The South African Art Times | October 2010 | Free

ART TIMES

Stefan Hundt
After building up Sanlam’s R 128M Art Collection
Sanlam Private Investments (SPI) now has
launched SA’s first art advisory service Page 72

Photo: Jenny Altschuler

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 J.H. Pierneef (1886-1957), Leadwood trees, Bushveld, 1944, oil on canvas, Sanlam Art Collection.

THE LIE OF THE LAND

Representations of the South African Landscape
Curated by Michael Godby
15 October 2010 to 28 January 2011

Sanlam Art Gallery

2 Strand Road, Bellville

Hours : Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:30

Telephone 021 947 3359 • Catalogue on sale • Entry Free
Scats_ArtTimes_70x297 9/17/10 9:30 AM Page 1
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
Rare Treasures : Botanical Art at Kirstenbosch
Vicki Thomas
South African plants have been carefully recorded for
science for centuries, most of the artwork rarely seen
outside of journals in university libraries and botanical
garden archives around the world. Locally, there is
a long tradition of competent artists, mostly women,
who were scientific illustrators, carefully measuring
and recording the diagnostic features of plants. They
usually worked alone, were under-valued and under-
paid, but they truly loved plants and painting them,
and so they continued their work.
In the 1990s, Dr Shirley Sherwood, an English
botanist who was fascinated with botanical illustra-
tion, started a collection of contemporary botanical
artworks. She found she had no talent for painting
herself, and as she has considerable resources and
travels extensively, she set about collecting artworks
from around the world. Dr Sherwood, through her
friendship with Prof. Brian Huntley, then curator of
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town,
brought a large collection of contemporary botanical
paintings from England for exhibition at Kirstenbosch.
These paintings depicted all sorts of plants and
styles, some grand and eye- catching, others delicate
and minutely detailed. The exhibition caused a
sensation. It also showed local botanical illustrators
that they could successfully take the leap from rather
cramped confined drawings for scientific journals to
works of art made specifically to be hung on walls.
The Kirstenbosch Biennale, dedicated to images of
indigenous South African flora, was inspired by this
Sherwood exhibition, and began in 2000 under the
guidance of Merle Huntley. This year’s version of the
Biennale, with its emphasis on Rare, Endangered
& Narrow Endemic southern African plants, had a
remarkable range of artworks on display. The stand-
ard has improved hugely over the years and South
African botanical artists are now very well respected
and collected world-wide.
Why has botanical art improved and become more
popular? The answer is collaboration. The Botanical
Artists’ Association of SA was formed as a remark-
able self-help group to share information, techniques,
teachers and equipment. It has had the effect of
improving and broadening the skills base and as a
result brought in new converts. Two teachers, Katie
Lee from USA and Jenny Phillips from Australia, ini-
tially gave local artists new insight, but inspired local
teachers have subsequently developed classes that
have added to that knowledge. It is a sign of good
instruction that there is no recognisable South African
“style” and the artworks retain a very personal view of
the plants depicted.
Current botanical artists are, like their predecessors,
06 SA Art Times | October 2010
Lynda de Wet - Protea cynaroides
slightly nutty about plants! Often they are people
who love the beauty and colour of the flower, but
are also fascinated by the structure and the minute
details. The accurate recording of the true beauty of
a plant is uppermost in the artist’s mind and the aim
is to produce an artwork that appeals from a distance
and continues to draw the viewer in to examine the
fine work and structure of the plant close up, in much
the same way as a good portrait. It is this aspect of
the paintings, the combination of art and science that
keeps the viewer occupied and interested.
The process of painting a plant is usually time
consuming. The artist often has to get permission to
access the plant and then has to keep it alive long
enough to finish the work, which can take several
days to several weeks. Most artists work directly
from life, starting with pencil sketches to get to know
the structure, then dissecting and measuring for
careful drawing. Photographs are occasionaly used
simply for reference as no photo can capture all parts
of the plant in focus at the same time and botanical
artists really need to see the finer details very clearly.
The works are generally done in watercolour on hot-
pressed archival paper using kolinsky sable brushes.
On the exhibition though, there were several types of
media including pencil crayon, ink, oils and scraper
board. The Kirstenbosch Biennale 2010 which
took place in September, showed about 50 artists
exhibiting four works each, which were judged by a
panel consisting of representatives of both the art and
botany fields. All agreed the standard was very high;
4 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 7 bronze medals
were awarded. It has been an extremely popular
exhibition with a loyal following, good sales and many
new visitors.
KIRSTENBOSCH BIENNALE AWARDS 2010
Life Time Achievement Award: Thalia Lincoln
Gold : Gillian Condy, Lynda de Wet, Jennifer John-
ston Davidson, Kim Squire Johnston
Silver: Sibonela Chiliza, Margaret De Villiers, Wilna
Eloff, Eric Judd, Jenny Malcolm, Carol Reddick
Bronze : Linda Hampson, Farat Iqbal, Elbe Domrose
Joubert, Daleen Roodt, Willie Schlechter, Ann Sch-
weizer, Louise Twiggs
Vicki Thomas, one of the judges of the Kirstenbosch
Biennale, is a botanical artist and teacher who has
works in collections around the world, including the
Highgrove Florilegium depicting plants in HRH Prince
Charles’s garden, and the Shirley Sherwood collection
at Kew. Her scientific drawings have been published in
many journals. She is a guest lecturer at Stellenbosch
University and the UCT Summer School.
Durban decides to destroy artworks ...
and spend even more cash replacing them with
brand-new sculptures
First Published in The Sunday Times
By Bongani Mthethwa
The city of Durban is to “put down” elephant sculp-
tures that cost ratepayers a whopping R1.5-million.
The city fathers have decided to demolish the
six-ton artworks - which earlier this year caused a
political storm - and will now spend more money
replacing them with other animal sculptures.
A spokesman for the Ethekwini municipality, Thabo
Mofokeng, told the Sunday Times that the decision
to destroy two of the three elephants was taken at a
full council meeting two months ago.
He said it was decided that the elephants would be
replaced with the animals that comprise the “Big
Five”, as this was a more “appropriate” symbol for
the city. But world-renowned artist Andries Botha,
who was initially commissioned to sculpt the
elephants, said he was “seething at the decision”
to demolish his work. “I can’t accept this kind of
altering of the intellectual property of an existing
artwork to another work. I can’t have the work simply
changed, because I was never trained as a Big Five
sculptor,” he said. “I offered a compromise, which I
thought was a reasonable one - to say that, if it was
the number of elephants that appeared to be the
problem, then let’s make an additional elephant, but
I haven’t received a response from the city.”
were the symbol of the IFP. But Mchunu denied this,
saying an ANC ward councillor had raised the alarm.
Earlier this year, city manager Mike Sutcliffe ap-
pealed to the ANC caucus to resolve the matter
urgently and asked them to consider the possibility
of changing the project to include the Big Five to
save the city political embarrassment.
The elephants are positioned near Warwick
Avenue, one of the city’s busiest points. But after
the controversy broke, the unfinished elephants,
made of metal, stone and wire, were shielded from
public view with green shade cloth and now stand
abandoned alongside a freeway.
The sculptures, part of Botha’s Human Elephants
Foundation, were commissioned by the city as it
wanted his work - which appears in cities all over the
world - to be displayed in his home town.
DA caucus leader Tex Collins described the decision
to demolish the elephants as an “act of vandalism
and a breathtaking degree of political immaturity”.
“If the ANC thinks for one second that those
elephants represent nothing more than art, they are
sadly mistaken,” he said.
“I’m disgusted by that decision and I’m ashamed to
be part of a council that could take a decision like
that.”

A political spat erupted in the ANC-led city council
in February after Botha and his team were abruptly
ordered to stop work on the elephants by an irate
ANC politician who had deemed them politically
incorrect.
The official, believed to be the chairman of the
ANC’s eThekwini region and MPL, John Mchunu,
allegedly told the artist’s team that the elephants
The IFP’s caucus leader, Thembi Nzuza, said the
demolition was a waste of ratepayers’ money.
“We’re not against the Big Five. But demolish-
ing work that has already been done is wasteful
expenditure and we are totally against it. We thought
they would take the two elephants and put them
elsewhere, rather than demolish them,” she said.

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SA Art Times | October 2010 07


Art as a cultural weapon to save our environment
Just as artists were mobalised to assist in democtrotise SA, so artists could assist in saving Verlorenvlei
From a letter from AntheA Delmotte
The Piketberg art scene is joining hands to create
awareness to a very important environmental issue.
We want to protect the massive and beautiful Ver-
lorenvlei that is running all the way from the Piketberg
mountain range to Elands bay. It’s mentionable fresh
water source, rich bird, animal, plant life (that contains
many rare, threatened and presumed extinct species)
, people, towns dependant on it and clean air from the
very real, already long term threat of mining. We also
want to raise funds to assist the organisation that is
working so hard to protect what is every human’s best
interest becoming alarmingly scares- fresh water and
rich animal and plant life.
According to Wikipedia more than half the world’s
wetlands have been lost along with their valuable
environmental services. And by 2025 South Africa will
be one of the countries which will face very severe
water shortages due to physical scarcity and a condi-
tion of overpopulation relative to their carrying capac-
ity with respect to water supply and as we know we
already have to deal with water restrictions from time
to time. So somewhere we have to draw the line and
preserve what we have and what our children need
in the future. Underneath more information applicable
more specifically to Verlorenvlei’s unique situation.
We are thus appealing to the media to help us in our
efforts by doing what is your speciality- informing the
public about this issue and our efforts.
On 29 Casa
October at 19:00
Labia the AntheA
Art Times 70X210Delmotte gallery
Ad FA.pdf 1 the country.2:15
2010/09/16
will be opening a group exhibition called “portraying
the beauty of Verlorenvlei”. Piketberg a scenic small
town is home to a very big art community of which
some is well known national and international. During
this period various accommodating and supporting
galleries will sell a work donated by an artist for this
cause. These works will be on show along with an
informative write-up about Verlorenvlei and if so wish
a petition against mining in the verlorenvlei area can
be signed.
From the 30 th till 31 October the streets of Piketberg
will come to life with various artists opening their
studios to the public. Artists from elsewhere will show
at various venues in and around Piketberg. Maps will
be supplied and markers around town will show the
way to the various open studios.
We would sincerely appreciate your assistance.
For more information contact AntheA Delmotte at:
0732817273 or anthea@lantic.net
For more information about the open studios contact
Clare Menck at 0832250059 or
claremenck@patat.co.za
Verlorenvlei - About the site
“Verlorenvlei is one of the most important estuarine
systems in the Western Cape and one of the largest
natural wetlands along the west coast of South Africa.
It is also one of the few coastal fresh water lakes in
The system
PM comprises a coastal lake
and reedswamp connected to the sea by a small
estuary. Situated amid dramatic topography, the lake
is approximately 13.5 km long and 1.4 km wide and
occurs in the zone of transition between the karroid
and fynbos vegetation types. This results in the
region displaying a high species diversity typical of an
ecotone area. Rare plants that have been recorded
from this area include Ferraria foliosa, F. densepunc-
tulata, Cerycium venoum (presumed extinct) and
Cullumia floccosa.
The wetland is regarded as one of the ten most
important wetlands for wading birds in the south-
western Cape, being a particularly important feeding
area for the white pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
and supporting a number of threatened bird species.
It supports over one thousand waders of more than
eleven different species, mainly migrants from the
northern hemisphere and provides further feeding,
nesting and resting facilities to over 75 other species.
The lake is a type locality for several species, includ-
ing the whitebacked duck Thalassomis leuconotus.
The only indigenous freshwater fish species occurring
in the lake are the Cape galaxia Galaxias zebratus
and the rare Barus burgi. Certain rare and threat-
ened mammals such as Cape clawless otter Anonyx
capensis have been recorded in the area.”
The third Bongani Minerals Prospecting
Application – where we stand
The Verlorenvlei Coalition has been dedicated in
their resistance to the third prospecting application in
the Verlorenvlei catchment area, made by Bongani
Minerals earlier this year. Thank you to everyone who
submitted their objection to the application and who
commented on our website.
The Department of Mineral Resources apparently
received hundreds of formal objections. There was
a long waiting period when the relevant commenting
authorities reviewed our objections, culminating in
a Regional Mining Development and Environmental
Committee meeting (RMDEC), which was finally held
on 28 July 2010. We are still awaiting the outcome of
this meeting. Based on the application, the objections
and the presentations made at this meeting, the
Western Cape Regional Manager of the Department
of Mineral Resources (DMR) will make his recom-
mendation to the national office of the DMR, who are
still in a position to overrule such recommendation.
Despite our repeated request to present our objec-
tions at the RMDEC meeting, the RMDEC secretariat
elected not to allow either the applicant (BonganiMin-
erals) or the objector(s), which include the Verlorenv-
lei Coalition, to present their submissions.

Peter Machen
Art Cowboy
So I took some time off from my daily irresponsibili-
ties and headed to Europe for a few weeks. The
trip was catalysed by the image – purloined from
the song Tonight in Bilbao by Sun Kil Moon – of
drinking in a late-night bar in the Spanish city with
Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in the distance, and ac-
celerated by photographs of the new Maxxi Museum
of 21st Century Art in Rome which I had decided I
wanted to see with my own eyes and feet. With the
added incentive of joining a friend on her way to
Zurich, I evaporated my rands into Euros and soon
found myself thousands of kilometres away from the
teeny-weeny galleries of Durban, approaching Italy’s
brand new cathedral to contemporary art, filled with
excitement.
Designed by renegade architect Zaha Hadid, the
Maxxi, which took ten years to complete, is currently
more famous as a building than as a museum.
Based on an series of abstract paintings by Hadid, it
offers a spectacular collection of spiralling concrete
curvatures intersecting with more familiar modern-
ist shapes and an existing neoclassical structure.
When the building was opened to the public in
November last year as an empty space, discussions
centred around whether the art would manage to
compete with the building. But when it opened
properly in February, replete with a smorgasbord of
international contemporary work, no-one seemed
willing to provide an answer to that question.
Perhaps because the truth is so self-evident. In
the battle between building and art, architects and
curators, no-one wins at the Maxxi, at least not in its
current messily curated incarnation
Like so many celebrities, the Maxxi is much more
attractive in photographs. Which is not to say that
it’s not interesting or worth a visit. It’s the kind of
building that is difficult to write off even if you really
don’t like it, precisely because of its structural and
aesthetic ambitions. And from the right angles, it
possesses a powerful beauty. But as a museum
space, in its current curatorial form, it fails almost
completely.
The Maxxi markets itself as a non-linear space
that is difficult to negotiate, a space in which walls,
floors and ceilings are indistinct from each other,
and in which the traditional relationship between the
art object and the gallery has shifted. All of which
SA Art Times | October 2010 09
piqued my interest enough to make a pilgrimage.
But post-visit, this manifesto seems so much like an
artist’s statement written retrospectively to cover the
flaws in the work. And the relationship between the
Cecil Higgs
gallery, the art and the viewer is not so much shifted
as broken.
Only in the two temporary exhibition spaces, which
resemble standard gallerial white cubes, was there
any adherence to the conventions of curation. And
it bears mentioning that these conventions exist for
very good reason; apart from anything else, they
allow us to occupy a consensual reality across cul-
tures and language. The result is that the two bodies
of work – by the Italian Gino De Dominicis and the
Turkish Kutlug Ataman – were made memorable.
I can still clearly recall most of the works and their
contexts with little effort, unlike my memories of the
rest of the museum.
Thinking about it , the gallery’s rejection of non-
linearity is hardly revolutionary. Most large museums
and galleries allow the free-flow of movement
through their spaces. It’s just that in the Maxxi the
visitors all seem tired, lost and overwhelmed, as
one exhibition segues into another with very little
visible indication that something has ended and
something else has begun. Most frustratingly, it was Conrad Theys
www.absolutart.co.za
often impossible to determine which exhibition label
related to which exhibit. (And this wasn’t just my
experience, I saw everybody doing it, traipsing back
and forth, trying to piece it all together, like a giant
game of Cluedo).
In Rome, I noticed two constants. One is that the
order of events seems both central and sacred to
Italian culture; the other is the premium placed on
design in terms of functionality and finishings. Set
against these cultural premises, the Maxxi reminded
me of art terrorist Jubal Brown, who in the late
90s went around vomiting coloured ink on famous
artworks. Except the situation is reversed and the
gallery seems to be vomiting art on to its viewers.
Tinus De Jongh
Normally I come away from large scale exhibition
Shop 43 Willowbridge
spaces feeling exhilarated. With the Maxxi, I felt
exhausted, overwhelmed and a little frustrated. I Lifestyle Centre,
never felt any sense of curatorial narrative, precisely Carl Cronje Drive,
because there didn’t seem to be one. Which doesn’t Tyger Valley,
mean that the museum isn’t themed according to
concepts and categories, it just that the theming Bellville, Cape Town
seemed arbitrary, was almost invisible and entirely Gallery : 021 914 2846
unmemorable. Gerrit Jr : 072 699 5918
So I made it to Rome but I never got to Bilboa,
Email :
spending a week instead with some dear friends in info@absolutart.co.za
London and drinking and sleeping a lot. But the Bil-
boa bar and the late-night drink remain in my head,
along with Gehry’s Guggenheim. And if I never visit
it, it will never disappoint me.
The secret is out: just what do famous artists really talk about amoungst each other
It’s a myth that when famous artists meet they chat about art, it’s Latin American Dancing, Chillies, Tortillas and Growing your own Veggies is what
you need to know in order to be taken really seriously. Mark Attwood reports back to us about his successful trip to The Tamarind Institute
Mark Attwood with hand on press, the bold guy with
the beard on Mark’s left is Jim Dine
Fabulous at Fifty
The Tamarind Institute (the worlds premier school
of Lithography) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary
in September with the opening of its purpose built
and stunningly designed new building. Part of the
University of New Mexico (USA) the programme
Bettie Cilliers-Barnard dies at 95
Flight towards Unity
Published in Die Beeld
Johan Myburg
Artist Bettie Cilliers-Barnard died early on Wednesday
morning in her home in Menlo Park, Pretoria. She
was 95.Cilliers-Barnard had recently become frail and
was confined to her bed. Her son, Wimcar Cilliers,
the loop
art foundry
t 27(0)13 7582409 f 27(0)11 5075747
theloop@worldonline.co.za
www.theloopartfoundry.co.za & www.thelooponline.co.za
striving in our passion towards excellence
was started by June Wayne in Los Angeles and
moved to New Mexico in 1970. Tamarind is both a
educational facility as well as a professional print
studio, having published prints over the years with
many of the worlds leading artists including Joseph
Albers, Judy Chicago, Elaine de Kooning, Leon
Golub, David Hockney, and Kiki Smith.
Mark Attwood from The Artists’ Press in Mpuma-
langa was invited to take part in a four-person panel
discussion with other Tamarind master
printers from Mexico, Germany and Finland. One
of the primary aims of Tamarind has been to revive
lithography as a print medium and to expand the
medium across the globe, both of which it has done
with aplomb. In the audience were luminaries of the
American art world including artists Jim Dine and
Ed Ruscha and the curator of Special Projects at
the National Gallery in Washington DC, Ruth Fine.
Mark Attwood facilitated the only demonstration
held at the festivities, which was his monoprint
transfer technique. A chance for South Africa to offer
said although he had expected his mother’s death, it
was still a big blow.
“We are grateful for her rich life and for the time she
always spent with other people.”
Her daughter, actress Jana Cilliers, said she had
secretly thought that her mother “would never die, but
would just become smaller on the horizon”.
“I will remember her for always putting beauty and
harmony above anything else. That remains a strong
memory,” she said.
“What she passed on to me – in fact, it was what I
had always experienced of her – was her sense of
things.”
Her work
Cilliers-Barnard had been honoured several times for
her contribution to South African painting. Last year,
she was the festival artist at the Innibos Festival in
Nelspruit and earlier this year, a retrospective exhibi-
tion was held at the University of Pretoria where she
studied. She was too weak to attend the exhibition in
something new and exciting to the international print
world.
After the serious stuff of panel discussions, awards
and talks the rest of the programme focused on
dancing (the director of Tamarind Marge Devon, is
a keen Latin American dancer), a barbeque and op-
portunities to indulge in New Mexican cuisine (lots
of chillies, tortilla and salsa). The talk among the
artists and printers focussed not on ink and paper
but on vegetable gardening. Jim Dine is a fanatical
gardener and favours tomatoes (on trips around the
globe, whenever he eats a particularly good tomato,
he saves some of the seeds by squirting them onto
a paper napkin to dry and then takes them home to
plant). Bill Lagatutta (The Institute’s master printer
and professional workshop manager) impressed
all with his Jerusalem artichokes and a water wise
irrigation system (a porous hose that
slowly oozes water).
On his return Mark Attwood’s commitment to the
press and his veggie garden has been confirmed,
satisfied that he is part of an international trend.
Nelspruit.
Cilliers-Barnard started painting in the late 1930s and
over the years kept experimenting with colour, lines,
abstraction and figurative abstractions.
In the 1970s, birds unexpectedly started appearing
in her work – which could be described as part of her
earthly symbolism. She referred to this work as her
“flights of the spirit”. In 2004, she exhibited new work
for the last time at Colour as Language, an exhibition
which also included older work (1937 to 1961) from
her family’s private collection.
The small woman with the great art work still spoke
on her 90th birthday about how she would paint on a
big canvass by standing with each leg on a separate
bench. She worked especially at night – “because the
night doesn’t have shadows”, she maintained.
Stephan Welz, art expert and executive director of
Strauss & Co, believes Cilliers-Barnard’s work doesn’t
fetch very high prices currently “because she is part
of the forgotten generation who experienced the
worst of the cultural isolation during apartheid.”“She
didn’t enjoy the support in her prime.”
the loop art foundry
new sculptor
competition
R15000 casting grant up for
grabs. Entries open 1 Oct 2010
and close 28 Feb 2011.
All the details @
www.theloopartfoundry.co.za
 But, overall, one cannot say that art patronage on Profile of Arts Patron: SA born Abe Bailey
a grand scale is a magnanimous tradition in South
Africa. (Those who have worked with sponsors on
art projects will testify how commercial brands tap
every last drop of exposure. Real benefaction usu-
ally only requests acknowledgement.)

