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The South African Art Times: SAs leading visual arts publication | April 2013 | Free | Read daily news on www.arttimes.co.za
ART TIMES
Photo: Christo Harvey
Printmaking Feature
Phillemon Hlungwani, Fine Art Printmaker Extraordinaire
Auction of South African & International Art
Johannesburg, Monday 20 May 2013
011 728 8246 / 079 367 0637 | jhb@straussart.co.za | www.straussart.co.za
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Extensive Landscape with Distant Mountains,
signed and dated 32, oil on canvas, 92,5 by 122,5cm R5 000 000 7 000 000
Auction of South African & International Art
Johannesburg, Monday 20 May 2013
011 728 8246 / 079 367 0637 | jhb@straussart.co.za | www.straussart.co.za
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Extensive Landscape with Distant Mountains,
signed and dated 32, oil on canvas, 92,5 by 122,5cm R5 000 000 7 000 000
Presented by the Association of Arts Pretoria
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06 SA ART TIMES. April 2013
ART TIMES | EDITORIAL
April 2013
Daily news at www.arttimes.co.za
Global Art Information Group
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Gabriel Clark-Brown editor@arttimes.co.za
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Email editor@arttimes.co.za for more about content
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Or simply call 021 424 7733 to chat and fnd out more
This past month has been both great and
memorable, all the art auction houses are doing
very well, especially that Trechis 20th Century
icon The Chinese Lady, possibly the most
recognizable artwork originating from SA was
sold for nearly double is estimate at a sweet ZAR
13M, and whats more the UK buyer of the work
plans to bring it back home. I hope that the
painting fnds a happy, appreciative and inspired
home. Funny that it went for ZAR 13M as 13
was Trechis favourite number, I am sure he is
chuckling happily from above while mooting the
academics far below. To the Trechi sale we have
2 articles written by Michael Coulson and Boris
Gorlik, an authority on Trechi.
We have compiled a brief Printmaking feature
this month focusing on Cape Town Printmaking
workshops. (Next Print edition will take place
in August- focusing on Jhb) Unfortunately I am
bound to get hate calls by many friends and
printmakers in the feld. I would like to say that I
am sorry that I did not squeeze you in, we have
always so few pages of editorial that its almost a
crime to have to leave folk out. Given that its a 48
page magazine, its very much SAs largest visual
art publication in SAs art history - ever - with
reaching more art lovers than before -
with over 11 months a year with totalling over 500
free pages per year, we do get a lot of news out x
8 500 AT copies throughout South Africa monthly-
over and above our well read daily website and
newsletters. Speaking of news broadcast we have
over 14 000 Facebook likes and that this is a real
contemporary thrill catch our news daily on
website at www.arttimes.co.za
On a happy note we are expanding our news
service to include more content, we feel that lately
we havent given enough locally written content,
this has seemed typical of many media houses
world wide. At the end of the day this is our art,
our identity and our lives the stronger we are as
being ourselves the more unique we will be in a
few years time our age will stand out, rather than
be blurred into a mushy noise of everything else.
A big thank you for those who have supported us
over the last 6 years and continue to do so, we
hope to make you proud and grow our infrastruc-
ture to spread our quality, beautiful culture, ideas
and art we have in SA, higher and wider.
Thank you.
Gabriel Clark-Brown
editor@arttimes.co.za
Please feel welcome to send us your writing, images and news that you would like to share
both in our magazine and Facebook. Send your news to.... news@arttimes.co.za we look
forward to your association and contact. See more at www.arttimes.co.za
SA ART TIMES. April 2013 07
j ohans borman
F I N E A R T
www.johansborman.co.za
Henni e Ni emann Jnr
Tel: 021 683 6863
Cell: 083 566 4631
E-mail: art@johansborman.co.za
Nude with poinsettia (2012) Oil on canvas
2 0 1 3 A U C T I O N
C A P E T O WN P R E V I E W
Friday 22 March - Saturday 6 April
J O H A N N E S B U R G P R E V I E W
Thursday 11 - Saturday 13 April
L I V E A U C T I O N
Johannesburg
12h00 Saturday 13 April
SA BENDS TO CHINA / NEWS | ART TIMES
By Charl Attan for The Art Times.
I was really shocked. As an artist you kind of
work in this bubble so to have this kind of reaction
to work you have put out there, came as real
shock, said Julie Lovelace in reaction to the re-
cent controversy around one of her works, which
had formed part of the recent Dinner for 101
installation at Cape Towns Castle of Good Hope.
