Art Times June 2020 by SA ART TIMES

JUNE 2020 ARTTIMES.CO.ZA

Flagship Live Virtual Auction Modern, Post War and Contemporary Art Johannesburg, 27 July 2020 Entries close end May +27 11 728 8246 jhb@straussart.co.za www.straussart.co.za

Alexis Preller, Temple of the Sun (detail) R1 000 000 - 2 000 000

Drawing from Johannesburg,2nd Greatest City after Pari Es

William Kentridge is (Soho Eating), 1989 (detail) stimate: €190 000 – 250 000

AUCTION IN PARIS

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20 MAY - 27 JULY 2020

BRUCE MACKAY KIRSTEN BEETS JEAN DE WET MAAIKE BAKKER NINA TORR TARA DEACON

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ART TIMES JUNE EDITION 2020

CONTENTS Cover: KIRSTEN BEETS. Waiting for winter, 2020. Oil on board. 270x220mm. Salon91

12 M.O.L. 8 - UNCLE GEORGE Ashraf Jamal Column 16 Obituary: Henri Vergon Sean O’Toole 20 I am because we are Showcasing South African Artists who are attracting international attention 26 Life Is Beautiful Nonzuzo Gxekwa’s optic is loving 34 Disturbing The Stereotypes Kwaai Exhibition 2020 40 Things Behind the Sun A playful exploration of vivacious colours 52 Return to the Source Pitika Ntuli Launches Solo Exhibition at National Arts Festival 58 Ceramics SA Western Cape Regional Exhibition 2020 72 From Joburg To Paris Fine Art Auction highlights 102 ArtGo - Ongoing Exhibitions and openings JEAN DE WET. Mainland, 2020. Acrylic on board. 305x470mm. Salon91

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UNCLE GEORGE M.O.L. 8

By Ashraf Jamal Artworks: Sten Hammar

“You have to find it immediately,” my father says. “If I get the eyes right, everything is easy.” What is it that draws us to eyes? Is it their watery convexity? Is it wetness to which we cling? Viscosity? A pooling? Are the eyes globules, scavenged from an infinite sea? Is it there, in the eyes—their ‘irreducible meaning’— that we teeter, stumble, right ourselves, arrive upon a degree of knowing? In Eye and Mind (1964), Maurice MerleauPonty considers the tug of eyes—the way they unfold a body, open the world through this unfolding. It is eyes, more than hands, that allow for human congruity and mutual understanding. Merleau-Ponty is speaking specifically about painting, what happens when one looks and is looked upon in return. In that moment a scanning occurs, as flat as it is dense. One sees. “We must go back to the working, actual body—not the body as a chunk of space or a bundle of functions but that body which is an intertwining of vision and movement.” The philosopher splices two ineffable conditions to arrive at meaning’s irreducibility. The painter does not paint because they know their subject. It is the unknown that gels. One cannot know a face, not one’s own or any other. “The painter ‘takes his body with him,’ says Valery. Indeed, we cannot imagine how a mind could paint. It is by lending his body to the world that the artist changes the world into paintings.”

My father, Sten Hammar, is eighty-seven. Looking into his rheumy amber eyes I see them racing towards a memory. I have asked him to tell me about his favourite painting. “Uncle George,” he says. The certainty is refreshing. There is not the mildest equivocation. Uncle George it is. My mother, meanwhile, has opened the laptop and finds Uncle George. He was eighty-four when my father painted him, seated in an elegantly solid chair. He holds a walking stick, or it holds him. “Dirty water,” my father murmurs, as I try to figure out how he arrived at that sooty wooden sheen. “A mixture of magenta, Prussian blue, and dirty water.” There are two water colours of Uncle George. They are painted in haste. “But can you see the layers?” I look. “A layer must dry before the next is applied, nothing is simply transparent.” I look to my father. I can’t recall when I last saw him so animated. The pleasure is irresistible. He recalls the paintbrush he used, broad, made from sable, “Winsor and Newton.” His ability to remember the brand is a gentle riposte to my mother. “See, I don’t have Alzheimers!” The broadness of the brush allows for the ‘modelling’—“Painting is also sculpture … I work with four colours: magenta, Prussian blue, burnt umber, white paper. It must be rough, the paper. Almost never used black.” The last is a colour for which Manet is revered. But my father—who never cared

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“Uncle George,” he says. The certainty is refreshing. There is not the mildest equivocation. Uncle George it is.” for severity, who is no intellectual—prefers the coagulation of blood and water. Like Merleau-Ponty, he is a man of the flesh. His bodies, his faces, are both rooted and effervescent. Six-foot-four, his feet are firmly planted; his wide brow abuts the sky. “You must be very quick to paint in that style,” he says. We are looking at the two portraits of Uncle George. In the one, the head is turned upward. In the other, it is faintly bowed. The one that seems engaged is curiously vacant; the other withdrawn and ruminative. It is there, in the second painting, that the eyes sparkle and dance. “It wasn’t me who held that brush,” my father says. He is looking whimsically at the painting which, we both agree, is the better of the two. The words of Valery and Merleau-Ponty return to me—we take our bodies with us; “we cannot imagine how a mind could paint.” “He is a spent force,” my father resumes. “Years at sea. Hard drinking … Is it because I knew the man, that this painting came to me so easily?” I don’t think it is me he is speaking to. It is his other self, long gone yet intimately present—a consort and friend, a sweet stranger. In mid-sentence he resumes—“Because it is difficult to find a character. It is not easy to paint a portrait.” What is that character one espies? Is it oneself? Another? A pooling of the two? When can someone say with certainty that

they know who they are, what they do, or why? “I can see it” my father simply states, as though listening to my thoughts. The red wooden chair possesses no ground. It is cast adrift, like the walking stick firmly clasped at the bridge, or the ragged ends of Uncle George’s trousers. The force and pressure is centred in the hands, the knotted forearm and vented throat, the sloped twist of the shoulder and face— unkempt, unconcerned, connected to a thread as airy as the compositional whole. Like the cane, the chair legs are a buttress. Its cargo? A body, a soul, a mind. If it is difficult to capture ‘character’ then perhaps this is why. Contra T.S. Eliot, one cannot prepare a face for the faces we meet. There is always an elsewhere, another place that we long to be. It is a place that questions our tenancy, the bodies we occupy, the faces we comport. The painting of Uncle George refuses the access we aspire to. It cannot be burgled. Not because Uncle George refuses to look back at us, but because he has forgotten to look back at himself. It is not a skewed presence but an absence. Charles Baudelaire’s wrenching line comes to mind—anywhere but here. Then again, is there ever any here?

