BUSINESS ART November 2009 | E-mail: subs@arttimes.co.

za | Member of the Global Art Information Group

A Dream come true: Circa is a Mark Read’s dream project on the corner of Jan Smuts and Jellicoe Road, Rosebank, Johannesburg Photo: Tristan McLaren

Johannesburg ablaze with new creativity

Alex Dodd looks into the new
and exciting creative flames
Johannesburg has to offer SA
Yesterday I had the luck of
arriving at the corner of Jan
Smuts and Jellicoe Road just
in time for the unfolding of a
small historic moment. Two
men were climbing up the
huge metal grid wall opposite
Circa gallery that, in a matter of
months, will be covered in lush
green foliage. A few steps down
from Everard Read Gallery,
Circa is a Mark Read’s dream
project. This extraordinary
oval-shaped building has been
designed by architect Pierre
Swanepoel of Studio MAS
Architects & Urban Design to
host exhibitions and events that
will both fascinate and educate.
Read intends for it to be a space
‘where contemporary art will
show alongside rare cultural
curiosities, where ancient fos-
sils will interface with modern
biodiversity, and where green
technology will co-exist with a
piece of the moon.’
The site was abuzz with elev-
enth-hour activity in the runup
to next week’s grand opening,
with construction workers
putting the final touches on
Speke, the downstairs shop (a
joint venture between Read and
Mark Valentine from Amatuli
Fine Art), which will feature a
selection of iconic artefacts. Art-
works by Karel Nel and Willem
Boshoff were being unpacked
in preparation for the inaugural
exhibition, entitled Penelope
and the Cosmos. And outside
two brave men were scaling
up the wall with a huge banner
rolled up under their arms.
When the men got to the top,
those looking on collectively in-
haled for one fleeting moment,
before the banner unfurled
down the length of the wall,
grabbing the attention of drivers
passing by on Jan Smuts. And
there it was: the graphic an-
nouncing the first exhibition to
be taking place in this dazzling
new addition to Johannesburg’s
cultural landscape.
Afterwards I took a slow spiral-
ing meander around the outside
of the building upwards to the
top floor, which houses the
Darwin Room, a plush private
lounge likely to develop a bit of
cult status as the space comes
into its own. Plushly decorated
by Christine Read, this salon-
style retreat complete with
lustrous grey silk wallpaper
adorned with giant insects and
arachnids opens out onto a deck
with views that stretch as far as
the Magaliesberg. Looking out
over Johannesburg from the top
floor of Circa, one is filled with
a sense of expansiveness that
is rare in a city so split up and
divided by walls.
Another zeitgeist project unfold-
ing in Johannesburg in tandem
with Berlin’s 20-year celebra-
tions of the fall of the Berlin
Wall on 9 November 1989 is
the Goethe-Institut’s Cracking
Walls. One of the most daring
aspects of this programme is
a visionary collaboration with
architect Alex Opper and his
students at the University of
Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art,
Design and Architecture, who
were tasked with re-imagin-
ing what the Goethe-Institut
premises in Parkwood could
look like minus the predict-
able foreboding perimeter wall.
An exhibition called Fallwall,
currently showing inside the
Goethe-Institut, showcases the
alternative solutions dreamed
up by the students as well as
the winning design, which
could actually come into effect,
replacing the wall with a much
more peaceful, inviting park-
like atmosphere that renders the
building way more open to the
public.
In a city as violent and crime-
ridden as Johannesburg, the
intentions of some individuals
who comprise that ‘public’
aren’t always as filled with
peace and love as we might
wish them to be, but somehow
one dreams of an initiative such
as this one setting a daring new
precedent in openness in a city
that is too strongly governed by
defensiveness and fear.
Another compelling aspect of
the Cracking Walls programme Umjiegwana (The Outside),
is Exceeding the Limits: Art which documented the lives of
Strategy Against the Establish- ex-prisoners, and extended into
ment – a three-day international Beaufort West, an exploration of
conference investigating the a community mired in extreme
way in which the arts visualise poverty.
and reconsider cultural memory. In this new series Subotzky
Participants will include film- explores aspects of security in
makers Rehad Desai and Brian contemporary society. His lens
Tilley, writers Ivan Vladislavic, brings us back into touch with
Fred Khumalo and Antjie Krog, the mind-bogglingly absurd as-
satirist Jonathan Shapiro, com- pects of our monitored, walled
poser Philip Miller and others… and guarded lives to which we
Paranoia and fear in Johan- generally inure ourselves to
nesburg are at the heart of one keep on surviving and staying
of the projects comprising upbeat about life in gangster’s
international award-winning paradise. But when the anaes-
photographer Mikhael Subotz- thetic cocoon is punctured, you
ky’s current show Two Projects, can’t help longing for a society
taking place both at the Good- defined by a stronger civic com-
man Gallery and the Goodman mitment to openness – spatial
project space at Arts on Main. openness, philosophical open-
The new large-scale photo- ness, political openness. There
graphs on exhibition downtown is so much we in this city can
are a continuation of Subotzky’s still learn from the world-chang-
exploration of ‘crime, social ing events of 1989. Do we have
marginalisation, and the public the courage to bring down our
and private institutions of pun- walls? Let them fall to rubble.
ishment and security’, which he
began with his Die Vier Hoeke
prison series, continued with