Tax-breaks are ways in which modern capital-

ist society contrives and manipulates the rich to
spent their money for the public good. Yet, in both
Melvyn Minnaar’s apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, the
government has steadfastly refused to engage with
The Artful Viewer this. (The democratic government did create some
bureaucratic space for supporting the arts, but we all
know what a mess that is.)
Absent Art Patrons
Nevertheless, whether a question of personal vanity
The ultra-rich Sainsbury UK grocer brothers recently
or simple passion, or their real moral commitment,
gave the British Museum 25 million pounds for a
generous, rich benefactors and supporters create
new gallery. Meanwhile, Charles Saatchi is trying to
public spaces for ordinary citizens to encounter the
hand over his London gallery and some of his col- Art Patron as a young man: Sir Abraham (Abe)
arts and curators to sharpen their skills.
lection, also estimated at 25 million pounds, to the Bailey was born in Cradock in the Cape 1864.
British people. (To the UK government, actually, but
Over the years, there has, from time to time, been In his lifetime, Abe Bailey, a South African born
they don’t seem to know how to deal with it).
talk of Cape Town’s need for a professional space Randlord made some important public benefactions. In
for contemporary art. Visitors often find it surprising 1936, he donated 10 000 pounds to foster the devel-
In the USA a number of mega wealthy art collec-
that a highly-charged cultural city like ours doesn’t opment of aviation in South Africa. On a larger scale, in
tors are taking their contemporary art public, even
have a modern museum. 1925 he presented the Fairbridge Collection of some
building grand museums to house and show-off their
‘cultural investment’. These parvenu patrons follow 15 000 volumes of Africana to the South African Library
With the ghost of Bailey and his founding patron- and provided a special wing in which to house it, and
a long American tradition that lists hallowed names
age still lingering after all the decades, the Iziko in the early twenties gave 100 000 pounds to the Royal
such as Mellon, Getty and Frick.
SA National Gallery has made various efforts over Institute of International Affairs in London to secure
years to find another big patron. One to finance an its future. In 1923, it moved into Chatham House and
Public art benefaction on this scale, the cynic will
extension, or help towards a brand-new building five years later Bailey promised the institute another
say, is usually tainted by hubris. (Certainly this could
for contemporary art. It has never happened. And 5000 pounds per annum (then half its total running
be argued in the case of ex-adman Saatchi, who
so the SANG has had to take up the role of being costs) in perpetuity. Meanwhile, in his will he provided
single-handedly conceived contemporary art as
current showcase, in additional to its other duties. for the creation in South Africa of the Abe Bailey Trust,
currency and status for the new rich.) (It was smartly
This has not always been greatly successful, its (see image of winners below) the aim of which was to
picked up here in South Africa by Brett Kebble when
mandate remaining murky, and sometimes stymied finance initiatives by which British and Afrikaans South
his image needed polishing.)
by political correctness. Africans might “work together wholeheartedly in devo-
Yet, as the long history of western art shows,
Is it an incurable condition of Slaapstad that no tion to the interests of their [sic] common country.” He
patronage of public access to art, facilitated by rich
voices sound up for a Cape Town Contemporary also bequeathed to the South African National Gallery
individuals outside of government, is an acceptable
Art Museum? Don’t artists need it? Don’t art lovers his large art collection.
and even necessary cultural construct. Patronage
and visitors want it? Is it inconceivable that a patron
on this scale, of this nature, may have a dark side,
- his or her more-than-enough fortune safely made,
even ulterior motives, but it didactic public effect is
- will stand up and say: come let’s support the arts in
unquestioned.
a dynamic way. And build a gallery.
The question is why this is not so in South Africa.
The felling of the landmark Athlone towers has, of
course, exposed the most obvious place for this
Yes, there has been benefactors who, and private
space. If the Tate Modern can be the most-visited
institutions that spent money on important visual art
art space in the world, shouldn’t we try with our own
causes. The Ruperts have done great work. (The
empty powerhouse along the N2?
magnificent Pierneef station panels to be seen at
the Rupert museum in Stellenbosch right now repre-
If only there was a real art patron out there. The patronage of Abe Bailey is still active today
sent a generous and important private intervention.)
with the sponsorship of numerous art and social
And someone like Dick Einthoven, though Spier, has
advancement projects
keenly gave his money towards the arts.
 Conrad Theys 70th birthday and Book launch, Stellenbosch
Conrad Theys’ 70th birthday was celebrated on 8th
September with the opening of a retrospective of this
celebrated artists’ work at the Sasol Art Museum in
Stellenbosch, held in conjunction with the Stellen-
bosch Art Gallery.
The exhibition, was opened by Prof. Russell Botman,
coincided with the launch of the richly illustrated book,
The Art of Conrad Theys – Soul of the Land, written
by Prof Alexander Duffey and compiled by Meyer
Grobbelaar. Seventy leather-bound Collector’s edition
volumes, as well as the standard edition, was pre-
sented at this occasion where books were signed by
the artist. Apart from the book launch and retrospec-
tive, an exhibition of selected works are available at
the Stellenbosch Art Gallery.
Theys was born in the town of Montagu on the 9th
of September 1940 and he describes himself as a
child of nature, recalling with fondness the days of his
youth spent wandering the veldt, studying and collect-
ing the stones found in the landscapes of the Klein
Karroo and later Namaqualand.
Trained as a teacher, his instruction in the arts
commenced in 1969 when he sought guidance from
artist Gregoire Boonzaier, under whose mentorship
he worked until 1972. In 1974 Theys embarked on
a full-time artistic career, and augmented his studies
under Edwine Simon at the Ruth Prowse School of
Art in Cape Town between 1981 and 1982. Described
as one of the last ‘Cape Impressionists’,
In 2004 the University of South Africa awarded him
with an honorary doctorate for his contribution to the
arts and this year he was awarded a Medal of Honour
for the Visual Arts by the South African Academy of
Science and Arts.

Images: (Top:) AWK Professor WJ Pienaar presents Conrad Theys with an award, (Below left) Visitor walks past Theys’s well loved klappertijes, (Below right):
Professor Alex Duffy looks on as Conrad Theys signs a book for a collector. (Below left and right) a birds eye-view of the ceremony held at The SASOL Art Museum

Purchase the richly illustrated book,

The Art of Conrad Theys – Soul of the Land

written by Professor Alexander Duffey and compiled by Meyer Grobbelaar of
The Stellenbosch Art Gallery

A limited leather-bound Collector’s edition volumes, as well as the standard edition are
available from The Stellenbosch Art Gallery Tel. 021 887 8343 www.stellenboschartgallery.co.za
 A quality selection of SA old masters and
selected contemporary art

www.artwessels.co.za

BETTIE CILLIERS-BARNARD (1914 - 2010)

“GEÏNTEGREERDE GEHEEL”
2004
150 X 150 CM
OLIE OP DOEK

Tel (+27) 12 346-0728 / Fax (+27) 12 346-0729

alette@artwessels.co.za gerrie@artwessels.co.za
Visit the Alette Wessels Kunskamer at the Maroelana Centre
27 Maroelana Street, Maroelana, Pretoria
OPEN: Mon to Fri 09h00 - 16h00
Saturday 09h00 - 13h00
Alette 082 652 6663 Gerrie 084 589 0711
 Port Elizabeth artist wins the 2010 Sasol New Signatures, Pretoria Association of Arts
Sasol, together with the Association of Arts Pretoria,
has announced “Royal Visit” as the R60 000 first
prize winner of this year’s Sasol New Signatures Art
Competition.
Laue’s winning sculpture was selected from 664
entries and was created using an old rowing boat
along with ceramic pieces of a lavatory. The work
was praised for being innovative, conceptual and
flawlessly executed, with a high regard for detail and
finish. “I was extremely surprised to have won. I
was not expecting it at all. I am happy to represent
Port Elizabeth (P.E) and am ecstatic that four of the
top five winners are from P.E. My future plans are
simply to make art,” said Laue, whose advice to other
aspiring artists is to not conform to other peoples
standards. The Sasol New Signatures runner-up prize
of R15 000 was awarded to Pretoria based Daandrey
Steyn and his video installation entitled, “Skeumorph.”
Merit awards, to the value of R5000 each, went to
Gerrit van der Walt’s digital installation, “Change,”
Zane Wesley Lange’s sculpture, ‘Joystick’ and Ger-
hardt Coetzee’s photographs. “Bridge Becoming” and
‘Becoming Dereliction’’. Lorinda Samantha Pretorius’
glass and oxide installation, “Truth Obstructed”, as
well as Nastassja Hewitt’s installation, “Let Them Eat
Cake”, also received merit awards.
“There has been a very high standard of work again
this year and the technical competence of the 2010
entries far surpass the benchmark set and expected
by the national selection panels,” he said.
Images: Left: Royal Visit by Laue, Top: Gerhardt
Coetzee- Becoming Dereliction, Below: Gerrit van
der Walt’s Change, Below: Let them eat cake by
Nastassja Hewitt, below Truth Ostructed by Lorinda
Samantha Pretorius, Joystick by Zane Wesley Lange.

The largest selection of paintings, sculpture and glass

by renowned South African artists.
GALLERY HOURS: Weekdays: 09:00 – 18:00, Saturdays: 09:00 – 14:00
ADDRESS: 31 Kommandeur Rd, Welgemoed, Bellville
ENQUIRIES: T. +27 21 913 7204/5 · F. +27 21 913 7206
Email: lindy@artpro.co.za · www.artpro.co.za
Visit our new branch in Tygervalley Shopping Centre,
Robert Slingsby opening 1 November 2010 Jan Vermeiren
 Vuleka Art Exhibition, Artb Gallery, Cape Town
This year, the prestigious national competition drew
over 240 entries from across South Africa of which
43 works were chosen and exhibited art Artb Gallery,
Bellville.
A wooden and plastic sculptural installation with
sound technology, titled I Long for You, by Haidee
Nel was judged as the best overall art work and has
landed her the R20 000.00 Conrad Theys Prize. Nel
has a Fine Art Honours degree from the University of
Cape Town and is currently an artist and a sculpture.
The prize winner of the Cellar Gallery best oil painting
award (R5000.00) was awarded to Dr Andries Gouws
for his three oil paintings of everyday objects and in-
teriors titled Grahamstown Residence Room, Painting
Cloth and Room with Mirror and Curtains.
Alessandro Pappada’s Mechanical Head, a ceramic
sculpture won the Cellar Gallery Prize for the best
three-dimensional work (R5000.00), while photogra-
pher and lecturer Tiaan van Deventer’s work Fallen
was awarded the Cellar Gallery Prize for the best
work in another medium (R5000.00).
This year there were also merit awards of R2000.00
each. The Cold Press Media merit award was
awarded to Mari Claase for her fibre work piece titled
Global Message. The Vernon John Design merit
award was awarded to Janna Prinsloo for her oil
painting titled Relocated.
Nikita Campbell, the gallery co-ordinator at Art.b is
pleased at the number of entries received and the
high standard of current works on show, indicating
that the Vuleka Art Competition has become nation-
ally recognised as a respected platform for both
emerging and established artists.
The Vuleka Art Competition is currently ranked third in
stature and prestige in national competitions, after the
Sasol New Signitures and the Absa L’Atelier.
See Artb’s website at www.artb.co.za or www.art-
times.co.za for more information.
Images Top to Bottom: (Top left) Relocated by Janna
Prinsloo, I long for you by Haidee Nel, Grahamstown
Residence Room by Andries Gouws, (Below) Wave
by Alessandro Pappada, Global Message by Mari
Claase and Fallen by Tiaan van Deventer.

ALASTAIR WHITTON PATMOS AND THE WAR AT SEA 29 SEPT – 6 NOV 2010

i A R T G A L L E R Y W E M B L E Y : A P R O J E C T R O O M F O R C O N T E M P O R A R Y A R T / + 2 7 ( 0 ) 2 1 4 2 4 5 1 5 0 / I N F O @ I A R T. C O. ZA / W W W. I A R T. C O. ZA
 MTN New Contemporaries Art Award 2010 at The KZNSA Gallery, Durban

Top: Winners work by Kemang Wa Lehulere : Remembering the Future of a Hole as a Verb (Below left) Curator, Nontobeko and winner Kemang Wa Lehulere, Guest
curator Nontobeko Ntombela. Winner- Kemang Wa Lehulere , Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile , Donna Kukama ( Runner up), Mohau Modisakeng
(Runner up), MTN SA Foundation Head, Eunice Maluleke and Stuart Bird (runner up).

At a prestigious event held Wednesday 15 September
at the KZNSA Gallery, Kemang Wa Lehulere was the
overall winner. Staged every two years since 2001,
and for the first time in Durban, this much celebrated
art competition identifies four emerging South African
artists as the new stars of the South African art world,
and elects a winner among them.
Wa Lehulere’s award of seventy thousand rands was
presented by the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture,
Paul Mashatile. The three runners-up received five
thousand rands each, state-of-the-art cell phones and
art-book hampers, inter alia.
The finalists were Donna Kukama; Kemang Wa
Luhelere; Mohau Modisakeng and Stuart Bird, but
although these are impressive contenders there could
only be one winner.
Says Nontobeko Ntombela, the 2010 MTN New
Contemporaries Award guest curator: “This year’s final-
ists were an exciting line-up. Their work consisted of
diverse [practices] that mix traditional and new media
within a contemporary context, and that might variously
be described as critical, socially-engaged or ironic”.
16 SA Art Times | October 2010
One of the MTN Foundation’s most renowned projects,
the MTN New Contemporaries Award is a competition
designed to promote talented, cutting-edge artists who
have not yet received critical acclaim but who are posi-
tioned to be the next leaders in the art field. It is also an
art competition that has inspired robust debate, infusing
the art-world discourse with fresh narratives.
Eunice Maluleke, Head of MTN Foundation says:
“MTN New Contemporaries Award affirms our
responsibility to encourage creative thinking outside the
business arena and allows the opportunity for young
South Africans to be heard. These awards are also
aimed at promoting young artists who have not yet had
the opportunity for appropriate exposure.”
The adjudicators for the award issued the following
statement: “Competition winners function as markers to
other practicing artists; to be validated by a jury of one’s
peers sets goals for conceptual thinking. We feel that
these young voices offer a turning point in what has,
in recent history, been the full stops and exclamation
marks of creative thinking; theoretical illustration rather
than fresh hypotheses. These artists instead tell stories
that play off one another, whole sentences with no finite
conclusions. This bodes well for their continued prac-
tice beyond this the MTN New Contemporaries Award.
As judges we unanimously arrived at the conclusion
that what was vital here was the vision shared by
the four artists – the interplay of the artists with one
another; their collective vision rather than the sum of
the parts. But the current structure of the MTN New
Contemporaries Award required us to recognize an
individual artistic achievement. Thus, we chose as win-
ner Kemang Wa Lehulere, an artist who best embodies
the overall narrative, and a creative practitioner who
is most open to the idea of collective sharing and
developing. This we wanted to foreground as the
most laudable achievement: not the artist as individual
genius but as catalyst for larger creative change.”
The announcement of the award was met with
sustained applause from an unusually large gallery
audience. Whether winner or finalist, all four of these
rising stars of the art world are set to enjoy a career
trajectory, as the achievements of previous recipients,
such as Michael McGarry, Mlungisi Zonde, and Nan-
dipha Mntando, have shown.
(Above) Mohau Modisaken piece at the opening, Middle: Stuart Bird’s performance, Below: Donna Kukama’s in front of her piece, Donna Kukama’s Work

SA Art Times | October 2010 17


Free State
Bloemfontein
Oliewenhuis Art Museum
16 September-31 October, “Twenty Years”
by Claire Menck (In the Main Building)
16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein
T.051 447 9609
Clarens
Johan Smith Art Gallery
25 September-04 October, Johan Smith presents his
16th Annual Exhibition in oil depicting typical Eastern
Free State Landscapes. Preview Friday 24 Septem-
ber 3pm-7pm. Official opening (by Pierre van Pletzen
[Oubaas from 7de Laan]) at 11am on Saturday 25
September. Preview again from 09am- 10:45am.
Windmill Centre Main Street Clarens
T. 058 256 1620 www.johansmith.co.za
Blou Donki Art Gallery
Contemporary Art, Steel Sculptures,
Functional Art, Photography and Ceramics.
Windmill Centre Main Street Clarens
T. 058 256 1757 www.bloudonki.co.za
Gauteng
Johannesburg
ABSA Art Gallery
06-29 October, “Hartland” an exhibition of prints and
artist’s books by Stephan Erasmus. Opening Speaker
David Paton on Wednesday 6 October @ 6pm.
Absa Towers North, 161 Main Street, Johannesburg.
T. 011 350 5139 info@stephanerasmus.com
Afronova Gallery
17 September-16 October, Afronova invites you
to the Launch of its new Gallery space with a solo
photographic exhibition by Musa Nxumalo.
155 Smit Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
C. 083 726 5906 afronova@tiscali.co.za
www.afronova.com
Alliance Française of Johannesburg
19-23 October, Photographic exhibition by
Hugh Mdlalose.
10-15 November, “Memory stains” by
Cathy Abraham. Paintings and drawings.
17, Lower park Drive, Corner Kerry Road, Parkview
T. 011 646 1169 johannesburg@alliance.org.za
www.alliance.org.za
Artist Proof Studio
28 August-09 October, “Layer upon Layer” prints by
Bronwen Findlay. In collaboration with Tim’s Print
studio and Artists Proof Studio.
Opening Saturday 28 August @ 12am.
The Bus Factory, 3 President Street, West Entrance,
Newtown Cultural Precinct, Newtown.
T. 011 492 1278 artistp@mweb.co.za
www.artistproofstudio.org.za
Artspace –Jhb
04 September-23 October, Mentorship Programme
Exhibitions
Three different exhibitions of the participants of the
18 SA Art Times | October 2010
Artspace Mentorship Programme.
27 October-17 November, Solo Exhibition of prints by
Judy Woodborne. 1 Chester Court, 142 Jan Smuts
Ave., Parkwood, Johannesburg T. 011 880 8802
www.artspace-jhb.co.za
Artspace Warehouse
Until 02 October, “Unnatural Selection” butterfly prints
by Henning Ludeke.
10 October-06 November, “Skins” a group exhibition.
3 Hetty Ave, Fairlands, Jhb. T. 011 880 8802
artspace@wol.co.za www.artspace-jhb.co.za
Bailey Seippel Gallery
22 August-22 October, “A Life Behind the Lens”
by Ranjith Kally. A Durban Perspective on
South Africa 1946-1982.
Until 03 October, “Mbongeni Buthelezi Abstracts”
by Mbongeni Buthelezi.
Arts on Main, 260 Cnr Fox and Berea,
CBD Johannesburg. T. 071 227 0910
baileyseippel@gmail.com www.baileyseippel.co.za
Brodie/Stevenson
4 November-10 December, New works by
Wim Botha. Opening on 04 November from 6:30 to
9:00 pm. Botha will be presenting new sculptural
works, drawings and a site specific installation. Bro-
die/Stevenson is pleased to announce the opening of
its new gallery space at 62 Juta Street, Braamfontein,
Johannesburg. T. 011 326 0034,
www.brodiestevenson.com
CIRCA on Jellicoe
09 September - 03 October, Mixed media New Works
by Gavin Younge.
07-28 October, “The Mystery of the Elements”
featuring works by the Spanish artist Enric Pladevall.
4 November - 16 Dec, Mixed media, bronze sculpture
by Deborah Bell.
2 Jellicoe Ave. T. 011 788 4805
www. circaonjellicoe.co.za
Cool Art Space
Until 05 October, “Let there be Light” by
Pamela Prenidni.
17 6th Street, Parkhurst. T. 011 422 6469
CO-OP
Until 09 October, “Insideout” by Joe Paine. “Insideout”
is a furniture and product exhibition that crosses the
threshold between what goes in and what goes out.
68 Juta Street, Braamfontein T. 011 023 0336
info@co-opjoburg.com www.co-opjoburg.com
David Krut Projects
During October, A Group monotype exhibition.
140 Jan Smuts Ave., Parkwood, Johannesburg
T. 011 447 0627 www.davidkrutpublishing.com
Everard Read Gallery Jhb
09 September-03 October, “Stage” pastel on paper by
Haneke Benade, “An Accumulation of Change”
oil paintings by Rina Strutzer.
07-31 October, Works by Leon Vermeulen.
04-25 November, Oil on canvas by Paul Augustinus.
6 Jellicoe Ave., Rosebank, Johannesburg
T. 011 788 4805 www.everard-read.co.za
Gallery 2
11 September-02 October, “Position in Space”
by Karin Daymond.
140 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood. T. 011 447 0155/98
gots@mweb.co.za www.gallery2.co.za
Gallery AOP
11 September-02 October, “...And to that Sea Return”
by Richard Penn
09-30 October, “Draw links” contemporary drawing
44 Stanley Ave., Braamfontein Werf (Milpark),
T. 011 726 2234 www.artonpaper.co.za
Gallery MOMO
30 September-25 October, “African Metropolitan
Architecture” a photographic journey by David Adjaye
21 October-08 November, OKHA Design.
52 7th Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg
T. 011 327 3247 www.gallerymomo.com
Gertrude Posel Gallery
This gallery has a permanent exhibition of traditional
southern, central and West African art.
Address: University of the Witwatersrand, Senate
House, Jorissen Street, Braamfontein
Tel: 011 717 1365 julia.charlton@wits.ac.za
GoetheonMain
Until 09 October, “Feedingspace” by
Hannah Le Roux.
GoetheonMain, 245 Main Street, City & Suburban,
Johannesburg T. 011 4423232
Goodman Gallery
26 August-20 October, “Kind of Blue” by
Sam Nhlengethwa
Until 16 October, A Perfect Kind of Love by
Joël Andrianomearisoa. (Project Space)
163 Jan Smuts Ave., Parkwood, Johannesburg
T. 011 788 1113 www.goodman-gallery.com
Graham Fine Art Gallery
07-30 October, “The Transient Landscape. Through
Small Spaces and In-Between Places.” By Scats
Esterhuyse. From the new collection of landscape
paintings by Scats Esterhuyse, Graham’s Fine Art
Gallery will be auctioning one painting: ‘Backs to the
Wind: Muizenberg’ on the exhibitions opening night,
the proceeds of which will be donated to the Kidney
Beanz Trust, a foundation that provides support to
children with severe kidney disease.
Shop 31, Broadacres Lifestyle centre, Cnr. Valley &
Cedar Rd’s Fourways, Johannesburg.
T.011 465 9192 www.grahamsgallery.co.za
16 Halifax
Works by Michael Heyns can now also be viewed by
appointment in Johannesburg at 16 Halifax Street
Bryanston.
Dana MacFarlane 082 784 6695
dana@michaelheyns.co.za
Henry Taylor Gallery
The Henry Taylor Gallery specializes in South African
Investment art; hence, it is not uncommon to find Old
Master paintings by Errol Boyley and J.H. Pienreff,
hanging alongside up and coming artists such as
Claire Denaire or Gian. P. Garizio.
29 October, Celebrity Art Auction & Cheese and
Wine. On Friday 29 October @ 7:00pm - 11:00pm. To
reserve tickets for this event visit www.allheart.co.za
or call Natalie on 082 7992079.Shop No G 7.2 Cnr.
Cedar Rd. and Witkoppen Rd. Fourways
T. 011 70-53194
htaylor@mweb.co.za
www.henrytaylor gallery.co.za
 Niklas Zimmer combines modern and kitsch in his
interpretation of Tretchikoff’s ‘Birth of Venus’ on DIASEC

‘Tretchikoff + Me’ exhibition held at Salon91 photographer: Niklas Zimmer

printed by The Prophotolab at Orms: Photographic prints on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, mounted by Framed by ORMS: DIASEC process

Salon91 on Kloof Street, Cape Town recently played host to the

‘Tretchikoff & Me’ exhibition. This exciting exhibition featured
vintage Tretchikoff prints, juxtaposed against the contemporary
responses of local South African artists. One artist that stood
out was Niklas Zimmer – a German-South African artist,
photographer and musician. This was not only due to his unique
interpretation of the subject matter, but also the technique he
used to frame and mount his exhibition.
Zimmer approached Framed by ORMS to mount his prints
through a process called DIASEC. DIASEC is a patented method
of face-mounting the image side of a photographic print to A side view of a DIASEC print.
transparent perspex (acrylic glass), while the back of the print
is mounted on aluminium. In other words the print is sandwiched
between perspex and aluminium resulting in a perfectly flat, high DIASEC has on the colour, contrast and sharpness of my work is
gloss finish that doesn’t require a traditional frame thanks to a startling. Because I make very tight compositions, I am delighted
hanging mechanism attached directly to the aluminium backing to be able to have the images float freely on the wall without any
that hangs the artwork 3cm from the wall. Framed by ORMS borders or frames. All in all, the DIASEC process really ‘made’ my
is the sole agent of DIASEC in the Southern Hemisphere, with photos on this show.”
South Africa one of only eight countries in the world licensed to
perform this exclusive face-mounting procedure. Images for DIASEC can either be sent in digital format to the
Prophotolab at ORMS for printing, or directly to Framed by ORMS
Niklas explains further, “For a long time I have been waiting for an in print form. The finished product will be delivered anywhere
opportunity to see my photographs presented in DIASEC. When in South Africa. ORMS also specialises in large format digital
the process became available here [South Africa] I was excited to printing, as well as archival photographic hand prints for gallery
give it a try. My expectations were certainly exceeded. The effect exhibitions.

