Strauss & Co Welcomes a New Season with September Auction Week

Having reached the end of a particularly gloomy winter for the city, Strauss & Co celebrates the first signs of light and warmth with its exciting offerings during its September Auction Week: a series of five curated sales bursting with modern and contemporary art, photography, furniture, design and ceramics. Highlights from this programme include a standalone live-virtual auction of world-renowned South African artist and potter Hylton Nel, as well as Strauss & Co’s first-ever photography sale.

The week offers great opportunities to start – or grow – art collections and learn all about the richness of South Africa’s contemporary art identity. According to Managing Executive Bina Genovese, “No single media defines contemporary expression”. True to this, Strauss & Co’s catalogues for the marquee auction week include paintings, drawings, photographic portraits, ceramic pieces and tapestries. This wide variety of media includes the likes of iconic artists Misheck Masamvu, Simphiwe Ndzube, Pieter Hugo, Zanele Muholi, and Hylton Nel.

‘A World in Clay: Hylton Nel’s Ceramic Studio’ Auction

September Auction Week includes three live-virtual auctions, as well as two online-only auctions. Kicking off the programme is ‘A World in Clay: Hylton Nel’s Ceramic Studio’. This is a 49-lot sale of works by Nel between 1982 and 2004. The artist’s legendary status in the art world was recently recognised by global luxury brand Dior during its men’s summer catwalk show in Paris. Excitingly, participants in the auction can engage with a selection of Nel’s works, including his iconic ‘Weeping Cat’ estimated to be valued between R80 000 to R120 000, and a pair of ‘Cats on Yellow Bases’ (2001), estimated with a value between R150 000 to R200 000. Hylton Nel’s sale takes place on Tuesday 17 September at 5pm.

‘Modern and Contemporary Art’ Sales

Nel’s sale is immediately followed by a premium ‘Evening Sale of Modern and Contemporary Art’ later on Tuesday the 19^th at 7pm. Expect to see Vladimir Tretchikoff’s iconic ‘Balinese Girl’ (estimated from R5 to R7 million), and J.H. Pierneef’s ‘Levubu River’ (estimated from R2.2 to R2.8 million). Both young and old artists can be found in this sale section, including modernist artists Peter Clarke, Maggie Laubser, George Pemba, Alexis Preller, Gerard Sekoto, and Irma Stern. Contemporary artists Gerald Machona, Esther Mahlangu, Blessing Ngobeni and Brett Seiler are also not to be missed here too. The sale of ‘Modern and Contemporary Art’ is also available as a timed online ‘day sale’ between 9 and 16 September, which includes ceramic pieces by John Nowes and Nico Masemola: two figures closely associated with Nel. The day sale concludes on Monday 16 September.

For the First Time: Stand-alone Photography Sale

On Wednesday 18 September, ‘Ways of Seeing: South African and International Photography’ goes on sale at 7pm. This first-of-its-kind sale provides the chance to potentially purchase notable works by legends of photography. Notable works from The Linda Givon Collection include two black-and-white portraits from 1972 by notable South African photographer David Goldblatt. The Gary Eisenberg Collection of South African and International Photography includes works by Roger Ballen, Bill Brandt, Nan Goldin, Pieter Hugo, André Kertész, Bettina Rheims, Sebastião Salgado, Guy Tillim and Wolfgang Tillmans, among others.

‘Mid-Century Modern’ Sale

Strauss & Co’s Decorative Arts & Design department has curated a focused collection of furniture, glassware, ceramics and jewellery for the ‘Mid-Century Modern’ sale. This online-only sale runs until Wednesday 18 September, and features a selection of mid-century and contemporary makers. Catch a glimpse of a set of four Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen Model 316 teak dining chairs approximated to be valued within a range of R75 000 and R80 000, as well as a ‘Wave’ dining table by Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue, valued between R50 000 and R70 000. This section of September Auction Week boasts a catalogue full of works made over a period of just over 115 years.

More to see and learn at September Auction Week

Other events mark this spring’s September Auction Week beyond auction sales. On Sunday 15 September, guests can attend a photography talk and film screening of ‘Billy Monk: Shot in The Dark’, in honour of ‘Ways of Seeing: South African and International Photography’. This takes place at 12.30pm and light snacks are served. Those who wish to hear more about Hylton Nel’s practice can join for a pre-auction sundowners on Tuesday 17 September at 4pm.

Previews for sales are available until Wednesday 18 September. Pay Strauss & Co a visit on weekdays between 10am and 5pm, or come by on the weekend of 14 and 15 September between 10am and 4pm.

For more details for September Auction Week, including details of individual lots in any of the six sales taking place, visit Strauss & Co’s website here.