Advertise in Business Art

we make the Art | Business happen
Find our quality advertising rates, and newspaper & social network details at www.businessart.co.za
Newspaper rights: The newspaper reserves the right to reject any material that could be found offensive by its readers.
Published monthly by Global Art Information Editor: Gabriel Clark-Brown editor@arttimes.co.za News: news@arttimes.co.za Opinions and views expressed in the SA Art Times do not necessarily represent the offi cial viewpoint of the editor,
PO Box 15881 Vlaeberg, 8018 Advertising: Eugene Fisher sales@arttimes.co.za Shows: show@arttimes.co.za staff or publisher, while inclusion of advertising features does not imply the newspaper’s endorsement of any business,
Tel. 021 424 7733 Fax. 021 424 7732 Subscriptions: Bastienne Klein subs@arttimes.co.za Artwork: art@arttimes.co.za product or service. Copyright of the enclosed material in this publication is reserved.
BUSINESS ART November 2009
By Michael Coulson
August 2008. The now notori-
ous Damien Hirst sale is about
to mark the apogee of the
international art market, but the
almost simultaneous collapse
of US investment bank Lehman
Brothers will signal the end of
booms in many markets, not just
art. It’s not a great time to take
over the leadership of a body
dedicated to promoting busi-
ness’s support of the arts but,
just over a year later, Michelle
Constant, who succeeded Nicola
Danby as CEO of Business &
Arts SA (BASA) on August 1
2008, doesn’t regret it.
“I have no regrets,” she says,
“because it has opened my mind
to so many extraordinary things.
I had to draw deep into my own
creativity, but I’m always my
own hardest taskmaster, as well
as being demanding of my team.
“My biggest surprise has been
how diversely interesting the
project is. I’ve spent a year
learning on many different
levels.”
While she always expected
fundraising to be a key function,
she hadn’t expected the need to
explore different models, which
Art Leader
Michelle Constant
was made more pressing by the
international recession. It was,
perhaps, also influenced by the
simple handing over of the reins
from Nicola Danby, who had
run BASA since its inception 11
years before.
“Nicola did a fantastic job
building BASA up, with limited
resources – indeed, they were
almost synonymous. But the
organisation had reached a
stage where it should no longer
be so closely identified with
one individual. My biggest
initial challenge was an internal
reorganisation, which we
implemented with the advice
of a human relations consultant
and the support of everybody
concerned.
“In spite of all the distractions,
we’ve got through the internal
restructuring, received an un-
qualified audit, continued with
the BSA awards for business
sponsorship of the arts, helped
some great projects, and even
seen some growth in member-
ship.”
In fact, BASA’s latest annual
report, for the year to March
31, which is admittedly before
Constant took over, showed a
15% increase in membership, to
about 160. The financial posi-
tion was healthy, with member-
ship fees up from R636 000 to
R731 000, though the biggest
sources of income remain grants
from Barloworld Artworks, at
R5.2m (2008: R4.9m) and the
Department of Arts & Culture,
at R1.7m (R1.3m).
But BASA was already an-
ticipating harder times. Grants
made fell from R3.8m to R3.7m
and, after other items of income
and expenditure, the surplus
for the year rose from R99 000
to R620 000, as reflected in a
cash balance up from R1/1m to
R1.9m.
This may all reflect decisions
taken before Constant arrived,
but she clearly endorses the
approach, which was taken at
board level with a view to both
world recession and concern
at the funding model and has
been justified by eventsd. She
concedes that some corporates
have dropped out this year, and
agrees that art, as a minority
interest, is always a soft option
for companies seeking to cut
back on sponsorship spending,
rather than higher profile areas
like sport.
Constant points out that not
only is the corporate largess
that characterised BASA’s early
years waning, the 2010 soccer
World Cup is also draining
funds away from arts sponsor-
ship. Government priorities
have also changed, post-Polok-
wane.
Hence the need for a new fund-
ing model, not only for BASA
but for other similar organisa-
tions. Just what it should be
may not be clear -- “It’s a
fascinating challenge,” says
Constant, “and I wish I could
study full-time for an MBA, t
understand the issues better”
-- but it’s likely to entail less
dependance on the state.
On the other side of the scale,
she believes it’s necessary to
assess the benefits that BASA’s
funders – whether in the private
of public sector – derive. Do
they think they’re getting value
for money? After all, a key
objective of BASA has always
been to persuade corporates
that arts sponsorship is not just
a charitable donation, but does
Page 03
bring a return. The publicity
generated by the recognition South Africa’s dedicated
accorded by the annual award art & antique
ceremony is one facet of this, insurance specialist
but the awards also take into
account the tangible benefits for
the arts community and society
at large.
Did you know?
Partnership is a buzz word, and Theft is not the main risk to art value
Constant cites the initiation
of “Best Case” seminars for
members, offering examples
of and future opportunities for
profitable partnerships. The
first focused on the lessons of
the recent Jo’burg Art Fair; an-
other has explored opportunities
around the World Cup.
Given the inevitable competi-
tion between arts and sport for
sponsorship, an interesting de-
velopment she mentions in her
annual review is the addition of Standard insurance policies aren’t
the KZN Sharks to the member- enough protection
ship base. Both BASA and lo-
for owners of high value art,
cal Durban theatre productions
are now promoted in the Sharks’ antiques & memorabilia
programmes and in adverts at
entries to stands. She sees this
as a model for co-operation Owners of high value assets need
between sport and the arts.
This may seem a small step, genuine expertise to be safe
but is indicative of the lateral
thinking that will be needed if
the notoriously underfunded arts Artinsure is that dedicated expert
sector is to sustain its present who really understands the ways
creativity. The shenanigans at
the SABC – where Constant
your asset can depreciate
previously worked, and still
presents a weekend lifestyle
programme – illustrate just how
risky a business the arts can be. Call 0861 111 096 or visit
BASA can’t plug the gaps on
its own, but its role is vital. In
www.artinsure.co.za
Constant it seems, on the evi-
dence of her first year, to have
an ideal leader to build on its
past successes and, even more
importantly, adapt to a chang- Underwritten by Hollard Insurance
ing and ever more demanding
environment.
Page 04
Gauteng
Johannesburg
Afronova
23 Oct-21 Nov, A series of
travels, paintings by Karl Gietl.
Safe Parking- corner of Miriam
Makeba and Gwigwi Mrwebi
St, Newton C. 083 726 5906
www.afronova.com
Alliance Francaise of Johan-
nesburg
Gallery Gerard Sekoto
24 Nov-5 Dec, Messages from
Hillbrow, works by Boitumelo
Project.
17 Lower Park Drive Cnr
Kerry Road, Parkview- opp.
Zoo Lake T.011 646 1169
culture.jhb@alliance.org.za
Artist’s Proof Studio
27 Oct-21 Nov, Out of the Rab-
bit Hole, an exhibition of mixed
media paintings, monotypes
and multiple prints by Toni-Ann
Ballenden.
Inside the Bus Factory,
3 President Street, Newton)
T. 011 492 1278
aspgallery@mweb.co.za
www.artistproofstudio.org.za
Art on Paper
From 3 Nov, watercolour works
by Robert Hodgins.
From 21 Nov, mixed media by
Sanel Aggenbach.
44 Stanley Ave, Braamfontein
Werf (Milpark),
T. 011 726 2234
www.artonpaper.co.za
Artspace-JHB
24 Oct-7 Nov, Nomadixx, by
Sinta Spector, works created
out of recycled, reinvented
textiles, feathers, buttons,
and found objects. 19 Sep-7
Nov, Artspace Mentorship
Programme Exhibition Month,
with works by Louis Oliver,
Senzo Nhlapo and Sinta Spec-
Art times 260x165 copy.pdf
tor. 11 Nov-2 Dec, works by
Clyde on 4th Fine SA Art Section is proud
to offer this rare painting by
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (1886 - 1957)
Cubist Style c1925.
Oil on Canvas -
“Trees in an Extensive Landscape”,
Measuring 68cm in Width and
49cm in Height.
One owner with original purchase
certificate.
POA
7 5
T e l :
w w w . c l y d e o n 4 t h . c o . z a
Kim Gurney.
Chester Court, 142 Jan Smuts
Avenue, Parkwood,
Johannesburg T. 011 880 8802
www.artspace-jhb.co.za
Brodie/Stevenson
15 Oct-7 Nov, Sidestep, works
by Simon Gush.
12 Nov-15 Dec, works by
Anton Kannemeyer.
373 Jan Smuts Avenue,
Johannesburg T. 011 326 0034,
www.artextra.co.za
www.brodiestevenson.com
CIRCA on Jellico
From 7 Nov, Penelope and
the Cosmos, works by Willem
Boshoff and Karel Nel.
2 Jellicoe Avenue
T. 011 788 4805
gallery@circaonjellicoe.co.za
David Brown Fine Art
12 Nov-11 Dec,
Back from Brussels, works by
Suzy Davidson.
39 Keyes Ave, off Jellicoe,
Rosebank, Johannesburg
T. 011 788 4435
www.davidbrownfineart.co.za
David Krut Projects
29 Oct-25 Nov, Crossing,
works by Virginia MacKenny.
142 Jan Smuts Avenue,
Parkwood, Johannesburg
T. 011 447 0627
www.davidkrutpublishing.com
Everard Read Gallery JHB
22 Oct-8 Nov, mixed media by
Vusi Khumalo
6 Jellicoe Avenue, Rosebank,
Johannesburg T. 011 788 4805
www.everard-read.co.za
Gallery MOMO Melrosearch
8 0ct-2 Nov, Murder on 7th,
visual artwork by Gabrielle
Goliath. 5-30 Nov, Mine
over Matter, works by Usha
Seejarim.
52 7th Avenue, Parktown
North, T. 011 327 3247
1 2009/10/23 9:32 AM
www.gallerymomo.com
4 t h A v e n u e ,
( 0 1 1 )
GALLERY OPENINGS: GAUTENG, FREE STATE
Gallery on the Square
4-21 Nov, The 50’s- An Inter-
pretation, works by Phillemon
Hlungwani, David Koloane,
Nelson Makamo, Colbert
Mashile, Pat Mautloa, David
Mbele, Sam Nhlengethwa and
Jurgen Schadeberg.
32 Maude Street, Nelson Man-
dela Square at Sandton City,
Sandton, Johannesburg.
T. 011 784 2847
www.galleryonthesquare.co.za
Goethe Institute
8 Oct-6 Nov, Borders- in col-
laboration with the Market
Photo Workshop has invited
six young photographers to
explore the theme, borders.
Aspects such as inclusion,
exclusion, fragmentation,
marginalization and segrega-
tion are interrogated from the
perspective of young people
who, 15 years after the birth
of democracy in South Africa,
consider a life beyond walls.
119 Jan Smuts Ave, Entrance
on New Port Road, Parkwood
T. 011 4423232
www.goethe.de/ins/za
Goodman Gallery beyond walls.T. 011 834 1444
29 0ct-21 Nov, Works by
Mikhael Subotzky.
163 Jan Smuts Avenue,
Parkwood, Johannesburg
T. 011 788 1113
www.goodman-gallery.com
GordArt Gallery Leibhammer and
31 Oct-21 Nov, 123blokmy-
self!, works by Ronél de Jager.
Shop 1 Parkwood Mansions,
144 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood,
T/F 011 880 5928
gordon@gordartgallery.com
Graham Fine Art Gallery
1 Oct-1 Nov, A South African