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Obituary:

HENRI VERGON

Sean O’Toole remembers the life and achievements of a fiercely independent dealer

Art dealers leave fingerprints, little traces and impressions of their enthusiasms that remain – like filigree watermarks, not stains – long after their deaths. In the case of Henri Vergon, the Brussels-born dealer who died at age 51 of a heart attack at his home in Johannesburg, hints and suggestions of his vital presence will remain evident for decades to come. Best known for his Afronova platform – a roaming dealership and fair-based enterprise that initially existed as a physical gallery space in central Johannesburg – Vergon’s flair for promotion helped establish the careers of two generations of talents, notably Billie Zangewa, Lebohang Kganye and Phumzile Khanyile. Much like his predecessors, the European émigrés Madame Fernande Haenggi, Egon Guenther and Reinhold Cassirer, all formidable forces in the history of art in Johannesburg, Vergon made it his mission as a dealer to expand cultural tastes and art patronage in his adoptive home. His enthusiasms were particularly directed at African art. Writing in a 2007 catalogue accompanying an ensemble showcase of artists allied to his two-yearold space, Vergon described Afronova as “a polyphonic platform for African contemporary expressions”. Established with R30 000 and lots of chutzpah, Afronova lived up to this claim, early on hosting solo shows for Malian photographer Malick Sidibé, Cameroonian artist Joël Mpah Dooh and Haitian artist Mario Benjamin. Vergon’s worldly tastes owed a great deal to his idiosyncratic apprenticeship in art. A graduate of the French business school EDHEC, he briefly worked in the United States in the late 1980s before moving to Paris, in 1991, to take up employment in culture agency. He briefly worked as an intern for a dealer in classical

African art before, in 1995, securing a position as a cultural officer at the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) in Johannesburg. “I was born again here,” Vergon told journalist Fred de Vries in a 2006 interview of his personal renewal in newly democratic South Africa. “I became a new man. Everybody I met was completely open. They had all been fragmented by recent history. They were questioning themselves: where did they come from, and what did their fathers do? They were trying to make sense and give themselves a place in the future, building a new world. I threw away all my old protection and jumped straight into the same pool.” Vergon was speaking metaphorically, although in 1997, to celebrate the opening of the second Johannesburg Biennale, IFAS hosted an artists’ party in a derelict home in the suburb of Riviera where the late-night carousing spilled from the house into an empty pool. The formless possibilities and newfound cosmopolitanism of 1990s Johannesburg left a deep impression on Vergon. In 2000, when artist Kendell Geers initiated a petition calling on the Department of Arts and Culture to reinstate the defunct Johannesburg Biennale, Vergon chimed in: “We want it again. We need it. We will make it.” Without the galvanising forum of biennale, Vergon, through IFAS, helped coordinate numerous exhibitions, festivals and singular one-off events in Johannesburg, many in and around the Market Theatre precinct. In 1997, for example, IFAS underwrote an exhibition devoted to poet and cultural maverick Sinclair Beiles. Born Uganda, but raised in Johannesburg, Beiles came to prominence through his collaborations with expatriates living in Paris, among them poet Gregory Corso, novelist William S. Burroughs and Greek kinetic artist Takis. Staged in a reconstituted

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Beat Hotel created inside a disused warehouse in Newtown, Sinclair Beiles and the Beat Hotel drew attention to an overlooked local avatar of creative experimentation. Vergon continued to support innovation and difficulty in the new decade. He was the driving force behind Wayne Barker’s 2000 Chalkham Hill Press monograph authored by Charl Blignaut. In 2001, while still at IFAS, he assisted Steven Cohen with the artist’s controversial performance piece, Chandelier (2001–02), which culminated in the artist walking through a demolished shack settlement wearing a chandelier-costume. And in 2002, Vergon included artists Mounir Fatmi (Morocco), Goncalo Mabunda (Mozambique) and Goddy Leye (Cameroon), now all highly regarded figures, in an exhibition that formed part of a five-day arts festival in Newtown called Playtime. The 2005 opening of Afronova was a lifedefining transition for Vergon. The new gallery debuted with a two-person show featuring local painter Samson Mnisi and Ethiopian artist Gera Mawi Mazgabu. Tapping his Francophone networks, in particular his hero, Paris dealer André Magnin, Vergon began to show and sell work by “visionary moderns” like Congolese painter Cheri Samba and actively promote “young contemporaries”. His first major successes were with expressionist painter Karl Gietl and textile artist Billie Zangewa. It was a call to write a catalogue essay for Zangewa’s 2007 exhibition at Afronova that cemented a longstanding friendship. I can’t say I knew Henri in any privileged way. But long after resigning my role as a magazine editor and writing less newspaper criticism, Henri continued to seek me out at fairs in Cape Town, London and New York. He was lashing in his gossip and steadfast in his enthusiasms, especially for the photographic talent being nurtured by the Market Photo

Workshop. I loved Henri for this, his support of photography – a medium more spoken of and written about than collected in South Africa. An unremembered fact online is that in the early 2000s Vergon self-published a small book of his own photographs, a sequence of Jo Ractliffe-esque documents of empty Johannesburg billboards. Much like dealer Warren Siebrits, Henri was an art merchant who privileged patiently cultivated networks over the razzmatazz of real estate and visible infrastructure. It is a way of being in the art world that, for Henri and long-time partner, Emilie Demon, enabled Afronova to represent its artists at offbeat fairs and place their work in benchmark collections, including the Walther Collection and Jean Pigozzi’s Contemporary African Art Collection. Henri’s commitment to his artists was, I’ll admit, old fashioned. He liked to assemble and commune with them. Last year, during the run of the ludicrously insular FNB Art Joburg, which excluded Afronova, among many, I nipped off to visit Henri at his home in Parkhurst. Gallery artists Alice Mann and Lawrence Lemaoana were among the guests, although, really, it was no occasion, just a get-together – a gathering of fragments, as Henri once wrote, to foster métissage. As one beer turned to two, Henri plonked down a copy of a 544-page book, Sex, Race & Colonies. The book contains 1200 erotic portrayals (in photographs, paintings and prints) of colonised people made from the 15th century to the present day. The book elicited howls of criticism in France when it appeared in 2018. “I had no idea,” I told Henri. He grinned in that Cheshire cat way of his. Once again, he was broadening my horizons. Henri Vergon: born Brussels, Belgium, 6 August 1968; died Johannesburg, 15 May 2020.

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I AM BECAUSE WE ARE Online Exhibition 21 May – 30 June 2020 Artyli.com “I am because we are” is an exclusive online group exhibition by Artyli.com, showcasing the artwork of four South African Artists who are beginning to attract ongoing international attention. The African philosophy of “I am because we are” informs us that the sense of self is shaped by others and is understood from a perspective of community. As African artists, growing up in post-apartheid South Africa, where the western philosophies that elevate individualism, have been rejected as colonial, there is a movement by artists now which embrace what it means to be African in a space where contemporary art is defined by individualism, expression and thought without losing a sense of community. Khaya Sineyile, Andrew Ntshabele, Banele Njadayi and Ludumo Maqabuka, are four African artists who on their journey as individual artists express their thoughts through their own unique interpretations and studio practices. Khaya Sineyile is from Nyanga, Cape Town, South Africa. His subject matter ranges from township scenes to more introspective themes referencing childhood games and observations on religious hypocrisy, factionfighting, and witchcraft. Most recently he turned his attention to the effects of social inequality, specifically relating to the South African family structure. His confident brush marks and considered palette convey a rawness which he contrasts with cartoon-like outlines – an approach which separates the figures from the background and introduces elements of playfulness, wit, and humour. Sinyile’s work has been exhibited in numerous international and national exhibitions, and his work can be found in many prominent collections across Africa and Europe.