Shop 4, Roeland Square, Canterbury Street, Cape Town

South Africa
T +27 21 465 1221 F +27 21 465 2928
info@framedbyorms.co.za
 Experience the abundance of
South African artistic talent
by prominent South African Artists.

EBEN VAN DER MERWE

Stillife oil on board 53 cm x 71 cm

www.artandwine.co.za
anton@artandwine.co.za

Tel/fax: 058 256 1298

Cell: 082 341 8161
279 Main Road, Clarens

UNISA Kim Berman

Permanent Collection new lithographs

Manfred Zylla ‘At the pool1’, mixed media 2007

Stripped, Lowveld Plantation I, hand-printed lithograph, 57 x 76 cm. Edition 30.

UNISA Art Gallery

Theo Van Wijk Building
B5-02, Goldfields Entrance, Main Campus
Tel: 012 429 6823 / ukun1@unisa.ac.za
The Artists’ Press
Box 1236, White River, 1240 • Tel 013 751 3225
mark@artistspress.co.za • www.artprintsa.com

Art Times Kim Sept 2010.indd 1 17/9/10 10:05:53

Captions: Train station : Which black train to take is matter of guesswork. They have no destination signs and no announcement of arrivals is made. Head car may be numbered to show
its route, but number is often wrong. In confusion, passengers sometimes jump across track, and some are killed by express trains. Mine recruition: During group medical examination the
nude men are herded through a string of doctors’ offices. School class : Cole’s caption unknown. (According to Struan Robertson and others, this photograph reflects the eagerness of black
children to learn, in spite of the terrible handicaps under which they laboured, a subject to which Cole devoted much attention.) Child and nanny: Servants are not forbidden to love. Woman
holding child said, “I love this child, though she’ll grow up to treat me just like her mother does. Now she is innocent.” Riverside : Cole’s caption unknown.(This is almost certainly from a
shebeen in Pretoria’s Riverside, just outside Eersterust from which pictures of the same people were published in Drum, May 1962.

Ernest Cole : A photographic exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery

Ernest Cole believed passionately in his mission to
use photographs to tell the world what it was like,
and what it meant, to be black under Apartheid.
These photographs, of unsurpassed strength and
gravitas, reflect Cole’s intimate identification with his
own people. With courage and compassion, his lens
penetrated the depth and extent of the insanity of
Apartheid and how its racist laws oppressed the lives
of black people. House of Bondage, a collection of
Cole’s photographs was banned in South Africa soon
after it was published in 1967. This major critique of
apartheid has hardly been seen in this country.
Cole went into exile in order to publish House of
Bondage. He never returned to South Africa and died
in New York in 1990 after more than 23 years away
from the country of his birth. He left no known nega-
tives and few prints of his monumental life’s work.
During the years 1969 – 1975 he lived in Stockholm,
Sweden. Here, Cole was cared for by a photographer
who received a collection of prints from him. This set
of extremely rare prints, most of them made by Cole
himself, were subsequently donated to the Hassel-
blad Foundation.
Never exhibited internationally before, this set of
prints can now be seen in this major exhibition. Many
are uncropped and, individually presented, they re-
veal the complex interaction of the strength, subtlety
and elegance of Cole’s photographic ‘seeing’.
In honour of Ernest Cole and his family, the Has-
selblad Foundation has chosen the Johannesburg
Art Gallery, South Africa as the opening venue for this
unique world tour. Other venues will include the South
African National Gallery, Cape Town; Red Location
Museum, Port Elizabeth; Durban Art Gallery and the
library at Mamelodi Campus, University of Pretoria.
The exhibition will be opened by the Ambassador of
Sweden, Mr. Peter Teljer at the Johannesburg Art
Gallery on Sunday 19 September at 4 pm.

One Hundred Years of Collecting Art: The Johannesburg Art Gallery

This publication serves as a summary of 100 years of collection history and focus on the three
main areas of the collection: Historical Works, Contemporary Works and the Southern African
Collection. It includes comprehensive essays accompanied by selected artworks from the dif-
ferent collections. The book is scheduled to launch in late November 2010.
 Bob Gosani, Treason Trial, End of round One, Mandela boxing on the roof top of a newspaper building in Johannesburg, 1957, c

Johannesburg Art Gallery : SA Photography – 1950 - 2010 Apartheid – Struggle - Freedom

This summer, we put on a large photography exhibi-
tion showing the history of South Africa as well as the
country’s culture and lifestyle from the 1950s up until
now. In mostly black and white images the exhibition
gives an insight into the social, political and cultural
aspects as well as the economic situation of South Af-
rica in its development in time, as well as the modern
South Africa of today.
The exhibition is divided chronologically into three
main time periods, giving it a comprehensive over-
view of its development in history:
1950-1976 Apartheid , 1976-1994 Struggle
1994-2010 Freedom
The photographers such as Bonile Bam, Jodie Bie-
ber, Pierre Crocquet, David Goldblatt, Bob Gosani,
George Hallett, Alf Kumalo, Ranjith Kally, Peter
Magubane, Gedeon Mendel, Santu Mofokeng,
G.R. Naidoo, Cedric Nunn, Mikhael Subotzky,
Andrew Tshabangu, Paul Weinberg, Gille de Vlieg
and unknown photographers from DRUM Magazine,
give us each an individual insight into the life in
South Africa throughout these past 60 years. The
photographs from the 50s and 60s published in
DRUM magazine tell the stories of life in the period
of Apartheid, showing the naked truth of segregation,
as well as documenting life as it continued to happen
with sports events, football stars and a night life full
of jazz and dancing. Then, in the 80s and 90s the
beginning of brutal murders, the demonstrations,
the violence and brutality of living imprisonment and
the fight for freedom. Finally, in the 21st century the
photographers show a South Africa of recovery and
immense development. Always with history in mind
and the knowledge that there is still much more to
come and so many more steps to take, we see a
modern South Africa of democracy, where everyone
can vote, strong women can be, the freedom of
speech and, also, of art.
Working in close co-operation with the BAHA Archive
and South African Photographers, the exhibition
opened in Germany at the Willy-Brandt-Haus Berlin
on the 27th of May, followed by the Museum Goch,
opening on the 30th of May, and Stadthaus Ulm,
opening on the 18th of June. The exhibition will then
be shown in South Africa at the Pretoria Art Museum
and Johannesburg Art Gallery.
It is the largest photography exhibition ever to show a
broad overview of the country’s history, the culture, as
well as sport, the struggle and the daily life or survival
in the mega cities in this important time of change.
The exhibition is accompanied by a German/English
catalogue (160 pages), published by Hatje Cantz,
editor Delia Klask, Ralf Seippel, articles by Andries
Oliphant, Luli Callinicos and Wiebke Ratzeburg.

SA Art Times | October 2010 23

 Tel: 011 292 7113
E-mail: art@artafrique.co.za
Web: www.artafrique.co.za
Address: U45 – Level 4
Legacy Corner
Cnr. Fifth & Maude Street
Sandton


 offers a unique Art Tour at our new

Sandton based Gallery, and is the only 


in 

that can be done under one roof.
While enjoying an informative talk, take a tour of over
  from all over 

.


 to book an art tour. (24hrs Notice required)
October Artist:


Art Afrique is proud
to announce the
arrival of several
new pieces by Aidon
Westcott from his
recent collection.




, you will receive a

free art tour (valued @ R 100.00) as well as meet the
Moses Kottler “Meidjie”, 1926 Wood 1570 x 280 x 339 mm,
owner of Art Afrique while enjoying a glass of wine. Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery

26 SA Art Times | October 2010

Johannesburg Art Gallery
09 August-December, “Transformations: woman’s art
from the late 19th century to 2010” artists taken from
JAG’s Collection.
19 September-21 November, Photography by
Ernest Cole.
03 October-11 January 2011, “South African
Photography 1950-2010” Opening 03 October
King George Str., Joubert Park, Johannesburg
T. 011 725 3130
khwezig@joburg.org.za www.joburg.org.za
Kim Sacks Gallery
19 September-06 October, Ceramics by
Clementine van der Walt.
153 Jan Smuts Av. Parkwood. 011 447 5804
Cell: 083 377 9076
Manor Gallery
07 October-02 November, “The 84th National Open
Exhibition of the Watercolour Society of South Africa”
Top South African watercolourists participating
include: Sue Orpen, Zanne Bezuidenhoudt,
Cherelee Powell and Ingrid Kolzing. Opening
Thursday 7th October @ 6.30pm.
Norscot Manor Centre, Penguin Drive.
T. 011 465 7934 gallery@wssa.org.za
www.wssa.org.za
Market Photo Workshop
06 October-01 November, “Working the City,
Experiences of Migrant Women in Johannesburg”
a group student project in Poster form.
2 President Street, Newtown, Johannesburg.
T. 011 834 1444
info@marketphotoworkshop.co.za
www.marketphotoworkshop.co.za
Miele
30 September-30 October, “Women in Motion”
Solo Exhibition by Ilze Coetzee.
Miele, Gallery of Fine Living, 63 Peter Place,
Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Contact Christina Wiese 083 611 3508
christina@brownspice.co.za.
Museum Africa
Until 24 Dec 2010, “l’Afrique: A Tribute to Maria Stein-
Lessing and Leopold Spiegel” co-curated by
Nessa Leibhammer and Natalie Knight.
121 Bree Str., Newtown, Johannesburg
T. 011 833 5624 www.knightgalleries.net
Nirox Foundation (Arts on Main)
Until 09 October, Pre-Green by Barend de Wet. 16
October-07 November, “What do we know about
Landscape?” by French photographer Éric Bourret.
French walking photographer Eric Bourret surveyed
the Cradle of Humankind during a six-week residency
at the Nirox Foundation, Gauteng, in 2009. During
this period of introspection, he contemplated the
presence of 21st century clues on a ground of 4
million years’ worth of human activities. His meditative
experience resulted in two photographic installations.
The exhibition asks: what do we know about the
landscape surrounding us, its heritage and the marks
we leave behind us in our environment?
09 October-15 December, ‘The Mystery of the Ele-
ments’ featuring works by the Spanish artist Enric
Pladevall (Nirox Sculpture Park)
Cnr Berea and Main str, City and Suburban,
Johannesburg. comm.culture@ifas.org.za www.
SA Art Times | October 2010 27
artsonmain.co.za | www.niroxarts.com | www.ifas.org.
za/culture | www.ericbourret.com
Resolution Gallery
Until 11 January 2011, “Public Perception”
a poster show by Andy Robertson.
142 Jan Smuts Ave., Parkwood, Johannesburg
T. 011 880 4054 www.resolutiongallery.com
Right on the Rim (Arts On main)
Until 02 October, “Binary Beauty” a solo
exhibition by Robyn Field
Cnr Main Street and Berea Street, Johannesburg
Rooke Gallery
28 October-15 December, “Study of Trees”
photography by Garth Meyer.
The Newtown, 37 Quinn Street, Newtown, Jhb
C. 072 658 0762
Seippel Gallery
14 August-09 October, Recent Works by
Mbongeni Buthelezi.
From 10 October, Water paintings by Jill Trappler.
Arts on Main, Cnr of Fox and Berea, Johannesburg
T. 011 401 1421 www.seippel-gallery.com
Spaza Art Gallery
From 19 September, “Spring Exhibition”
various artists including music and poetry.
19 Wilhelmina Street, Troyville.
T. 011 614 9354 C. 082 494 3275
Standard Bank Gallery
12 October-04 December, “People,
Prints and Process-Twenty five years at Caversham”
Cnr of Simmonds & Frederick Str.’s, Johannesburg,
T. 011 631 1889 www.standardbankgallery.co.za
Pretoria
Alette Wessels Kunskamer
Exhibition of Old Masters and selected
leading contemporary artists.
Maroelana Centre, Maroelana.
GPS : S25º 46.748 EO28º 15.615
T. 012 346 0728
C. 084 589 0711
alette@artwessels.co.za
www.artwessels.co.za
Association of Arts Pretoria
19 September-20 October, “In a Nutshell on Wheels”
by Craig Muller.
173 Mackie Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria.
T. 012 346 3100 artspta@mweb.co.za
www.artsassociationpta.co.za
Brooklyn Theatre in association with Trent Gallery
28 August-15 October, “Collections” featuring Anna
Vorster, Ernest Rood, Joel Tsepho Sebothoma and
Renier Oosthuizen.
Greenlyn Village Shopping Centre,
Thomas Edison Street, Menlo Park.
Stuart @ 082 923 2551, trent.art@gmail.com,
daniel@brooklyntheatre.co.za
www.brooklyntheatre.co.za www.trent-art.co.za
Fried Contemporary
02 September-03 October, Works by Paula Louw.
06-28 October, “Passage” a group show that includes
drawings by Maria van Rooyen and Amos Letsoalo
as well as paintings by Pauline Gutter and digital
prints by Daandrey Steyn.
430 Charles St, Brooklyn, Pretoria. T. 012 346 0158
art@friedcontemporary.com
www.friedcontemporary.com
Gallery Michael Heyns
21 September-31 October, Works on canvas, board &
paper by Michael Heyns, including pieces previously
in his own collection.
351 Lynnwood Road Menlo Park Pretoria
T.012 460 3698, Cell.082 451 5584
www.michaelheyns.co.za
Kunsuniek
06 October-14 November, Experience a stimulating
variety of well-known South African artwork uniquely
exhibited in a superb dwelling atmosphere.
331 Chappies Rd, Lynnwood, Pretoria
Marie Spruyt 012 361 6927 www.kunsuniek.co.za
Platform on 18th
01-17 October, “Con Artists” Sculpture and ceramics
by Corne Joubert, Ruan Hoffman.
21 October-13 November, Group Show of paintings,
photography and mixed media by Leanie Mentz,
Liebet Marie, Marcia Moon.
18 november-04 December, Solo exhibition of
paintings and mixed media by David Smuts.
232 18th Street Rietondale, Pretoria. T. 084 7644 258
www.platformon18th.co.za
Pandora Art Gallery
03 September-17 October, “Tanti Piccoli Robot” a
group exhibition.
Opening 03 September by art critic and journalist
Johan Myburg. The exhibition, complemented by a
performance by the Rynier Prins Jazz Trio.
621 Berea Street, Muckleneuk, Pretoria.
C. 084 997 3903 pandora.art1@gmail.com
www.pan-dora.co.za
Pretoria Art Museum
15 September-29 October, “Neo-Emergence” a group
exhibition, curated by Nthabiseng Rachel Montshiwa.
Until December, A selection of ceramics, representing
the development of studio ceramics and the work of
traditional rural potters of South Africa over the past
thirty years, is on display.
North Gallery and Preiss Hall, T.012 344 1807/8 art.
museum@tshwane.gov.za
www.pretoriaartmuseum.co.za
Trent Gallery
02-14 October, Otta klar
16-28 October, Annette Pretorius Exhibition.
29 October-11 November, Group show including
Angus Taylor and Judith Mason.
Opening 29 October at 6:30pm, closing 11 November.
Curated by Marijke de Kock.
198 Long Street, Waterkloof, Pretoria.
T. 012 460 5497. Trent.art@gmail.com
www.trent-art.co.za
Mpumalanga
White River
The Loop Art Foundry & Sculpture Gallery
Casterbridge Complex Corner R40 and Numbi Roads
White River
T. 013 751 2435 www.tlafoundry.co.za
 THE LONG WAY HOME | 6 - 30 OCTOBER 2010
SOLO EXHIBITION BY MARIA VAN ROOYEN | Image: Steve Biko [Detail]. Mixed Media.

91 Kloof Street | CPT

M | +27 82 679 3906
T | +27 21 424 6930
info@salon91art.co.za
www.salon91art.co.za
CURATED BY MONIQUE DU PREEZ & ANDREW LAMPRECHT

CONSERVATION
FRAMERS & GILDERS
Est. 1997

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Tel: 021 448 9220/021 448 3466
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Observatory 7925

28 SA Art Times | October 2010

 3rd October 2010 at 4.30 p.m. Raquel and Colin are
Western Cape a husband and wife team. They work together on
The Donald Greig Bronze Foundry and Gallery
Donald Greig is a specialized wildlife sculptor and his
various photographic bodies of work that express sculptures ranging in size from life-size to paper-
Cape Town their passion for nature and the conservation thereof.
24 October-13 November, “Desert Abstractions and
weights will be on display at the gallery. The foundry
will do a bronze pour on most days and the entire
Photo Impressionism” Photographs (Giclée Prints on ‘Lost Wax Casting Process’ can be viewed by the
Artvark Gallery
Canvas) by Robert Müller. To be opened by Nicole public through special glass windows.
Until 30 November, Paintings by
Palmer (Artist Photographer, Stellenbosch)On Sun- The Nautilus Building, No.14 West Quay Road,
Lolly Hahn-Page and Tammy Griffin.
day 24th October 2010 at 4.30 p.m. V&A Waterfront, Cape Town T. 021 418 4515
During September, New work of the well-acclaimed
From 14 November, “Natures & Patterns” recent work greig@intekom.co.za www.donaldgreig.com
Zimbabwean Artist Wendy Roselli.
by Christopher Langley.
48 Main Road Kalk Bay, T. 021 788 5584
60 Church Street, Cape Town. T. 021 423 5309. Erdmann Contemporary /Photographers Gallery
Artvark now also at the Cape Quarter, on the 1st floor
web@capegallery.co.za www.capegallery.co.za 25 September-30 October, “Doppelgänger” a solo
Alliance Française of Cape Town exhibition for artist Mark Hipper. This exhibition was
Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village planned and scheduled one year ago. Hipper’s
Until 02 October, “Fleshy Wasteland” by
27-31 October, “Design Now! The décor and design sudden and tragic death on 12 August 2010 did not
Retha Ferguson.
week” The Piazza: 72 Waterkant Street, The Square: change these plans. He had already completed two
155 Loop Street, Cape Town. T. 021 423 5699
27 Somerset Road, Green Point. of the three large paintings. Hipper had titled these
capetown@alliance.org.za www.alliance.org.za
T. 021 421 1111 www.capequarter.co.za. paintings, Unfinished I, II & III. Opening Wednesday
/A Word Of Art 29 September @ 6 pm with Opening Speaker
Carmel Art Wilma Cruise.
will be closed for the next few months to work
Dealers in Fine art, exclusive distributers of Pieter 63 Shortmarket Str., Cape Town T. 021 422 2762
towards the next big group show and on the www.
van der Westhuizen etchings. galleryinfo@mweb.co.za
writeonafrica.org project
Relocation of their Claremont and Constantia www.erdmanncontemporary.co.za
66 Albert rd, Woodstock Industrial Centre.
galleries is now complete visit the new gallery at
T. 021 448 7889 rickylee@writeonafrica.com
the Cape Quarter Square –Cape Town’s newest Everard Read Gallery
www.a-word-of-art.co.za
upmarket and trendy shopping mall where Leonard Until 31 Jan 2011, “Untamed”, an installation by
Schneider and Beila are available to assist you. Dylan Lewis at Kirstenbosch Gardens.
The Arts Association of Bellville
Cape Quarter Square, 27 Somerset Road 16 September-15 October, “Bronzes 1980-1990”
29 September-21 October, a solo exhibition by Johan
Green Point (on the first floor above the Piazza & Percy Konqobe Everard Read, Cape Town and Rose
Coetzee, and a Jewellery exhibition by Marlize Meyer,
restaurant level) T. 021 4213333 Korber Art, in association with the Dreyer Founda-
Jolene Kritzinger, Isabel Pfaff, Liz Dunstan- Deacon,
www.carmelart.co.za tion, Germany, present an exhibition of major bronze
Nadja Bossmann and Diana Ferreira.
The Arts Association of Bellville, The Library centre, sculptures by noted Gauteng artist and
Casa Labia Sangoma, Percy Konqobe.
Carel van Aswegan Street, Bellville. T. 021 918 2301
06 October-11 November, 18 November-02 December, “Never & Always”
info@artb.co.za www.artb.co.za/gallery.htm
“Florence Years” by Kim Meyerson. by Mark Sheilds.
192 Main Rd, Muizenberg. T. 021 788 6067 3 Portswood Road, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront,
Atlantic Art Gallery
info@casalabia.co.za www.casalabia.co.za Cape Town. T. 021 418 4527 ctgallery@everard.co.za
A permanent display showcasing leading
contemporary South African artists. www.everard-read-capetown.co.za
Cedar Tree Gallery
25 Wale Street, Cape Town. T. 021 423 5775
Until end October, “The Palette and the Palate” 34 Fine Art
A wine-centric exhibition, with works of vineyards, 17 August-09 October, “New” a group exhibition
AVA
events inspired by wine, perhaps works while under celebrating 34FineArt’s new gallery as well as some
Until 14 October, “Situation” by Vaughn Sadie
the influence of wine and works using wine as a refreshing new works from the current inventory
18 October-12 November, Main Gallery:
medium. sourced from a fact finding mission to
Lynette Bester / Long Gallery: Tracey Derrick /
Rodwell House, Rodwell Road, St James, Europe and the UK.
Artstrip: Elsabe Milandri
Cape Town. T. 021 787 9880 12 October-06 November, “Submerge”
Association for Visual Arts, 35 Church Street,
cedartreegallery@gmail.com a solo exhibition by Lionel Smit. C. 082 354 1500
Cape Town. T.021 424 7436 art@ava.co.za
www.cedartreegallery.co.za www.vgallery.co.za / www.34fineart.com
www.ava.co.za
Centre for African Studies Gallery Focus Contemporary
Barnard Gallery
Until 18 December, “Juggling with the Familiar II : Until 19 October, “The Century so Far”, new works by
29 September-19 November,
Exhibition of Works in Progress” The exhibition brings Karin Miller
“CC-Unlimited Power” by Robert Slingsby.
together photographic and mixed media projects 28 October-25 November, “Pretending to be Flesh”
55 Main Street, Newlands.
by South African female artists who utilise extreme by Christian Diedericks.
fiona@luxurybrands.co.za
subjectivity and intimacy within their methodology and 26 November-26 December, “Spot” by Helen Sear.
style in one way or another. 67 Long Street, Cape Town. T. 021 419 8888
Blank Projects.
Artists included are: Ingrid Masonda, Tracey Derrick, info@focuscontemporary.co.za
Until 02 October, “The Menippean Uprising” a group
Suzanne Duncan, Sophia Claassens, www.focuscontemporary.co.za
exhibition curated by Pierre Fouché &
Siona O’ Connell and Jenny Altschuler.
Hentie van der Merwe.
On 2nd October there will be a walkabout and pres- The Framery Art Gallery
07-30 October, Painting & Installation by Trasi Henen.
entation of performances dealing with privacy and 23 September-06 November, Patrick Mokhuane and
113-115 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town.
public also in the CAS Gallery. Timothy Zantsi. Opening 23 September @ 7pm.
T.072 1989 221 info@blankprojects.com
Harry Openheimer Building, Engineering Mall, 67g Regent Road, Sea Point. T. 021 4345022
www.blankprojects.com
Upper Campus, UCT. T. 021 650 2308
Cape Gallery G2 Art
David Porter Antiques 13-27 October, “A Place, A Feeling, A Memory” an
22 August-02 October, “Borders” the Cape Gallery
Buyers and sellers of South African art. exhibition of mixed media artworks and ceramics by
annual Wildlife Exhibition.
T. 021 6830580/083 452 5862 Diane Harper. Opening 13 October @ 6pm-8pm.
03-23 October, “Ephemeral” and “In Pursuit of Eden”
david@davidporterantiques.com 61 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town. T.021 424 7169
an exhibition capturing the beauty and majesty of
the Outeniqua Mountain Range by Raquel de Castro di@g2art.co.za www.g2art.co.za
Maia and Colin Stephenson to be opened on Sunday

