3rd Sep, 2020 20:00
Modern & Contemporary Art
119
Brett Murray (South Africa 1961-)
One Party State
bronze
Artwork date: 2010
Sold for R170,700
Estimated at R150,000 - R200,000
bronze
Artwork date: 2010
(1)
52 x 53 x 57 cm
Notes:
Brett Murray was addressing the notion of ‘toxic masculinity’ perhaps before the buzz concept ever plucked most people’s vocal chords. In his sculptures of gorillas, that reference his MFA graduation work of 1988, Murray developed the idea of monolithic figures and their relationship to South African politics. Ever since, Murray has been riffing off the idea of the machismo that comes hand-in-hand with venality and corruption.One Party State (2010) was exhibited in the first iteration of his Hail to the Thief exhibitions, of which the second coming at Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg in 2012, would result in the famous ‘Spear incident’. One Party State exudes the idea of a figure in a state of total singular absorption in the art of self-pleasuring. Of course, in Murray’s work there is also always a sense of satire and self-parody. As he has admitted, his gorillas also reference his own short stocky body, which has been a source of humour in much of his art.Murray’s work is held in many museum collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, USA, the Iziko South African National Gallery and Norval Art Foundation in Cape Town.
Matthew Blackman
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Auction: Modern & Contemporary Art, 3rd Sep, 2020
This Spring, Aspire Art Auctions broke new ground with a fresh, yet considered selection of artworks that is demographically more representative and reflects the spirit of current times. With a strong focus on South Africa, the sale also proudly represented artists from 10 African countries (Benin, DRC, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe) and international artists from Europe, the UK and USA.
A great highlight was Edoardo Villa’s monumental steel sculpture titled Traverse from 1957 which achieved R4,893,400 – an auction record for the artist. Other exceptional offerings included works by Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba, Peter Clarke and Nicholas Hlobo.
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