BUSINESS ART | SOUTH AFRICAN ART AUCTION HOUSES: LEADERS ON THE MOVE
Phillippa Duncan
Shona Robie
Shona Robie, New Director at Stephan Welz & Co (Pty) Stephan Welz & Co (Pty) Limited is delighted to announce the appointment of Shona Robie, Head of Ceramics and Office Manager, Cape Town, as Company Director. A University of Cape Town Fine Arts sculpture graduate, Shona Robie has been a dedicated and key member of the Stephan Welz & Co staff for 10 years, where she has cultivated and shared her extensive knowledge and appreciation for ceramics. A self-proclaimed passion for Chinese ceramics and works of art has fuelled Robie’s exploration of oriental culture and history. In order to gain a better understanding of the current market and its trends, Robie recently travelled to mainland China, an experience which she describes as awe-inspiring, enlightening, enriching and a great privilege. Although remarkable growth in this global collecting category has already been observed, Robie suggests that there is still a lot of potential and opportunity for collectors at all levels, especially in South Africa where prices are currently competitive. More broadly, Robie also highlights the desirability of Art Deco and newfound interest in good South African pottery. A variety of excellent pieces, including a selection of quality Chinese items and the magnificent Koi Panel by South African master ceramic artist Esias Bosch (est R160 000 – R180 000), will come under the hammer in Session Four, 30 May 2012, at the forthcoming Cape Town Auction.
42
Ruarc Peffers
Strauss & Co, Jhb. appoints New Senior Painting Specialists Strauss & Co’s Paintings Department, headed by leading art expert and auctioneer Stephan Welz, features “handpicked” professionals, whose tenure and experience is difficult to match. They work in tandem to source the most compelling works for their high-profile auctions and endeavour to deliver strong returns to sellers. Their hard work and passion have attracted buyers from South Africa and abroad to their sales and have resulted in record prices and historic sales. These include, amongst others, Two Arabs, by Irma Stern, which sold for R21 million in September last year and is the most expensive painting ever sold in South Africa. Two respected and well known faces from the South African art scene, Phillippa Duncan and Ruarc Peffers, have recently joined the company as Senior Paintings Specialists. They will be based in the Johannesburg office. (Ann Palmer, Cape Town Department
Head and Emma Bedford, Senior Specialist, are based in the Cape Town office). Duncan and Peffers bring with them a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise. Both Michaelis BA Fine Art graduates, and trained auctioneers, Peffers and Duncan headed the Paintings Department, during their time at Stephan Welz & Co. (the company founded by Stephan Welz and subsequently sold). Prior to joining Strauss & Co, Peffers, obtained an MSc in Curatorial Studies and Art Criticism from the University of Edinburgh, worked at the Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) and more recently, represented Blank Projects, a Cape Town based project space at the Super Market Art Fair in Stockholm. Strauss & Co. Johannesburg 011 728 8246 / Cape Town 021 683 6560 /www.straussart.co.za
Upcoming SA Fine Art Auction Sales May 29-30 June 11 August 7-8 October 2-3 October 8 October 22-23 November 6-7
Stephan Welz and Co. Cape Town Sale Strauss & Co. Johannesburg Sale Stephan Welz and Co. Johannesburg Sale Stephan Welz and Co.Cape Town Sale Strauss & Co. Cape Town Sale Strauss & Co. The Contents of Keerweder Stephan Welz and Co.Joburg Sale
Invitation to consign 2012 31 May – 13 June End July 9 Aug – 22 Aug 4 Oct – 17 Oct 8 Nov – 21 Nov
Stephan Welz and Co.Cape Town Consigning Strauss & Co Cape Town Sale Consigning Stephan Welz and Co.Joburg Consigning Stephan Welz and Co. Jhb Contemporary Lecture Stephan Welz and Co.Cape Town Consigning SA ART TIMES. June 2012