SA Art Times | October 2010 29

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30 SA Art Times | October 2010

Gallery F
Contemporary and archival South African Art.
221 Long Str., Cape Town T. 021 422 5246
info@galleryf.co.za www.galleryf.co.za
Gill Allderman Gallery
Continuous Exhibition, “Exhibition # 36” A Group
exhibition featuring abstract art, graffiti, paintings,
drawings.
278 on Main Road, Kenilworth.
www.alldermangallery.co.za gallery@new.co.za
C. 083 556 2540
Goodman Gallery, Cape pan-African exhibition is travelling for the first time to
02 September-04 October, “All Things being Equal”
by Hank Willis Thomas.
16 October-15 November, Painting show, a group
exhibition featuring Minnette Vari, Lisa Brice,
David Koloane, Tom Cullberg and more.
21 October: Book Launch, Kudzanai Chiurai
20 November-09 January 2011,
Season Show featuring Brett Murray.
3rd Floor, Fairweather House,
176 Sir Lowry Rd., Woodstock,
Cape Town T. 021 462 7573/4,
www.goodmangallerycape.com
Greatmore Studios
Artist in Residence Kim Myerson will be exhibiting at
Casa Labia from 06 October-11 November with an
exhibition entitled “Florence Years”
47-49 Greatmore Street, Woodstock. T. 021 447 9699
info@greatmoreart.org www.greatmoreart.org
iArt Gallery
15 October-13 November, “Mad Art Moments”
An exhibition in in support of the Make a Difference
Foundation. Featuring Sheena Rose.
71 Loop Street, Cape Town. T. 021 424 5150
www.iart.co.za
iArt Gallery Wembley
29 September-06 November,
“Patmos and the war at sea” by Alistair Whitton.
Wembley Square, Gardens, Cape Town
T. 021 424 5150 www.iart.co.za
Infin Art Gallery
A gallery of work by local artists.
Wolfe Street Chelsea Wynberg T. 021 761 2816 and
Buitengracht Str. Cape Town T. 021 423 2090
www.infinart.co.za
Institute for Democracy in Africa (IDASA)
Until 30 November, “Arch” by Ed Young. A super-real
sculpture of the Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
swinging from a chandelier.
6 Spin Street, Cape Town. T. 021 467 7600
www.idasa.org.za
Irma Stern Gallery
26 October-13 November,
Ceramics by Melanie Hillerbrand.
Cecil Rd, Rosebank, Cape Town. T. 021 685 5686
www.irmastern.co.za
Iziko SA National Gallery
Until 03 October, “1910-2010: From Pierneef to
Gugulective” a re-hang of the entire gallery is being
curated to showcase the very best of South African
art.
Until 03 October, “US”
08-31 October, “Echoes” a sound art cultural
SA Art Times | October 2010 31
exchange project between Australia and South Africa.
Leading Australian sound artist Philip Samartzis will
travel to Cape Town to produce a surround-sound
installation at the Iziko South African National Gallery.
In 2009, Echoes saw South African artist James
Webb travel to Melbourne, Australia to produce a
new work in collaboration with the City of Melbourne
and the Melbourne International Arts Festival. There
will be a walkabout of Echoes by Philip Samartzis at
10:30am on Sunday 10 October.
26 October-30 January 2011, Borders presents a
distillation of work from the Bamako Encounters
8th African Photographic Biennale, 2009. Mali’s
Sub-Saharan Africa, providing South Africans with
a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary
photographic production from across the continent
and its diaspora. The show is curated by Michket
Krifa and Laura Serani.
25 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town
T. 021 481 3934
Joao Ferreira Gallery
29 September-30 October, “A New beginning” by
Araminta de Clermont
70 Loop Street, Cape Town. T. 021 423 5403
info@joaoferreiragallery.com
www.joaoferreiragallery.com
Kalk Bay Modern
15 August-31 October, “Point of Focus” photogra-
phy exhibition. Pinhole Photography with selected
conventional photography. Jenny Altschuler, Glen
Green, Nic Bothma, Gavin Foley, Geoff Kirby, Dave
Robertson, Leanette Botha and Kevin Factor are
some of the photographers featured in the exhibition.
1st Floor, Olympia Buildings, 136 Main Rd, Kalk Bay.
T.021 788 6571
kbmodern@iafrica.com www.kalkbaymodern.com
Lindy van Niekerk Art Gallery
10-17 October, The Lindy van Niekerk Art Gallery’s
Annual October Art Exhibition.
31 Kommandeur Road, Welgemoed, Bellville.
T. 021 913 7204/5 www.artpro.co.za
Michael Stevenson Contemporary
Until 16 October, Solo exhibition of new paintings,
drawings and photos by Zander Blom.
Until 16 October, DJ Spooky
(As part of the FOREX project series)
until 16 October, Featuring Simplicity as an Irrational
Fear by Donna Kukama, Nastio Mosquito and
Nathalie Bikoro. Donna Kukama, Nastio Mosquito
and Nathalie Bikoro (Side Gallery)
21 October-27 November,
“As Terras do Fim do Mundo” by Jo Ractliffe
21 October-27 November, “4 for Four” a four-screen
video installation by Simon Gush.
21 October-27 November, “Fishermen (Études no 1)”
a short film by the renowned Finnish artist Eija-Liisa
Ahtila as part of the FOREX series
Ground Floor, Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Rd,
Cape Town. T. 021 462 1500
info@michaelstevenson.com
www.michaelstevenson.com
Michaelis Art Gallery
09 September-02 October, “Blissful Disturbance”
a group exhibition by WITS Masters in Fine Arts
students.
16 September-06 October, “Artworks in Progress”
Launch of the Volume 10 of the Artwork in Progress
Journal and an exhibition of artwork by the Staff of
the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape
Town.
University of Cape Town, 31-35 Orange Street,
Gardens. Cell: 083 367 7168
www.michaelis.uct.ac.za
Raw Vision Gallery
Until 19 October, “Colours of the Sun” by
Jocelyn Jacobson Cole.
89 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, T. 076 581 9468
info@rawvisiongallery.com
www.rawvisiongallery.com
Rose Korber Art
20 October-20 November,
“Abstraction and Meaning” by J P Meyer.
48 Sedgemoor Rd, Camps Bay, Cape Town
T. 021 438 9152
roskorb@icon.co.za www.rosekorberart.com
Rust-en-Vrede Gallery
05 October-04 November, “Sandveld Compositions”
by Annelie Venter;
“Sensus – The landscape of stolen moments”,
Sculptures in wood by Loni Drager;
“Breathing Lessons” by Leoni Uys;
In the Cube in the Clay Museum:
Rice Bowls by various potters
10 Wellington Rd, Durbanville.
T.021 976 4691
www.rust-en-vrede.com
Salon 91
04 September-02 October, “Whitespace” a group
exhibition of sculpture, drawings, print and mixed me-
dia featuring Lee-Ann Boulter, Mareliza Nel, Cara van
der Westhuizen, Zelda Weber and Bianca Weingartz.
06-30 October, “The Long Way Home” a solo
exhibition by Maria van Rooyen. Opening
Wednesday 06 October @ 7:30pm.
03-27 November, “Unrequited Love: Under a Sickle
Moon” group exhibition of mixed media, drawing,
furniture, sculpture and painting. Featured artists in-
clude: Coba Vermaak, Cornelis Dumas, Lorenzo Nas-
simbeni, Lourens Joubert, Ndikhumbule Ngqinambi,
Niklas Wittenberg, Paul Senyol and Sue Dall.
91 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town.
T 021 424 6930.
info@salon91art.co.za www.salon91.co.za
Serialworks
Until 09 October, “Forgotten”,
a solo project by William Scarbrough.
ZEB (Brendon Bussy, Niklas Zimmer and Garth
Erasmus) will perform a once-off studio concert the
third week of October.
Unit F404, Woodstock Industrial Centre
66 Albert Road Woodstock, Cape Town
www.serialworks.info
South Gallery
Showcasing creativity from KwaZulu-Natal including
Ardmore Ceramic Art.
Fairweather House, 176 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock,
Ground Floor.
T. 021 465 4672
info@southgallery.co.za
South African Print Gallery
Until 30 September, “Memory, Myth & Ritual” works
by Eunice Geustyn.
107 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town.
T. 021 462 6851
info@printgallery.co.za www.printgallery.co.za
These Four Walls Fine Art
23 September-08 October, “Somebody Suit”
Paintings and drawings by Jane Henderson.
Opening Thursday 23 September @ 6pm.
janet@thesefourwalls.co.za
T. 021 447 7393 Cell. 079 302 8073
www.thesefourwalls.co.za
Waterkant Gallery
09 September-20 October,
“Die Dam and Other New Work” by
Cirkine Roussouw.
21 October-08 December,
“African Archival Photography”
123 Waterkant Street, Cape Town. T. 021 421 1505
info@waterkantgallery.com
www.waterkantgallery.com
Wessel Snyman Creative
23 September-13 October, “Dare to Dream in Silent
Moments” An exhibition of painting, drawing, installa-
tion, performance art and mixed media by Lucy Skin-
ner, Janet Botes & Roxi Bredenkamp. Performance
art on the opening night at 8pm. Also featuring jewelry
by Inkheart Design. Opening September 23 @7pm.
17 Bree Street, Cape Town. T. 021 418 0980.
wesselsnymancreative@gmail.com
“Life is Short” solo exhibition by Peter
Eastman to be seen at Whatiftheworld
Gallery, Woodstock.
What if the World…
02 September-02 October, “Life is Short” solo
exhibition by Peter Eastman.
06 October-20 November, “Teeth are the only Bones
that Show…” by Athi Patra Ruga.
Opening 06 October @ 6-9pm.
10 November-04 December,
Solo Exhibition by Andrzej Nowicki.
First floor, 208 Albert Rd, Woodstock, T.021 448 1438
www.whatiftheworld.com
Worldart Gallery
18 October–08 November, “Un-mute my tongue” A
solo exhibition of new paintings by Ayanda Mabulu
54 Church Street, Cape Town. T.021 423 3075
charl@worldart.co.za www.worldart.co.za
32 SA Art Times | October 2010
Youngblackman Gallery
Until 15 October, “Eye” by Charles Maggs.
69 Roeland Street, Cape Town. T. 083 383 0656
www.youngblackman69.com
Franschhoek Hout Street Gallery
Galerie L’ Art
A permanent exhibition of old masters.
Shop no 3, The Ivy, Kruger Str., Franschhoek
T. 021 876 2497 www.galart.co.za
The Gallery at Grande Provence
29 August-06 October,”andWhatnow?” the third part
of its trilogy of exhibitions. Ave Brits will be the first ex-
hibiting artist in The Project Room and our two guest
artists are Graeme Williams and Andries Botha.
10-27 October, “The CSA 2010 National exhibition”,
will showcase some of the finest contemporary
ceramics being produced by South African Potters.
There are two categories: Ceramics for Use and
Ceramics for Expression; thus a wide spectrum of
ceramics will be on show - from dinner services to
clay sculpture; form tea pots to figurative art .
Opening 10 October @ 11 am.
31 October-01 December, “Painters who Print-Art
on Paper” an exhibition that celebrates some of the
artists who have worked at The Artists Press.
Main Road, Franschoek. T. 021 876 8600.
gallery@grandeprovence.co.za
www.grandeprovence.co.za
Hermanus
Abalone Gallery
01-31 October, “Printed” - An exhibition of selected
graphic and photographic works by Titia Ballot, Lien
Botha, Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, Tadeus Jaroszynski,
Pat Mautloa, Dirk Meerkotter, Cecil and
Pippa Skotnes, Diane Victor.
Main gallery: Group exhibition with works by
Christo Coetzee, Elzaby Laubscher,
Leonard Matsoso, Carl Roberts, Fred Schimmel,
Larry Scully, Susanna Swart, Lynette ten Krooden.
2 Harbour Rd, The Courtyard, Hermanus.
T.028 313 2935 info@abalonegallery.co.za
www.abalonegallery.co.za
Knysna
Knysna Fine Art
Knysna Fine Art is relocating to larger premises:
The new address is Thesen House, 6 Long Street,
Knysna. The Gallery will be trading from 01 October
2010, and the Official Gallery Opening Event will be
held towards the end of October. The first exhibition
will be in mid November.
T.044 382 5107 C. 082 5527262
gallery@finearts.co.za www.finearts.co.za
Oudstshoorn
Artkaroo Gallery
26 September-03 October, “Maak Jouself Tuis” an
expression of the artistic soul through the medium of
the chair; functional & funky art by Karoo artists. Also
featuring fine Karoo art in landscapes, figurative and
abstract. Exhibition opens 26 September @ 4 PM.
This exhibition coincides with Klein Karoo Klassique
Festival.
107 Baron van Reede Oudtshoorn, T. 044 279 1093
janet@artkaroo.co.za www.artkaroo.co.za
Paarl
23 September-30 October, “Rondomtalie”
illustrations by Rosalind Stockhall.
270 Main Street, Paarl. T. 021 872 5030
zetler@icon.co.za www.houtstreetgallery.co.za
Piketberg (West Coast)
AntheA Delmotte Gallery
29 October-20 November, “Portraying the beauty of
Verlorenvlei” This exhibition is to draw attention to
a very important wetland close to Piketberg that is
under threat by a proposed mine.
29 – 31 October, Piketberg Art Weekend. With
amongst others an open studios route.
47 Voortrekker Street, The Old Bioscope, Piketberg
073 281 7273, anthea@lantic.net
Stellenbosch
Art on 5
Permanent exhibition of paintings and ceramics by
Maryna de Witt, Pera Schillings, and Karen Kieviet.
7b Andringa Str., Stellenbosch T. 021 887 7234
Glen Carlou Estate
On exhibition is The Hess Art Collection, including
works by Deryck Healey, Ouattara Watts and
Andy Goldsworthy.
Simondium Rd, Klapmuts T. 021 875 5314
www.glencarlou.co.za
SMAC Art Gallery
02 September–10 October, “Pre-Green” by Barend
De Wet at Nirox Foundation Project Space (Arts on
Main Cnr Main & Berea Street, Johannesburg.)
30 September–28 November, “Green” by Barend
De Wet. At Smac. (1st Floor, De Wet Centre, Stel-
lenbosch) The exhibition will feature a combination
of recent and older works; sculpture, painting and
performance.
De Wet centre, Church Street, Stellenbosch.
T. 021 887 3607 www.smacgallery.com
Tokara
From 15 October, Tokara winery will launch its fifth
annual Wine Made Art series at the National Art Gal-
lery in Cape Town, featuring works by young artists
from the Cape – all students from the Fine Arts Divi-
sion of the Visual Arts Department at the University of
Stellenbosch. The public can view the artworks at the
winery after the launch where they will be exhibited
until the end of December 2010
Crest of Helshoogte pass on the R310 between
Stellenbosch and Franschoek. T. 021 808 5900
www.tokara.com
US Art Museum
16 September–01 October, Le Spectacle de Terroir.
22 October, “2010 Le Vin de François auction”
26 October-20 November, “Self” a solo exhibition of
contemporary art jewellery by Angela Tölken.
www.artistjeweller.blogspot.com
Cnr of Dorp and Bird Streets, Stellenbosch
T. 021 808 3524/3489
 Pierneef comes to The Rupert Museum, Stellenbosch

Karoo

From 2nd September 2010 South African art lovers have the rare opportunity to
view the thirty two large paintings of the Johannesburg Station Panel Collection,
on loan from Transnet Foundation, at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch.

Pierneef is probably South Africa’s best-known and best-loved painter.

There must be few South Africans who do not know at least something about his
paintings and his name has spread beyond the borders of this country.
The Johannesburg Station Panels played a major role in his creative life. The
duration of the exhibition is until end April 2011.

About the station panels

In 1929 Pierneef received his first major public commission: thirty two panels for
the new Johannesburg Station, which had replaced the original Zuid-Afrikaanse
Republiek Park Station. Coincidentally, one of the consulting architects for the
station, was Pierneef’s old friend, Gordon Leith.

Pierneef travelled extensively throughout southern Africa to find subjects

for the paintings, on which he worked from 1930 to 1932. The thirty two
panels and the numerous smaller works related to them (the Johannesburg Art
Gallery’s Karibib, a view of the town being one of these) are considered amongst
the finest works Pierneef ever painted.

The scenes Pierneef chose to depict are: twelve landscapes from the
Transvaal, nine from the Cape, three from Natal, one of the Orange Free
State, two from Namibia, one from Lesotho and four scenes of trees.

In recent years the panels have been lent out at various times, in particular
to the Pretoria Art Museum during August and September 1986 for a major
Pierneef memorial exhibition. The Johannesburg Art Gallery was given the
panels on permanent loan in September 1987. In October 2002 Transnet
Foundation gave the collection on permanent loan to the Rupert Art
Foundation who brought it to Graaff-Reinet for exhibition and now to
Stellenbosch.