Controversy erupted around the piece, titled I Did
It Mao Wei Wei, when a group of Chinese tourists
objected to its depiction of the erstwhile Chinese
leader, Mao Zedong. Mao was the Central Com-
mittee of the Communist Party of China frst
Chairman from 1945 to 1976.
The work is made up of a found plate commemo-
rating the Chinese leader onto which the artist
painted bloodied tears streaming from Maos
eyes.
Esther Esmyol, the shows curator and Curator of
Social History Collections at Iziko Museums said:
It was on a Friday, around halfway through the
run of the exhibition, that the group of approxi-
mately 20 young Chinese tourists, mostly in the
twenties, came in to view the show. They objected
to the manner in which Mao was depicted. They
were very forceful and demanded to buy the piece
in order to destroy it.
Because of the groups persistence, Esmyol
called Lovelace, explained the situation and
enquired whether the work was up for sale.
Said Lovelace: When Esther called me, she was
very calm but I could hear there was a lot going
on. I was really taken aback that they would want
to purchase the work - only to destroy it.
Said Lovelace: I created the work to shed light on
what happened to [contemporary Chinese artist]
Ai Wei Wei. Like many people around the world,
I was quite upset that he could be taken away
like that. The plate, which is a propaganda plate
commemorating Mao, seemed to go well with that
feeling.
Ai Wei Wei is the dissident contemporary Chinese
artist and political activist who was highly critical
of the Chinese governments poor human rights
record and limiting of democratic freedoms. Sub-
sequent to his arrest in 2011 and being held by
Chinese offcials for over two months (without any
offcial charges being brought against him), the
international community rallied behind him, with
numerous calls for his release being issued.
In her interaction with the group, Esmyol, however
noticed that the offended group of Chinese visi-
tors appeared to have very little knowledge of Ai
or the international outcry around his
disappearance.
Said Esmyol: When I spoke to them about Ai Wei
Wei, they seemed to have no idea of the
controversy around him, which I found really
strange. Lovelace added: The big thing about
Wei Wei was that it was all over the internet with
people demanding to know his whereabouts.
People across the world took part in peaceful
protests outside Chinese embassies internation-
ally, so it is really strange and also quite telling
- that they appeared to not know who he was.
This attempt at locating the work within a broader
context did little to assuage the seemingly implac-
able anger of the group, which grew to such
an extent that Esmyol had it removed from the
table. Said Esmyol: I waited until they left and
then removed it from the table and placed it on a
side table within the same venue. When, on the
following Tuesday, I was given the go-ahead by
the Iziko management team to place it back in its
original position, I immediately did so.
A media statement released by Iziko stated: It
was promptly decided to return the plate to the
main setting on the clear understanding that
Iziko welcomes lively debate and discussions on
important social issues and commentary affecting
our shared humanity.
When The South African Art Times initially spoke
to Lovelace, she said: Its a diffcult decision
to make, especially given that Iziko is really a
government body and also considering the power
that China wields. I thought it best to leave them
to deal with it as they saw ft.
Subsequent discussion with the artist, however,
saw her note her disappointment with the manner
in which the institution dealt with the matter. Said
Lovelace: I fnd it disappointing that they had
to take the work down for four days while they
deliberated on what to do. An institution of Izikos
calibre should really have strategies in place for
these kind of occurrences.
Esmyol, however, countered that her decision
to remove the work was taken with the view
to protect it and other installation works from
any possible damage. Esmyol added: We still
welcome visitors, including people from mainland
China. It was just alarming that this particular
group of young visitors expressed themselves in
the way they did and that they seemed oblivious
to contemporary issues in their country.
Iziko Art Museum Compromises to Angry Chinese Tourists
SA Print Gallery : 109 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. Tel 021 462 6851. See our online catalogue at www.printgallery.co.za
BOTANICAl prINTs
The South African Print Gallery proudly presents a curated body of beautiful limited editioned SA Botanical Fine Art Prints
Artists include: Diane Ackerman, Sally Arnold, Libby Bell, Malcolm Bowling, Zaan Claassens, Patricia Fraser, Jonathan Freemantle, Alan Grobler, Solly
Gutman, Elwyn Harlech-Jones, Ann Harris, Tammy McKay, Joshua Miles, Nonzuzo, Barbara Pretorius, Daleen Roodt. Colleen Ross, Stanley Seagrief, Inge
Semple, Lisa Strachan, Vicki Thomas, Louise Twiggs, Kali van der Merwe, Patricia Wade, Judy Woodborne, and others....
