Abstract, ceramic and socio-political works are among Strauss & Co’s superb Saturday Live offerings

An array of ceramics and tapestries from the iconic Rorke’s Drift Art and Craft Centre as well as unusual abstract and compelling socio-political works are among the diverse offerings at Strauss & Co’s second Saturday Live sale.

Taking place on 19 October at Strauss & Co’s newly expanded Johannesburg office, Saturday Live is an important initiative that fills a strategic niche between Strauss & Co’s five premium live sales and eight online-only auctions.

It focuses primarily on artworks by established artists overall key time periods and is built around a highly accessible, boutique-style live sale at the auction house’s Houghton offices.

As part of this new initiative, Strauss & Co’s Saturday Live auctions offer a longer preview period with the upcoming sale opening for viewing on Wednesday October 16th at 09:00.

Buyers will be able to preview the works on sale on Wednesday, Thursday (17 October) and Friday (18 October) by visiting Strauss & Co’s offices in Johannesburg.

Walkabouts in the company of Strauss & Co’s highly-regarded art specialists will also be possible in the days leading up to the sale.

The Rorke’s Drift Art and Craft Centre was established in the early 1960s and played a pivotal role in the education of many of South Africa’s best-known black artists at the time.

The Saturday Live sale also features works by an array of other prominent historical artists including a lithograph, Office Decoration, by Robert Hodgins; Judith Mason’s artist’s book Skoelapper Heuwel, Skoelapper Vrou, and Sipho Ndlovu’s fantastic portrait of the well-known sculptor of exquisite wooden animals, Julius Mfete.

Adding to the sale’s diversity is a selection of unusual abstract works by prominent artists that provide a superb starting point for emerging collectors. These include Walter Battiss’ Marabaraba screen print, works by Gordon Vorster that are quite unlike his signature wild animals, and works drawn from Malcolm Payne’s very short abstract period during the 1970s. Also on offer are works by Anna Vorster (a completely underrated abstract artist whose works seldom appear on the secondary market), Trevor Coleman (featuring proper abstract scenes that are a distinct departure from his usual island ones), and mid-1980s abstract works by Sam Nhlengethwa.

The sale boasts a number of highly collectable works with a socio-political slant – including Diane Victor’s 16 etchings: Disasters of Peace (based on the satirical Goya etchings), Paul Emmanuel’s Field of Flames (which evokes male initiation into the army), and Sam Nhlengethwa’s Miners, which focuses on the plight of workers.

Other highlights of this compelling aspect of the upcoming sale are Basil Jones’ beautiful print, War Horse, which references the phenomenal theatre production that’s based on the acclaimed novel about the First World War, as well as Irma Stern’s Man in Yellow Shroud. Unusually for Stern, this is a highly political work that comments on the iniquities of the First World War in the vein of Otto Dix and Max Beckman, both first-generation German expressionists.

Another area of focus for the sale is the human figure. Buyers can choose from interesting interpretations by artists like Margaret McKean, Hanneke Benade (a series of six lithographs of a woman climbing over a chair), and Claudette Schreuders (works that often serve as inspiration for her exquisite wooden and bronze sculptures). There is also an unusual triple-figure study by Gerard Sekoto, possibly invoking the classical theme of The Three Graces.

Rounding off the October Saturday Live sale is a selection of international works including three circular, pink-infused prints by the massively popular Takashi Murakami as well as works by underrated British pop artist Peter Phillips (a contemporary of David Hockney) and TMFA (The Most Famous Artist), a conceptual artist known for repurposing old paintings and murals.

Strauss & Co’s Saturday Live sale is a new and exciting addition to the yearly auction calendar and once again confirms Strauss & Co as a leader in fine art auctions globally. The 19 October sale takes place at 11am at 89 Central Street, Houghton, Johannesburg.

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