Exhibition Details:

Venue: Rupert Museum, Stellenbosch

Tel: 021 888 3344
Opening times: Mon – Fri: 09:30 – 13:00; 14:00 – 16:00
Sat: 10:00 – 13:00
Closed on Sundays and Public holidays

SA Art Times | October 2010 33


Zander Blom : Black Hole Universe: Michael Stevenson Gallery
Lloyd Pollok
Zander Blom has hitherto worked in the mediums
of photography, drawing, collage and sculptural
assemblage, and this, the self-taught artist’s first
exhibition of painting, is undeniably impressive.
The wunderkind has filled four vast galleries and the
corridor of Michael Stevenson Contemporary - the
largest gallery in the country - with a huge corpus of
paintings, drawings, and photographs.
On first contact the impact is so overwhelming as
to paralyze the critical faculty. When my friend, the
artist Pierre Fouché whispered “Ek is stom geslaan”,
I shared his awed reaction. “Where does all this
stuff come from?” I asked myself.
In 2004 Zander started filling his Brixton home with
a mass of paper and cardboard constructions that
accreted to every surface. He then photographed
them and exhibited the results at his penultimate
solo, the Drain of Progress (2007). The photo-
graphs comprising Scene 022 of the Black Hole
Universe, Chapter One and Scenes 003, 005, 006,
029 and 041 of Chapter 2 closely resemble this
earlier work, and demonstrate how his sculptural as-
semblages tended to grow out of the meeting point
between walls, or ceiling and walls.
Take away the three-dimensionality, and the dense
tangle of black lines forming fish-scale patterns
in Scene O16 of Chapter One, looks exactly like
Zander’s paintings, suggesting that his large ab-
stract paintings evolved from his relief constructions.
Allusions to the architectural fabric that supported
34 SA Art Times | October 2010
the assemblages even occur in Zander’s vast oils.
The lean, abbreviated UNTITLED 1.17 consists of
agglomerations of blue and white pigment which
the artist floats on the canvas. Three thin, straight
penciled lines create a ‘Y’-shaped configuration
evocative of the intersection between two walls and
the ceiling of a room. The lines forms a rudimen-
tary perspectival grid and the scabs of paint appear
to be suspended in space in front of it, introducing
the third dimension, and stressing the umbilical cord
that unites the artist’s paintings to his relief construc-
tions.
In UNTITLED 1.15 frugal scatters of abstract
biomorphic forms create a hypnotic vibrating pattern
superimposed over ruler-drawn lines delineating a
rectilinear structure of fractured Cubist planes that
hint at a studio.
Collage and assemblage are the core of Zander’s
practice in every medium, and even his paintings
rely on them. The artist works with bits and pieces
in both the literal and the figurative sense, for even
his monumental oils are essentially cut-and-paste
jobs knocked up from episodes in the grand narra-
tive of modernism. The artist takes the rubble of
art history and attempts to fashion it into something
new and exciting.
Zander’s photography provides the clearest insight
into his work. The artist makes three-dimensional
paper and cardboard sculptures of strictly rectilinear,
geometric character loosely inspired by the Dada
prototype furnished by Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbau.
He then photographs them, using lighting and cam-
era angles to transform their appearance, so that
they are effectively assigned a fresh identity.
The Black Hole Universe: Chapter 02 Scene 029
THE BLACK HOLE UNIVERSE, CHAPTER 2,
SCENE 013 is a three dimensional cardboard
construction which would look pretty unimpressive
in reality, as it is merely a flimsy cardboard, tape
and paper maquette of makeshift appearance. In
the photographs, Zander’s cardboard sculptures
become detached from the architectural surround,
and appear to materialize out of a black void and
hover in space. By disembodying them, Zander
eliminates all associations with himself, his studio,
and everything that might help one identify the
materials, scale and construction. The sculptures
are thus projected into a beyond where they loose
all particularity, and become generic and abstract,
asserting an absolute, rather than a contingent
quality, and resonating the grandeur and integrity of
Platonic archetypes.
Untitled 1.28, a typical example of Zander’s paint-
ings, clearly indicates that his goal is to interrogate
the Abstract movements of 20th century Modern-
ism, particularly those like Biomorphic Surrealism,
American Abstract Expressionism and European Art
Informel and Tachisme, which are founded on the
belief that through free and spontaneous automa-
tism, the surrender of conscious control and the re-
cruitment of accident and chance, the unconscious
mind would take over, collaborate with the artist and
produce a work of art. This reckless painting com-
bines wild gestural streaks, splashes and spills at its
summit; abrupt, staccato directional strokes riddled
with ridges and crevices; zones of flat monochrome
paint and, at base, a heaving thrash of clotted swirls
of black, white and grey pigment.
Paintings: 1.20 Untitled , 1.28 Untitled, 1.10 Untitled, 1.17 Untitled

The Black Hole Universe: Chapter 02 Scene 006 The Black Hole Universe: Chapter 01 Scene 022

The Black Hole Universe: Chapter 01 Scene 016 The Black Hole Universe: Chapter 01 Scene 13

At first glance we take the painting to be an extem-
pore ejaculation, and then we remark the painstak-
ingly deliberate patches of black linear patterning
that disrupt the rhythms of the surrounding fluid
strokes. The jagged, curvilinear lines that judder and
shudder so insistently are obviously executed in a
studied and methodical manner as opposed to the
rest of the canvas, which presents an appearance
of untrammeled spontaneity consistent with Abstract
Expressionist methods of picture-making.
UNTITLED 1.20 is another paradoxical combination
of two very different idioms. The first is hard-edged
Post Painterly Abstraction which manifests itself
in the thin graphite lines that define a Frank Stella
pinstriped structure of rectangles within rectangles.
Zander overlays this with a pure gestural abstrac-
tion consisting of hectic, flurried brushwork, drips,
spatters, swipes and streaks in white, black, grey
and red all seemingly executed at a recklessly ac-
celerated pace.
In the forgoing paintings two warring styles of picto-
rial construction combine: one implies discipline,
control and meticulous, pre-determined geometric
SA Art Times | October 2010 35
construction, while the other is based on haste,
spontaneity and haphazard composition that
emerges organically in the course of the painting’s
execution. What can this possibly mean?
Zander orchestrates a clash of incompatible styles,
so that geometric abstraction, Cubism and action
painting slug it out on canvas in proclamation of the
fact that Zander’s sole obligation is to puzzle, startle
and amaze. His is the intoxicating freedom of the
Post- Modernist artist who can reproduce, twist,
transform, subvert and re-invent the myriad different
styles thrown up by modernism between 1905 and
about 1970. By simultaneously improvising on vari-
ous -isms whilst divesting them of their raison d’être,
Zander cheerfully ballasts ideology and any specific
goal or meaning, and transforms his work into a
purely self-reflexive, formal statement in which style
becomes the only subject matter.
The principles of collage and assemblage are
applied to painting. Zander rummages amidst the
debris of the spent Modern movement, and collects
fragments of outsider art, shards of Op, bits of
Kandinsky, chunks of Willem de Kooning and scraps
of Bacon. He then cobbles all this flotsam and
jetsam together, grafting different historical methods
of pictorial construction onto each other to produce
irrational hybrids riddled with inconsistency and
contradiction.
Although Zander’s huge canvases achieve concep-
tual excellence his handling of paint is so lacking in
elegance, sensuality and grace, that the work has
scant decorative value. Not only does his brush-
work possess a catbox laxative splatter and squirt,
but many paintings like UNTITLED 1.5, 1.6, 1.10
and 1.24 are mechanical, repetitive and formulaic.
All too often the artist descends into superficiality,
and his work becomes showy and meretricious.
The drawings, which are in fact, far superior to
most of the oils, avoid these dangers, and remain
idiosyncratic and distinctive. Quantity is not quality,
and a far smaller and far more rigorously selective
show would have been far more impressive than
this mass-produced merchandise from the Michael
Stevenson assembly line.
All works Courtesy of Michael Stevenson, Cape Town
 South African
National Gallery

Above: Kader Attia [Algeria-France]. Square Rocks (2009)

© courtesy Kader Attia and Christian Nagel Gallery (Berlin and Cologne).

Borders
Borders, an exhibition from the 8th
Bamako Encounters, the African
Photographic Biennale, is travelling
for the first time to Sub-Saharan
Africa, providing local audiences with

26.10.2010 -
a unique opportunity to engage with
contemporary photographic and video
production from across the continent and
its Diaspora.

30.01.2011
Borders, be they geographic, political,
social, aesthetic or metaphysical, are
at the centre of various narratives
presented in this exhibition. Enriched by
a multiplicity of perceptions and visions,
these tales restore multi-dimensional
realities where photographers and
artists, veritable nomads, leave the
beaten path and by-pass the arbitrary
lines of separation.

Curated by Michket Krifa and Laura

Serani

Produced by Culturesfrance and Ministry

of Culture, Mali

The exhibition’s presentation in South

Africa is facilitated by the French
Institute of South Africa (IFAS)

Enquiries: Pam Warne, Tel. 021 481 3956

or email pwarne@iziko.org.za

Eastern Cape
East London
Ann Bryant Gallery
The Main Gallery
07-23 October, “Space” by Lynette ten Krooden.
Oil paintings on canvas, gold leaf and hand- made
paper and a new series of sand and resin on canvas.
Opening 07 October @ 6:30pm.
02-12 November, Walter Sisulu University B-tech
degree Graduation exhibition, Group exhibition of oil
paintings, and mixed media works by students from
Walter Sisulu University.
Opening 2 November @ 6:30pm.
The Coach House
30 September-16 October, A Solo Exhibition by
Chanelle Staude. Exhibition of oil paintings of
Eastern Cape landscapes
21 October- 06 November, Solo Exhibition by
Liz Sanchez. Paper Mache Sculpture, Oil painting,
Ceramics and Fibre Art.
Opening 21 October @ 6:30pm.
11-27 November, Solo exhibition of mainly woodblock
prints with the original woodblock by Jeff Rankin.
Opening Thursday 11 November @ 6:30pm.
9 St. Marks Rd, Southernwood, East London.
T. 043 722 4044 annbryan@intekom.co.za
www.annbryant.co.za
Port Elizabeth
Epsac Gallery
17 September-01 October, a solo exhibition by
Jennifer Crooks. (Lower Gallery)
05-15 October, Retrospective solo exhibition by
Jennifer Crooks - Fabric Works
Jeanne Wright
Images constructed from fabric and embellished
with needlework have always been considered to be
women’s work. There are many traditional female
textile arts which include quilt making, beading,
weaving, sewing and embroidery, most of which have
their origins lodged in the domestic arts rather than
the pure fine arts. However, in modern times with art
works like Judy Chicago’s 1979 feminist statement
“The Dinner Party” and recently, Tracey Emin’s
notorious bed images with their intimate revelations
of sexuality and private matters, the boundaries have
blurred and textiles as an art form have entered the
arena of high art. Essentially a pragmatic hands-on
38 SA Art Times | October 2010
Ninetta Steer. (Lower Gallery)
18-29 October, Print, ceramics and mixed media by
Lydia Holmes and Janice Mendelowitz.
36 Bird Street, P.E. T. 041 585 3641
Montage Gallery
Mid October-Mid November, “fine art sale”, in the
run-up to the end of the year period, as an early boost
for art lovers. The idea is to entice artists to clear out
their studio’s by offering their work at reduced prices,
and a number of well-known names have already
pledged their support.
59 Main Road, Walmer, Port Elizabeth. T. 041 581
2893 montage1@iafrica.com
www.montagegallery.co.za
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Permanent exhibition, “Art in Mind”
Until 10 October, “Ubuhle bentsimbi:
The beauty of beads”
15 October-05 December, “RE.SPONSE” Lecturers,
students and Alumni from the Nelson Mandela Met-
ropolitan University School of Music, Art and Design
were challenged to produce artworks in response to
selected works from the Art Museum’s Permanent
Collection. This exhibition showcases these interpre-
tations together with the original artworks.
23 October-12 December, “Fauna and Flora” Images
and ceramics. (Artworks include a selection from the
print portfolio “Art meets science: flowers as images”
produced at The Caversham Press. Artists selected
include Vusimusi (Derek) Nxumalo, Douglas Goode,
John Manning and famous early South African 20th
Century artists Hugo Naude and Irma Stern, will be
featured together with ceramics produced at Ardmore
Studio and a selection of Hilton Nel’s ceramic cats.
Textiles from the Art Museum’s Chinese collection will
also be displayed, alongside prints from the Indian
Art Review
activity, the construction of fabric based art works are
a labour- intensive activity. In itself, it is a meditative
act requiring many hours to structure, arrange and
complete each piece.
Jennifer Crooks is a Port Elizabeth artist who has re-
examined the way in which conventional approaches
more suited to painting can be translated into images
made from fabric, lace, beads and sequins. Her im-
ages are a fusion of her practical skills with her main
activity as a landscape painter in which she develops
single themes, placing them in a new dimension
which is neither painting nor artifact. The process is
the continuation of a life-long interest in plant form
which she has always used as basic subject matter
from the time she was a Rhodes University student
in the late 1960’s. Trained at the height of the Gra-
hamstown Group (of which she is a founder member)
she was one of a handful of women who fought to
establish her female identity at a school which was
dominated by strong male personalities. Early oils
and water colours show that she used flowers and
organic plant forms in an intuitive attempt to explore
the sensuous aspect of not only the paint medium but
also as subject matter which could provide a vehicle
for her need to express sensual aspects of her
personality. Her sensibilities were that of a romantic
in search of a tactile visual language which would
express not only external aspects of landscape but
and Japanese collections.)
1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth. T. 041 506 2000
www.artmuseum.co.za
Ron Belling Art Gallery
21 September-08 October, “Face to face: intimate
conversations with 25 PE(ople)” photography and
interview by Sandy Coffey.
12-29 October, “Children of PE.”
30 Park drive, Port Elizabeth. T. 041-586 3973
ronbelling@mweb.co.za www.ronbelling.co.za
Northern Cape
Kimberly
William Humphreys Art Gallery
14-24 October, Works by Grade 12 learners from the
Kimberley Art Centre.
21–24 October, Travelling exhibition and outreach
project – Richmond Book Festival.
27 October–15 November, Exhibition of works by
lecturers of the University of KwaZulu Natal.
Work on display from the William Humphreys Art
Gallery Collection: Peter Clarke; New acquisitions
from the Eastern Cape; Alan Grobler – linocut prints
from Port Elizabeth; Contemporary South African
Ceramics.
Civic Centre, Cullinan Crescent, Kimberley.
T. 053 831 1724 artmuseum@whag.co.za
www.whag.co.za
also internal aspects of her emotional life. She recalls
collecting seed pods and vegetal shapes to use as
subjects to be placed in the context of her landscape
paintings.
Male sexuality is visual and literal. The female equiva-
lent tends to be more comfortably expressed in nar-
rative form, so over a period of years she developed
a painting language which translated as textures,
opulent colour and soft and hard forms used contra-
puntally forming a coded personal erotic lexicography
of metaphors for sexuality. In the Rhodes library, as
a student, she discovered an 18th century portfolio
of botanical illustrators which was to inspire and form
her approach to plant forms as erotic subject matter
in landscape. The subjects she chooses are simple
themes of flowers, plant forms, birds and animals as
well as autobiographical fragments from incidents in
her own life.
Abjuring to the concept which author Linda Grant hu-
morously declaims as … “being integrated above and
below the waistline”, Crooks approaches her work
with the minimum of fuss and intellectualization and
the images are simple and forma. Large and small
beads are used everywhere to define shapes, and as
embellishment detail and every surface in her works
coruscates with the shimmering textures of sequins,
iridescence and opalescence, the gauziness of sheer
fabrics, crisp lace and matt and intense velvets.

Kwazulu- Natal
Durban
The African Art Centre Durban
Until 17 October, A solo exhibition of landscape
drawings and paintings by Mduduzi Xakaza.
19 October–15 November, “An African Christmas”
The exhibition will showcase a large selection of
skillfully beaded and telephone wire Christmas orna-
ments and decorations, colourfully beaded tableware,
hand-built ceramic created by crafters supported by
the African Art Centre.
94 Florida, Durban. T. 31 312 3804/5
africanartcentre@afri-art.co.za
www.afriart.org.za
Alliance Française of Durban
During October, “Réunion Chroniques”
a photographic exhibition from Reunion Island.
Featuring François-Louis Athenas, Raymond Barthes,
Thierry Fontaine, Yo-Yo Gonthier, Line Leclerc, Edgar
Marsy, René Paul Savignan and Laurent Zitte.
Artisan Contemporary
22 September-16 October, “Amangwevu” by
Ceasar Mkhize and Thafa Dlamini. Ceaser Mkhize
and Thafa Dlamini’s mystical and whimsical wire-
armature beaded creatures will be opened by Bona
Nyawosa, assistant, director at Natal Museums at
6pm on Wednesday 22 September.
344 Florida Rd, Morningside, Durban.
T. 031 312 4364 www.artisan.co.za
SA Art Times | October 2010 39
Stuart Bird gets busy at the KZNSA Gallery as part of the MTN art awards
ArtSPACE Durban
13 September–02 October, “Adornment in Border-
land” by Roz Cryer; “Urban Angel” by Caroline Birch
04–16 October, “Local Obsession” by Steve Mandy
(Main and Middle Gallery)
18-30 October, “(in)different” by Faye Spencer
Vulindlela Nyoni (Main Gallery); Early Learning
(fairytales and urban myths) by
Bronwen Vaughan-Evans (Middle Gallery)
3 Millar Road, Stamford Hill, Durban. T.031 312 0793
info@artspace-durban.com
www.artspace-durban.com
Durban Art Gallery
15 September-07 November, Standard Bank Young
Artist 2010: Michael MacGarry.
2nd Floor City Hall, Anton Lembede St
(former Smith St) Durban
T. 031 311 2264 strettonj@durban.gov.za
Durban University of Technology Art Gallery
06-22 October, Photographic exhibition by
inal year art students.
Durban University of Technology (DUT) Gallery,
Steve Biko Campus. T. 031 373 2207
nkosinathig@dut.ac.za
KZNSA Gallery
14 September-09 October, all Galleries:
MTN new contemporaries award
nominated artists are Donna Kukama, Kemang Wa
Luhelere, Stuart Bird and Mohau Modisakeng with
appointed curator Nontobeko Ntombela.
12- 31 October, Works by Conrad Botes
(main, mezzanine, and park galleries)
166 Bulwer Rd., Glenwood. T. 031 2023686
www.kznsagallery.co.za
Ballito
Imbizo Gallery
09 September-30 October, “Spring Splashes” featur-
ing Matt Donaldson, Natasha Barnes, Leona Sykes
and Jenny Meyer.
Imbizo Gallery, Shop 7a, LifeStyle Centre, Ballito.
Next to Beira Alta T. 032-9461937
info@imbizogallery.co.za
Margate
Margate Art Museum
Museums art collection on display.
T.039 312 8392 C.072 316 8094
huey@hcm.gov.za
Pietermaritzburg
The Blue Caterpillar Art Gallery
01-30 October, oil paintings of Midlands farms and
rural settings by Charmaine Eastment.
The Blue Caterpillar art gallery at Butterflies for Africa
37 Willowton Road, Pietermaritzburg.
T. 033 387 1356 art@butterflies.co.za
or bluecaterpillarart@hotmail.com
www.artsales.co.za
Tatham Art Gallery
Until 26 November, “Jabulisa 2010 The art and craft
of Kwazulu-Natal.”
Cnr of Chief Albert Luthuli (Commercial) Rd. and
Church Str. (Opposite City Hall) Pietermaritzburg
T. 033 342 1804 www.tatham.org.za
Important British, Continental
and South African Paintings
and Sculpture
Auction in Johannesburg
Monday 1 November 2010
The Country Club Johannesburg, Woodmead

Walkabout by Stephan Welz on

Sunday 31 October at 11 am

Enquiries: (01 1) 728 8246

jhb@straussart.co.za www.straussart.co.za

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, Baobab Tree

signed and dated 46, oil on canvas, 75 by 100,5cm
R5 000 000 – 7 000 000
 Patrick Mokhuane & Timothy Zantsi
23 September to 5 November

www.henkserfontein.com

The Framery Art Gallery

67G Regent Road, Seapoint
debbiegrewe@gmail.com
Tel 021 434 5022 / 078 122 7793

The Loop Art Foundry New Sculptor Competition

The Loop Art Foundry knows how difficult it is to get your first works cast in bronze with the costs involved and we also know that there is some awesome talent out
their so we have created this competition for you to have the opportunity to make it happen. R15000 casting grant up for grabs. Entries open 1 Oct 2010 and close
28 Feb 2011. All the information on www.theloopartfoundry.co.za

Conditions of entry
1. Works sculpted out of any medium may be entered.
2. Sculpture dimensions must not exceed 500mm H x 500mm L x 500mm W.
3. Artists entering the competition must be 18 years and older, must be a South
African citizen and live in South Africa.
4. A maximum of two artworks per artist may be submitted.
5. A casting ready artwork must be entered.
6. Only original artworks will be accepted.
7. Entries will be taken by email. A maximum of 5 photos can be entered per
piece (2 of angles 3 of detail and 1 for scale - please stand alongside this
photo). A proposal letter must accompany each entry. Email size may not be
bigger than 3 megabytes.
8. Each of the maximum of 2 entries must be entered In a separate email.
9. Works may not be altered after the photos have been submitted and will be
disqualified. Works maybe reentered if altered but must accompany a letter
stating which of the entries must be used.
10. Artworks must not be older than one year. Sculptors may not have had a
solo exhibition in the past.
11. Your artist profile (CV) and contact details (tel, cel, email) must accompany
your entry photos.
12. Winning sculptor may incur a collection and delivery surcharge if living
outside of Gauteng or Mpumalanga
13. The competition runs from 1 Oct 2010 and entries close on 28 Feb 201114. A
winner will be announced in March 2011
15. The casting grant of R15000 is a market value of casting.
16. Email entries must be sent to theloop@worldonline.co.za
happy sculpting..

42 SA Art Times | October 2010

 ARTLife
THE SOUTH AFRICAN

Largest SA sculpture Seven weeks before this magnificent sculpture group

would be installed and unveiled we were contacted by

group finished with the Arend Eloff, well known South African Equestrian
Sculptor. He had been approached by Golden Horse

ease by Loop Foundry Casino in Pietermaritzburg to do the almost impos-

sible. To sculpt, cast and install three 4,5m High
rearing Horses for their reopening. Something that
would normally take 4 to 6 months, the foundry had
only 5 weeks to complete. We worked intensely with
the artist moulding pieces of the horses as he finished
sculpting them. When the final piece was handed over
we had a total of 3 and a half weeks left to have the
finished product delivered and installed in KZN. Large
art casting like this one are divided into sections in the
wax stage of the process and then cast. Once all the
panels are cast the job of putting a three dimensional
jig-saw puzzle back together begins. The sculpture
then goes through metal chasing restoring it to its
original detail. 111 panels made up the three horses.
The Foundry commissioned a special gantry to be
made to lift and move the horses around and special
cradle beds were made out of wood to fit the horses
exactly for transport. Once complete each horse
weigh 750kg and took on the 950km journey to their
new home. The sculpture group is one of the largest
sculpture groups in South Africa and is the largest
sculpture group cast by our foundry. The sculpture
was unveiled at the re launch of the Casino on the 11th
of September.