Dreamscape: The Discovery of
an Internal Terrain, paintings
by André van Vuuren.
Shop 31, Broadacres Lifestyle
Centre, Cnr. Valley & Cedar
Roads Fourways, Johannesburg
Antiques & Collectables
M e l v i l l e ,
4 8 2 - 3 2 6 6
/ e m a i :
T.011 465 9192
www.grahamsgallery.co.za
Johannesburg Art Gallery
26 Oct-1 Nov, An exhibition
with works by Vik Muniz,
Stephen Shore and Janaina
Tschape. From 1 Nov, 1mile2
, a three year global arts
programme that asks com-
munities to map the biodiver-
sity, cultural diversity, and
aesthetic diversity of their local
neighbourhood, working in
collaboration with artists and
ecologists.
King George Street, Joubert
Park, Johannesburg
T. 011 725 3130 Email:
khwezig@joburg.org.za
www.joburg.org.za
Market Photo Workshop
8 Oct-6 Nov, Borders- six
young photographers explore
the theme, borders. Aspects
such as inclusion, exclusion,
fragmentation, marginalization
and segregation are interro-
gated from the perspective of
young people who, 15 years
after the birth of democracy in
South Africa, consider a life
www.marketphotoworkshop.co.za
Museum Africa
25 May-24 Dec 2010,
l’Afrique: A Tribute to Maria
Stein-Lessing and Leopold
Spiegel; co-curated by Nessa
Natalie Knight.
121 Bree Street, Newtown,
Johannesburg T. 011 833 5624
www.knightgalleries.net
Obert Contemporary at
1-20 Nov, Untitled, mixed
media works on canvas by
Pierre Mathieu
14 The High Street, Melrose
Arch T. 011 684 1214
www.obertcontemporary.com
C e l l :
c l y d e 4 t h @ m w e b . c o . z a
BUSINESSART November 2009
Resolution Gallery
Until 8 Nov, Pigment on paper,
Angus Taylor, Guy du Toit,
Wilma Cruise, Goodness
works by Sam Nhlengethwa. Nhlengethwa, Johan Mool-
142 Jan Smuts Avenue, man, Lukas Thobejane, Usha
Parkwood, Johannesburg Seejarim, Guy du Toit, Richard
T. 011 880 4054 Forbes, Paul Boulitreau and
www.resolutiongallery.com Gordon Froud.
University of Johannesburg,
Rooke Gallery Auckland Park Kingsway
17 Sep-1 Dec, The Unseen campus cnr. Kingsway and
Works, a rare collection of Universiteits Rd, Auckland
unseen works by two respective Park T. 011 559 2099/2556
iconic artists, Mark Kanne- www.uj.ac.za/artsacademy
meyer: The Berlin paintings,
and Roger Ballen: The vintage
photographs
Pretoria
By Appointment, The New-
Alette Wessels Kunskamer
town, 37 Quinn Street
Exhibition of Old Masters and
Newtown Johannesburg
selected leading contemporary
T. 072 658 0762
artists.
www.rookegallery.co.za
Maroelana Centre, Maroelana.
GPS : S25º 46.748 EO28º 15.615
Sally Thompson Gallery
T. 012 346 0728
8 Nov-12 Dec, Unveiling Soul
C. 084 589 0711
Masks, photography by Bob
www.artwessels.co.za
Cnoops. Opening address by
Judith Mason.
Fried Contemporary Art
78 Third Avenue, Melville,
Gallery
T. 011 482 9719
3 Oct-15 Nov, In From above
www.thompsongallery.co.za
and beyond, notions of per-
spective and viewpoint are ex-
Seippel Gallery
plored in themes of space and
Until 12 Dec, Enter Exit,
place with works by Marlise
photography exhibition by
Keith, Elfriede Dreyer and
Pierre Crocquet.
Eric Duplan.
1 Oct-12 Dec, Revision, pho-
430 Charles Str, Brooklyn,
tography by Cedric Nunn (in
Pretoria T. 012 346 0158
the Bailey Seippel Gallery).
www.friedcontemporary.com
Corner of Fox and Berea,
Johannesburg T. 011 401 1421
Magpie Gallery
www.seippel-gallery.com
17 Oct-18 Nov, Tale of a Mag-
pie, works by various artists.
Standard Bank Gallery
Shop 21B, Southdowns Shop-
14 Oct-5 Dec, Africa, the Sun
ping Centre, Centurion
and Shadows, paintings by
T. 012 665 1832
Alexis Preller.
www.magpiegallery.co.za
Cnr. Simmonds & Frederick
Streets, Johannesburg, 2001
Platform on 18th
T. 011 631 1889
2-21 Nov, Photo School Exhi-
www.standardbankgallery.co.za
bition- Tshwane University of
Technology.
University of Johannesburg
232 18th Street, Rietondale,
Art Gallery
Pretoria T. 084 764 4258
Until 25 Nov, ROOFTOP,
www.platformon18th.co.za
various sculptures by 21 of the
most brilliant South African
sculptors, including
J o h a n n e s b u r g
0 8 2 - 8 8 3 - 4 9 3 3
BUSINESSART November 2009
Pretoria Art Museum
Until 1 Dec, A selection of
artworks tells a brief story of
South African art from the time
of the first San artists, includes
early 20th century painters,
Resistance artists and artists
of the 21st century. Also on
show until Dec, the Corobrik
Collection, showcasing the de-
velopment of ceramics in South
Africa in the past thirty years.
T.012 344 1807/8
www.pretoriaartmuseum.co.za
Pretoria Association of Arts
16 Oct-4 Nov, Works by
André Naudé.
173 Mackie Street, New
Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0181,
T. 012 346 3100
www.artsassociationpta.co.za
UNISA Art Gallery
Until 27 Nov, Works by UNISA
students.
Theo van Wijk Building, Gold-
fields entrance, 5th floor. Unisa
Campus, Pretoria
T.012 429 6823
hattif@unisa.ac.za
www.unisa.ac.za/gallery three or four shows.
Free State
Bloemfontein
Oliewenhuis Art Museum
21 Oct-10 Jan 2010, David
Goldblatt: photography; Some
Afrikaners Revisited (Main
Building). 29 Oct-19 Nov,
Fractal young artist’s
Exhibition (the Reservoir).
16 Harry Smith Street,
Bloemfontein
T. 051 447 9609
Send your listings to:
show@arttimes.co.za
By the 15th of each month
Unusual Talent: Ronel de Jager at Gordart, Johannesburg
Jan van der Merwe
Brad Grey- Zebra goes large, e-mail entry
Be sure not to miss Virginia MacKenny at David Krut
Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse, Hillbrow View,
Ponte City, Johannesburg, 2008. Goodman Gallery Jhb
Squeeze on Johannesburg
art galleries intensifies
By Michael Coulson
Tough economic conditions
continue to take their toll on
the gallery world. The latest
and one of the most regret-
table – but almost certainly not
the last -- casualty is Gordon
Froud’s gordart, one of the
clutch of galleries on Jo’burg’s
Parkwood artstrip.
When I interviewed Froud in
January for an article in our
Art Leaders series, he said
he thought his market niche,
concentrating on emerging and
relatively low-priced artists,
was holding up relatively well.
However, he now tells me there
has been a “sudden and drastic”
deterioration in recent months,
and that he’s only sold a couple
of works in each of his past
The obvious retort to this is
that maybe there was a problem
with quality -- though in
fairness I hadn’t noticed one.
Froud concedes that quality is
always an issue, but points out
that, for example, Craig Smith
virtually sold out his previous
exhibition, but while the same
people came to his latest show,
Esme Berman in a contemplative mood following her 80th birthday earlier this year. Esme who together with
Karl Nel have recently brought out their book on Preller. The book launch also coincides with Preller’s show at
The Standard Bank Gallery entitled: ‘Alexis Preller: Africa, the Sun and Shadows’ at the Standard Bank Gallery
until 5 December 2009.For the book see: www.triplem.co.za/alexis-preller
which he feels was of compara-
ble quality, they didn’t buy.
Whatever the reason, Froud
has run up substantial and
unsustainable losses, and has
had to restructure his business
for the remaining two years
of his three-year lease. He’s
committed to exhibitions until
the end of January, but then the
gallery will close and the space
will be rebranded as art-icle
showcase.
It will operate along similar
lines to Upstairs at Bamboo,
available for hire by artists
or anybody else who wants a
short-term exhibition or event
space. Rent will be R6 000 a
week, which, Froud says, will
actually work out cheaper for
any artist who sells at least two
or three works.
It’s exactly six years since
gordart opened in Melville,
at the first of its three venues.
Since then, it’s probably given
more exposure to up-and-com-
ing artists than any other venue
in Jo’burg, if not the whole of
SA, and its loss will be keenly
felt. Still, Froud will be keep-
ing his office at art-icle show-
Page 05
case, as a base for his busy life
as curator and general promoter
of the arts, to say nothing of
his own creative activities, in
much the same way as Warren
Siebrits has operated since he
closed his Parkwood venue up
the road.
Nor are changes in the gallery
world restricted to Jo’burg.
It’s understood that Elfriede
Dreyer, whose Fried Con-
temporary has for some years
arguably been Pretoria’s most
cutting-edge gallery, and is the
last survivor of what was once
a clutch of galleries along that
city’s lengthy Charles Street, is
also considering restructuring.
Just what this may entail is not
clear, and Dreyer could not be
contacted for the preparation
of this article. Rumour is that
she may hold fewer but longer
shows or explore other uses for
the space, and it may also be
that she wants to devote more
time to her activities at the
University of Pretoria where,
as a respected art historian, she
holds an associate chair in the
department of visual arts.
Page 06
Recomended: “Glimpeses of the past”: Artwork by Charles Davidson Bell (1813 - 1882) Solomon Caesar Malan (1822- 1894) at Sasol Art Museum 52 Rynveld, Stellenbosch. Closes 30 Jan 2010
Eastern Cape
East London
Ann Bryant Art Gallery
3-10 Nov, Walter Sisiulu
University: B-Tech Exhibition,
mixed media works by various
(Main Gallery). 26 Nov-12
Dec, East London Fine Art So-
ciety Annual Exhibition (Main
Gallery). 29 Oct-14 Nov, solo
exhibition with oil on canvas
and fabric print on fabric by
Samuel Mcebisi Gabula (Coach
House Café). 19 Nov-5 Dec,
solo exhibition with oil on can-
vas by Chanelle Staude (Coach
House Café).
9 St Marks Road,
Southernwood, East London
T. 043 722 4044
annbryant@intekom.co.za
www.annbryant.co.za
Port Elizabeth
Nelson Mandela Metropoli-
tan Art Museum
15 Aug-25 Nov, Poking Fun,
works from the Art Museum’s
permanent collection explor-
ing humour, biting commentary
and satire.
1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth
T. 041 506 2000
www.artmuseum.co.za
Northern Cape artists on the theme of Adam
Kimberley
William Humphreys
Art Gallery raising event for the Artreach
From Nov 1, A number of
exhibitions from the permanent
collection will be on display.
These include a selection of
new acquisitions of contempo-
rary SA Artists.
Civic Centre, Cullinan Cres-
cent, Kimberley
T. 053 831 1724
www.museumsnc.co.za a group photography exhibition
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at
34Long, www.34long.com
GALLERY OPENINGS: EASTERN, NORTHERN AND WESTERN CAPE
Western Cape Cape Gallery
Cape Town 60 Church Street, Cape Town
34 Long www.capegallery.co.za
20 Oct-21 Nov, ‘editions
limited’, a new selection of
portraits (downstairs) and
other works by Japanese artist
Takashi Murakami (upstairs).
34 Long Street, Cape Town
T. 021 426 4594
www.34long.com
Alliance Française
13 Oct-3 Nov, A Truth in Black
and White, works by Ezra
Mabengeza and Jonathan
Freemantle.
155 Loop Street, Cape Town.
T. 021 4235699
www.alliance.org.za
Art B Gallery Christopher MǾller Art
3-25 Nov, UNISA senior stu-
dents visual exhibition, instal-
lations by Hanja Badenhorst,
Lara Carlini, Agnes Heinz,
