Discussing shifts in the South African art market and highlights from their upcoming live-virtual auction taking place this Thursday, 4 March 2021.
Can you tell us more about the upcoming Aspire Auction? What are some of the highlights?
From modernists Irma Stern, Maggie Laubser and JH Pierneef to internationally celebrated artists, Marlene Dumas, William Kentridge and Isaac Julien; from local legends Robert Hodgins and Cecil Skotnes to African masters Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba and Ablade Glover, Aspire Art Auctions’ brings an unparalleled offering of international and African art to its upcoming 4 March auction in a beautiful new setting in De Waterkant. Look out for works by Ephraim Ngatane, Misheck Masamvu and Moshekwa Langa as well as rapidly rising young stars like Turiya Magadlela (FNB art prize winner), and Blessing Ngobeni (Standard Bank Young Artist 2020 and the first artist at Everard Read’s prestigious new Leeuw Estates residency.)
Dahlias and Fruit (pre-sale estimate: R4,500,000-6,000,000) is undoubtedly one of the most vibrant and sumptuous paintings that Irma Stern ever produced – A Feast for the Eye! Alive with colour and bursting with energy, it draws the viewer into the heart of its luscious array of flowers and fruits. This glorious still life has all the immediacy of a work painted with passion and in the heat of the moment, without hesitation.
Marlene Dumas is widely regarded as one of the most influential painters working today. Her engagement with art history and her experiments with representations of the body have drawn keen interest worldwide. Dumas’ Score (pre-sale estimate: R3,000,000-5,000,000) is an extraordinary painting that forges youthful vigour and the principles of Classical art into a dynamic statement about life, love and art. It was inspired by the central panel of Italian Renaissance artist, Andrea Mantegna’s The Adoration of the Magi, painted around 1460 and now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Dumas has nevertheless radically re-interpreted the original—an erotic body is transposed into the holy cave, and where the Virgin was surrounded by angels, the artist has kissed the canvas with her own lips coated in fuchsia and red oil paint.
William Kentridge’s Drawing from Sobriety, Obesity and Growing Old (Mrs Eckstein, preparing for the day) (pre-sale estimate: R2,800,000-3,800,000) lights up the room with its joyous expression of life. It is expected to excite much interest given that Aspire Art Auctions has a long and impressive history in selling top works by this important artist, having twice captured the world record for his work—once when selling Drawing from Stereoscope (Double page, Soho in two rooms) for R6,600,400 in 2018, and R5,456,640 before that for Drawing from Mine (Soho with Coffee Plunger and Cup) in 2017.
Kentridge’s expressive and rarely colourful Dutch Iris prints are highly sought-after. Expanded to a scale larger than life—118 x 81cm—the beauty of his Dutch Iris II (pre-sale estimate: R500,000-800,000) was envisioned as a four plate print series. The artist’s mastery of the complex medium is said to have achieved such heights and flexibility that it rivals painting.
Robert Hodgins’ Figure by a River (pre-sale estimate: R500,000-800,00) is a bold, Rothko-esque depiction of a nude figure in the artist’s contemporary re-imagining of the Battle of Cascina, famously also depicted by Michelangelo. His delightful Songs my mother taught me (pre-sale estimate: R450,000-550,00) is, in all likelihood, an autobiographical painting drawing on his own childhood. Its playful composition and colour confirm him to be a great painter, able to turn the stuff of ordinary life into art and poetry—which is why he is so beloved.
In the international contemporary art world Isaac Julien shines a leading light. Renowned for immersive cinematic installations and photographs, his work pioneered the dialogue around cultural politics. A first to the South African market, the large-scale photographic work Chameleon (pre-sale estimate: R600,000-800,000) is part of the artist’s epic multi-media installation Ten Thousand Waves. Maggie Cheung, the Hong Kong-based actress, stars as the protagonist in a series of fictional scenarios that poetically explore the movement of people across countries and continents in a comment on unfinished journeys. Ten Thousand Waves was shown at various art institutions around the world including MoMA in New York and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. In 2017, it was displayed at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town as part of the inaugural exhibition, All things being equal…
The focus on photography includes David Goldblatt’s Luke Kgatitsoe at his house, bulldozed in February 1984 by the government after the forced removal of the people of Magopa, a black-owned farm, which had been declared a ‘black spot’, Ventersdorp district, Transvaal, 21 October 1986 (pre-sale estimate: R150,000-250,000) which has been widely exhibited in major international solo exhibitions in New York, Barcelona, Brussels, Porto and Göteburg.