SA Art Life | October 2010 43

LIONEL SMIT
Scatter series, oil on canvas, 165 x 230cm
Reportedly ‘fascinated by the structure of the
artwork’, Lionel Smit is a painter who’s oeuvre
is informed by the processes of sculpture. This
twenty-eight year-old artist has been described as
‘constructing’ his paintings ‘… from large but deftly
placed brushstrokes and a bold palette’. Painting
only large-scale portrait heads, Smit applies his
brushstrokes almost as though they were pieces
of clay that he vigorously adds on and adds on
to build up and model the image. In this way, he
creates an image with an exceptionally powerful
presence that is especially well suited for the
monumental dimensions of his canvases. His unique
approach can be understood as part of a running
dialogue between sculpture and painting, a
dialogue which he recently expanded by creating
a group of sculpted portrait heads – informed by
painting.
This on-going exchange between sculpture and
painting is mirrored by a deeper, more subjective
dialogue in which the artist explores the tension
between human vulnerability and inner-strength.
As a result, the subjects in Smit’s portraits have
been described as displaying ‘… a mixture of pride,
Submerge
Lionel Smit’s Solo Exhibition
opens on 12 October, 18h30, at 34FineArt in Woodstock, Cape Town
and can be viewed until 6 November
see 34fineart.com for more detail
Malay Girl Submerged, bronze,
70cm high
stoicism, [and] fortitude with the tribulations of
oppression and struggle.’ Repeatedly singled out
for the explicit manner in which they portray the
human situation, his subjects ‘… are not idealised
or romanticised, but rather [they are] characters
from our daily lives.’ More than depictions of specific
individuals, they represent something beyond the
individual, with details like race and ethnicity fading
away in deference to the depiction of the sitter’s
vulnerability and inner-strength. As one writer noted,
Smit’s ‘… portraits are about a universal message’.
Charged with psychological complexities, Lionel
Smit’s works explore a spectrum of personality
traits. For the artist, these traits and qualities, and
indeed the very portraits themselves are initially
submerged in the depths of his Pollockesque slashes
and splashes arising from his first explosive burst of
creative energy. Then working methodically, Smit
adds and adds strokes of paint until the image
emerges, and his various running dialogues play out
on the canvas.
- Sanford S. Shaman
Transparent variation #2, oil on canvas, Swath, oil on canvas, 200 x 150cm
230cm x 165cm

Divulge, resin and oil paint, 120cm high Scatter series #2, oil on canvas, 120cm x 120cm
Marina Clunie
...the West Coast has soul
Marina Clunie’s paintings adorn homes and
businesses in all corners of the globe.
Marina took graphic art classes at the Cape
Technikon, painting classes at Art B, and
pottery classes, and has sat under the tutorship
of various artists. She is a member of the SA
Society of Artists, the West Coast Art Guild and
the Blaauwberg Art Society.
An ex-Capetonian, she has immersed herself
in the spirit and soul of the West Coast. A
hundred-year-old vishuis on the banks of the
Berg River on Bokkomlaan houses her studio,
River Studio, and she lives in Velddrif – at the
mouth of the Berg River.
She is inspired by the flux of the moods and
seasons of the Berg River and wetlands,
transferring her impressionist fascination with
light and movement onto canvas, using oil
and sometimes a palette knife.
“My life here embraces space, freedom and
the simplicity yet vastness of nature. Old boats
swaying against old jetties, never-ending
beaches, a moody cloud-sky, characteristic
West Coast buildings, the river and the
wetlands have all inspired me.“
River Studio on Bokkomlaan attracts tourists,
art lovers and journalists. Marina made her
first appearance in a publication in 2001
and since then has appeared in a variety
of publications (cultural, art, tourism) as

River Studio’s address: Bokkomlaan (off Waterkant Street), Velddrif, West Coast
Bokkomlaan is a river-road leading to historic Velddrif where visbakkies are tied to old
jetties, pelicans wait for scraps from the fishermen in their vishuise and bokkoms hang out
to dry along the ever-changing Berg River.

soul food
well as brief appearances on
TV programmes. She has also
received several prizes from various
art competitions.
A recent trip to Paris included
a visit to the Louvre and the
house and studio of her favourite
impressionist artist, Claude Monet
– the lily pond being the highlight.
She is currently engaged in a series
of paintings of the lily pond.
The soul of the West Coast extends
beyond her paintbrush. Drop-in
guests take on the 120 km journey
from Cape Town to visit, enticed
by her imaginative West Coast
fare and hospitality. A class of
school children found her unique
personality and art style an
uplifting experience, and both
tourists and visiting artists comment
on the wonderful peaceful
atmosphere of her studio.
“I cannot keep this atmosphere
and river view to myself. I need to
share it. And I always have coffee,
tea and condensed milk ready, so
feel free to visit.” And they do.
Marina Clunie, epitomizing the spirit
and the soul of the West Coast.

www.riverstudio.co.za cell: 083 415 9524

Marina praat trots Afrikaans

Layout and text by Wilna Jensen

autumn splendour
Jonel Scholtz
I am an
expressionist
impressionistic
artist. I live with
my husband
and daughter
on a farm in
the North West
region of South
Africa.

My paintings
create
domestic scenes in hues conveying intensely
subjective and evocative interior spaces. My
works – dominated by reds, browns and yellows
– depict intimate rooms and worn furnishings
that seem to emerge from some eternal dream
of rural tranquility. My figurative work depicts the
fragility and femininity of the female form. Mostly
arising from the emotions women feel and
struggle through in the course of their lifes.

The warm interior scenes always include a

frame of some sort, often doors and windows,
occasionally picture frames. This recurring
1
theme calls attention to rites of passage and
socialization (many paintings include young
children) and the gendered organization of
space – the homes in my works are distinctly
feminine, with women and young girls often
gazing out windows and through doorways.
These visual cues also draw your eye to light, as
it passes across thresholds and over surfaces,
casting an inviting glow. While clearly figurative,
my paintings’ expressive qualities evoke the
safety and comfort of the ideal home in our
collective imagination.

My paintings come from a simple life as a

mother and wife and develops into all the
complicated aspects that makes up a soul. In a
painting feelings are not static - they move. The
viewer must feel something when they look at
my work. Then I know it’s magic. You can not lie
on a canvas. If you do - the whole world will see
it. Therefore to be totally honest about who you
are, must be one of the most essential qualities of
an artist. No pretence can survive on a canvas.

My painting gives me solace, reason and

energy. Together with the ones I love my life is an
amazing complete experience.

Mobile: +27 82 853 8621 Home: +27 18 673 0023

www.jonelscholtz.co.za 2
3 4 5

1 These Battles of Mine

76 x 91 cm, oil on canvas

2 The Writer
20 x 30 cm, oil on canvas

3 Have I ever Crossed your Mind

76 x 91 cm, oil on canvas

4 Mallorca
20 x 30 cm, oil on Canvas

5 In Love with a Gypsy

75 x 90 cm, oil on canvas

6 Hey Jude
61 x 45 cm, oil on canvas

7 Strong Enough
56 x 71 cm, oil on canvas

8 Radiostories
68 x 77cm, oil on canvas

9 Chasing Pirates
76 x 101 cm, oil on canvas
6

7 8 9
AIDON WESTCOTT
To me, a sheet of newsprint or the pasted-together
pages of old journals, documents and hand written
letters, presents both the physical base and conceptual
starting point for one of my mixed media artworks. My
collages are filled with symbolic imagery aimed at
awaking stifled memories out of the echo chambers of
the subconscious mind.
The imagery is build up in layers of antique packaging
and selected ephemera which I collect from antique
stores. The found objects carry a reality of their own
which owe their presence to human action and
purpose. They are the remains of a past, broken-down
system or culture. These materials are deeply rooted in
the collective conscious.
The fish symbol is rendered in oil paint and symbolises
the psyche in contrast with the body: the unconscious

Poor Me Erases Dirt Like Magic

Unwelcome Situation Madame Favart

Au Bon Marche
Departure at Noon
rather than the ordinary conscious. They act
as reminders allowing you to look beneath
the surface of your emotions to discover what
truly motivates your feelings and interests and
by lifting the veil to the subconscious allowing
you to examine and understand hidden truths
within. The fish symbol becomes productive of
the human predicament depicting patterns in
the psyche in the cycle of life and in a forever
changing world.
My work explores fragments of a former culture
through the use of found objects which invests
new and continually shifting meaning and
interpretations for people. Viewed in full context, it
explores the psychological realm through which
you perceive the exterior world and neglect
your true inner self. Acting as a portal to the past,
connected through memory you are transported
to the innocents, fantasy and misadventure
E-mail: info@aidonwestcott.co.za / aidon.westcott@gmail.com
Hide and Seek
Zen of East and West
experienced as a child yet reminded of the
headwind of emotions and reality of adult life.
I graduated cum laude (BTech Degree: Fine
Art – Painting) from PE Technikon (now Nelson
Mandela Metropolitan University) in 2003.
To date I’ve held 12 solo exhibitions and regularly
exhibit my work at Knysna Fine Art, David Brown
Fine Art, The Cape Gallery, Strydom Gallery, Art
Afrique, Rossouw Modern Art Gallery, Rainbow
Experience and The National Arts Festival and
have participated in numerous group shows.
Some of my personal highlights include the
group exhibition of Eastern Cape Artists titled “Art
from the Ground Up” at the Legislate Buildings in
Hannover, Germany; and a Collage workshop
held for Top Billing, which was in their lifestyle
magazine and website. I also work closely with
the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
and do regular commissions for them.
www.aidonwestcott.co.za
 ALICE ART GALLERY
Invest your passion- and money- into fine art and realise fine
returns by paying a visit to one of the two branches of the the
Alice Art Gallery. There’s something for everyone, from the wildly
affordable to the serious investment pieces. You’ll receive expert,
hands-on advice from owner-curator Alice Pitzer, who’s passionate
about art, art education and guiding investors and art lovers alike.

For the Ultimate experience in art!

083 377 1470

www.aliceart.co.za
Portchie
Portchie is an unusual if not unique phenomenon
in South African contemporary art. He is extremely
prolific when he paints, and each piece is
snapped up. He’s unassuming, articulate to the
point when he speaks with a staccato burst of
words and – just plain plucky. For Portchie is that
rarest of people, a man who discovered his calling
fairly late in life and then there was no holding
him back. He is arguably the most successful
contemporary artist in South Africa. There’s a
saying that the test of courage comes when you
are in the minority, the test of tolerance comes
when you are in the majority. Portchie took his
courage in both hands in 1992 when he decided
to stake his name on his quick and undisputed
ability with a brush and canvas. Why was he so
confident? “I paint universal themes; children
hop-scotching, people riding bicycles, people
reading – my art doesn’t know any languages
and this means it is equally as popular in America,
Come celebrate Portchie’s birthday with us
on 20 & 21 November 2010
Germany, the United Kingdom or South Africa,” he
says.“It is not difficult to understand or appreciate.”
But there is more to Portchie’s work than an easy
understandability. Now that he is widely known
around the world he has an easy tolerance for
others who, he concedes, may have tried as hard
but have not met with his astonishing success. A
painting by Portchie is always intensely colourful
- he seems to see the world in terms of warm
yellows, vivid blues, bright reds, and intense greens.
He says that part of the secret is that he uses
Grumbacher acrylics – “the finest pigments of all
paints in the world”. What is equally true is that
his equable nature seems to have no room for
twilights, for half-shades or for shadow tones. For
Portchie the world is a bright, cheerful place and
this contagion communicates itself immediately
with the viewer. It is very obviously a universal
appeal and Portchie has known success ever since
he started painting.
BUSINESS ART
 The 13th Annual BASA Award winners announced
Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile with some of the performers in the Giant Match show >| BASA Award winner Carola Ross and Gail Walters
(Hollard) >| Basa Chairman Sikkie Kajee, Business Day Editor Peter Bruce, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile, Adi Enthoven (Son of winner Patrick
Enthoven) and Anglo American Head of Public Affairs Premilla Hamid. >|Gordon Massie (Art Insure), Jeanetta Blignaut (Jeanetta Blignaut Art Consultancy) and Lucy
Rayner (Jeanetta Blignaut Art Consultancy) who curated the National Treasures exhibition.
The 13th BASA Awards took place at the Villa Arcadia, Johannesburg
Thirteen innovative business and arts partnerships were acclaimed at the 13th
Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American; while
successful businessman Dick Enthoven was named the recipient of the first Art
Champion Award, for his philanthropic contribution to the arts.
The winners of South Africa’s most prestigious business/arts awards, were announced
at an event held at the historic Villa Arcadia. Speaker on the night was the Deputy
Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile and performances by renowned mime
artist Andrew Buckland, the Big People Puppets, as well as Standard Bank Young
Artists Melanie Scholtz and Samson Diamond celebrated the evening.
The BASA Award function at Hollard’s Villa Arcadia also served as the official opening
of the historic National Treasures Exhibition, a celebration of the 100-year old collection
of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) which will be now be open to the public on
certain days in September. Completed in 1910 Villa Arcadia was the Sir Herbert Baker
designed residence of Randlord Lionel Phillips and his wife Florence. A leader herself
in Johannesburg society, Florrie Phillips was personally responsible for establishing the
Johannesburg Art Gallery.
“Even as the Recession impacts on the local economy, we were delighted at the growth
and excellent quality of the entries, a sign of business’s continued support of the arts.
This year we focused on the importance of sustainability and our thanks go to our
sponsors, and all the businesses who recognise the value of a country with a cultural
backbone,” said Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant.
Commented Business Day Editor, Peter Bruce, “Without the arts we are not an au-
thentic society. Given that in South Africa, as in many much larger economies, the arts
require external funding, it is essential that business and government become involved
– Government as a matter of duty and business because it is morally and commercially
the right thing to do. We at Business Day congratulate the winners and their projects
and encourage even more companies to become involved in this wonderful project
next year.”
Premilla Hamid, General Manager of Public Affairs at Anglo American said : “Anglo
American is a proud and long-standing supporter of arts and culture in South Africa,
Business Art | October 2010 57
and we are immensely proud of our partnership with BASA. Through this project we
are able to provide an ideal platform that recognises those champions that make a
difference to the lives of extraordinary people who are equally committed to contributing
to the development of South Africa. To this end, we have realised immense value with
supporting the BASA awards over the years, and is a reflection of a real partnership
between business and the arts.
This year’s winners were selected by a prestigious panel of judges - head of Vega
School of Advertising, Gordon Cook; arts consultant Nicky du Plessis; Loerie Awards
MD, Dr Andrew Human; marketing consultant Dr Ivan May; co-founder and co-owner of
multi-disciplinary design firm INK Lisebo Mokhesi and Artistic Director of Siwela Sonke,
and academic Jay Pather. The Awards were audited by Grant Thornton.
The full list of 2010 winners:
- Innovation : The BRT Station Public Art Project
(sponsor Johannesburg Development Agency)
- First Time Sponsor : Mo-bil-ity: Artists in Residence
(sponsor Kwelapele Investments (Pty) Ltd t/a Modern Autohaus BMW)
- Increasing Access to the Arts : Africa meets Africa: Ndebele women painting in the city (sponsor
Plascon Paints SA(Pty) Ltd
- International Sponsorship : Rendezvous Art Project (sponsor Air Liquide Pty)
Sustainable Partnership : Standard Bank Young Artist Awards
(sponsor Standard Bank of South Africa)
- Media Sponsorship : The Witness Hilton Arts Festival
(sponsor The Witness Printing and Publishing Company)
(sponsor The Movers also known as Bakgat Movers)
- Youth Development : The UCT Clanwilliam Arts Development Project
(sponsor Fairheads)
- Mentor of the Year : Hilton Lawler - Origins Centre Association
Art Champion : Dick Enthoven - Shareholder of Capricorn Group
(Nando’s, Spier, Hollard and Etana, amongst others)
- Chairman’s Award: South African Schools’ Festivals
(Grahamstown Foundation, Standard Bank, Sasol Ltd)
 National Treasures Exhibition
Works from the Johannesburg Art Gallery at Hollard’s Villa Arcadia Until 15 October 2010

Irma Stern : Portrait of a young girl, 1944, Oil on canvas, 615 x 508 mm, Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery

Villa Arcadia attempts to provide such an occasion. Preller. Added to these are extensive holdings of tra-
An Introduction
The exhibition began with a conversation between ditional African art. In a different subterranean vault,
Charles Priebatsch, Harriet Hedley and Katherine works by modern heroes Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol
Rarely is an institution presented with the opportunity
Baxter around what might be done in recognition of and Roy Lichtenstein are archived with floor-to-ceiling
to relocate part of its collection to the home of its origi-
the closing century that saw Lady Florence Phillips contemporary African works. In sum, this led to the
nator and founding patron. It is an equally exceptional
initiate the JAG’s Foundation Collection in 1910. The recognition that a relatively restricted framework was
occasion for an exhibition curator to be tasked with
idea for the exhibition to be hosted at the home of late in order. National Treasures thus aims to trace the
establishing a selection, fair in terms of scope and
Lionel Phillips and his wife Florence evolved through growth and expansion of the South African collection
variety, from a 100-year old collection of over nine
discussions between Hollard and the Jeanetta Blig- over the past 100 years.
thousand artworks. For practical reasons only about
naut Art Consultancy. As the project grew, Business
ten percent of works from the collection of the Johan-
and Arts South Africa (BASA), Artinsure and certainly This is with the exception of four European works
nesburg Art Gallery (JAG) can be regularly displayed,
JAG were quick to pledge their support. from the Foundation Collection. They include a por-
making way for large-scale, contemporary exhibitions,
trait of Sir Lionel Phillips by Giovanni Boldini (1903);
such as the Kentridge and Dumile Feni retrospec-
Any aspirations of presenting a genuinely compre- a portrait of Lady Phillips by Antonio Mancini (1909);
tives; the Deutsche Guggenheim Black Box; Africa
hensive account of the museum’s collection were a portrait of Sir Lionel Phillips’ sister, Lady Nicholson
Remix and the recent Without Masks Afro- Cuban
dashed on being ushered through the Phillips Gallery by Antonio Mancini (1909); and a curious painting
retrospective. During these exhibitions the remaining
and into the depths of the museum. Here 17th by British painter Philip Burne-Jones entitled Mr G F
ninety percent of works from the permanent collection
century Dutch and 19th century French and British Watts R.A. working on “Physical Energy” (1861). As
are stored away, carefully preserved, researched,
paintings by giants such as Camille Pissarro, Claude the most fashionable portrait painter in Paris in the
published, and exhibited internationally.
Monet, Edgar Degas live alongside the sculptures, late 19th century, it was a triumph for Lionel Phillips to
drawings, prints and paintings of local masters Moses have had himself handsomely realised by the Italian
Acutely aware of how little chance the public has
Kottler, Ezrom Legae, Gerard Sekoto and Alexis artist Giovanni Boldini.
to engage with these works, National Treasures at

58 Business Art | October 2010

 Nicolas Hlobo, Iggirha lendlela. Moses Kottler : Meidjie, 1926, Wood, 1570 x 280 x 339 mm, Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery
Similarly, for Lady Phillips to have been painted
by the Italian child prodigy Antonio Mancini was of
great consequence. It is for historical, and perhaps a
measure of nostalgic relevance that these works have
been loaned from JAG and temporarily returned to
their former home.
With limited access to some works, a number of
which were out on loan and some too fragile to travel,
inevitably there have been some unfortunate exclu-
sions. Significant artists were not overlooked so much
as subordinated in order to limit inclusions to approxi-
mately fifty artworks. The chronological framework of
the exhibition is intended as both a convenient means
of organising a considerable body of material into a
coherent exhibition as well as a loosely illustrative
method of relating a story of South African art.
It begins in first decades of the 20th century with the
sensitive portraiture of Moses Kottler and Gerard
Sekoto providing relief to a preceding era of austere
South African landscape painting. Navigating its
way through the influences of 1930s Post-impres-
sionism and Expressionism, the exhibition includes
Business Art | October 2010 59
works by audacious devotee Irma Stern together
with later abstract paintings by Maud Sumner and
Louis Maqhubela. While most of the works produced
during the early years of apartheid were inevitably but
regrettably produced by white artists, the selection on
display serves also to show an evolving awareness
for the African form.
Belgian-born Maurice van Essche, for example,
painted various African subjects with the modernist
techniques of his teacher Matisse, while Alexis Preller
combined the influences of European Surrealism in
rendering imagery from the Democratic Republic of
the Congo and Swaziland. Likewise, San inspired
figures and motifs populate the semi-abstract, semi-
pop language of the idiosyncratic Walter Battiss.
While contemplating a woodcut by Cecil Skotnes,
one is reminded of Picasso taking much of his formal
inspiration from the African mask. As an influence
subsequently denied by Picasso, this practice led to
complex debates around representation and applying
the notion of “primitivism” to non- Western art.
In a different part of the house, the exhibition goes
on to trace a shift in sentiment that took place in
the 1960’s. Anguished drawings and paintings by
Dumile Feni and Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi replace the
realist Sekoto-type depictions of township life. As the
apartheid state became more repressive in the 1970s
and 1980s, artistic production became more clearly
defined by a discourse of activism and resistance.
The lithographs of Azaria Mbatha and Ezrom Legae
are intended to emphasise the important role of print-
making as an accessible medium used by many as a
means of circulating political and social commentary.
Likewise, the photography of David Goldblatt provides
poignant documentation of the vast socio- economic
and political disparities that existed. Even as there
were parallel stories in rural parts of the country of
artists such as religious sculptor Jackson Hlungwane
working outside the political realm, the majority of
artists working at this time were concerned with the
vast inequalities of South African life. Several of the
fictionalised protagonists that we have come to know
in the animated films, installations, drawings, prints
and tapestries of William Kentridge were born during
these perilous years.
(Top) Brett Murray : Heritage: Corruption, 1992. Mild steel, found objects (knife and coins) 300 x 920 x 180 mm. Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (Below
left) Walter Battiss : Artist’s Hand (A bird in the hand...), Ca. 1968-71, Oil and wood on board 927 x 1254 mm, Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, William
Kentridge : Johannesburg: 2nd Greatest City after Paris, 1992 : Video Installation, Dimensions variable, Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Robin Rhode:
He Got Game, 2004: Video Installation, Edition 5/5, Dimensions variable, Collection of the Johannesburg Art Gallery