Andrew Ntshabele focuses on urbanisation in Johannesburg, South Africa. His interest in the city was developed from an early age, where he now resides and works and is constantly confronted by poverty, pollution, and urban decay. Ntshabele`s work portrays the negative effects of rapid urbanisation experienced by the citizens who live and work in Johannesburg today. His work is a form of social commentary that deals with the socio-economic challenges that the majority of black South Africans face in post-colonial South Africa. Ntshabele`s is a prolific artist, having won numerous awards for his work and has been involved in many exhibitions in South Africa and abroad and his works can be found in numerous international collections. Above: Banele Njadayi, Guardian Right: Andrew Ntshabele, There is a shaking in society 4

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Khaya Sineyile, Girl with Yellow Turban Opposite Page: Banele Njadayi, Washing Day

Banele Njadayi was born in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, and moved to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where he studied and now works as a professional artist. Njadayi is popularly known for his paintings in which he masterfully applies vibrant colours to draw out the energy and atmosphere of the varying environments that he depicts. Njadayiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subject matter reflects on themes around urban living and identity. In his paintings he portrays portraits of people busy with their daily lives. His work documents fragments of his subjectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personal stories and is also a collective story of women represented as pillars of strength in homes and society. These identities, both personal

and collectively, are painted to convey the desire, purpose, and strength of the poor in a mostly working-class community. Njadayi is hard working and prolific and has won several notable awards for his work and has exhibited both nationally and internationally. His work is featured in many prominent collections. Ludumo Maqabuka was born in Umtata in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and now resides and works in Johannesburg. Maqabuka experiences modern society as highly defined by the influx of popular culture and the influence it has on new ideologies and personal identities. Ludumo is an artist

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Khaya Sinyile, Hawkman. Opposite Page: Ludumo Toto Maqabuka, Ghetto Villain

whose work is at the juncture of where contemporary street art meets everyday life in Africa. His work invites you in to explore a liberated colourful visual language, expressed through bold mark making and portraiture, creating a unique blend of graffiti art, abstract expressionism, and pop art. His work highlights life in townships and interprets South African society with all its complex dynamics, exposing the societal norms and the formation of constructed identities within a frame of popular culture. Maqabuka is a prolific South African artist, having exhibited in both group and solo exhibitions in and around South Africa, and whose work can be found in numerous local collections. In this time of the pandemic, where Covid 19 threatens us not only individually but also as communities, countries and as humanity, we become more malleable and open to embracing new philosophies. Trends that were once on the horizon, such as the 4th

industrial revolution, are now more readily adopted, bringing with them global change. When, as a society, we adopt the best of now, but still embrace our past as Africans, we can engage with contemporary art as a vehicle for authentic self-expression and individualism, which can be interpreted within the context of “I am because we are”. When we do this, we begin to embrace Post-Africanism. As a contemporary philosophy applicable to art, Post-Africanism is best described by Denis Ekpo, Professor of Comparative Literature at The University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria who says “It’s anchored in a conscious openness not just to new experiences but to new interpretations of old experiences in the light of changing knowledge.” “I am because we are” is an exclusive online exhibition by Artyli.com curated by Karen Tearnan Cullinan and Lynette van Tonder.

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LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL NONZUZO GXEKWA THK Gallery thkgallery.com By Sven Christian

The King, 2019,

onzuzo Gxekwa’s optic is loving. It’s not simply that she chooses to focus on moments of self love—the way people occupy themselves—but that in the taking, her subjects are never wholly circumscribed. There is always space to manoeuvre. The title of her exhibition, Life is Beautiful (2020), is not only a conscious decision to focus on that which brings joy, but an awareness of our agency in the construction thereof and its capacity to overcome. As described by Ashraf Jamal, photographs “negate chronology, they confect it, altering what we recall and what we imagine. They are dreaming tools, never facts ... What matters is not the thing seen, but what it affirms in the moment of seeing.” A prime example is Gxekwa’s capacity to reimagine the way in which twins are perceived, a lens which dates back to Diane Arbus’ iconic image, Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1967). Shot in square for- mat, the subjects face the camera head on, the light spread evenly across their features (akin, perhaps, to a police lineup). It is an image that allows us to gawk—to stare at those we are told not to. Nonzuzo Gxekwa’s optic is strikingly different. Herself an identical twin, the people in her images are often shot from the back, in profile, or cast in shadow. Like Arbus’ photograph, the twins in Sisters (2019) are joint at the shoulder. Although not identical, they too are matching, dressed in pink long-sleeve turtlenecks, pink lipstick, and hooped earrings. Gxekwa’s image does not refute their kinship, but neither does it enable their conflation. Those photographed hold

The Wait, 2019 28

The Queen, 2019 W W W. A R T T I M E S . C O . Z A

Sisters, 2019

Living it up, 2019

Big Dreams, 2019

Indoni Yamanzi, 2019

their heads to one side, concealing as much as they reveal. One sister leans forward and rests her arms on a table, looking pensively out of the frame. The other, at a slight remove, looks questioningly at the camera.

a walk, and I think he was starting to chat to girls. It was just beautiful to watch ... Just that feeling of being young and finding yourself.

In Big Dreams (2019), two figures have their backs to the camera. There is nothing in the image that would stand in a court of law, except, perhaps, the small air-vent in the top left corner. Here I am re- minded of René Magritte’s painting, Reproduction Prohibited (Portrait of Edward James) (1937), which depicts the back of a man’s head as he stares at his own reflection in the mirror. Where one would expect to find his face we see a carbon copy of his back. A well-guarded secret? A moment of self-consciousness? Speaking to Gxekwa about her photograph, I learn that it’s of her fourteen year-old nephew and his friend: He went through this phase when he was growing his hair and all he cared about really was his hair looking proper. So he had a comb and morning, midday, night, all he did was comb his hair, which I found funny and beautiful at the same time. You know when you’re young and so committed to something, and it’s just giving you life? Also the hairstyle gave him all this confidence. He had

As far as contextual information goes, none of this is apparent in the photo. Presented with the back of two heads, what the image elicits is a state of suspense. The big reveal, forever in abeyance. In this sense, the photograph echoes the inner-workings of a fourteen yearold in the process of becoming; a process which, of course, is never-ending. This is, for me, the pulse that courses through all of Nonzuzo Gxekwa’s photographs. How a passing stranger at a taxi rank readies themselves for the image has everything to do with their projected ideal, which is perhaps why she gravitates towards people who “stand out” (The General: 2019; Living it Up: 2019; The King: 2019). It’s not simply about how one looks or who one is, but the shoes they wish to fill and the self-confidence to do so. If, for Lucas Matheson, the occlusion found in much of Gxekwa’s work signals a “wellearned anonymity,” it is also a much needed one because of the freedom it affords—the space to manoeuvre, inhabit, become. Forever in the making.