Stasa Hlava, Tamar Marais,
Melany Pieterson, Sarah Siblay
and Yolanda Warnich.
Library Centre, Carel van
Aswegen Street, Bellville
T. 021 918 2301,
www.artb.co.za
Association for Visual Arts
(AVA)
19 Oct-6 Nov, ‘Exquisite
Corpse’, 16 etchings by various
and Eve. Also on exhibi-
tion is ‘Crossing Roads’ with
acrylic and mixed media work
by Geoffrey Phiri. 9-27 Nov,
Tombola Exhibition-a fund-
fund at the AVA. From 9 Nov,
Ticking, a collection of artist
created clocks. All clocks will
be auctioned with full proceeds
going towards the AVA
Artreach Fund.
35 Church Street, Cape Town
T. 021 424 7436
www.ava.co.za
Atlantic Art Gallery
A permanent display show-
casing leading contemporary
South African artists.
25 Wale Street Cape Town,
T. 021 423 5775
Blank Projects
5-27 Nov, End of Cities, works
by Stephen Hobbs.
113-115 Sir Lowry Road,
Woodstock T.072 1989 221
www.blankprojects.com
1-28 Nov, Oil paintings by
Lesley Charnock.
T. 021 423 5309
Carbonage
14 Oct-11 Nov, ‘Carbonage’ is
an attempt to make sense of a
fragmented, contradictory and
media-saturated world. The
installations are designed to
overwhelm the viewer creating
a feeling of shock and awe.
The title ‘Carbonage’ refers to
the fusion of carbon-based life
forms with the world of Coca-
Cola and their kin.
4th Floor, Harrington House,
37 Barrack Street, Cape Town
T.021 959 3021
www.carbonage.co.za
Dealers in South African
contemporary art and South
African masters.
82 Church Street, Cape Town
T. 021 439 3517
www.christophermollerart.
co.za
Erdmann Contemporary
/Photographers Gallery Artists featured include,
31 Oct-5 Dec, While you were
sleeping, includes large paint-
ings, original works on paper,
monotypes and lithographs by
Karlien de Villiers.
63 Shortmarket Street, Cape
Town T. 021 422 2762
www.erdmanncontemporary.
co.za
Everard Read Gallery -
Cape Town
5-19 Nov, An exhibition of
new works by sculptor Florian
Wozniak.
3 Portswood Rd, V&A
Waterfront T. 021 418 4527
www.everard-read-capetown.
co.za
Exposure Gallery
From 12 Nov, Carnal Carnival,
curated by Leah Hawker.
The Old Biscuit Mill, 373
Albert Road, Woodstock
T. 021 447 4124
www.exposuregallery.co.za
Focus Contemporary, Fine
Young Art
17 Oct-6 Nov, Cast in Africa,
a collaborative sculpture show
by some of Cape Town’s finest
young talent, including works
by Ian Cattanach, Strijdom van
der Merwe and Nicolas Wells-
Bladen. 7-27 Nov, Calculated
Dissolution, paintings by Chad
Barber. 28 Nov-15 Jan 2010,
African origami, works by
Karin Miller.
2 Long Street Cape Town
T. 021 419 8888,
www.focuscontemporary.co.za
Gallery F
Contemporary and archival
South African Art.
221 Long Street, Cape Town
T. 021 422 5246
www.galleryf.co.za
Goodman Gallery, Cape been developed by the Nobel
15 Oct-7 Nov, Ficciones, the
first photographic solo show in
South Africa by Adam Broomb-
erg and Oliver Chanarin.
Ficciones centres around two
related series of works that
extend the artists’ pre-occupa-
tion with the role of representa-
tion in places of trauma and
conflict.
3rd Floor, Fairweather House,
176 Sir Lowry Road
Woodstock, T. 021 462 7573/4,
www.goodmangallerycape.com
Greatmore Art Studios
29 Oct-13 Nov, Zimbabwean
Prints, by Triangle Friends.
Jonadi Marembe, James Jali,
Chikonzero Chazunguza,
Gareth Nyandoro, Munyaradzi
Mazarire, Togara Nyakapanga,
Doris Kampira, Prosper
Mutukura, Portia Zvavahera,
Fungai Mwale, Semina Mpofu,
and Virginia Chihota.
47-49 Greatmore St, Wood-
stock, T. 021 447 9699
info@greatmore.org
www.greatmoreart.org
iArt Gallery
22 Oct-4 Nov, XI-Eleven Solo
Exhibitions, including works
by Matthew Hindley, Eris Silke,
Louis Jansen van Vuuren,
Clare Menck, Colbert Mashile,
Jan du Toit, Michele David-
son, Audrey Anderson, Gerald
Tabata, Sandra Hanekom and
Theo Kleynhans. 11-25 Nov,
In the Flesh, paintings by Tho-
masin Dewhurst and bronze
sculptures by Cobus Haupt. 11
Nov-9 Dec, ‘Cocks, asses, &…’
mixed media works by Wilma
Cruise.
71 Loop Street,
T. 021 424 5150
www.iart.co.za
Irma Stern Museum men’s clothing is a mighty tool
27 Oct-7 Nov, Duende, a solo
exhibition of oil paintings
by Cathy Layzell. 2-10 Nov,
Tshungulo Wuyisiwa E Mahl-
BUSINESSART November 2009
weni (The Healing Process),
drypoint etchings and drawings
by Phillemon Hlungwani.
Cecil Road, Rosebank, Cape
Town T. 021 685 5686
www.irmastern.co.za
SA National Gallery and Tom Cullberg.
Strengths and Convictions: The
lives and times of South Afri-
ca’s Nobel Peace Prize laure-
ates, Albert Luthuli, Desmond
Tutu, F.W. de Klerk, Nelson
Mandela: 26 November – 28
February. The exhibition has
Peace Centre in Oslo in col-
laboration with the Iziko South
African Museum and Iziko
South African National Gallery.
The exhibition features some of
South Africa’s most significant
works of art alongside inter-
national artists working in the
fields of painting, sculpture,
video and photography. At the
Iziko South African National
Gallery.
Not Alone: 9 November to 31
January Not Alone is an inter-
national project of Make art/
Stop Aids featuring the work
of artists from Brazil, United
States, India and South Africa.
At The Good Hope Gallery
at the Castle of Good Hope
with the Keiskamma altar-
piece at the Iziko Slave Lodge.
South African artists include
Clive van den Berg, William
Kentridge, Churchill Madikida,
Langa Magwa, Penelope
Siopis, Gideon Mendel and
others.
Dada South 12 December – 28
February 2010. Curated by
Roger van Wyk and Kathryn
Smith, this exhibition draws
together works by South
African artists dating from
the late 1960s to the present
alongside original Dada works
to highlight the legacy of Dada
in relation to Contemporary
South African art practice.
The Everyday and the Extraor-
dinary. 9 Sep-30 Nov, The Eve-
ryday and the Extraordinary,
three decades of architectural
design by Jo Noero.
Government Avenue,
Company’s Garden
T. 021 467 4660,
www.iziko.org.za
João Ferreira Gallery
4 Nov-12 Dec, Registra-
tion, works by Brett Murray,
Georgina Gatrix, Hentie van
der Merwe, Justin Fiske, Liza
Grobler, Michael Taylor, Ruan
Hoffmann, Sanell Aggenbach
70 Loop Street, Cape Town,
T. 021 423 5403
www.joaoferreiragallery.com
Johans Borman Fine Art
Gallery
A showcase for the best of SA
Masters as well as a selec-
tion of leading contemporary
artists.
In-Fin-Art Building, Upper
Buitengracht Street, Cape
Town, T. 021 423 6075/082
5664631
www.johansborman.co.za
Kalk Bay Modern
From 11 Nov, works by Peter
Clarke.
1st Floor, Olympia Buildings,
136 Main Road Kalk Bay.
T.021 788 6571
Email: kbmodern@iafrica.com
www.kalkbaymodern.com
Kunst House
29 Oct-28 Nov, Mono, an
exhibition of latest works by
London based artist Juli Jana.
62 Kloof Street, Gardens
T. 021 422 1255
www.kunsthouse.co.za
Michael Stevenson
Contemporary
1 Oct-21 Nov, ‘The Street’,
sculpture by Meschac Gaba
and ‘Subtropicalia’, video,
sculpture and a short story by
Paul Edmonds. Also on show
is ‘Pleased to Meet You’, an
installation of paintings by
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and
‘Alternative Kidz’, work by
Musa Nxumalo.
Ground Floor, Buchanan Build-
ing, 160 Sir Lowry Road,
Cape Town T. 021 462 1500
www.michaelstevenson.com
Raw Vision Gallery
8 Oct-19 Nov, ‘Imago’, Sharlē
Matthews new body of work
explores idealized images of a
person, but usually a parent,
formed in childhood that can
often persist unconsciously into
adulthood. Also exhibiting is
Cecil Byrnes’ ‘Power of men’s
clothing’, which explores how
to indicate image, position,
status or power.
89 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock
fishermike@mac.com
BUSINESSART November 2009
Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, Ficciones, October 15 - November 7, www.goodmangallerycape.com
Rose Korber
Powerful new charcoal and
pastel drawings by Richard
Smith, as well as recent works
on paper by William Ken-
tridge, Deborah Bell and Ryan
Arenson.
48 Sedgemoor Road, Camps
Bay, Cape Town
T. 021 438 9152 Email:
roskorb@icon.co.za
www.rosekorberart.com
Rust-en-Vrede
20 Oct-10 Nov, Exhibition
includes works by Vasti Wilkin-
son, Lionel Smit and Ruhan
Janse van Vuuren.
10 Wellington Road,
Durbanville T. 021 976 4691
www.rust-en-vrede.com
Salon91 Contemporary
14 Oct-2 Nov, ‘On The Uncon-
scious & The Uncanny’, multi-
media works by Wessel Snyman
and Larita Engelbrecht. 4-28
Nov, Lucky Packet, works by
Frank van Reenen.
91 Kloof Street, Gardens,
Cape Town 021 424 6930
www.salon91art.co.za
South African Museum
25 Jul-Mar 2010, Subtle
Thresholds, the representa-
tional taxonomies of disease, a
mixed media show curated by
Fritha Langerman.
25 Queen Victoria Street,
Cape Town T. 021 481 3800
www.iziko.org.za/sam
South Gallery
Showcasing creativity from
Kwazulu-Natal including Ard-
more Ceramic Art.
Fairweather House, 176 Sir
Lowry Road Woodstock,
Ground Floor.
T. 021 465 4672
info@southgallery.co.za
The South African Print
Gallery
From Nov, Katheryn Bull “
Holday in Cape Town” perspex
relief prints series
10 Dec-10 Jan 2010, New
prints by Joshua Miles
107 Sir Lowry Road, Wood-
stock, Cape Town,
T. 021 462 6851
www.printgallery.co.za
These Four Walls Fine Art
Galley
From 13 Nov, Little Karoo
Nocturnes, paintings by Paul
Birchall.
169 Lower Main Road, Ob-
servatory T. 021 447 7393
www.thesefourwalls.co.za
GALLERY OPENINGS: EASTERN, NORTHERN AND WESTERN CAPE
UCA Gallery
21 Oct-13 Nov, House Ink. an
exhibition that takes a look into
Jonathan Munnik’s quirkily
invented voyeuristic graphic
worlds and their incorporation
into 3D installation.
46 Lower Main Road,
Observatory, Cape Town
T. 021 447 4132, www.urban-
contemporaryart.co.za
What if the World… Spier Wine Estate
1 Oct-21 Nov, Solo exhibition
by painter Andrzej Nowicki.
First floor, 208 Albert Road
Woodstock T. 021 448 1438
www.whatiftheworld.com
Worldart
5-19 Nov, Colours in dialogue,
oil paintings by Giovanna
Biallo.
54 Church Street Cape Town
CBD T. 021 423 3075
www.worldart.co.za
Franschoek Dorp Straat Gallery
Galerie L’ Art
A permanent exhibition of old
masters.
Shop no 3, The Ivy,
Krugerstreet, Franschoek
T. 021 876 2497
www.galart.co.za
Gallery Grande Provence
11 Oct-11 Nov, an exhibi-
tion of recent paintings by
Jenny Groenewald, with bronze
sculptures by Angus Taylor,
Anton Momberg and Jupiter
Studios.
Main Road Franschoek
T. 021 876 8600
www.grandeprovence.co.za
George
Strydom Gallery
From 21 Nov, George 41,
Strydom Gallery’s 41st summer
exhibition of South African
art-a cross-section of selected
works. The exhibition will be
opened by Jan Coetzee, profes-
sor of sociology at Rhodes
University.
79 Market Street, George
T. 044 874 4027
www.artaffair.co.za
Oudtshoorn 4 Nov-30 Jan 2010, Glimpses
ArtKaroo Gallery
29 Oct-12 Nov, Thijs Nel Solo
Exhibition.
107 Baron van Reede Str,
Oudtshoorn T. 044 279 1093
janet@artkaroo.co.za
www.artkaroo.co.za
Paarl
Hout Street Gallery
Specialists in South African
Fine Art. The Gallery also
offers a range of ceramics,
creative jewellery, glass, crafts
and functional art.
270 Main Street, Paarl
T.021 872 5053
zetler@icon.co.za
www.houtstreetgallery.co.za