With the end of apartheid in 1994, South African
art was presented with a chance for a fresh start.
International currents in new media – coupled with
seminal events like the Johannesburg biennales of
1995 and 1997, saw conceptual art come of age in
the 1990s. Interrogating the various processes of art
making, works by Sue Williamson, Jeremy Wafer and
Kendell Geers are dispersed throughout the rooms
at Villa Arcadia. Moshekwa Langa’s collage created
from discarded waste materials address his own
diasporic identity, while Steven Cohen’s upholstered
chair offers an interesting surprise from the artist who
catapulted South African performance art into recog-
nition. Free to explore new subtleties and nuances
outside the binary realm of apartheid, an explosion of
micro-narratives has emerged in recent years. Works
by artists that are concerned with complex issues
relating to individual identity, cultural diversity, social
cohesion and the intellectual underpinning of past
imbalances are exhibited together in Villa Arcadia’s
Great Hall.
In her drawing and printmaking Diane Victor tackles
a range of issues; from sexual repression to personal
60 Business Art | October 2010
and social violence, to racial anxiety. Conrad Botes
explores his Afrikaner identity and the many Calvinist
ideas indoctrinated into him as a young boy by the
Dutch Reformed Church. In a revised feminist slant,
Mary Sibande focuses her practice on South African
domestic workers as the victims of a skewed social
and political system, while Nandipha Mntambo em-
ploys the imagery and hides of cows to explore and
challenge current stereotypes of African femininity.
Correspondingly, installation artist Nicholas Hlobo
refers to Xhosa rituals in his examination of homo-
sexual identity, masculinity and ethnicity. Seemingly
less personal, photographer Pieter Hugo documents
a range of issues from people afflicted with albinism
to Rwandan victims of genocide. In the same vein,
but more interrogative in terms of re-interpretation,
Michael MacGarry creates sculptures, drawings
and films in response to the ongoing implications of
Western Imperialism on the African continent.
In summary, National Treasures neither proposes
an inclusive survey of the collection’s century-long
span, nor makes overarching or definitive state-
ments about the history of South African art. It is cu-
rated with the intention of provoking new responses
to significant works within the museum’s holdings.
From the vantage point of the culmination of over
100 years of South African art, we are now able to
pose questions that may guide our thinking about
the contemporary art in the next century. For JAG,
collaborations such as these allow the institution to
periodically re-evaluate itself, in a tradition of open-
ness and willingness, to evolve and to change. An
exhibition like National Treasures is testament to the
fact that we can play an active role in the preserva-
tion of this vital institution.
Lucy Rayner, Curator
References
De Waal, S. 2010. South African Art. MediaClub-
southAfrica.com. http://www.mediaclubsouthafrica.
com, downloaded on 2010/08/07.
Perryer, S. (ed.) 2004. 10 years 100 Artists. Cape
Town: Bell-Roberts Publishing.
Williamson, S. 1989. Resistance Art in South Africa.
Cape Town: David Philip Publishers.
Hollard’s Villa Arcadia,
Parktown, Johannesburg
Villa Arcadia: A building of unique beauty and artistry since 1910
Hollard preserves heritage and art for the future
Not only does Hollard’s Villa Arcadia remain one of
Johannesburg’s enduring architectural jewels, it is
also of special significance by virtue of its commem-
oration of Johannesburg’s pioneering history.
The century-old Villa Arcadia mansion, home to
Randlord Sir Lionel Phillips and his wife Lady
Florence Phillips, was designed and built by
master-architect Sir Herbert Baker in 1910. When
the PhMlipses eventually sold the Villa to the South
African Jewish Orphanage in 1922, it became home
to 400 children but these numbers dwindled steadily
over the years until the orphanage was no longer
sustainable.
Hollard bought the Villa and surrounding 16-acre
estate from the orphanage in 2003 and, in keeping
with an entrenched business principle of balance
and partnership, opted to develop the Hollard Cam-
pus as a carefully considered office environment
that would foregrounding both heritage and modern
use. Villa Arcadia was extensively restored to its
former glory and now takes pride of position within
the Hollard Campus.
Baker’s design concept for Villa Arcadia deftly incor-
porated both European and Cape Dutch architec-
tural styles, while retaining his signature H-shape.
The Villa’s enduring beauty and uniqueness can be
attributed to Baker’s meticulous attention to detail:
he trained local craftsmen, used local materials and
encouraged the local production of materials usually
not available in South Africa. In fact, the clay roof
tiles that give Villa Arcadia its distinctive Spanish el-
egance were specially designed and commissioned
from Vereeniging Brick & Clay. The Villa still boasts
its original Italian palazzo-style marble flooring, with
Delft tiles adorning Lady Phillips’ original bathroom.
Elsewhere, the restored craftmanship of masters
George Ness and Anton van Wouw share the inte-
rior space with works from Hollard’s contemporary
South African art collection.
One could argue that the incorporation of indig-
enous materials into the Villa’s construction set
it apart as a building ecologically ahead of its
time - and this point extends to the Villa’s garden.
Originally developed under Florence’s direction, it
combined a formal Italian garden and English rose
and herb garden with a 26-acre site planted with
trees and indigenous aloes, chosen specifically for
their ability to attract the local birdlife. Although now
much reduced in size, the Villa’s garden still retains
a sense of the grace and tranquillity of its origins.
Hollard’s restoration of Villa Arcadia presents it,
once again, as a dynamic gathering place of excep-
tional beauty for Hollard and its network of partners.
The impact of Villa Arcadia
In the time that the London-born Lionel and South
African-born Florence Phillips lived at Villa Arcadia,
it became the hub from which radiated many
62 Business Art | October 2010
initiatives for the cultural and social upliftment of
Johannesburg society. In its restoration of the Villa
and its incorporation of this Heritage Building into
the Holland Campus, Hollard has continued the
Phillipses’ legacy: memories of Johannesburg’s
tumultuous history are preserved while current
day initiatives such as the compilation of Holland’s
important art collection and their partnership with
Jeanetta Blignaut Art Consultancy’s Creative Block
project sees local South African artists receiving
much-needed financial and mentoring support, while
also being offered a forum to showcase their work.
The Phillipses were central to Johannesburg’s social
scene and Villa Arcadia regularly played host to
the who’s who of Johannesburg society. Prominent
guests included political figures such as Jan Smuts,
Louis Botha and General de la Rey, while business
entrepreneurs and artists, such as Anton von Wouw,
were also familiar within the Villa’s walls. Business,
social change and politics would have been heartily
discussed and there is no question that the people
who shaped early Johannesburg would all have
been wined, dined and entertained at the Villa at
some point.
An influential partnership
It is not surprising that it was during their years at
Villa Arcadia that this influential duo became known
as the ‘King and Queen of Johannesburg’. Although
at times tempestuous, the Phillipses’ relationship
was a balanced partnership, where each was
individually powerful and passionate. They were
also, as history has confirmed, trend-setters in many
meaningful ways.
The Phillipses were leading figures on the cultural
front. Florence was instrumental in the founding
of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, for which Lionel
raised the initial funding amongst his Randlord con-
temporaries. Lionel contributed further by becoming
a founding trustee of the Gallery and a donor of
seven significant paintings and a Rodin sculpture
to the foundation collection. Generally speaking
however, Lionel preferred to concentrate his cultural
energies on the preservation and accumulation of
knowledge about South Africa’s indigenous plant
life. He revived the Witwatersrand Agricultural Soci-
ety, serving as its president from 1906 to 1924, and
was later to play an important role in the develop-
ment of Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town. Even
the introduction of the SPCA into South Africa is
attributed to the Phillipses.
In addition, Lionel invested much time and energy in
the early educational structures of South Africa. He
served as the first president of the Council of Educa-
tion in the Transvaal, formed in 1895 and played a
prominent role in the establishment of the University
of Cape Town. Lionel fostered a spirit of public-
mindedness in the companies he controlled and his
personal causes and contributions were numerous.
He was a dynamic leader in the gold mining industry
and later served as president of the Chamber of
Mines and chairman of the Central Mining and
Investment Corporation. He was also politically ac-
tive and was elected a member of parliament in both
South Africa and the UK at different times.
For her part, Florence, born Dorothy Sarah Florence
Alexander Ortlepp, and known fondly as Florrie,
concentrated on local arts and crafts initiatives and
had a hand in the establishment of many institutions
and collections that serve to define our history. In
addition to her role in founding the Johannesburg
Art Gallery, Florence negotiated the donation of
the Michaelis Collection of Dutch masters to the
nation and was a prominent member of a small
committee tasked with selecting the Koopmans De
Wet Collection for Cape Town. She was also an
ardent supporter of the pioneering bronze sculptor
Anton van Wouw, who was responsible for carving
the intricate fanlights over Villa Arcadia’s double
doorways. Florence supported and promoted South
African craftsmen, as is evidenced in the excep-
tional handmade brass work of George Ness that
adorns Villa Arcadia.
General Jan Smuts summed up Florence’s contribu-
tion to South Africa at her funeral in 1940 when he
dubbed her “No Ordinary Woman” and went on to
add: “... she and her husband were among the most
prominent and outstanding personalities who built
up the Rand and the new South Africa, and she left
behind her a great impression...”
Villa Arcadia’s 30-year influence
Florence Phillips was fascinated by Herbert Bakers’
use of local materials and craftsmen and became a
passionate advocate herself. Indigenous construc-
tion materials used to build Villa Arcadia in 1909-10
were to have a far-reaching impact on local building
practices for the next 30 years and were to influence
other houses and public buildings built in South
Africa until the beginning of the Second World War
in 1939.
During the Villa’s 18-month construction period,
observers often noticed the diminutive Florence in
earnest conversation with the towering, 6-foot tall
Sir Herbert Baker. She discussed every detail of the
building with him and insisted on her ideas being
included. She was a very ‘hands-on’ client, which
some say frustrated Baker, who was not used to
such opinionated involvement from his clients!
During the construction of the Villa, the Phillipses
lived at nearby Hohenheim. This building too has
historical significance: not only was it at one time the
home of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick-author of Jock of the
Bushveld but it was also to become the 30-acre site
on which the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, formally
the Johannesburg General Hospital, was built.
Business Art | October 2010 63
64 Business Art | October 2010
Villa Arcadia’s real origins date back to 1897
The name Arcadia has its origins in 1897, when a
large and charming Swiss-style timber chalet stood
where Villa Arcadia stands today. German-born Carl
Rolfes, a successful importer in the earliest tent-
town days of Johannesburg, ordered a totally pre-
fabricated timber chalet from Switzerland, erected it
and named it Arcadia. In 1898 Rolfes moved into his
Arcadia and had the expansive grounds, with their
spectacular views, landscaped and terraced by a
Russian landscape architect.
The picturesque home was purchased by The
Corner House for the use of Lionel Phillips in 1906
and the couple moved in for a short time. They soon
felt cramped however, no doubt a consequence
of Florence’s ambitious visions for a dwelling that
could amply entertain guests and become the seat
for their many social and political initiatives. The
original Swiss Chalet was demolished and Sir Her-
bert Baker was commissioned to build the Phillipses’
Business Art | October 2010 65
dream house. It was completed in 1910 at a final
cost of £30 000 and it became the social centre for
Johannesburg’s decision makers.
Love at first sight
Arcadia had been standing empty for about two
years when Hollard began searching for a new
home in 2003. The Hollard brief was to find a site
that offered a large, central, expandable property to
unite ‘Hollardites’ from seven divisions, operating
from four different locations in the Johannesburg
CBD and Randburg.
It was love at first site for the team tasked to find
Hollard a new home and restoration work began as
soon as they became the proud new owners. The
company loved the fact that there was so much
meaningful and important history imbedded in every
rock and brick and pledged that original carvings,
brass, doors, stair case, windows and floor tiles
would all be carefully preserved.
Conscious of the Heritage Site’s history, Hollard
acquired the services of leading restoration experts
so that the magic of the original Villa Arcadia build-
ing could be rediscovered and revealed. Step by
careful step the magnificent Villa was brought back
to health, vitality and its former glory.
Specialist architects were assigned to design the
new office buildings that would harmonise with the
elegant Sir Herbert Baker mansion. No less than 32
sub-committees were formed to see that every de-
tail of Hollard’s vision would be accurately translated
into reality.
In June 2005 Hollard moved onto the campus,
which in addition to Villa Arcadia, includes a state of
the art Wellness Centre (originally the hospital in its
orphanage days) surrounded by grounds suited to
relaxing, walking and recharging.
 The Hollard Art Collection
In Lady Phillips’ time, as now, art played an integral
role in the growth and development of society and it
is through Hollard’s founders, the Enthoven family,
that this legacy continues. The Enthovens started
Hollard’s Art Collection with the aim of merging
the historical with the contemporary - as well as
fostering unique and long-term partnerships. By way
of example, a number of contemporary artists were
commissioned to collaborate with skilled Xhosa
bead-workers, the Qubeka Bead Studio, to create
unique artworks. These are the first works of art
the visitor sees when entering the Villa through the
spacious foyer.

Another unique collection, born from an innovative

partnership sponsored by Hollard, is the collabora-
tive initiative where artists were paired with local
ceramicists to create impressive works in clay.
These creations were originally exhibited at the AVA
Gallery in Cape Town and a number of pieces were
acquired for display in the Villa.
In addition, the works of up-and-coming artists are
shown in an upstairs Gallery at the Villa, providing
these artists with much-needed exposure. Often
these artists are chosen through The Creative Block
project, where 180mm x 180mm blocks are bought
from a select group of artists. The Creative Block
exchanges artworks for immediate cash but goes
further than this, providing the artists with profes-
sional feedback on their work to assist them in build-
ing their careers in the arts. Creative Block works
are displayed and for sale in the foyers of Hollard
and Etana House.

Recently, the Villa had the honour of hosting the

historic “National Treasures” exhibition (September
2010). All works on this exhibition form part of the
Permanent Collection of the Johannesburg Art
Gallery and “National Treasures” represented the
unique opportunity to showcase this important col-
lection in the very home of its originator and found-
ing patron, Florence Phillips. The rationale behind
the exhibition was not only to draw attention to our
valuable artistic heritage but also to offer visitors to
the exhibition the opportunity to contribute towards
the maintenance and restoration of JAG’s Collection
by purchasing a Creative Block artwork from the
1000-artwork installation in the Music Room at Villa
Arcadia.

Positive and Enduring Change

In its restoration of Villa Arcadia, Hollard strives to

be a catalyst for positive and enduring change in the
community. But their support is not only in the arena
of the arts, the Hollard Campus is also home to the
Hollard Foundation which provides orphans and
vulnerable children, primarily affected by HIV/AIDS,
with opportunities to achieve their full potential in
life. The Foundation’s work helps thousands of
South Africans at grass-roots level.

Hollard considers it a privilege to reclaim and pre-

serve the history and beauty of Villa Arcadia and the
company will be adding to that magic and influence
in the years to come as the proud residents of this
South African Heritage Site.

66 Business Art | October 2010

 Melanie Hillebrand
Director of The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Port Elizabeth
Jeanne Wright
Melanie Hillebrand arrived in Port Elizabeth in 1987
to take up her post at what was then a rather fusty
post-Colonial art Gallery called the King George VI
Art Gallery. With a PhD in Fine Art and a specialist
interest in ceramic art, she immediately dropped into
a hornet’s nest of vested interests, an old garde and a
conservative art going public who saw both her youth,
her gender and her qualifications as a threat to the
status quo. She smiles wryly as she says “It was a
place for the commemoration of dead artists!”
She arrived during a period of general upheaval in the
cultural world nationally with many of the traditional
systems and policy outlooks in the Museum world
undergoing radical change, and co-incidentally, at
a time when many women were being appointed to
management positions. This, she says was one of the
main factors which has helped her to develop what
she calls “A female management style” – a somewhat
different approach to running the complex business of
a contemporary art institution where decision making
is by debate and consensus rather than top-down
white male autocracy, which was endemic in South
African museums at the time. Women tend to sup-
portive and inclusive rather than dictatorial. However,
she makes it clear that as the Director - the ‘someone’
who has to make the hard decisions – the onus rests
with herself and that she’s not afraid to take responsi-
68 Business Art | October 2010
bility for either the aesthetic or the practical needs of
her institution and if necessary to engage in what she
calls “vigorous tactical debate”. Acknowledging that
she has become somewhat of a political animal in
recent years, she adds with a grin “I like a good fight!”
She says that a sense of humour, integrity, a firm
conviction of what is right for the local community and
the will to carry out structured policies are the key to
running the institution successfully. She emphasizes
that without clear policies and the will to carry them
through, you have no freedom to steer your ship in
the right direction.
Reflecting on the dramatic changes which the
museum has undergone in the year’s under her helm,
she recalls how difficult it was to convince both her
board members and the public that what was local
was “lekker” and that whole sectors of the performing
art community in the Province had been neglected
for years and had had no forum for showcasing their
work. Despite a limited budget at that time because
the Museum was a civic gallery, she embarked on
an aggressive programme of selecting quality pieces
of contemporary Eastern Cape art for the Museum’s
holdings as well as building on the museum’s collec-
tion of national art works. She also overhauled the
exhibition system so that these holdings were shown
to the public frequently in an imaginative and unstuffy
way. Currently, the museum changes its exhibitions
often and displays themes which can range from
traditional Xhosa beadwork to the Young Artist of the
Year, the Grahamstown Festival project which selects
cutting-edge art work for national exposure on an
annual basis.
Education of the public at all levels is a priority for Dr
Hillebrand and she says that although there are still
wisps of resistance from conservative members of
the public who ‘want it all to go back to the old way’ or
from others (who more often than not haven’t physi-
cally been to the Museum) who see the institution
as a haven for elitist art, the museum is now being
taken seriously as a cultural centre by all sectors of
the population. As she notes “Art museums founded
by governments and municipalities are run by com-
mittees who are responsible for public funds”…. ”
When novices (people who know little about art) and
insiders clash, their preferred battle ground is the
art museum. The public feel rightly that they have a
say over how their taxes are spent. The art industry
laments their ignorance and poor taste. Caught in
the middle are the museum curators and directors
who will be blamed by both parties for any perceived
lapses in judgment.”
With her dedicated staff of specialists she has
been able to expand and complement community
out-reach programmes for school children from
previously disadvantaged communities as well as
mount informative in-house exhibitions and lectures
for scholars. She started these projects long before it
was politically acceptable. At one stage, she recalls “I
got hate mail”. Today, on any one day at the Museum,
there are hordes of children to be seen milling around
the gallery spaces or actively engaged in developing
their creative skills on specific courses in the activity
rooms.
When asked what she’d like to see developed in
the future for the Museum, she says that one of the
inhibiting factors is the lack of physical space which
the Museum occupies at present. The spaces in the
gallery are by modern Museum standards antiquated
and could do with better digital technology. However,
Dr Hillebrand acknowledges with a satisfied smile
“We know we do a good job with what we have, and
at the moment, there are far many other priorities
needed for the community. Culture is always way
down on the list!”
Her parting shot was “It has taken over 50 years for
our art museum to evolve to its current form. It took
15 years to promote Eastern Cape artists, 30 years to
integrate the African collection and introduce Eastern
Cape bead work, five more to accept that buying
British art was not only politically unacceptable but
financially impossible, and another five to instigate a
long-overdue name change….. this is a art museum
which serves the Nelson Mandela Metropole – hence
the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum”