Opening Saturday 27 April 2013
2013_Feb_ArtTimes_70x297 2/18/13 11:58 AM Page 1
Composite
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
/ NEWS | ART TIMES
SA ART TIMES. April 2013 09
At a media briefng yesterday morning, the
Department of Arts and Culture and the National
Arts Festival, Grahamstown commissioners and
curators respectively of the 2013 South African
Pavilion announced the theme and some of the
artists that will be representing South Africa at the
55th La Biennale di Venezia.
Curator of this exhibition, Brenton Maart, gives
context for their choices: To understand how
and why histories continue to impact on the world
today, contemporary South African artists are
turning to the archive, and the chronicles of his-
tory here become the building blocks for creative
action. Working with archives in a creative ways
allows the artist to create work with the potential
to (de)construct ideologies, and thus change
the course of our contemporary world. In South
Africa, specifcally, artists may therefore be seen
as activists in the evolution of democracy, and it is
this evolution that is explored in Imaginary Fact:
Contemporary South African Art and the Archive.
The voices contained in this exhibition are as
rich and varied as those of the citizens of our
country. They are bold and they are brave. Some
are already celebrated internationally, some are
beginning to make their voices heard. All are im-
mensely talented and, as a nation, we are proud
of them and of the opportunity to showcase them
to the world. said Minister of Arts and Culture,
Paul Mashatile. The following artists have been
contracted so far, to appear as part of the exhibi-
tion: Joanne Bloch, Wim Botha,
Kay Hassan, David Koloane, Gerhard Marx,
Maja Marx and Philip Miller, Sam Nhlengethwa,
Johannes Phokela, Cameron Platter, Andrew
Putter, Penny Siopis and Sue Williamson. Some
of the work represented will draw from the oeuvre
of these artists, while some will be commissioned
specifcally for this exhibition.
The painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, flm,
electronic and performance work on exhibition are
as representative of the diversity of concerns as
of the kinds of archive they access. The curatorial
concept artists who use materials of the past to
comment on the contemporary is poised as an
assessment to show where South Africa is, and
how far it has come, as the country approaches
its 20th anniversary of constitutional freedom.
explains curator Brenton Maart.
The exhibition is about the protection and pres-
ervation of our national heritage and the symbols
and artifacts of that heritage. said Mashatile.
He continued, It is also about using the arts to
question and challenge our reading of the past, to
reach a new understanding of it and to craft a new
and inclusive narrative for our country.
We have no doubt that those who will be repre-
senting us at this years Venice Biennale, will do
so with pride and distinction concluded Minister
Mashatile.
The 55th International Art Exhibition will take
place in Venice from 1 June to 24 November
2013. The title chosen by Exhibition Director Mas-
similiano Gioni for the 55th Biennale is Il Palazzo
Enciclopedico / The Encyclopaedic Palace.
The National Arts Festival is sponsored by Stand-
ard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust
Fund, Eastern Cape Government, Department of
Arts and Culture, City Press and M Net.
SA artists to appear in Venice announced
Nomusa Mokhubu from the curatorial committee, Sam Nhlengethwa, Minister of Arts an Culture
Mr Paul Mashatile, and David Koloane at the DAC media briefng about the the 2013 Venice Biennale
Brenton Maart
ART TIMES | NEWS /
BUSINESS ART
Art Times.indd 6 2013/03/18 9:26 AM
SA ART TIMES. April 2013 11
BUSINESS ART
By Michael Coulson
A stunning price for Tretchikoffs much-hyped
Chinese Girl, which fetched more than three times
the low estimate, brought overall respectability
to Bonhams March sale of SA art, hiding patchy
returns elsewhere and confrming yet again the
old adage that what happens to the top-priced lots
determines perceptions of a sales success.
The cover lot, Chinese Girl was bid up to a record
982 000 (including buyers premium and Vat)
against the estimate of 300 000-500 000, the
successful bidder being London diamond dealer
Laurence Graff, who plans to install it at his Stel-
lenbosch wine estate, Dellaire Graff. All seven
Tretchis on the sale went, the others grossing
about 364 000, taking the total for his work to
just under 1.27m, just over 26% of the total pro-
ceeds. Traditional market leader Irma Stern, with
only three of her seven lots selling, grossed only
665 000, against the presale estimate of 1.44m,
though the other perennial favourite, Pierneef,
did somewhat better, selling seven of nine lots for
860 000, beating the presale estimate of 753
000. The big three together contributed almost
60% of the total proceeds.
Overall, sales were about 54% by number, but
over 70% by value, refecting buyers continuing
preference for quality work.
The big disappointment, on the other hand, was
the short special section devoted to William
Kentridge. Only nine of the 20 lots sold, including
neither of the two top estimates, so that the gross
of 406 000 was barely half the presale estimate
of 800 000. Taking both sessions together, a
gross of 4.5m was about 300 000 short of he
low estimate, but for the main session alone,
where 72 of 130 lots sold, the gross of about
4.1m was just over the 4m estimate.