Off the Wall Contemporary
18 Nov-31 Jan 2010, Annual
Artwork Sale.
171 Main Road, Paarl
T. 021 872 8648 info@
offthewallcontemporary.co.za
www.offthewallcontemporary.
com
Stellenbosch Stellenbosch www.ecc25org
31 Oct-27 Nov, Red, Yellow
Green Blue and the Karoo,
paintings by Judy Bumstead
and John de Smidt.
Church Street, Stellenbosch
T. 021 887 2256
www.dorpstraatgalery.co.za
Glen Carlou Estate
From 3 0ct, on exhibition
is The Hess Art Collection,
including works by Deryck
Healey, Ouattara Watts and
Andy Goldsworthy.
Simondium Road, Klapmuts
T. 021 875 5314
www.glencarlou.co.za
Red Black and White
5-30 Nov, Woman, photo-
graphs taken by Chris Jansen
between 1969 and 1978.
5a Distillery Road, Bosman’s
Crossing, Stellenbosch.
T. 021 886 6281
www.redblackandwhite.co.za
Rupert Museum
From 3 Oct, The Rodin Exhibi-
tion, bronze sculptures; perma-
nent collection of 20th Century
South African Art.
Stellentia Ave, T. 021 888 3344
www.rupertmuseum.org
Sasol Art Museum, Stellen-
bosch University
from the Past, works by
Charles Davidson Bell (1813-
1882) and Solomon Caesar
Malan (1812-1894).
52 Ryneveld St, Stellenbosch
T. 021 808 3691
Page 07
Warren Editions at Joao Ferreria Gallery with “ Registration”
SMAC Art Gallery
3 Oct-30 Nov, paintings and
photographic installations by
From “Glimpeses of the past” South - Easter, Charles Davidson
Anton Karstel, portraits by Nel
Bell (1813 - 1882) at Sasol Art Museum, Stellenbosch
Erasmus and performances
by Barend de Wet and Tracey
Rose
De Wet Centre, Church Street,
Stellenbosch T. 021 887 3607
www.smacgallery.com
30 Oct-15 Nov, End Conscrip-
tion Campaign: 25th Anniver-
sary Celebration. Mixed media
works by various artists, in-
cluding; Jane Alexander, Jenny
Altshuler, Conrad Botes, Stuart
Bird, David Goldblatt, William
Work by Gregg Brill, Focus Gallery, Cape Town
Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa,
Penny Siopis, Paul Weinberg,
Jill Trappler, Guy Tillim and
Sfiso Ka Mkame, etc.
R310, Lynedoch Road,
072 207 0401
Art at Tokara
1 Sep-13 Nov, Tokara Winery
has launched its fourth annual
Wine Made Art series, featur-
ing 28 works by young women
artists from the Cape.
R310 on the Crest of
Helshoogte Pass
T. 021 808 5900
art@tokara.com
www.tokara.co.za
Knysna Work from Angels exhibition Dorpstraat Gallery, Stellenbosch
Knysna Fine Art
3-20 Nov, RIFT (Portraits of
Ethiopia), black and white
photography by Glen Green.
8 Grey Street Knysna,
T.044 382 5107
www.finearts.co.za
Hermanus
Jonathan Munnick, Ink House at The UCA Gallery, Cape Town.
Abalone Gallery www.ucagallery.com
2-28 Nov, Inspired by Africa,
works by Hannes Harrs, Ta-
deus Jaroszynski, Dirk Meerko-
tter, Cecil Skotnes and Pippa
Skotnes.
2 Harbour Rd, The Courtyard,
Hermanus. T. 028 313 2935 Submit your artwork and show listings to us at:
www.abalonegallery.co.za
Philip Harper Galleries Show@arttimes.co.za
Specialising in South African
old masters and select contem-
porary artists. Any news that you would like to tell us:
Oudehof Mall, 167 Main Rod,
Hermanus T. 028 312 4836 news@arttimes.co.za
www.philipharpergalleries.
co.za
Page 08
New Show at The UCA
Nothing about nothing
A quick preview of that moment before creativity
The show runs at the UCA Gallery, Cape Town
This exhibition links together
a group of artists – Bronwyn
Lace, Greg Streak, Ricky Bur-
nett, Righard Kapp and Trasi
Henen – by confronting them
with the task of exploring that
blank and pure space that exists
in the mind of an artist before
creating – and asking them to
generate works from nothing.
No|thing looks at works with-
out frills, without things, with
nothing added that is uninten-
tional; the unencumbered space
and purity of meaning. It is
a reaction against the spaces
that we occupy that are almost
always filled up with meaning-
less and superfluous things.
BRONWYN LACE will
exhibit an installation ‘Ane-
mophilous’ - the Latin term for
wind pollination which literally
means ‘wind loving’. She will
suspend roughly 2000 Dande-
lion type seeds that have been
hand constructed and attached
to a wire frame, in a formation
which resembles seeds being
blown in the
wind and dispersed through
space.
GREG STREAK will exhibit
works that engage in dialogue
about the negation of emotion
and engagement. His works are
in a monotone colour-scheme
of silver, grey and white, all of
which “are about nothing- but
naturally about something …
bleached of emotion....”
RICKY BURNETT presents
works on paper that expose
the nude spaces of the page,
letting run across it a stream-
ing of consciousness in a series
of marks, scribblings and
ART CAPE TOWN
Melvyn Minnaar
The Artful Viewer
The Great Biennale Struggle
The sad battle about money
that landed up in court, and one
in which artist-curator Gavin
Jantjes will probably bury the
last remains of the Cape Africa
Platform organisation, can also
be read as a metaphor for the
Great Cape Town Biennale
Struggle.
Money and art make bad
bedfellows (and bad friends,
it seems), but having been
forced into this partnership by
the prevailing power grip that
capitalism has over culture,
the only option is to find a
workable way of doing things
- like arranging biennales (or
whatever you want to call it)
in an innovative way. In other
words, rethink the stratagem in
which money (and to that Don
Quixote, its Sancho Panza:
celebrity and fame) determines
everything, and is regarded as
the be-all and end-all.
This has been an international
year of biennales: the tired old
aunty in Venice (shuffling to
conclusion this month), the
‘alternativist’ Havana (which
always invites a few well-con-
nected locals), the new-ish
bling-bling one in Moscow
gestures. His distinctive style
(where the ultra rich went
that defiantly side steps the
to play with rich, celebrity-
demands of the pictorial space
artists), the down-to-earth
allows a highly evocative and
Istanbul (wonderfully vibey in
deceptive naivety occupy what
a genuine way with its Brech-
is essentially a blank page, a
tian-inspiration), and even our
place of personal space.
own mini-me earlier this year,
in the form of the averagely
RIGHARD KAPP produces
successful, if original, Cape
sound generated from no-input
09 (the non-biennale biennale,
sound - an intuitive improvi-
which Capetonians hardly got
sational process that results in
to know about or noticed).
complex and sublime sound-
scapes.
This year, interestingly enough,
Kapp will perform on the open-
it is also 30 years ago that the
ing night between the visual
first Cape Town Biennale took
mass and clutter of the no|thing
place. Housed at the SA Na-
surrounding him. Simultane-
tional Gallery and the then SA
ously evading and defining
Association of Arts (Western
boundaries the between art and
Cape), the effort to mount a lo-
music. Kapp’s sound instal-
cal showcase of contemporary
lation will be recorded and
art, is one for the history books.
replayed during the course of
the exhibition.
(Not that art history is held up
in high regard around here. The
TRASI HENEN explores the
year 1979 was also when that
empty spaces left behind by
clever professor, the late Nev-
something or someone that is
ille Dubow, spearheaded the
missing; the relationships that
famous conference The State of
stil exist between that which
the Art in South Africa. At that
is there and that which is not.
Henen is seduced by liminal
critical time, during the darkest
of years in the country, a cul-
spaces and re-interprets things
tural boycott in place, Dubow
that are waiting to become
and his co-organisers were
something. In turn Henen’s
moved to ask serious questions
seductive paintings are ambigu-
ously analyttically technical
about what art and artists do
in terrible times. Sadly, UCT’s
and dryly sensual.
Michaelis crowd let slipped the
opportunity to revisit the same
A space can be filed with noth-
ing or cluttered to the brim
serious questions this year. An
anniversary conference would
with nothing at all. These five
have been a welcome and apt
artists look at the concept of
way to have honoured the great
nothing and have interpreted
and incorporated it into their
own personalised meanings and
works. Merging their results to- Subscribe to
gether this exhibition will show The SA Art Times at
the structures left behind and
reveal empty spaces in works.
www.arttimes.co.za
BUSINESSART November 2009
Dubow.)
The first Cape Town biennale
was over ambitious, and wasn’t
repeated until it was reinvented
as a triennial. A number of
these were held in the 1980s
and turned out pretty success-
ful. (The process is the blue
print, more or less, of the Spier
Contemporary. But, unlike
now when the first promise
- to quote the Spier invitation
- is big money and ‘the pool of
potential buyers’, the bait and
motivation were not financial
awards in those days.)
What was important from
those efforts three decades ago,
starting with the first, was the
support and co-operation of
the artists. When fired up, art
happens.
If Jantjes gets his way (who re-
calls the hubristic, completely
unrealistic announcements of
his original grand project?),
Cape 09 was probably the
last local effort for a biennale
of sorts. There is simply no
money for this kind of thing it
seems. Or so they complain.
Before anything in the Great
Cape Town Biennale Struggle
gets under way, there is always
the ‘Budget’.
Yet, perhaps some thinking
outside of this is needed.
We saw an astounding surge of
creativity earlier the year in the
truly original work produced
for Cape 09 - even though
sadly a lot outside of the Cape-
tonian eye. Very few of those
projects had large budgets.
There simply wasn’t money,
but there were enthusiasm,
invention and support.
It is quite clear that South Afri-
ca’s official culture-supporters
- from the local city council
to the useless NAC and DAC
- have very little interest in the
Advertise here with us
visual and related arts. And
they simply cannot see, despite
what all those grand biennales
overseas prove, investing in Reach the real Business Arts Community through our
the sponsorship of large-scale partnership and business network
public art events, has economic
spin-offs. (Hallo and goodbye,
6500 Printed copies difuse into an active redership
2010 world-cup visitors. We’ve
nothing to show you.)
Good daily page impressions on Business Art Website
So what’s to be done? Who
will take the lead? 4 years of consistant quality reporting by South Africa’s
esteemed Business writers
Three decades ago, under hor-
rible circumstances, artists and
those supporting them - like the SA Business Art
SANG and SA Association of
Art - got together and decided Eighth page 1200
to go out and do it. Perhaps Quarter page horizontal 2700
the Great Cape Town Biennale
Struggle should again start Quarter page vertical 3000
from low down, from with-in Half page 5400
the ranks. Full page 6300
Front page ¼ size 5850
Full Inside front page 6750
Full back page 8000
Full inside back page 7200
Prices exclude vat and design costs.