Of particular interest is a sequence of photographs by leading Australian artist, Tracey Moffat, entitled Up in the Sky, which will be exhibited concurrently at Tate Modern. The artist has generously donated these to raise funds for Molo Songololo and its valuable work that benefits thousands of children each year. Largely 12 to 17-years of age and from poor families and communities, child victims of sexual violence and exploitation, those at risk and their parents and families all benefit from the organisation’s vital work. Government and NGO service providers engaged in this vitally important work also greatly benefit from Molo Songololo’s initiatives. We invite you to join us in supporting this worthy cause by bidding for the love, care, dignity and safety of our country’s children.
This auction inaugurates our new Cape Town premises at 37A Somerset Road, De Waterkant. We invite you to join us at this initiatory opening. Top lots will be on view from Wednesday 24 February to Thursday 4 March. The auction will be a live event at our new Cape Town premises, up to 50 attendees are welcome on a pre-booked basis. The event will also be Live-Streamed through our website and Invaluable portal. The auction starts on Thursday 4 March at 7pm.
How have you found the reaction from art collectors around purchasing art in the new digital era?
As with most technological advances, there is initial resistance that is eventually replaced with interest and then acceptance. While there was some skepticism around buying art viewed only on a screen and transacting for large sums online, this was mitigated by the trust relationships established over time and through a proven track record. After the initial hindrance the barriers to entry vanished and now our clients, across the board, are comfortable within this space.
Most collectors have moved seamlessly to the digital domain. They are used to navigating the internet and are happy to acquire art from trusted sources. Our Specialists are trusted, having been active in the local art field, establishing their reputations at, amongst others, Iziko South African National Gallery, local commercial galleries and in the auction industry.
How prepared was Aspire to deal with the changes to the art market that occurred due to the pandemic of 2020?
Since inception we have effectively positioned this business within the digital space. Consequently, it was neither a difficult, time-consuming nor expensive process for us to pivot and be able to function within an exclusively online environment.
We presented our sales as live broadcasts through various online platforms that are readily accessible to all our clients and, simultaneously, engaged many new clients from around the world.
What have been some of the greatest challenges?
Art is intended to be seen and experienced so, for most of us, not being able to engage with art, artists and audiences has been the most disappointing aspect. We have also missed interfacing with our clients and friends as, ultimately, this is the backbone of our business and the most enjoyable part of the job.
Has Aspire’s database of collectors changed slightly over the past year?
Yes, we have seen a significant increase in international collectors and many younger buyers. Much of what we offer appeals to younger people. It’s exciting for us to consider ways in which we can reach wider audiences and expand the business and appeal to new collectors.
We started Aspire with confidence that the South African art market needed changing. We were excited about working more with contemporary artists and experimenting with more collaborative projects. We think about who the upcoming collectors in the market are. We would like to see the market as much more diverse and complex. Some collectors are collecting at the cutting-edge, others are happy collecting artists whose work they know well. It is a constantly changing market. We work with diverse collectors here at Aspire assisting them in building their collections.
Do certain works sell better online than others?
We have learnt that collectors are happy to engage with art online. Buyers across the world have become accustomed to acquiring works from international sources as long as they trust the brand.
Online auctions are no longer reserved for lower value works.
Though, that said, we understand that people are, ultimately, gregarious creatures, and art is meant to be interacted with. So, we look forward to the days when we can celebrate exhibitions as a community and auctions as physical events.
Considering the economic hardship that most businesses have experienced over the past year, how has it affected the South African art market and Aspire as an auction house?
Great art sells well, despite even the most trying environments. As purveyors of the best quality art this continent has to offer, we have been fortunate and experienced a good year for our business.