Of the 10 top estimates, starting at 100 000 and
upwards, fve sold. After the Tretchikoff, top price
was 713 000 for a Pierneef view of Stellenbosch
(est 500 000-700 000, the inside front cover),
followed by 541 000 for Sterns Congo Beauty
(est 400 000-600 000), 457 000 for Alexis
Prellers Woman with a Lyre (est 400 000-600
000, the frontispiece) and 241 000 for Stanley
Pinkers Garden (est 200 000-300 000).
The rest of the top 10 sales comprised 121 000
for Tretchikoffs Herb Seller (est 80 000-120
000), 109 000 for Irma Sterns Lady Cellist
(est 90 000-120 000 -- about the third time of
asking, and barely a tenth of the initial estimate
at Strauss & Co in Joburg), 97 000 for another
Pierneeef (est 70 000-100 000), an amazing
record 52 000 for a Cyprian Shilakoe wooden
sculpture (est 3 000-5 000, the property of
the late actor Anthony Quinn) and 43 000 for
Tretchikoffs Balinese Dancer
(est 40 000-60 000).
Also a record was 43 000 for a bronze Head
by Dumile Feni (est 15 000-20 000). The old
record was 12 000.
Of other featured items, the back cover, Sterns
Zanzibar Garden, failed to sell, while the
inside back cover, Walter Battisss Bathers in a
Landscape, fetched 17 500 (est 10 000-15
000. Top price for a Kentridge was 115 000 for
Responsible Hedonism (est 80 000-120 000).
Of well-represented artists, besides those already
mentioned, Gladys Mugudlandlu sold eight of 11,
Cecil Skotnes six of 11, and Gregoire Boonzaaier
three of fve.
This is now the sixth auction running where the
gross has exceeded the previous years compara-
ble fgure, suggesting that the market for SA art is
recovering strongly. Lets hope the next two sales,
by each of the local houses in Joburg, confrm the
trend.
Tretchis 13M Chinese Girl boosts
Bonhams South African sale
By Michael Coulson
Is auction house Stephan Welz & Cos decision to
cut commission rates to both buyers and sellers
in certain price ranges to zero per cent just a
gimmick, or an innovative move to broaden the
market? Opinions in the art market are sharply
divided.
Bonhams SA specialist. Giles Peppiatt, is scepti-
cal. I dont think commission rates determine
where art is sold. People go where theyll get
the best net price. Some years ago, when our
competitors in London raised their commission
rates, we decided to be contrarian. We actually
cut our rates. But we found this didnt bring in any
extra business, and after a few months we quietly
fell in line.
Having said that, since I spoke to Peppiatt
Bonhams has announced that it is pegging its
commission rates and not matching recent hikes
by Sothebys and Christies, suggesting that there
are some at his frm who still think price competi-
tion may work.
Stephan Welz & Cos new chairman, Alan Demby,
whose idea it was, not surprisingly takes a differ-
ent view. I have no doubt that some of the new
buyers we saw at our Cape sale in February were
attracted by not having to pay commission. So it
certainly brought in new business.
He adds, though, that zero commission will be
dropped at the end of this month (April), and all
references to it have disappeared from the frms
web site. But he says that what he can bring to
the frm is his commercial expertise, and promises
further innovations on that front. These may
be inspired by the experience of his other, and
primary, business: the SA Gold Coin Exchange
and associated Scoin shops. Indeed, one such is
already announced in the catalogue for the frms
upcoming sale in Johannesburg, on April 23 and
24: it now offers a free safe custody service for
clients valuables, such as coins, stamps, jewel-
lery, watches and the like.
More than just a
gimmick?
0%
Commission
TRETCHIS BIG SALE / SA ART AUCTIONS | BUSINESS ART
SA ART TIMES. April 2013 13
By Boris Gorelik
On 20 March Tretchikoffs Chinese Girl fetched
almost one million pounds at the Bonhams
auction in London.
Wed had enquiries from all four corners of the
earth, says Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams director
of South African Art. The media interest in the
Chinese Girl was enormous.
In terms of price, the Russian-born King or
Kitsch, or Peoples Painter, has overtaken
such heavyweights of South African art scene as
Sekoto, Preller and Pierneef. Irma Stern, whose
canvases go for up to three million pounds, is
still way ahead of him. But, Tretchikoff has now
become the countrys No 2 best-selling painter.
Is it right that critically acclaimed artists command
lower prices for their work than the author of the
Green Lady?
This might seem like a naive question. After all,
the market favours the works that attract buyers.