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DISTURBING THE STEREOTYPES Kwaai Exhibition 2020 Eclectica Contemporary

eclecticacontemporary.co.za By Nadia Kamies

Above: UKS, Cans, spray paint on spray paint cans, dimensions vary Opposite Page: Jared Leite, Sides Of Youth, 2020, Digital collage on Fabriano, 29.7 x 42 cm

rt goes beyond mere entertainment – it is an ancient way of expressing who we are and what we stand for that goes back to the first time that humans left their marks on the walls of caves or fashioned forms out of the earth. Art captures and expresses different ways of living and being, both challenging and negating attempts to fix certain stereotypes. That people labelled ‘coloured’ through apartheid social engineering have been excelling in art, sports, music, academics (in fact, in every arena possible) throughout our history, is nothing new. What is of note is that almost three decades after the first democratic elections, we have yet to rid ourselves of the negative stereotypes associated with this labelling.

Apartheid policy has its roots in racial slavery, the violent process of othering, that ultimately led to the dehumanisation of people based on the colour of their skin. During apartheid the oppressive regime attempted to silence people, and art became a weapon for political expression, reflecting the injustices and repressive nature of the times. In spite of museums and galleries actively preventing participation by people of colour, they were able to communicate and express the injustices of the day, telling the stories that the world needed to hear. Their work so disrupted and threatened the apartheid hegemony that many were arrested, banned, or forced into exile. British-Jamaican sociologist and cultural theorist, Stuart Hall, urged ordinary people to regain control of an image-dominated world

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Danielle Alexander, Reflection (on the corner).oil on canvas 45 x 61cm

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Al Luke, Evolve Series, Fight, Connect, Hold. Mixed media on paper, sizes vary.

Urban Khoi Soldier

and to challenge the stereotypes that are propagated by introducing new ideas, new knowledge and new dimensions of meaning, thus exposing and destroying stereotypes. This is exactly what the artists involved with the KWAAI exhibition are doing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reshaping and reimagining an identity, and reconnecting with a culture in ways that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily the same as their parents experienced. Perhaps most indicative of the times we now find ourselves in, I met some of the artists via an online meeting platform. It was inevitable that the discussion would touch on how their creative processes were being affected by the national lockdown as a result of COVID-19. The enforced social distancing has encouraged deep self-reflection and the limited access to materials has led them to discover different ways of expressing themselves. It seems serendipitous, this process of examining,

reshaping and reimagining, not only their output, but the very essence of what they want to portray to the outside world. While some of the artists have lived through apartheid, others grew up in a post-apartheid society. However, all of them have been shaped socially, personally and culturally by the experiences of their own generation and the one that came before them. They bear the collective trauma through stories, images and the behaviour of the people they grew up with and those who raised them. They carry the responsibility, the sense of loss and the desire to make sure that their own narratives may be heard to prevent the past from continuing to make an indelible mark on the present and the future. All these artists are taking charge of the narrative, each in their own unique way, of how they want

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to be viewed, drawing on the experiences of the generation that came before them. Jabu Newman, explores the issues of coloured identity through her photographs, drawing on a personal family history, that speaks to the apartheid legacy of forced removals, racial classification and group areas, that continues to inform the present. Jared Leite uses printmaking and sculpture to deconstruct issues of representation and belonging, and the ambiguity that surrounds a community that continues to dwell on the periphery of a post-apartheid space. Urban Khoi engages with ancient practices such as cave drawings coupled with contemporary dance and graffiti to examine human consciousness and collective wisdom. The KWAAI exhibition provides the platform to

support the re-presentation of their individual stories. It invites conversation and engagement with these new narratives while challenging us to make up our own minds. These artists very clearly assert who they are and where they come from. They defy and resist the memories of apartheid and speak to what it means to be human. KWAAI Vol. 3 will run as an online exhibition with Eclectica Contemporary across the months of June and July, curated by Christina Fortune and Kirstin Warries. Look out for live events, workshops and a zine associated with the exhibition, as well as an online virtual tour. Restrictions allowing, the exhibition may be installed in the gallery premises at a later date. For more information contact info@ eclecticacontemporary.co.za.

THINGS BEHIND THE SUN Group exhibition Salon91

Words by Jessica Bosworth Smith salon91.co.za

hings Behind the Sun is a group exhibition featuring the latest works of Bruce Mackay, Jean de Wet, Kirsten Beets, Maaike Bakker, Nina Torr & Tara Deacon. This exhibition, inspired by the lyrics of Nick Drake’s song of the same name, is a playful exploration of vivacious colours, decisive lines, and undaunted expression. Things Behind the Sun as a collection of artworks is a foil to the uncertain times the artists, and the entire world, find themselves in. Each artist, in their body of work, seeks to explore the familiar and the comforting. This group of artists has endeavoured to embrace their signature visual language and find outlets for expression during the strangeness of the current global crisis. In Bruce Mackay’s work, the artist explores the role of boundaries as demarcations of either safety or restriction through the use of crisp lines and the depiction of cairns and other boundary markers. Jean de Wet’s works look to reflect the strangeness of our reality in works which are fantastical and, yet, familiar. In her work, Kirsten Beets seeks to express the dream-like qualities of the sun which softly illuminates scenes of longing and solitude. Maaike Bakker’s works traverse the razor edge between that which can be controlled, and that which cannot. In her work, Nina Torr looks to the cryptic world of alchemy to express a sense of mysticism. And, Tara Deacon creates seemingly familiar domestic scenes which unsettle as they intrigue.

Bruce Mackay

With my body of work for Things Behind the Sun, I’ve explored boundaries as a source of either safety or restriction. Using stone cairns, makeshift shelters and the remains of foundations as symbols to examine the tension of navigating a new world where danger is invisible and the things that keep us safe feel both unnecessarily restrictive and inadequate.

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Foundation II, 2020. Ink on paper. 240 x 375mm.

Jean de Wet

For this collection I focused on representing a familiar yet alien space. Born from the strange reality we find ourselves in these days, post-pandemic. This parallel world offers a reflection of the unfamiliar and confused emotional state we are all experiencing collectively. Imagined landscapes with vaguely normal and familiar features but coloured and styled in an unnatural way. Escapist in nature, this world imagines a peaceful and calm reality, where nature has outlasted humanity. 42

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Mainland, 2020, Acrylic on board, 305 x 470mm.

Kirsten Beets

I have used flat plains of colour to represent different aspects of the sun namely, morning, noon and twilight . The soft colours give each piece a hazy feel which is apt as the action taking place on each piece is dream-like. I have tried to capture a secretive sun , one that is not known to us and one that illuminates scenes of solitude and longing. In the work I have also included the antithesis of the sun, the moon , which still shines due to the reflection of the sun’s light. In my work I mainly deal with human interaction with the natural world or vice versa and this body of work is no exception.