Peter Machen
The Evidence Before Us
I have spoken before about
how I experience art – and
creative expression in general
– on a continuum in which
film, dance, music, fine art and
the most engaging moments of
day-to-day reality are indistin-
guisable from one another in
an emotional sense. The finest
works of expression – and that
might even include a spec-
tacular herb garden, a carefully
constructed meal or a particu-
larly exquisitely engineered
section of freeway – induce in
the audience (er, that would be
me) a feeling or set of feelings
that are independent of the
media or discipline from which
they arise. And so, a poem may
feel like a sculpture, a painting
like a movie and a single pho-
tographic image as if it were an
entire novel.
These feelings are different
though – although not unre-
lated – to the feelings that we
experience when we encounter
extreme – or perhaps ordinary
– beauty in umediated nature.
The conscious determination of
something as art – something
to be appreciated, a certain giv-
ing, a sharing, no matter what
the post-modern conversation
– is also a central part of that
feeling, which in turn, gives
way immediately to torrents of
thoughts and even fully formed
sentences. And, on occasion,
stillness.
All of this was swirling around
my head just thinking about
watching Jay Pather’s ‘Body of
Evidence’ which was granted
a mere two performances
by Durban’s Playhouse, an
institution which seems intend
on burying performance in
the city with ludicrously short
runs which entirely prevent
the city’s dinner tables from
providing any word of mouth.
Although if those diners paid
any attention to the country’s
cultural pages, they might
have had some idea about how
unmissable ‘Body of Evidence’
should have been, and indeed
was for a small handful of
Durbanites.
With his latest production,
Pather shreds dance and art into
a confetti of beauty and joy, ter-
ror and pain, which rains down
on the audience for more than
ninety minutes. The production
is all the more impressive for
the fact that it has at times the
feeling of a cast of thousands
and a multimedia spectacular
but is in fact was the work of
a small company of dancers
(the mighty Siwela Sonke with
whom Pather has been working
for the last decade) and the use
of carefully considered lighting
and projections courtesy of the
rigorously talented fine artist
Vaughn Sadie. The input of
Sadie, who has become one of
Pather’s regular accomplices,
was clearly indispensible.
There is no doubting Pather’s
genius which, combined
with his deep humanism, has
produced some of the the most
powerful artistic output that
I’ve seen on any stage or gal-
lery. But of equal importance
is the people with whom he
chooses to work, from the
remarkable and idiosyncratic
dance talent that populates his
company to the selection of
many of this country’s most
interesting artistic talent as col-
laborators.
‘Body of Evidence’ is one of
those performances that you’re
unlikely to ask people if they
enjoyed. Myself, I was shat-
tered, my first thoughts being
the extent to which a director
must respect his audience to
demand so much of them. I had
been unintentionally primed
for the production, though,
by a New Yorker interview
I had read earlier in the day
with German director Michael
Haneke, who although a com-
passionate humanist, makes
films filled with cold, dark
terror. Haneke, suggested film
critic Antony Lane, doesn’t
make discomforting films to
upset his audience but out of
respect for them.
Pather shuffles beauty and
terror, tenderness and absurdity
into the same breath, collating
centuries of colonialism and
imperialism into the deeply
human texture of South African
life. It is a life in which the
visual expression of the self,
both atomised and collective,
is never far from the centre.
Pather takes this pantheon of
self-hoods as one of his starting
points, and so his various plat-
forms whether they be actual
stages, shopping centres, public
spaces or galleries, feature a
wealth of South African identi-
ties that constitute life on the
streets of eThekwini but which
are seldom reflected in our
national or even local media.
In Durbantraditional heal-
ers walk the same streets as
Krishna devotees, Zanzibaris,
lawyers complete with the
ruffled residue of their archaic
court-room dress, and rural
women whose migration to
the city does not always mean
that they succumb to the urban.
Although Pather is singularly
a choreographer, he manages
to unfurl the very notion of
choreography and dance into
something that is so extraor-
dinarily inclusive that it never
feels like we are watching a
dance or even a movie or a
poem. In fact, the notion of
watching itself becomes trans-
figured, as we are immersed in
Pather’s world that is at once
so strange, so real, so much
like our own world yet so
unrecognisable compared to the
mainstream media construction
of that world.
Finally, I must make recourse
again to the same magazine I
had been reading that Saturday
afternoon whoch contained
a piece of brilliance that I’d
love to pass off as my own but
I’m not that clever. In a book
review, Adam Gopnic, writes,
“It is a condition of being mod-
ern that our double and triple
identities look weird from the
outside but are the only kinds
that feel authentic from the
inside. The passionately na-
tionalist Québécois who listens
exclusively to Metallica and
AC/DC; the Muslim funda-
mentalist with the satellite dish
— from outside, we wonder
how they reconcile the contra-
dictions. But they don’t have to
reconcile the contradictions in
order to cope with reality. The
contradictions are themselves
the form that a reconciliation
with reality takes.” From that
perspective, Pather’s larger
body of work, and ‘Body of
Evidence; in particular, makes
perfect sense, as do huge
swathes of South African live
and creative production - par-
ticularly in Durban where we
tend to love a bit of a gemors.
Art Show in KZ Natal
Durban ton and Hussein Salim.
Artisan Contemporary
4 Nov-5 Dec, Horses Un-
leashed.
344 Florida Rd, Morningside,
T. 031 312 4364
sue@artisan.co.za
Art Space - DBN
26 Oct–14 Nov, ‘Friends’
(Main Gallery), oil paintings
by students and friends associ-
ated with Maggie Strachan’s
Durban studio. Also on show,
work by UNISA Students:
Apocalypse, photography by
Cally Lotz (Middle Gallery),
and ‘Looking at the numinous
in the Landscape’, a collage
of photographs, watercolours
and drawings by Anthea Martin
(Front Room). 23 Nov-16 Jan
2010, Annual Affordable Art
Show 09.
3 Millar Road, Durban.
T.031 312 0793 www.artspace-
durban.com
Crouse Art Gallery
KZN Art @ it’s Best, works in
watercolours, oils and acrylics,
by +- 50 artists from the Water
Colour Society, Botanical
Society and the Highway Art
Group.
254 Lillian Ngoyi/Windermere
Rd, Morningside
T. 083 385 0654
www.crouseartkzn.co.za
Durban Art Gallery
Oct 21-29 Nov, ‘According To
Plan-Recent Works by Dur-
ban’s City Architects’.
Until Dec 2009, Pic(k) Of The
DAG, South African works
from the gallery’s Perma-
nent Collection. Until Nov 2,
Past/Present, works by Andrew
Verster.
Second Floor, City Hall, Anton
Lembede Street, Durban
T. 031 311 2268
strettonj@durban.gov.za
www.durban.gov.za/durban/
discover/museums/dag
Elizabeth Gordon Gallery
A variety of new South African
artworks, including paintings
by Hugh Mbayiwa, Nora New-
120 Florida Road, Durban T.
031 303 8133
eqqart@iafrica.com
Kizo Art Gallery
20 Nov-10 Dec, “Innovative
woman”, various mediums
from video, installation,
photography, painting and per-
formance art exhibiting works
by Nandipha Mntambo, Zanele
Muholi, Usha Seejarim, Dineo
Bopape, Nontobeko Ntombela,
Ernestine White, Ingrid Ma-
sondo, Lerato Shadi, Senzeleni
Marasela and Bongi Bengu.
Gateway Theatre of Shopping,
Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal
T. 031 566 4324
www.kizo.co.za
KZNSA Gallery
27 Oct-15 Nov, ‘Imprint’, new
ceramics by Carla da Cruz.
Also on show ‘Joan’s Journey’,
an installation by Joan Alkema,
and ‘The Reading Room’, art-
ists’ books by Cheryl Penn.
166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood,
T. 031 2023686,
www.kznsagallery.co.za
Tamasa Gallery
20 Oct-11 Nov, Trees, oils,
pastels and charcoal works by
acclaimed KwaZulu-Natal art-
ist Pippa Lea Pennington.
36 Overport Drive, Durban
T. 031 207 1223
Pietermaritzburg
Tatham Art Gallery
27 Oct-14 March 2010, the
Schreiner Gallery New Acqui-
sitions Exhibition, including a
linoprint by Vuli Nyoni, and a
rolling ball sculpture by Zotha
Shange. 10-18 Nov, FOTAG
Fabulous Picture Show and
Auction.9 July-21 Feb 2010,
The Heath Family Retrospec-
tive Exhibition, mixed media
works by the Heath family.
Cnr. Of Chief Albert Luthuli
(Commercial) Rd. and Church
Street (Opposite City Hall)
Pietermaritzburg
T. 033 342 1804
www.tatham.org.za
Page 10
Gerard Sekoto (South African, 1913-1993)
Boy with a yellow cap
Who owns history? The issue of the National Estate
Jo-Marie Rabe
A few weeks ago the second of
two annual art auctions dedi-
cated to South African Art were
held in London by auctioneer-
ing firm, Bonhams. It was their
fifth exclusive South African
Art sale.
“South African art, as proved
by previous successful sales
at Bonhams, is no longer of
purely domestic interest. The
continuing strength of the mar-
ket has produced exceptional
record-breaking prices.
Such record-breaking prices
and worldwide bidding have
propelled modern South Afri-
can art into the front lines of
the global art market. Bon-
hams’ sales of South African
art offer a valuable indication
of the position of modern South
African art internationally”
This blurb on the Bonhams
website (www.bonhams.com)
says it all. South African art has
hit the world, but not everyone
is in agreement as to whether
this new internationalization is
a blessing or a curse.
Bonhams is not the only
international auction house that
has branched out to include SA
art. Christies London has held
Contemporary and Modern
South African Art auctions
since December 2007.
A lot of people are excited
about this turn of events. For
South African sellers the al-
lure is obvious. It’s about the
money. Both Christies and
Bonhams hold price records
for many South African art
masters. In December 2007
Christie’s sold “Irma Stern’s
Congolese Woman R 7,7
million”, their website boasts
(www.christies.com).
At the most recent Bonhams
sale, four lots (lots 1,31,32 and
42) attracted attention for a
particular reason. Each came
with a special advisory note:
“The South African Heritage
Resources Agency (SAHRA)
has declined an export permit
for this lot. Therefore it is not
subject to VAT on either the
hammer price or the buyer’s
premium. It is available for
viewing at the Everard Read
Gallery in Johannesburg, RSA.
Please contact the department
for further information”. The
Bertram W. Dumbleton (South African, 1896-1966)
A portrait of the artist’s son, David, aged five (tempera)
refusal meant that these four
lots could still be sold in Lon-
don (and were indeed, sold),
but that they could not leave
South Africa.It is not the first
time that export permits had
been refused.
What is behind the decision to
decline the export permits for
these works? To start with, the
regulation of and control over
cross-border movement of an-
tiques and objects of an artistic
nature is not a uniquely “South
African” issue. It merely forms
part of an intricate and complex
international debate that has
raged for quite some time. In
essence, the debate centers
around ownership of items of
national importance. It con-
cerns the question: “Who really
owns cultural property?”
In Going Going Gone:
Regulating the market in illicit
antiquities, Simon Mackenzie,
explores this debate and iden-
tify the two directly opposing
schools of thought underlying
this ownership/custodian-
ship debate as the “cultural
nationalists” and the “cultural
internationalists”.
To the cultural nationalists,
historical ownership always
takes precedence. Based on the
nationalist ideals of the 19th
Century, they favor a retention-
ist approach, arguing for total
control over all cross-border
trade in any cultural property,
claiming that “cultural prop-
erty constitutes one of the basic
elements of civilization and
national culture, and that its
true value can be appreciated
only in relation to the fullest
possible information regarding
is origin, history and traditional
setting” (to quote from the
1970 UNESCO Convention on
the Means of Prohibiting and
Preventing the Illicit Import,
Export and Transfer of Owner-
ship of Cultural Property)
(www.unesco.com).
At the other end of the opinion
spectrum the cultural interna-
tionalists believe that the free
market is the only fair distribu-
tor and regulator – even when
it comes to cultural property.
Based on the 18th century
premise of cosmopolitanism
(with Diderot’s “that great city,
the world” their motto) they
maintain that “all consequential
culture becomes international”.
To them, the person or institu-
tion willing to pay the highest
price for an item are more than
likely the most suitable for the
conservation and care of such
an object.
In his book Who owns Antiq-
uity, museum director James
Cuno argues in favor of these
so-called “Encyclopedic”
or “International” Museum
- institutions like the British
Museum, where the cultural
property of many different
nations and ages are exhibited
together to create an interna-
tional context in which the
development of civilizations
and the achievement of man
can be showcased.
In reality, few people, organiza-
tions and countries are either
fundamentally one or the other.
In the majority of cases, each
individual situation or object or
group of objects will warrant
it’s own approach situated
somewhere on the continuum
between the two extremes: total
control versus total freedom of
trade. Arguing along the lines
of “some things can go and
some should stay” all depend-
