His love of the arts and his knowledge of diverse cultural forms enabled Robert Hodgins to draw on a range of characters and plots to delight both his viewers intellect and senses.
Archived: Positivity Aplenty in Preller Still Life
In October 1948, shortly after giving up his studio at Ygdrasil, Alexis Preller sailed up the East coast of Africa to the Seychelles. He wrote to his sister Minnie about his experience and production in the Seychelles: I cant tell you how happy I am in my work and in the way I am fitting in with the people around me. It’s almost as if there was a place prepared for me and I was meant to come here if all goes well, at the present rate I will have a complete show with me by the time I land at least 30 things…(1)
Archived: Early Dutch Still Life with detail from the Orient
At a time when the strictures of form often overwhelmed an artist, this example of a Frans Oerder still life is remarkable for its looseness of style.
Archived: Strauss & Co’s June Sale takes the Cake
Penny Siopis emerged onto the South African art scene with her now highly sought-after cake paintings.
Archived: Preller Prevails at Strauss & Co’s June Auction
277 lots of Important South African and International art are set to go under the hammer at Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg auction on 30 June 2014.
Archived: Preller, from the unfinished to the finished at Strauss & Co Auction
A plethora of no less than ten works by internationally acclaimed artist, Alexis Preller, steal the show at Strauss & Co’s major art auction in Johannesburg on Monday 30 June.
Archived: Meteoric rise in value of artwork
At Strauss & Co’s major auction of Important South African & International Art which took place yesterday evening in Johannesburg, over 200 artworks went under the hammer, achieving a total of R36 million.
Archived: Discovery of Double-sided Laubser Painting Delights at Strauss Spring Auction
An extraordinary discovery was made when the owners of a beautiful Maggie Laubser painting decided to reframe it. To their surprise, they found an equally good painting on the back. According to Stephan Welz, South Africa’s top modern art expert and auctioneer, this remarkable double-sided painting, which is to be offered at Strauss & Co’s 21 October auction at the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, also has an impeccable provenance and interesting history.
Archived: Pierneef on a Grand Scale
The 1920s represented a period of experimentation and innovation for Jacob Hendrik Pierneef.
Archived: Preller’s Exotic Explorations
Between 1948 and 1949 Alexis Preller enjoyed a sojourn in the Seychelles and whether this sensual still life was painted there or shortly afterwards, it was no doubt inspired by his experiences of the place and its people.