Waiting for Winter, 2020, Oil on board, 270 x 220mm. Opposite page: Love Bite, 2020. Oil on board, 270 x 220mm.

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Maaike Bakker

My practice sets out to explore tensions that emerge between order/structure and futility/chaos. The presented works consist of a series of explorations that test whether aimlessness/â&#x20AC;&#x2122;a lack of directionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; can emerge under conditions of rigidity and order, or whether these two ideas are essentially at odds with each other, unable to occupy the same space(s).

How to Get There I, 2020, Acrylic, gouache and collage on paper, 450 x 325mm.

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How to Get There II, 2020. Acrylic, gouache and collage on paper, 450 x 325mm.

My presented works capture glimpses of what can be described as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;aimless expressionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; featured as disruptions or glitches within a self-made system. The works therefore present an unfamiliar internal logic of sorts and reveal its complete futility by disrupting this attempt at self-established order. The mechanics of my worksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; internal logic is thereby revealed and at the same time contradicted. The works thus set out to capture a negotiation of these two tensions at play, at times leaning more towards one rather than the other. Many of my works can therefore be observed as manifestations of liminal expressions, which exist somewhere in between of strict order and chaos/ absolute pointlessness. The works thereby elevate the incomprehensive, creating a space for this to exist in.

Nina Torr

As with most of my work, I generally do not know what the work means before making it. Instead, I am guided by hunches and images that intrigue me. For this body of work, I was intrigued by old alchemical illustrations and medieval maps. Only after making the work do I unpack where the ideas might have come from. Looking back, my Things behind the sun pieces summon up feelings of uncertainty and ambivalence. The work and the title phrase takes on new significance in this current moment - What happens after this? Can I trust what I am looking at?

Sun Behind Things, 2020, Digital Giclee print, Edition 1 of 10, 230 x 240mm. Right: Time, 2020, digital Giclee print commissioned by WeTransfer, edition 9 of 10, 340 x 250mm.

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Party of Two, 2020, Gouache, pencil on paper, 210 x 297mm. Right: Everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A-okay, 2020. Gouache, pencil on paper. 420 x 297mm.

Tara Deacon

With a sense that the world has slowed down and been put on pause, I honed into surfacing feelings of uncertainty, discomfort and longing for excitement & adventure whilst in the process found myself acknowledging and reflecting on their presence in a surprisingly creative way. Coming to terms with the fact that behind the sunny disposition and smiles of accepting a â&#x20AC;&#x153;new normalâ&#x20AC;?, lies something darker we are challenged with. This body of work explores sombre and melancholic themes through visual representations of place, both imagined and real as well as the new found need and appreciation of comfort within our four walls and a yearning desire to explore faraway lands and places. I have continued to work in my favoured medium of gouache and pencil on paper which allows me to achieve solid plans of colour and fine elements of detail.

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PITIKA NTULI Launches Solo Exhibition at National Arts Festival themelrosegallery.co.za

or the past three years Pitika Ntuli has been working on Azibuyele Emasisweni (Return to the Source), his first exhibition to comprise only of works sculpted in bone.

The exhibition, curated by Ruzy Rusike, will be officially opened by Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor on 25 June 2020 as part of the National Arts Festival. It will feature 40 sculptures created from the bones of elephant, rhino, giraffe and horses. Whilst the dominant material used is bone – beads, shells, chains, computer circuit boards, pins, animal skins and marbles are integrated into the work. A deliberate act of ‘picking up’ interrupted African creative traditions. The show acts as a vessel to appreciate and connect with the depth and wisdom of African indigenous knowledge systems and African spirituality in the quantum age, and explores the healing potential of African art. Following in the tradition of the ‘Renaissance Man’, Pitika, the sculptor, poet, writer, academic and spiritual healer is a true artistic, political and academic polymath. He is an undeniably important figure in the narrative of South Africa and art. His witty and dark reflections on society explore the contradictory relationship between tradition and modernity. “In indigenous communities diviners identify fault lines in the community, families, and/ or in people. To do this they use bones. In Nguni culture specifically, to ‘Throw Bones’ means to divine the state of things, to help in the healing process. Izangoma (African healers) are central to African spirituality and bones are major agents in the carrying out of their duties in the community. Bones are vital to healing as well as to the process of divination. I am a healer. I throw bones to divine the State of the Nation in the season of anomie! As a sangoma/ healer I see divination bones as sculptures imbued with multiple meanings. I believe that bones have

spirits and consciousness, and it is that that I seek to reveal in this exhibition.â&#x20AC;? Pitika Ntuli. Covid-19 has resulted in the National Arts Festival 2020 presenting its programme online and Pitika and The Melrose Gallery have conceptualised an exciting and unique way of participating. The exhibition will be showcased on a viewing room on www.themelrosegallery. co.za. Photographs of each artwork will be accompanied by a poem written and recited by Pitika as an audio and text note. Pitika has also invited 30 high-profile and respected artists, poets, singers, writers, curators and academics to engage with him on each work. Each of the collaborators submit a poem, song, essay or thought as an audio note which will also accompany each work. The list of high profile collaborators includes the likes of Bra Don Mattera, the Deputy Minister of Education Buti Manamela, Homi Bhabha, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Shaheen Merali, Gcina Mhlope, Zolani Mahola, Ela Gandhi, Simphiwe Dana, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Kwesi Owusu, Eugene Skeef, Ahmed Rajab, Napo Masheane, Nalini Moodley, Antoinette Ntuli, Albie Sachs, Florence Masebe, Shado Twala, Juwon Ogungbe, Felix Yaa de Villiers, Ahmed Rajab, Ari Sitas, Lallitha Jawahirilal, Sope Maitufi and Bheki Gumede.

Ensconced by Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Serpent 54

In the Womb of Elephantine Dreams

Medium on fire

Pitika will also be conducting 5 online chats about the exhibition, life, African spirituality and the impacts of Covid-19 on our times. These chats will include Ela Gandhi, Albie Sachs, Ari Sitas, Zolani Mahola and Ruzy Rusike. The pre-recorded chats and all other content will be available for viewing in the exhibition viewing room and others will be broadcast on the National Arts Festival platform. The public will be invited to engage with the content via likes, shares, messages and comments online. A catalogue featuring the works and transcripts of Pitikaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poems, the engagements and online

chats will work to document the exhibition. Several influential writers and thought leaders have agreed to submit essays for what is set to be an important publication including Ngugi waâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Thiongo, Pitika Ntuli, Sope Maithufi, Lallitha Jawahirilal and Ruzy Rusike. The exhibition runs from 25 June to 2 August 2020. See www.themelrosegallery.com and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages to be kept updated.

