by the fact that within a few years of his death over 300 of his drawings had been published as etchings, which are the subject of an exhibition at the Wallace Collection.

Gabriel Orozco – Tate Modern until 25 April Masterpiece a Month: Presiding Genius – Dulwich Picture Gallery until 31 December Newspeak: British Art Now Part II – Saatchi Gallery until 30 April Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World – British Museum until 3 July Watteau: The Drawings – Royal Academy of Arts until 5 June Esprit et Vérité: Watteau and his Circle – Wallace Collection until 5 June

SA ART TIMES. April 2011

Orozco’s Black Kites

Anzeri Maurizio Giovanni

Steve Bishop: Its Hard to Make A Stand

Ximena, The followers 61

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