Art Times caught up to a busy Stefan Hundt,
curator of the Sanlam Corporate Art Collection and
specialist at Sanlam Private Investments (SPI)
and their new Art Advisory Service
1. Were did you study, how did you come into the
art community/ develop an interest for art?
My interest in art was fostered at home, while growing
up in Bloemfontein. In a city that was known to fold
up its sidewalks at eight o’clock at night and before
television, entertainment was minimal. Surprisingly
though a few galleries operated with some success.
Whenever a new exhibition came to town these galler-
ies became central attractions and my parents would
drag me along. Being often the only child around the
gallery meant I had to occupy myself, and so looking at
the artworks exhibited became a favourite occupation.
At school, where art was fortunately, not offered as a
subject I had grand plans of erecting huge structures
made of steel, brick and concrete, but a stay in Europe
and some time slaving in a laboratory finally convinced
me to study the Fine Arts. But not in Bloemfontein. I
completed a BA Fine Arts honours at the University of
the Witwatersrand under the tutelage of amongst oth-
ers Alan Crump, Penny Siopis, Karel Nel, Neels
Coetzee, Paul Stopforth and a little bit of Robert Hodg-
ins on the Fine Arts side, and Liz Rankin, Rory Doepel,
Anitra Nettleton and Cyril Coetzee on the History of Art
side. Wits proved to be a hard learning experience and
I soon realised that I was not to become a practising
artist. Yearning for some change and a stint near the
sea I continued studying History of Art at UCT under
Michael Godby and Evelyn Cohen, completing a BA
Honours in History of Art. The art scene in Johannes-
burg however still remained the most interesting and I
was soon back there for further studies. It was during
the brief interlude while studying that I worked in the
Wits University Art Galleries and at the Johannesburg
Art Gallery and became to some degree familiar with
the workings of an Art Museum.
I took up the position of Curator of the Oliewenhuis Art
Museum with mixed feelings. After all wasn’t this the
town I had wanted get away from? Oliewenhuis Art
Museum was a newly established Art Museum with a
small collection but an amazing location. Being part
of the National Museum structure in Bloemfontein,
my colleagues were largely natural scientists whose
interests rarely accommodated much consideration for
the visual arts. The four years I spent at this museum
were highly instructive. I was fortunate to be able to
operate largely at my own behest with the support of a
governing committee that facilitated the development
of the museum. Like all art museums in this country,
funds for acquisitions were minimal but with some inge-
nuity the museum was able to make some significant
acquisitions such as the entire letter A of
Willem Boshoff’s Blind Alphabet (96 sculptures with
stands for a mere R59 000 including delivery), as well
as the commissioning and completion of the African
Caoursel Project involving 10 sculptors from across
South Africa. As far as I know it remains the only sur-
viving public sculpture commission funded by the then
Foundation for the Creative Arts, now the National Arts
Council, and it still generates funds for the museum’s
acquisitions budget. It was at the Oliewenhuis Art
Museum that I got know how museums worked and
how the state operated in funding them.
2. How did you enjoy your time at Oliewenhuis?
70 Business Art | October 2010
Art Leader:
Stefan Hundt
Oliewenhuis was an enormously enjoyable and frus-
trating, yet by the beginning of 1997 I had completed
a series of projects at the museum and was about to
embark on some new development projects to expand
the museum when I was made aware of the position
on offer as curator of the Sanlam Art Collection. I didn’t
see myself as a likely candidate for such a job at the
time, however Sanlam made me a competitive offer
and the opportunity to work in corporate environment
seemed to me to be a worthwhile challenge.
3. Was making a switch from an Art Museum to
Corporate Collection easy, what interesting points
of view did he have - did he have a strong mandate
to collect a certain type of art pleasing to a corpo-
rate environment?
The switch form Art Museum to Corporate Collection
proved not too difficult. I was fortunate that I was
allowed the same freedom to develop the collection at
Sanlam as I was at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum. In
many ways the task at Sanlam was simpler. I didn’t
have to manage a building and staff and I had the
advantage of a huge corporate infrastructure to make
things possible. The collecting mandate was very
broad and well established. Sanlam had the foresight
to appoint qualified external advisors to recommend
suitable acquisitions since the inception of the col-
lection in 1965. The core collection was solid yet the
interpretation of the mandate had remained static.
Fortunately there were no restrictive demands made by
the company directors as to what ought to be bought
and there were no requirements for prior approval.
The company showed full confidence in the advice
provided by its independent advisors. Sanlam must be
unique amongst corporate collections in that there is no
expectation from the company’s executives to have a
say in what is acquired.
4. How has the shift of corporate collection
changed from the 80’s to present day?
Up until the 1990s the South African corporate collec-
tion was largely seen as a prestigious accoutrement
to the corporate regalia which promoted the image of
the company and elevated the standing of its directors.
This is still to some extent the case today, but most
companies with art collections today appreciate the
role that art can play within the work place as a strong
symbol of the company’s commitment to creative
thinking and it acknowledging the diversity within its
workforce and the society it operates in. In this regard
corporate collections have become a lot more tuned
into contemporary art and do not shy away from the
acquisition of works that confront the viewer with
political and ethical questions of the day. Where not
so long ago the acquisition of artwork for the company
was delegated to the chairman’s wife - this is rarely the
case today.
5. In light of many corporate collections being
mothballed, or in the case of the Saachi Collection
being offered to the state, his revolutionary change
from arts curator to arts consultant is very interest-
ing. How did this come about, what in his view
are the shifts of taking on a new role in addition to
curating for Sanlam?
In a paper presented to a conference last year I stated
that perhaps the golden age of the corporate art collec-
tion in South Africa was over. A number of prominent
corporate art collections had ceased to make acquisi-
tions and were no longer active in the South African art
market. I think this to some extent reflects the change
in the way business is done today. Shareholders
have become more demanding than ever before and
the removal of non-core business activities that are a
drain on the company’s value has become a favourite
past time of the new age executive. No doubt the
Sanlam Art Collection has come under scrutiny and
its value adding role within the company has come
up for discussion. After 13 years at the head of the
collection one ofcourse also looks to what manner one
can contribute more broadly to the company without
compromising one’s position and what the collection
stands for. It was also a challenge set directly to me by
the company’s board.
It seemed to some degree quite obvious to me. Over
the last 10 years the art market has grown experi-
entially. Prices have climbed dramatically and there
are more and more dealers opening galleries, agents
canvassing clients and auctions houses offering art as
an alternative investment. The discussion around art
as an asset class has matured considerably and the
development of art funds in Europe, United States and
India only underline the reality that art has become an
investable commodity. Up to R 200 million was spent
last year on art on auction at two auction houses last
year alone. How do these spenders decide on what
to buy? Are they all experts in the field? Do they just
blindly follow the market? Do they just believe what the
auctioneer, dealer or agent tells them? There appears
to be a need and demand for some form of independ-
ent expert advice that is a little more than mere opinion.
Over the years I have been consulted continuously
for advice. It just makes sense that a company such
Sanlam and in particular Sanlam Private Investments,
that deals with high net worth individuals, should be
able to provide its clients with appropriate advice on an
alternative asset class such art. I have been doing this
for years for the Sanlam Art Collection, why shouldn’t
I do this for its clients? I hope that the Sanlam Private
Investments Art Advisory Service will introduce some-
thing new into the art market. I have always called the
South African art market the “Wild West” – everyone
just shoots from hip. Over the years we have seen
dealers come and go, artists gallery hopping and deal-
ers poaching. There are few consistently professional
dealers and agents and some of them are prone to ride
the wave of popularity when the going is good and dis-
appear when the going gets tough. The art industry is
however showing signs of maturing, with more serious
collectors participating in the market. What is sorely
lacking in the market is an effective critical network and
museums sector, which would provide some perspec-
tive on quality and the significance of certain artists’
works in the context of history.
6. What is the way forward for the Sanlam
collection - is it sharing with other collections and
promoting the Sanlam collection with other venues
and galleries?
The future of the Sanlam Art Collection is secure and
we will continue adding to the collection within the
parameters we have been doing over the last few
years. We of course review our strategy on a regular
basis. I have always maintained an open approach to
collaborative work with other institutions public as well
as private. Bringing people in contact with Sanlam’s
Art Collection throughout South Africa will remain one
of the key programmes.
Photo: Jenny Altschuler
 Appreciating art as an asset
The bold launching of the first South African Art Advisory Service part of the Sanlam
Private Investments (SPA) happened at the Circa Gallery last month AT takes a look
Opinion piece by Stefan Hundt, curator of the Sanlam
Corporate Art Collection and specialist at Sanlam
Private Investments (SPI) Art Advisory Service
Appreciating art takes on a whole new meaning when
viewing it as an investment. Recently, a still life by
South African artist Irma Stern sold for a record R7.6-
million. How does a painting appreciate to this value?
Where are the opportunities in the South African
market? How can art be part of a diversified invest-
ment portfolio? When should I begin investing in art?
These are questions that are asked by those with the
means and inclination to buy art as more than just
decorative pieces.
For part-time art aficionados and buyers, it is vital
to understand that like any investment, timing is
crucial; as is good advice. For one, the art market
is not liquid. Selling a piece on the open market is
not easy, particularly if you want to realise full value.
It is often a slow process and when considering a
purchase, thinking long-term has to be one of the first
considerations.
As a potential art investor, it is essential to thoroughly
research an artist and the art market in general.
Similar to developing financial literacy, it is vital to
build up knowledge about the sort of art you would
like to collect, including speaking to experts in the
field and artists themselves. Take your time, think
beyond aesthetics and if you are only interested in
the ‘marketability’ of a piece be careful not to become
too emotionally attached to it. Consider the longevity
of a painting, how prolific an artist is currently and
what is unique about the art, the artist or the context
for the art.
Sanlam Private Investments (SPI) launched SA’s first
art advisory service this month, to help aspiring and
current art collectors negotiate the potential minefield
of investing in art. With expert advice on buying
and selling art, managing an art collection to best
preserve its value, and counsel on how art may fit into
an investor’s portfolio, it is a unique service offered to
predominantly high net-worth individuals.
I believe the nearly R7.6 million recently paid for
Irma Stern’s ‘Still Life with Gladioli and Fruit’ was
excessive, but someone was slightly desperate to get
a Stern on the wall, and that led to the top price being
paid at auction. On the upside, though, the chances
that the price of such a well-known artist will decline
are slim – good news for wealthy investors, who are
able to afford these pieces.
But what if you’re not wealthy enough to put a Stern
in your living room? Ideally you want to either find
an up-and-coming artist, or a forgotten artist. A
young William Kentridge may have been counted as
up-and-coming in the 1980s. In 1987, for example,
Sanlam bought two of his works for R1814 a piece.
Now they’re valued at between R280 000 and R350
000 each. Investors who bought the works of Robert
Hodgins up until the 1980s have also made a tidy
return. Willem Boshoff was also just being considered
10 years ago. Today he is one of the most successful
sculptors in the country.
There are some real gems in the South African art
market and finding them is the challenge. Some-
times they are right in front of your eyes and in other
instances they may have been ‘buried’ for years.
Take Gerard Bhengu, for example, an artist whose
work was neglected over time, but who has gained
fame more recently. One of his pieces cost just R700
a decade ago, but today is worth around R15 000.
Sanlam’s own portfolio is a good example of how art
can appreciate if the right principles are followed. In
1997, the Sanlam Art Collection - including a number
of Irma Stern works and 89 Maggie Laubser pieces -
was insured for just under R6-million. Today its worth
is conservatively estimated at R128-million.
Opportunities to buy value in South Africa’s art market
abound, but they aren’t infinite. If you’re in the market
for art as an appreciated asset, as opposed to just
appreciating art, take the time to educate yourself and
secure objective advice about what is valuable and
has potential.
Stefan Hundt: Curator: Sanlam Art Collection
Stefan Hundt has been curator of the Sanlam Art
Collection since 1997. Since his appointment the
collection has expanded with the addition of some
500 artworks dating from late 19th Century to the
present. The collection boasts a representative
overview of South African art valued conservatively at
R128-million.
Over the past decade Hundt has been responsible
for the regular exhibition at the Sanlam Art Gallery,
as well as national travelling exhibitions that have
showcased the Sanlam Art Collection and first time
solo exhibitions by under-recognised artists.
Prior to his appointment at Sanlam, he served as
curator for the Oliewenhuis Art Museum, a satellite of
the National Museum in Bloemfontein. He continues
to practise as an art historian publishing articles
on corporate collecting and catalogues featuring
the Sanlam Art Collection and selected artists. For
the past 17 years he has played an active role in
the South African art world, 13 of which have been
dedicated to expanding Sanlam’s investment in its art
collection.
Hundt holds a BA in Fine Arts with honours from the
University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) and studied
History of Art at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Works included in the Sanlam Art Collection

Name of Artist Name of Work Year and Price Bought Current Estimated Value

Irma Stern Still Life of Flowers w ith African Sculpture R2700 (1974) R4.2-mln
Irma Stern Malay Girl R1250 (1968) R3.5-mln
Freida Lock Interior R550 (1972) R500 000
Hugo Naudé Malay Quarter R2055 (1972) R250 000
Walter Battiss African Night Market R575 (1967) R220 000
Diederick During Snoek Seller R3342 (2004) R 30 000

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72 Business Art | October 2010

 Top South African Paintings at Strauss & Co’s October Auction
CAPE TOWN
Important Paintings, Furniture, Silver and Ceramics
Monday 11 October 2010 at 3pm and 8pm
The Vineyard Hotel, Colinton Road, Newlands, CT
On view: Friday 8 October 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Saturday 9 October 9am to 5pm
Sunday 10 October 9am to 5pm
Walkabout: Conducted by Stephan Welz
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 October at 11am
Enquiries: 021 683 6560
ct@straussart.co.za www.straussart.co.za
The top lots coming up on Strauss & Co’s 11 October
sale at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands are attracting
keen attention from prospective buyers. Amongst these,
punters are keeping a close watch on Irma Stern’s
Gladioli (R5 000 000 to R7 000 000) after a still life paint-
ing by the artist fetched R7 575 200 on the company’s
Johannesburg auction earlier this year, breaking the
record for the highest price achieved at auction for a
South African still life.
Yachts and Houses (R2 000 000 – 3 000 000) is a rare
example of Stern’s adventures into abstraction. Painted
in 1950, the year in which she visited Madeira, it shows
the characteristic ceramic-tiled rooves, a mill and yachts
in the bay. But rather than present a picturesque scene,
the artist has compressed the elements into a shallow
pictorial space, added dramatic diagonals and a circular
rhythm to convey the excitement and passion she felt
about Madeira and about the very act of painting.
It’s not difficult to understand why a conceptually clever
work like Irma Stern’s Figure on a Beach (R800 000
– 1 200 000) would have appealed to the late Professor
Neville Dubow, former Director of the UCT Irma Stern
Museum and highly respected author of many texts
on the artist. In this late work, painted in 1962, Stern
depicts a woman, with an arch, over-the-shoulder ex-
pression indicating that she’s both aware of being looked
at and that she’s looking right back. The painted frame
draws attention to the painting as a conscious construc-
tion, not a window through which to view the world.
The South African-born Edward Wolfe settled in
England and soon became a member of the celebrated
Bloomsbury set that gathered around artist and critic
Roger Fry, writer Virginia Woolf and her sister, the
painter Vanessa Bell. He enjoyed considerable success
in Europe and his painting, The Spanish Girl, was well
received at the Venice Biennale in 1923. As one of
the first English painters to be influenced by Matisse,
Wolfe’s dramatic palette of bright colours is infused with
the light of his home country and of North Africa, where
Business Art | October 2010 73
he spent many years living in Morocco. In his Portrait of
Aisha (R60 000 – 90 000) his admiration of Modigliani is
evident in the dark, almond eyes, the sensuous lips and
the elegant curve of her neck.
May Hillhouse, a still underrated artist associated with
the New Group, has been compared to Sonia Delaunay,
the Russian-French artist who, along with others, de-
veloped the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of
strong colours and geometric shapes. Hillhouse’s early
colour-science research conducted in London provided
the stimulus for ongoing investigations into colour and
form. Figures in an Archway (R500 000 – 600 000) is
an outstanding example of her unique style that brings
together innovative combinations of glowing colours and
rhythmic design. The Synthetic Cubism of Picasso and
Braque, with its overlapping planes of flat, bright colour,
is reinterpreted by Hillhouse with subtler colours like
mauves and olives juxtaposed with delightful patterning.
Three years before painting The Bull in 1956 (R300 000
– 500 000), Alexis Preller had undertaken a study trip
to Italy and Egypt. The influence of the Quattrocento
frescoes of Piero della Francesca and the symbolism of
ancient Egypt are noticeable in his subsequent work in
which bulls are associated with the rituals and mytholo-
gies of African and European beliefs and practices.
Strauss & Co’s October sale features many paintings
that trace the development of landscape painting in
South Africa over almost a century. Pieter Wenning’s
painting, Durban (R600 000 – 900 000), made in 1918,
is a gem both for its rarity and for its exquisite painterli-
ness. Wenning was well informed and deeply influenced
by the Orientalism so prevalent at the turn of the last
century. He brings to this painting of sub-tropical luxuri-
ance the glowing, jewel-like colours, strong contours
and sinuous lines that are also reminiscent of the Art
Nouveau movement.
J H Pierneef’s Koringlande Agter Paarl (R2 500 000
– 3 500 000) is a rare example of the artist’s Boland
landscapes. It was acquired directly from the artist and
has never come onto the market before. The Cape
Dutch homestead with its pioniershuis, nestling at the
foot of the dramatic Simonsberg mountains must have
made an enormous impression on Pierneef and struck
him as the very epitome of a typical Cape landscape. It
also represents a slice of history in that these rolling hills,
now covered in vineyards, were in the 1950s planted
with wheat and tobacco which was much more profitable
then. History, heritage and nature are brought together
in a magnificent breath-taking vision by one of South
Africa’s top artists.
A striking pair of paintings represents Maggie Laubser
at her best. Flamingoes on the Beach (R700 000
– 900 000) and Landscape with Blue Crane (R600 000
– 800 000) demonstrate her wonderful gift for distilling
the essence of a scene with strong drawing, simplified
shapes and bold colours. Both landscapes are so typi-
cally South African that we feel we know them and yet
they are quite obviously ideal scenes conjured from her
imagination.
Two paintings by Pinker on this auction offer insights into
the progressive development of abstraction in the South
African landscape genre. An exquisite little painting of
Castagniers (R30 000 – 40 000) was made when he
was living in the south of France from the mid-50s to
mid-60s. The village is not far from L’Estaque, where
Cézanne, Braque and Picasso painted similar scenes
that were to become the cornerstones of early Analyti-
cal Cubism. Such a seminal painting that so clearly
demonstrates the impact of Modernism on South African
art belongs in a major collection.
Lazing in the Sand Dunes (R300 000 – 500 000)
demonstrates how Pinker developed those early
experiments in abstraction into this later style. Broad
sweeping planes of subtle colour are contrasted with the
intensely blue sky and punctuated with bright accents
in the foreground. While it evokes all the sensuous
qualities of Matisse whom Pinker admired so much, its
bold abstraction makes it a thoroughly contemporary
landscape painting.
It’s obvious why Stanley Pinker has become a firm
favourite at auction. The Wheel of Life (R700 000 – 1
000 000) is a major painting that featured on his solo
exhibition at the South African National Gallery in 1983.
The artist is playing an amusing game on a number of
levels with the elements of art and with art history. The
circle, sprinkled with local icons, is also a circus arena
in which Pinker produces a carnival of socio-political
commentary, delivered with the most incisive intellect
and consummate wit. Still life paintings by Cecil Skotnes
do not come to auction often. Two are included in
Strauss & Co’s October sale. Still Life with Figs (R300
000 – 500 000) was affectionately produced as a gift by
the artist and deemed so special that he surrounded it
with a hand-crafted frame. Interestingly, he has chosen
to present the items in a stylish, horizontal arrangement
rather than clustering them together. Still Life with a
Bowl of Fruit and a Coffee Pot (R250 000 – 350 000)
demonstrates the influences of Paul Cézanne’s Post-Im-
pressionist vision, especially in the treatment of the bowl
of fruit. Both are wonderful reminders of the hospitality
of Cecil and Thelma Skotnes and their love of sharing,
with family and friends, delectable food, excellent wine,
good coffee and stimulating conversation.Responding to
the growing interest in South African art, Strauss & Co’s
October auction offers a wide range of art and antiques.
From top lots to affordable acquisitions, there’s some-
thing for everyone’s taste and pocket.
JOHANNESBURG
Important British, Continental and South African
Paintings and Sculpture
Monday 1 November 2010 at 4pm and 8pm
Country Club Johannesburg, Woodmead
Corner Lincoln Road & Woodlands Drive,
Woodmead
On view
Friday 29 October 10am to 5pm
Saturday 30 October 10am to 5pm
Sunday 31 October 10am to 5pm
Walkabout
Conducted by Stephan Welz on Sunday 31
October at 11am
Enquiries: 011 728 8246 jhb@straussart.co.za
www.straussart.co.za
 Because you have money, and don’t buy our art, we have simply burnt it.

A novel approach to promote the plight of artists who struggle to sell
there work was illustrated by a Mexican born art curator Jaime Vasquez
who curated a show with the title: “Catch 2010” at the 38 Special Gallery
in downtown Cape Town. The show had a twist to it : if the exhibited
work didn’t sell, it will be burnt, and it did.
The show’s curator Jaime Vasquez said that the show is a statement
that “artist put their hearts, and lives into making art and meaning for
society, they sacrifice all for art, only to be dumped by it”. Vasquez went
on to say that that “the fault of the artwork being destroyed is not the
fault of the artists, but the fault of people who have money but do not
buy art”. Whether their artwork gets sold is up to the public.
After the show, when it came to the unsold work being burnt “Some of
the exhibiting artists failed to pitch up with their work” commented Jaime
Vasquez. Besides this much of the work was indeed burnt, photo-
graphic records were made, and a documentary of this is to be found on
Youtube see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqw4Hel5aik
Artists that exhibited include: Ayanda Mabulu, Xolile Williams, Khaya
Sineyile, Roscoe R Masters, Cinga Samson, Adolf Tega, Aphelele
Mlaza, Zolani Siphungela, Godfrey M Ntakana, James Alcock,
Jaime Vasquez.

74 Business Art | October 2010

 The next Stephan Welz & Company Auction: 5 October 2010, Cape Town

Contemporary South African master, and arguably

South Africa’s most successful art export, William
Kentridge, is the face of the auction. A drawing from
a Stereoscope (pre-sale estimate R1 200 000 –
1 400 000), a still from Kentridge’s A drawing from
a Stereoscope film produced during 1998/9 is
the frontispiece of the auction catalogue. The film
Stereoscope and many other drawings formed the
cornerstone of Kentridge’s recent exhibition at the
Museum of Modern Art in New York.

“This auction is the most exciting and diverse sale in

which I have been involved. South African masters
vie for the spotlight alongside Contemporary artists,”
enthuses Phillippa Duncan, Senior Painting Specialist
and Auctioneer. “We have been fortunate enough
to have consigned major works by Irma Stern, Cecil
Skotnes, JH Pierneef, Conrad Botes, Erik Laubscher
and Edoardo Villa to name but a few,” continues
Duncan, personal favorites include the Kentridge,
a selection of three incised panels by Cecil Skotnes
(R600 000 – 900 000 each) and the finest Irma Stern
gouache Still Life to be offered at public auction in
recent history (R900 000 – 1 200 000).

“This is an exceptional spring sale for us. It includes

a wide array of beautiful and significant pieces across
a broad economic spectrum. This sale is a highlight
in the auction calendar for collectors of memorable
pieces,” says Ian Hunter, Head of Paintings in
Cape Town.
Catalogues for the auction are available from both the
Cape Town and Johannesburg offices.
For further details please call 021-794-6461,
E-mail ct@swelco.co.za or visit www.swelco.co.za
Venue: The Great Cellar, Alphen Hotel, Alphen Drive
Constantia

Viewing:
Friday 1 October 09h00 - 17h00
Saturday 2 October 09h00 - 15h00
Sunday 3 October 09h00 - 17h00

Auction:
Tuesday 5 October 10h00, 14h30 & 19h00
Wednesday 6 October 10h00, 14h30 & 19h00

Enquiries & Catalogues: Cape Town Office

021 794 6461, ct@swelco.co.za , www.swelco.co.za
The next auction includes work from William Kentridge, Cecil Skotnes, Pierneef and Keith Alexander.
For further information please contact 021-794-6461 View the online catalogue at www.swelco.co.za

Swelco opens new refurbished auction premises at The Alphen Hotel

Stephan Welz & Company, will be holding their spring
Decorative and Fine Arts Auction over two days, the
5th and 6th of October 2010. The auction will take
place at their newly refurbished auction premises
at The Great Cellar, housed on the Alphen Hotel
grounds in Constantia.
“The renovations have taken up much of the past
eighteen months,” says Shone Robie, Manager for
the Cape Town office. “When we were first ap-
proached by the Cloete-Hopkins, who own the
premises, regarding converting the entire cellar for
our exclusive use, both as both a show room during
Business Art | October 2010 75
and between auctions- we couldn’t resist.”
It has been a labour of love undertaken by the Cape
Town office and a team of heritage compliant builders
and architects. “Not a nail was hammered before
being passed through the heritage council. We were
made aware from the beginning that this was not
going to be a case of a wrecking ball and a coat of
paint,” she concludes.
And as with any building project the final snags have
been worked out in time for the auction.
The South African Sale
Wednesday 27 October at 2pm
New Bond Street, London
Enquiries Irma Stern (1894-1966) Cecil Skotnes (1926-2009) Catalogue
Giles Peppiatt Bahora Girl, 1945 (detail) Three figures +44 (0) 1666 502 200
+44 (0) 20 7468 8355 within original Zanzibar frame incised and painted wood panel subscriptions@bonhams.com
Estimate: £600,000 - 900,000 £110,000-150,000
Hannah O’Leary (ZAR 6,800,000 - 10,200,000) (ZAR 1,212,000 - 1,652,000)
+44 (0) 20 7468 8213
Catherine Harrington Jacob Hendrik Pierneef
+44 (0) 20 7468 8216 (1886-1957) Bonhams
Bosveld (detail) 101 New Bond Street
sapictures@bonhams.com £200,000 - 300,000 London W1S 1SR
(ZAR 2,204,000 - 3,305,000) www.bonhams.com/sasale
 Decorative and Fine Arts
TO BE SOLD IN CAPE TOWN ON 5 & 6 OCTOBER 2010

Cecil Skotnes ICON 13 R 600 000 - 800 000

Conrad Botes MURDER AND MAYHEM R 35 000 - 45 000 Edoardo Villa UNTITLED I R 250 000 - 350 000

FOR VIEWING TIMES, AUCTION ENQUIRIES AND CATALOGUES

Cape Town Johannesburg
021 794 6461 011 880 3125
ct@swelco.co.za www.swelco.co.za jhb@swelco.co.za
 Cape Town | 5 & 6 October 2010
Johannesburg | 16 & 17 November 2010
TO BE SOLD IN CAPE TOWN ON 5 & 6 OCTOBER 2010

Walter Battiss PRELUDE TO THE DANCE R 600 000 - 800 000

Irma Stern STILL LIFE WITH POPPIES AND FRUIT R 900 000 - 1 200 000

Edoardo Villa RECLINING FIGURE R 80 000 - 100 000

Erik Laubscher RED FRAGMENT R 200 000 - 300 000 Gerard Sekoto TOWNSHIP SCENE R 450 000 - 500 000
Robert Slingsby
C C - U N L I M I T E D P O W E R

‘At the game park’ 2010 Acrylic on canvas, 74 x 68 cm’s

BA RN A RD
2 9 t h S e p t e m b e r -
BG
1 8 t h
G A LLERY
N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0

55 Main Street Newlands, Cape Town • Tel.: 021 671-1666 • gallery@barnardgallery.com • www.barnardgallery.com