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CERAMICS SA Western Cape Regional Exhibition 2020 rust-en-vrede.com

eramics Southern Africa (CSA) has a rich history spanning over 40 years. Founded in 1972, it was originally known as the Association of Potters in Southern Africa and became the official national representative body of potters. In 1975 the first Corobrik National Exhibition was held in Cape Town, and since then it has become tradition to have annual Regional Exhibitions held in four provinces: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal. Every three years we collectively celebrate the Corobrik National Biennale; this year it will take place in Johannesburg from the 6th to the 19th of September. In the Western Cape, we will hold our 2020 Western Cape Regional at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery in Durbanville. This gallery is home to the Clay Museum, which not only showcases a permanent collection of contemporary and traditional ceramics, but also hosts regular exhibitions for our CSA members. CSA Western Cape has had a long history of partnership with the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery as they share our passion for ceramics and supporting our local artists. Our last National Exhibition was held there in 2018 and has been one of our most successful exhibitions to date.

Above: Karen Henstra

Chuma Maweni

John Newdigate and Ian Garrett

Carol Hayward Fell

Farah Hernandez

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Belinda Ormond

Erna Ziegelmeier

At our exhibitions we celebrate the work of up and coming artists in our New Signatures section as well as the ceramics of our more experienced members in the Premier Section. It is also with appreciation that our Fellows of Ceramics Southern Africa will exhibit their ceramics.

In addition to the juried section of the exhibition there is an Invitational Theme section that is open to all members. This year the theme is “2020 Vision” which is subject to interpretation and creativity. There will also be a “Wall of Plates” on exhibition, a striking and popular installation.

These exhibitions are always juried by wellknown personalities in the art industry, ensuring that the work selected is of the highest standard. For this year’s Regional we are excited to have Kim Sacks as our opening speaker and awards judge. Kim has worked with clay for more than 45 years and has been involved in training some of South Africa’s prominent ceramic artists. She is the owner of the “Kim Sacks Gallery and School of Ceramics”. We are also excited to have two other selectors, the ceramic artist Abongile Ntsane, and Erika Elk, the Executive director of the Craft and Design Institute.

The awards prizes for our Regionals have been sponsored by Cape Pottery Supplies, The Cape Gallery and Reinders Potters Supplies. As always, we appreciate their ongoing support.

Venue: Rust-en-Vrede Gallery & Clay Museum, 10 Wellington Road, Durbanville Western Cape Regional Exhibition Opening: Sunday 15 June 2020 at 11h00 Exhibition ends: 8 July 2020 Contact: info@ceramics-sa-cape.co.za Follow us on facebook/Instagram: Ceramics SA Western Cape

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JHB: 011 206 1500 | fineartjnb@stuttafordvanlines.com CPT: 021 514 8700 | fineartct@stuttafordvanlines.com www.stuttafordvanlines.com

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Opening Sunday, June 22 (Online exhibition, The Gallery will reopen under level 3 regulations but visitor numbers will be limited) On view until Friday, July 24

ome is a caring place of nurture and solace; a place to recreate, procreate, eat, sleep and dream. The fortunate live in a home with family, children, domestic workers, and pets. For the less fortunate ‘home’ is a figment of the imagination, a memory, or an aspiration. The 2020 Covid19 message of ‘Stay at home and prevent the transmission of the virus’ recognises ‘homes’ as structures, each separate and contained. Social interaction has been confined to prevent the transmission of the virus causing an increased focus of attention on the internet, social networking, and video chatting platforms. With our hearts and souls, many South Africans are at home preserving life while being grateful to those who sustain society and maintain the essential services.

Above: Tania Babb, Lady and Cat. Left: (Detail) Muizenburg Station by Katrin Dorje. Opposite Page: Diane Johnson-Ackerman, Home

The gallery will reopen with the commencement of level 3 regulations, but visitor numbers will be limited to comply with government safety guidelines. We can and will also organise a virtual online exhibition working from our respective homes. We care for the livelihood of the artists who are also working at home and the continuation of The Cape Gallery which has been in existence for 50 years. We can draw from an exciting body of art in the gallery. In this spirit, we look forward to celebrating the 2020 mid-Winter Solstice with an exhibition entitled ‘Home is where the heart is’.

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Peter Van Straten, The Heart Would Be a Compasse

The ancients knew the wisdom of the seasonal cycle of birth, life, and death. Â June 21st, the mid-Winter Solstice is a time when nature replenishes itself, the old and fragile dies making way as new life begins to germinate and bud as the sun waxes and wanes. A metaphysical analogy of this cycle is explored in many myths and legends as the wise men through the centuries philosophised upon the existential meaning of life.Â This concept is explored in the works of the artist in this show, in many different forms, mediums and philosophies.

Artists: Di Johnson Ackerman, Tania Babb, Rachelle Bomberg, Kit Dorje, Derek Drake, Margot Hattingh, Marike Kleynscheldt, Lambert Kriedeman, David Kuijers, Peter van Straten, Jan Uitlander, Annari van der Merwe, Judy Woodborne, Simon Jones, Elsa Verloren Themaat Klump, and Christopher Langley.

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Diane Victor

THE PANDEMIC An interdisciplinary project UJ Arts & Culture respond to the Covid19 crisis with care and creativity

In March 2020, COVID19 forced galleries to close their doors and theatres to turn off the lights. Overnight events, performances and exhibitions were cancelled, planned work shelved and important revenue streams lost. But the arts are resilient, and projects were born that not only reflected the current situation, but offered hope in a changed world. On 11 May, the UJ Choir launched its 9th album, When the Earth Stands Still, and with it came an emotional interdisciplinary project, The Pandemic. UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) at the University of Johannesburg, invited over 25 visual artists, 10 choreographers and 40 UJ Arts Academy poets to develop a new work inspired by music from the UJ Choir’s When the Earth Stands Still album. “At UJ Arts & Culture we believe that the arts are not limited to physical performance or exhibition spaces and with us not being able to utilise these to connect with and serve our audiences and students, we have to undertake bold experiments. Having worked across disciplines for a number of years now, UJ Arts & Culture naturally gravitates towards collaborative work and this time is no different,” says Pieter Jacobs, head of the department. Other than the initial lockdown time period, there were no aesthetic restrictions on the commission and a literal interpretation of ‘the pandemic’ was not expected. Each creative was assigned one of the 20 tracks on the UJ Choir’s album and was required to submit a short time-lapse video of the work in creation. The final artworks will be published on the UJ Arts & Culture online platform and will be presented in an exhibition at the UJ Art Gallery as soon as less stringent social distancing measures are necessary.