ing on how “important” the
object/s are.
According to Barbara Hoff-
mann, editor of Art and
Cultural Heritage, as a rule,
“source” nations (Egypt,
Greece, South America, Africa
amongst others) tend to have
more stringent regulations and
tighter control over exports
than the “market” nations
(England, America, Canada,
the Scandinavian Countries). It
is understandable.
As a potential source country,
the position taken by the South
African authorities are one of
tight regulation and constant
vigil – this mammoth task
resting on the shoulders of the
South African Resources Herit-
age Agency (SAHRA).
In accordance with The Na-
tional Heritage Resources Act
(No 25 of 1999) (NHRA) - the
legislation concerned with the
protection and regulation of
cultural property - very few
items are banned from export,
but all items of an artistic
nature that has been in South
Africa for longer than 50 years
or more has to be issued with
an export permit before it can
leave the country. And yes, that
Bertram W. Dumbleton (South African, 1896-1966)
Abdul in Cape Town docks
includes your inheritance in
case you decide to emigrate!
Notice No 1512 published
by the Department of Arts,
Culture, Science and Technol-
ogy in the Government Gazette
Volume 450, No 24116, 6
December 2002, includes a
provisional list of the types
of Heritage Objects requiring
export permits. Point 6 relates
to objects of an artistic nature:
“South African items of artistic
interest (that have been in SA
for 50 or more years) includ-
ing paintings and drawings;
original prints, posters and
photographs; artistic assem-
blages and montages; statuary
art and sculpture; applied art
in glass, ceramics, metal and
wood; objects of ritual and
symbolic significance and
personal adornment”. The list
include various other catego-
ries; it is vast and generic and
contains illusive words like
“or of national importance” a
number of times. (www.sahra.
org.za/Government%20Notice_
HeritageObjects.pdf).
In this culturally diverse nation
of ours, what does “of national
importance” mean and who de-
cide what it constitute? Regina
Isaacs of the South African
Heritage Resources Agency
(SAHRA) explains:
“The SAHRA Council appoints
the Permit Committee who
makes decisions concerning
permit applications. Since
heritage objects are diverse,
advisory panels made up of
experts from museums, gal-
leries, relevant organizations,
academics, etc. form part of
the Advisory Panels who ad-
vises the Permit Committee on
whether to export or to prohibit
export.” The board consists of
17 members. Their identities
were not divulged.
Why did SAHRA withheld
export permits on these four
works specifically?
Isaacs states that the four
artworks are of outstanding
significance by reason of its
close association with South
African history and culture
and that being exceptionally
fine paintings, it qualify for
retention in South Africa on
aesthetic grounds. In all four
cases she indicates that the
BUSINESSART November 2009
artworks are of a degree of na-
tional importance in view of its
importance in the study of the
arts and that its loss to South
Africa would thus diminish the
National Heritage.
No other reasons were given
for the refusal of the export
permit for Lot 1 “Adderly
Street” by Thomas Bowler. In
the case of lot 31, “Portrait of
David Dumbleton aged 5” by
Bertram Dumbleton, both the
artist and the subject matter
seem to hold significance to the
decision makers. “Although
trained in London in the 1930s,
Bertram Dumbleton was
largely domiciled in the Cape.
He was an unusual artist in that
he preferred to work most of
the time in the time-consum-
ing medium of egg tempera, a
painting process seldom used
since the Renaissance and
eclipsed by the invention of
oil paints in the 15th century.
Dumbleton’s achievements in
this medium are of a unique
aesthetic quality seldom seen in
SouthAfrican art.”
As to the value of the painting
itself, the following arguments
are offered by Ann Higonnet:
“New discourses on images
of childhood in art history are
now showing us that images
of children tell us much more
about a society and its histori-
cal evolution than previously
thought. Such works ought
to be paid serious attention to
and should not be dismissed as
merely sentimental. An image
of colonial childhood in South
Africa of such quality presents
a case for its retention, prefer-
ably in a public collection”.
For the purpose of academic
discourse, does one need direct
access to the original work or
would a pictorial references (a
photographic rendition of any
artwork) suffice? one could
wonder.
Lot 32 “Abdul in Cape Town
Docks” by Bertram Dumble-
ton is indeed and interesting
work. “ The portrait shows
the sitter at an older age than
another tiny child-portrait of
him already held by the SA
National Gallery. Sympathetic
representations of members of
the Muslim community in Cape
Town are limited in our collec-
tions, and this work should, if
possible, be acquired by a local
public collection in the Cape.
Such a work, for example,
would be highly relevant to
the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum in
Cape Town. It has a close asso-
ciation with the history and the
culture of this community”
For Lot 42, the painting by
Gerard Sekoto “Boy with a
yellow cap”, the reasons for a
export ban also seems very in-
teresting and valid. “The work
pre dates Sekoto’s exile in 1947
and the body of work produced
by him in South Africa is of
major importance in terms of
the history of South African art.
The significance of works by
Sekoto from this period lies in
the fact that they mark the be-
ginnings of an urbanized black
visual arts culture as distinct
from one based on rural tradi-
tions and origins. The adoption
of oils on canvas by Sekoto
and other artists like George
Pemba mark the start of black
artists wishing to compete with
European artists and tradi-
tion on their own terms, using
media that were previously not
employed in traditional black
cultures.”
What role does the commercial
value play in deciding which
pieces are given an export per-
mit? The facts speak for them-
selves. It seems to play a minor
role. Only one of the four
works on offer were sold for
a sizable sum. Sekoto’s “Boy
with a yellow cap” fetched ₤
102 000 (approximately R12
million). The others were not
expensive. The Bowler fetched
₤ 12 000 and the two Dumble-
tons each fetched ₤ 2400.
The Convention on the Protec-
tion and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expres-
sions 2005
Paris, 20 October states that
“[...] cultural activities, goods
and services have both an
economic and a cultural nature,
because they convey identi-
ties, values and meanings, and
must therefore not be treated
as solely having commercial
value.” Being party to the
Convention, this sentiment
seems to be a strong guideline
for SAHRA.
For more information and a
copy of an export permit visit
www.sahra.org.za
BUSINESSART November 2009
ART|Stellenbosch|09 launches the first successful Contemporary Art Event
The weekend of 3 to 4
October, 2009, saw the first
successful installment of
ART|Stellenbosch – a new
annual contemporary art event.
The special programme and
events put together by galleries,
museums and other participat-
ing institutions attracted a high
number of visitors to Stellen-
bosch during the weekend.
With exceptional exhibitions
and activities such as artist
demonstrations, walkabouts,
artist performances and talks,
visitors were presented with an
informed selection of con-
temporary art trends. Some
The Dorpstreet Gallery
OudeBank Exhibition
of the highlights in this year’s
progamme included the open-
ing of Nel Erasmus’s exhibi-
tion entitled Portraits (1949
– 2009) at the SMAC Space,
installation work by local artist
Strijdom van der Merwe at
Pier Rabe Antiques, Art and
Contemporary Design, a poetry
reading by veteran artist Peter
Clarke and a talk by the newly
appointed director of the Iziko
South African National Gallery,
Riason Naidoo, about a new
vision for the National Gallery.
The Artist Mbongeni Buthelezi
also presented demonstrations
on his unique method of work-
ing with plastic as an artistic
medium at the SASOL Art
Museum.
The programme made it
permissible for visitors to walk
from one venue to another as
opening or event times were
coordinated. The size of Stel-
lenbosch with all the various
venues in walking distance
from each other was definitely
a contributing factor to the
success of the event. Wine and
art are always good compan-
ions and wine tasting tables
in Church Street added to the
festivities.
In true underground street
Thembinkosi Goniwe and Baylon Sandri
Dorpstraat Galery opening
Antoinette Murdoch opening the Nel Erasmus exhibition at SMAC
style, ART|Stellenbosch also
hosted an after dark art party
on Saturday night in the dere-
lict Oude Bank building where
artist Barend de Wet, under the
pseudonym, The Knitting Bull
delivered his performance Knit
Wit on the topic of “Brei”.
Baylon Sandri, owner of the
SMAC Art Gallery commented
that Art|Stellenbosch was
“highly successful and festive
in its own right”. Jo-Marie
Rabe of Red, Black and White
Gallery delight after the event
saying that ‘Stellenbosch has
everything that it takes to be-
come a major art destination’.
opening the Anton Karstel at
SMAC
Baylon Sandri opening the Anton Karstel exhibition at SMAC
She further commented that “It
was a huge success that attract-
ed a whole new crowd of peo-
ple to the Town. Stellenbosch
lends itself towards an event
like this. We’re excited about
it becoming a bigger and more
prominent event in the future”.
Mike Donkin of the Dorpstraat
Galery is also positive, saying
that Art|Stellenbosch was “a
fantastic event! [It brought]
enormous amounts of interests
from people further a field that
came, followed the programme
and made a day of it.”
The successful launch of this
new initiative demonstrated
Nel Erasmus Exhibition at SMAC SPACE
Wayne Barker at the OudeBank
Exhibition
Page 11
its great future potential.
ARTIStellenbosch presented a
special time for encountering
contemporary art and offered
an opportunity for visitors,
artists and other role-players
in the art world to connect
and interact. Although the
ART|Stellenbosch|09 already
includes strong local participa-
tion, it aims to expand in future
years to draw international
participation and audiences.
Issued by ART|Stellenbosch
administration 13/10/2009
Pier Rabe Antiques, Art and
Contemporary Design
Page 12
Swelco ends auction year on high note
by Michael Coulson
Stephan Welz & Co (Swelco)’s
final sale of the year, in Johan-
nesburg on November 17 and
18, will certainly end the year
on a high note. It contains
within a whisker of 1 000 lots,
including almost 320 items
of SA art. At the same time,
though it has a certain end-of-
term feel to it.
The first afternoon session in-
cludes the lesser SA art works:
119 in number, there isn’t a
single five-digit low estimate
and the gross is only R660
000, an average of about R5
550. Even the evening sale, of
major works, has no R1m-plus
estimates, the highest being
R500 000-R800 000 for a
Pierneef landscape, followed
by R400 000-R600 000 for
each of an Irma Stern still life,
two Tretchikoffs, and a large
William Kentridge drawing.
The cover lot, an attractive
interior scene by Maurice van
Essche, is estimated at a mod-
est R250 000-R350 000. Only
12 lots carry low estimates of
R250 000, for other well-
known artists such as Maggie
Laubser, Pieter Wenning, Fran-
cois Krige, George Pemba and
Alexis Preller. There is only the
one Stern oil and the one Piern-
eef, one Maud Sumner oil (a
lovely Namibian night scene,
est R150 000-R200 000)) and
nothing from Stanley Pinker,
who has been in strong demand
in recent auctions. While there
are nine Dorothy Kays, all but
one are graphics.
Subscribe to the wide South African Art World
Subscribe to The SA Art Times, Business Art and now ArtLife and get a sweeping coverage of the delightful and colourful art world at your fingertips.
SOUTH AFRICAN ART AUCTIONS BUSINESSART November 2009
Decorative & Fine Arts, Furniture, Silver, Ceramics, Jewellery & Books
Location: Johannesburg
Sale Dates: Tuesday 17 November, 2009 until Wednesday 18 November, 2009
Auction: 925 Lots in 4 Sessions. Download the catalogue at www.swelco.co.za
On the other hand there are
eight WH Coetzers, which may
give an indication of whether
there’s a revival in this some-
what overlooked and politically
incorrect artist, and the same
number by Walter Battiss. And
no fewer than 10 Johan Olderts
have come out of the wood-
work.
Also well represented are
Gregoire Boonzaaier and Frans
Claerhout (seven each) and
Gerhard Batha, Errol Boyley,
Otto Klar, Braam Kruger and
Erich Mayer (six each).
The evening sale starts with
works donated on behalf of the
Friends of the Johannesburg
Art Gallery and the alumni of
Pretoria University. The former
includes 19 works with a total
minimum estimate of R106 500
for an average of R5 600 and
the latter, boosted by a statue
by Angus Taylor (est R40
000-R60 000), 13 works valued
at R111 000 for an average of
about R8 540. The evening sale
proper covers 177 works with
a total low gross marginally
under R11m, for an average of
R62 400.
Adding in the charity works,
overall the evening session
comprises 209 lots, with a total
low estimate R11.15m and
average just under R53 400,
while for all 318 lots the fig-
ures are R11.8m and R37 150.
By contrast, the house’s recent
Cape sale included 317 lots
with a combined low estimate
of R16m, of which 222 were
sold for R14.8m (including Helmut Starcke, Interior with tulips and rino skull, R50 000 – R70 000
buyer’s premium).
Call Bastienne for our reasonable rates and choice of, one, two or all three titles
Call us at 021 424 7733 or e-mail subs@arttimes.co.za or go to www.artdirect.co.za
BUSINESSART November 2009 SOUTH AFRICAN ART AUCTIONS Page 13