The more commercial appeal the work has, the
more it can fetch. But how come the worlds most
expensive canvases are pictures by Warhol, Pi-
casso, Richter and Monet? Why Jack Vettrianos
Singing Butler, one of the most popular paintings
of the last decades, with myriads of reproductions,
is worth forty-fve times less than Warhols Statue
of Liberty?
The correlation between the paintings popularity
and its price exists but, apparently, its not as strict
as some of us would like to believe.
Tretchikoffs heyday is the 1950-60s. The Chinese
Girl is a hit of yesteryear, a track from a nostalgic
compilation. And yet if you look up the current
value of work by other mass-market artists of his
era J H Lynch, C R DOyly-John, Vernon Ward,
Lou Shabner or David Shepherd Tretchikoff
always comes out on top.
I suppose its because the Chinese Girl isnt
merely a popular picture. It symbolises a certain
style, even a certain period. In this bizarre image,
Tretchikoff captured something that has excited
imagination of several generations. The Green
Lady is an icon, like posters of pop stars that peo-
ple like to adore. It doesnt have the same magical
power as back in the day, but even now its prints
are highly collectable, and her face appears on
countless trinkets and souvenirs, in flms and
music videos, on wallpaper and album covers.
Though reproductions of Tretchikoff work
remained in the list of top ten best-selling prints in
Britain for over a decade, he never managed to
create another icon that could match the magnet-
ism of the Chinese Girl. She embodied western
notions of mysteriousness of the East better than
Tretchis Miss Wong or Lady from Orient. She
served as an open vessel for fantasies better than
his Dying Swan or Lost Orchid. We can speculate
about reasons for her extraordinary, long-lasting
appeal, but I think they would have more to do
with sociology or psychology than art.
For all that, theres a limit to what mass-market
masterpieces can fetch.
This sale does show that theres some sort of
reappraisal of Tretchikoffs work, says Andrew
Lamprecht, the curator of the artists retrospective
at the Iziko S A National Gallery. The Chinese
Girl is undoubtedly his best-known work and has
a lot of other aspects and associations that must
have contributed to the price, such as its fame
overseas, wide dissemination in popular culture
and mass reproduction. But I doubt any other
work of his would ever come close, comparatively,
to the price reached for the Chinese Girl.
Giles Peppiatt would agree. He doesnt believe
that other prominent pictures by Tretchikoff will
catch up with the most expensive canvases by
Stern any time soon:
The Chinese Girl was a one-off. Tretchikoff didnt
paint others that match the fame of this work. I
do think that well sell good paintings by him for
100,000 and more but not for this sum again.
Not in my lifetime.
Green Lady fetches 1 M.
Fair enough
Online Viewing And Bidding
Friday 22 March - Friday 12 April
www.johansborman.co.za
Cape Town Preview
Friday 22 March - Saturday 6 April. Monday
- Friday 09h30 - 17h30 Saturday 10h00 - 13h00.
Johans Borman Fine Art . 16 Kildare Road,
Newlands
Johannesburg Preview
Thursday 11 - Saturday 13 April. Thursday and
Friday 10h00 - 18h00 Saturday 10h00 - 12h00.
CORNER ON MAIN. 25 Culross Road, Bryanston
Live auction
12h00 Saturday 13 April 2013. CORNER ON
MAIN. 25 Culross Road, Bryanston. PDF cata-
logue available online
Please contact us should you require more
information
Tel: 021 683 6863 Cell: 082 566 4631
Email: art@johansborman.co.za
Upcoming at Goodman Gallery
Johannesburg Viewing Room
Diane Victor / In The Viewing
Room & Beneft Auction
The Goodman Gallery will host a viewing room
show prior to an auction to beneft artist Diane
Victor, who requires life-saving surgery. The
auction will feature artworks by Diane and by a
range of artists who have donated works to her
cause. Please contact the Gallery for an online
auction catalogue. Viewing:
Thursday 18 April 2013 At 18h00 20h00
Friday 19 April 2013 From 9h30 17h30
Saturday 20 April 2013 From 9h30 13h00
Auction: Saturday 20 April 2013 At 15h00
See more: www.goodman-gallery.com
Watch out for Boriss book on Tretchikoff -
Published by Tafelberg Press, released in May 13
Hennie Niemann Jnr
2013 Auction
It was a period characterised by optimism, peace at home and in Europe. The peace and
prosperity in Paris allowed the arts to flourish and many masterpieces of literature, music, theater,
and visual art gained recognition. The Belle poque was named, in retrospect, when it began to be
considered a "golden age" in contrast to the horrors of World War 1.