82 Allan Laing

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“The Pandemic has given UJ Arts & Culture an opportunity to support artists financially, albeit modestly, and emotionally and give them a space to create” While the impetus of The Pandemic was derived from the desire to celebrate one of the few projects that was not wholly affected by the pandemic and its resulting lockdowns, it took on a far greater purpose. The Pandemic has given UJ Arts & Culture an opportunity to support artists financially, albeit modestly, and emotionally and give them a space to create a new artwork in solidarity with other artists. While unplanned and unexpected, The Pandemic speaks strongly to the UJ Arts & Culture 2020 vision of bringing the arts #CloseToHeART, emphasising what matters most to the department. Furthermore, it progresses FADA’s growing interdisciplinary approach to the arts in academia and presentation. Sixteen visual artists were commissioned including Diane Victor, Devlin Tim, Lothar Bottcher, Lebo Magolego, Tanisha Bhana, Heidi Fourie, Collen Masangwanyi, Allen Laing, Lehlogonolo Mashaba, Ronel de Jager, Strijdom van der Merwe, Neo Mahlangu, Craig Muller, Gordon Froud , Yannis Generalis and Siyabonga Mahlaba. Their submitted works represent a variety of media. Nine dancers and choreographers were commissioned including Athena Mazarakis, Alex Halligey and Jennifer Halligey, Themba Mbuli, Thulani Chauke, Oscar Buthelezi, Thami Majela, Ignatius van Heerden, Sunnyboy Motau, Khaya Ndlovu and Fana Tshabalala. “There is a real sense of hope and inspiration that stems from the Choir’s album When the Earth Stands Still and The Pandemic, they speak to our resilience and ability to create even in times of crisis,” says Lakin Morgan-Baatjies who heads up Marketing at UJ Arts & Culture. Following the launch of the album, the video clips will be released over the next five weeks on all of UJ Arts & Culture’s social media platforms. Follow the hashtag #UJPandemic #CloseToHeART to experience this journey.

Business Art News

STRAUSS & CO

Modern, Post War and Contemporary Art Live Virtual Auction, Monday 27 July 2020, Johannesburg straussart.co.za

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Gerard Sekoto Washday, Sophiatown oil on canvas laid down on board 34 by 50cm R 1 800 000 - 2 400 000

Alexis Preller Head of a Mapogga Woman oil on wood 26 by 28,5cm R 600 000 - 800 000

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Maud Sumner A Village Street Scene oil on canvas 35 by 42cm R 120 000 - 160 000

Walter Battiss, Street Vendors, oil on board, 24 by 34cm, R 180 000 - 240 000

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Cecil Skotnes, Figure with Raised Arms, incised and painted wood panel 121,5 by 121,5cm, R 400 000 - 600 000

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Robert Hodgins, A Little Light Class Conflict, oil over graphite on canvas, 90 by 121cm, R 400 000 - 600 000

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Landscape with Purple Mountains, oil on canvas laid down on board, 39 by 50cm, R 500 000 - 800 000

Business Art News

ASPIRE ART AUCTIONS

Modern and Contemporary African Art to shine at auction in Paris. aspireart.net

Aspire Art Auctions is set to present a co-curated auction of Modern and Contemporary African Art, in collaboration with French auction house Piasa, in Paris on 24 June. The debut of an African auction house in Europe marks an industry first and confirms Aspire as the emerging global champion for African art. After the success of the Aspire X Piasa auction in Cape Town in February 2020, a follow-up sale in Paris has been planned with great anticipation. While the art market is gradually re-opening in Europe to resume activities for the next quarter, indications are that Paris will resume the momentum it gained prior to the COVID-19 crisis. In 2019, France emerged as a new global art-market force with the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auction market growing a remarkable 49% (Artnet Intelligence Report, Spring 2020). Paris is currently one of three leading cities for specialised sales of art from the African continent and a city where auction turnover from sales of modern and contemporary African art has almost quadrupled between 2017 and 2019 (Artprice.com). Since 2016, Aspire has altered the local auction market. While the company actively pioneered new sectors within contemporary art at auction, it was also the first to committedly promote undervalued 20thÂ century black artists, and the first to present a genuinely panAfrican offering of modern and contemporary art to a global audience. Aspire has a clear and abiding commitment to promoting international value and appreciation in the art and artists from Africa and South Africa in particular. This bold strategy marks a significant moment in the history and development of the global art market. Aspire MD Ruarc Peffers comments: It is our pleasure to collaborate with Piasa as we work together in growing and internationalising the market for modern and contemporary art from Africa. Mohau Modisakeng, Passage 8, 2017

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Gerard Sekoto In the Beer Hall

Above: Irma Stern, Portrait of Dora Sowden, 1943 Opposite Page: Mary Sibande, Her Majesty, Queen Sophie, 2010

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Peter Clarke, The Crossing: Africa; Crossing the Atlantic; America (from the Fence series), triptych, 1987.

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William Kentridge, Drawing from Johannesburg, 2nd Greatest City after Paris (Soho Eating), 1989

Nicholas Hlobo, Umfanekiso, 2012 Opposite Page: Kudzanai Chiurai, Untitled VIII (Auto and the workers’ movement), 2018

Our shared belief in the inherent quality, historical significance and value of African art supports our endeavours in working to build this market to levels comparable to its European and American counterparts. Significant highlights are William Kentridge’s important 1989 drawing from Johannesburg, 2nd Greatest City after Paris (Soho Eating) produced during a critical time in South Africa’s history as the country was on the cusp of radical political and social change. This drawing complements The Crossing, one of Peter Clarke’s most powerful works which expresses his opposition to apartheid. Rare, early paintings such as In the beer hall by Gerard Sekoto are seldom seen at auction. Produced before Sekoto’s departure for Paris in 1947, the work is one of the earliest images of black people painted sympathetically by a black artist. The modern collection further includes Irma Stern’s exquisite 1943 portrait of Dora Sowden, the eccentric music and arts critic for the former Johannesburg-based progressive newspaper The Rand Daily Mail during the 1940s and 1950s, and JH Pierneef’s masterful depiction of the Golden Gate Highlands area. The auction boasts a strong contemporary offering of exceptional works by leading names such as Nicholas Hlobo, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Mary Sibande and Misheck

Masamvu. Kudzanai Chiurai’s mixed media work Untitled VIII (Auto and the Workers Movement), which is part of his Drawings and Paintings from the Radical Archive, is a powerful statement. Works by rising stars include a striking painting by Simphiwe Ndzube and a textile work by Siwa Mgoboza. Aspire has made meaningful advances in developing the market for photography at auction. Top selections include a portrait by Zanele Muholi, gelatin silver prints by Rotimi Fani-Kayode and two images from Mohau Modisakeng’s Passage video which was exhibited at the 57th Venice Biennale. Also represented is Prayer on Yeoville Ridge, Ponte City (1293) a collaborative work by Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse, and Guy Tillim’s diptych Leopold & Mobutu. Three important photographs by the highly soughtafter David Goldblatt conclude the collection. AUCTION IN PARIS Modern and Contemporary African Art co-curated with Piasa 24 June 2020 at 6:00 PM 118 rue du Faubourg, Saint-Honoré 75008, Paris Catalogue Available: www.aspireart.net SALE ENQUIRIES Johannesburg: Jacqui Carney +27 71 675 2991 | jacqui@aspireart.net Cape Town: Marelize van Zyl +27 83 283 7427 | marelize@aspireart.net