Maud Frances Eyston Sumner: Desert scene with full moon. R150 000 to R200 000

Walter Whall Battiss, The Banana Boy, R80 000 – R120 000 Tretchikoff: Zulu Maiden Est. R400 000 – R600 000

(Above) Maurice Charles Louis van Essche, Still life with grinder, tea cup and
other items R120 000 to R160 000

(Left) May (Mary Ellen) Hillhouse A landscape with a tree R30 000 to R50 000
Page 14
Emma Bedford appointed
Paintings Specialist at Strauss & Co.
Emma Bedford
Emma Bedford is to join
Strauss & Co as Paintings Spe-
cialist starting from 1 Novem-
ber 2009. Although she will be
based in the Cape Town office,
she will liaise on a regular
basis between Johannesburg
and Cape Town. According
to Stephan Welz, Managing
Director of Strauss & Co, it
is not often that someone of
Bedford’s calibre becomes
available. Highly regarded
both locally and internationally,
Bedford played an unequalled
role as a Curator at Iziko South
African National Gallery and as
Director of Goodman Gallery
Cape. She is an acknowledged
expert in modern and contem-
porary art with particular refer-
ence to South African art, has
extensive experience in curat-
ing exhibitions and collections
management, has written and
edited many publications and is
a popular public speaker.
Says Bedford of her new ap-
pointment: “I’ve known and
respected Stephan Welz and
his colleagues for many years.
They are the acknowledged
experts in the field of art and
antiques. Ann Palmer and
Vanessa Phillips both serve
on the Council of the Friends
of the SA National Gallery, a
We see your art world from here and it’s beautiful
Advertise your show and art with us and your work will be seen by the SA artworld
Advertise in one of our much in demand Art Times publications and recieve 10% off in one other of our famous titles, including our websites
testimony to the fact that they
care enough about cultural
public institutions to volunteer
their time. I admire the fact that
Strauss & Co and the indi-
viduals within it are guided by
strong, ethical principles and a
sense of responsibility to both
the sellers and buyers. In our
field, integrity counts as much
as expertise in building and
maintaining client confidence.”
During her 25 years at Iziko
South African National Gallery
Bedford became Senior Curator
and Head of Art Collections,
where she managed a range
of projects and initiatives
including exhibitions such as
the Marlene Dumas: Intimate
Relations (2007 – 2008) and
William Kentridge (2002), the
artist’s first large-scale survey
exhibition to be mounted in
South Africa. She also devised
Fresh, a series of artists’
residencies and publications on
young artists including Berni
Searle, Robin Rhode, Tracey
Rose and Moshekwa Langa.
As Director of Goodman Gal-
lery Cape, which she was head-
hunted to start in 2007, she
curated many of the thematic
and group shows and worked
closely with artists such as
William Kentridge, Robert
Hodgins, Deborah Bell and
Mikhael Subotzky in prepar-
ing their solo exhibitions. She
has developed close relations
with most of South Africa’s top
artists and several international
artists, often assisting in initiat-
ing and developing projects.
Her reputation is such that she
is invited to collaborate on
local and international projects
including the District Six Pub-
lic Sculpture Project in 1997
and Authentic/Ex-centric: Af-
rica in and out of Africa at the
Venice Biennale in 2001. She
Written by artists for artists and art business community alike we love to get the message accross.
Call Eugene today at 021 424 7733 or simply e-mail sales@arttimes.co.za
SOUTH AFRICAN ART AUCTIONS BUSINESSART November 2009
was a Member of the Advisory
Board of the Atlantic Centre
for Modern Art (CAAM), Las
Palmas, Gran Canaria in 2005,
was a juror and co-curator
of Dak’Art 2004 and served
on the selection panel for the
Artistic Director of the second
Johannesburg Biennale.
Bedford has conducted re-
search and is published widely
in books, journals, magazines
and online publications. She is
often invited to present papers
at international conferences
such as the Congress of the
International Association of Art
Critics held in Dakar, Senegal
in July 2003 and was the only
Irma Stern, portraiit of Carla, which was the cover lot, fetched R5.57m
South African curator invited to
attend the International Curato-
rial Workshop at The Museum
of Modern Art, New York in
March 2005.
Stern, Kibel star at Strauss Cape sale
By Michael Coulson on the R400 000-R600 000 000-R180 000) and R446 000
“This is a new direction for estimate. The only other seven- (R300 000-R400 000), R579
me,” says Bedford, “and one While new auction records figure porice was R1.23m for 000 for Stanley Pinker’s Man
that I’m going to enjoy im- for Irma Stern and Wolf Kibel a Jean Welz still life (R800 & Car (R150 000-R200 000)
mensely. It’s no secret that were the highlights of Strauss 000-R1.2m). and R401 000 for a Fanie Eloff
Strauss & Co has become the & Co’s inaugural Cape sale, bronze (R80 000-R100 000).
leading auction house having SA art generally fared well. A mini-sale that opened the
succeeded in achieving a turno- The main session included 109 session comprised 42 works The earlier, afternoon, session
ver of more than R100million lots of SA pictures and sculp- from the Milner collection, included 87 minor works of
in its first year of business. tures of which 90 were sold, which grossed R4.54m, against which 58 sold (66.6%). A gross
It’s a great honour for me to or 82.6%, but they grossed a low estimate of R2.7m, but of R2.36m fell well short of the
be joining this winning team. about R31.1m, well in excess value was concentrated in three minimum estimate of R3.02m,
I look forward to working of the low estimate of R25.4m, lots: the Stern still life already confirming a shift to quality.
closely with Stephan Welz and remembering as always that mentioned, R835 000 for a Surprising top price was R111
his colleagues. I had my first this figure excludes the buyer’s Maggie Laubser landscape 000 for a Gregoire Boonzaaier
taste of the auction business premium and any other extras. (R400 000-R600 000) and portrait of Paul Kruger (R60
at Strauss & Co’s inaugural The Stern portraiit of Carla, R401 000 for a Maud Sumneri 000-R90 000), followed by
Cape Town sale on 8 October. which was the cover lot, still life (R180 000-R240 000). R111 000 for a Dorothy Kay
The sheer pleasure of handling fetched R5.57m, against the watercolour (R60 000-R90
examples of South Africa’s estimate of R2.5m-R3m. In the main sale, the high- 000) and R106 000 for a Johan
most beautiful art, furniture and Two Stern still lifes fetched est-estimated Pierneef (R500 Volschenk landscape (R60 000-
silver is such a privilege. The R4.23m each (est R3m-R3.5m 000-R700 000) failed to sell R80 000).
excitement of sourcing works and R3.5m-R5m) and another -- the only one of the top eight
rarely seen in the public do- one from the estate of the late estimates to meet that fate Adding the two sessions
main, the research and prepara- Leslie Milner R2.1m (R1.2m- -- but several other lots went togather, 148 of 196 lots sold
tion and the thrill of the auction R2.6m). The R1.23m for a for well above expectations. (75.5%) for a gross of R33.6m,
defy description.” Kibel self-portrait compared They include R468 000 for a against the low estimate of
with an estimate of only R500 Frans Oerder still life (R300 R25.4m. Altogether, probably
000-R600 000, while R1.06m 000-R400 000), two Laubser the most gratfying of recent
for a Kibel nude was way up landscapes at R535 000 (R150 sales
BUSINESSART November 2009 SOUTH AFRICAN ART AUCTIONS Page 14

Strauss & Co. Preview, The Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town

Dennis Clack and Chloe Rolfes John Bradley, Christopher Till and Elisabeth Bradley

Alec Wapnick and his grandsons Daniel and Craig Lambert van der Nest, Stephan Welz- MD Strauss & Co. and Alasdair Wiley

Benedetta Lami, Preben and Charlotte Skak-Jensen Count Lucio Labia, Anne and John Groves and Anthony Labia

Jo Wolpe and Emma Bedford Fernando and Suzanne Rueda

 Still Life among Euphorbias | 1955 | oil on board | 92 x 75 cm

ERIK LAUBSCHER
A MAJOR RETROSPECTIVE EXIHIBITION

6 DECEMBER 2009 - 25 FEBRUARY 2010

Coinciding with the launch of Erik Laubscher: A Life in Art

by Dr. Hans Fransen
contributions by Elza Miles and Abraham de Vries

1st Floor, De Wet Centre, Church Street, Stellenbosch | Tel: +27 21 887 3607 | info@smacgallery.com | www.smacgallery.com