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Business Art News

STEPHAN WELZ & C0. Recent Auction Highlights swelco.co.za

The recent auction held by Stephan Welz and Co. featured a wide-range of departments including Fine Art, Books, Oriental and Decorative arts, Jewellery, Silver and Militaria, among others. Some highlights of the multifaceted fine art lots offered by the company included contemporary art by the likes of Beezy Bailey, Ndikhumbule Ngqinambi, Lisa Brice and Mbongeni Fakudze; photographic works by Ed Suter, Lindeka Qampi, and Chris Ledochowski; works by international artists such as Hans Juchser’s Impression, Edmund Bristow, Achim Duchow and A.R. Penck’s sinister Stasi 9; and a range of abstract art, including the magnificent Sunset by one of South Africa’s leading abstractionists, Kevin Atkinson. Alongside these were paintings, drawings, sculptures and works on paper by auction mainstays like Walter Battiss, Tinus de Jongh, Erik Laubscher, Tommy Motswai, Piet van Heerden, Maggie Laubser, Gregoire Boonzaier, David Botha, Judith Mason, and Marjorie Wallace. Currently the Stephan Welz and Co. specialists are working towards their next premium auction of collectables to be held in Cape Town. The specialists are providing evaluations, client advisory services and consignment over a range of platforms to suit the dynamic and changing needs of the nation’s collectors. Should you wish to buy or sell on auction, or simply be curious about the value of your collectables, you can make contact through either the Stephan Welz and Co. website, email, phone, Whatsapp, or Facebook page. Stephan Welz & Co webite: www.swelco.co.za, email: info@swelco.co.za, phone: 021 794 6461/ 011 880 3125, whatsapp: 079 431 9415 Beezy Bailey, (South African 1962 - ), China Sea, two in the lot, R 5 000 - R 8 000

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Achim Duchow, (German 1948 - 1993), Kuh, R 15 000 - R 20 000 Opposite Page: Ed Suter, (British 1967 - ), Streets 2, R 5 000 - R 8 000

Kevin Atkinson, (South African 1939 - 2007), Sunset, R 100 000 - R 150 000

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Ndikhumbule Ngqinambi, (South African 1977 - ), Waiting, R 25 000 - R 35 000 96

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Dealers in100 years of SA Fine Art Prints www.printgallery.co.za Woodstock, Cape Town

Cape of Good Ink The SA Print Gallery presents: ‘Cape of Good Ink, a view of the Cape from an artist’s perspective from the last 100 years’. Artist’s include: De Jong, Pemberton, Spilhaus, Skotness, Soha, Goldin, Clark-Brown, Woodbourne, Miles and many more. View the show online at www.printgallery.co.za

ARTFLIX.CO.ZA movies, trailers & art documentries

COFFEE TO RESCUE BAXTERS AS UCT SUPPORT FALTERS

Members of the Arts community rally to support UCT Baxter through a Coffee donation

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DIANE VICTOR: UJ: THE PANDEMIC: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT

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DIGNIFYING THE DISEASED BODY.

Absa Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;Atelier 2018 winner Marguerite Kirsten becomes first artist to open an exhibition at Absa Art Gallery via live stream. | PLAY

CAUTIONARY TALES..AWARD WINING | PLAY

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

JUNE 2020 WEEKS 1-4

PLEASE CHECK ONLINE FOR THE LATEST ART SHOWS AND EVENTS ARTGO.CO.ZA BRUCE MACKAY. Small Barrier I, 2020. Ink on paper. 170 x 170mm. SALON91

Art@Africa

Blue Dot artatafrica.art/exhibitions/

Kobus Walker, Retro Blue Girl. 2020

Arwork: Halftime by Diane Johnson-Ackerman

Home Is Where The Heart Is Winter Solstice Group Exhibition 22 June - 24 July (We are reponening at level 3 but visitor numbers will be limited to comply with government guidelines)

Featuring works by: Di Johnson Ackerman, Tania Babb, Rachelle Bomberg, Kit Dorje, Derek Drake, Margot Hattingh, Marike Kleynscheldt, Lambert Kriedeman, David Kuijers, Peter van Straten, Jan Uitlander, Annari van der Merwe, Judy Woodborne, Simon Jones, Elsa Verloren Themaat Klump, and Christopher Langley.

Candice Berman Gallery Janus-Faced | John-Michael Metelerkamp candicebermangallery.com

Shallows, 2017

The Heather Auer Art Studio Visit us at Glencairn, Simonstown (By Appointment Only) South Africa: +27 (0)82 779 2695 / Email: info@heatherauer.com

Art, antiques, objets d’art, furniture, and jewellery wanted for forthcoming auctions

Jim Dine, offset lithograph on paper SOLD R 68,000 View previous auction results at www.rkauctioneers.co.za

011 789 7422 • 011 326 3515 • 083 675 8468 • 12 Allan Road, Bordeaux, Johannesburg

EBONY/CURATED

THE CABINET - MAY 2020 EDITION www.ebonycurated.com/cabinet

Lagunju Wolethe, Golden Age, 2017

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Mario Soares, Jan Tshikhuthula, Phillip Mabote, Donald Makola, Ben Ngobeni

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE www.artistproofstudio.co.za/shop

Strelitzia (On The Han River)

Gallery at Glen Carlou

Art in a Time of Weeping / Kuns in Â n Tyd van Trane Ingrid Winterbach glencarlou.co.za/art-gallery

Irma Stern (SA 1886 - 1966) Oil, Still Life Sold For R 1, 500, 000

Next Auction: 28th June Now accepting entries

Fine Art, Antiques, Persian Rugs, Collectibles Enquiries: stuart@5aa.co.za

404 Jan Smuts Ave Craighall Park, Sandton

Trusted Fine Art Auctioneers Since 1985

www.5aa.co.za 011 781 2040

La Motte Museum

Irma Stern: Still Life With Magnolias 1936. Oil On Canvas, Rupert Art Foundation

Celebrating the love of Art a personal selection by Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg www.la-motte.com/pages/current-exhibition

RUPERT MUSEUM CHALLENGE

We are challenging all the art lovers to post photos recreating Pomegranate Seller by Irma Stern. Tag @rupertmuseum hashtag #rupertmuseumchallenge tatum@rupertmuseum.org, www. rupertmuseum.org Each week, a South African artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork from our permanent collection will be posted for you to recreate. One lucky person will win a lunch for two to enjoy after lockdown, at the museum cafe. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;s get creative! Featured: Irma Stern, Pomegranate Seller, 1948 Oil on canvas. Rupert Art Foundation Collection

rupertmuseum.org

Cecil Skotnes, Figure with Raised Arms, incised and painted wood panel 121,5 by 121,5cm, R 400 000 - 600 000 Available from Strauss & Co Modern, Post War and Contemporary Art Sale, 27 July 2020, straussart.co.za