linocut printed on a selection of non-archival dictionary pages collaged and attached with archival tape to a backing sheet of Arches Cover White, 300gsm paper
Artwork date: 2014
Signature details: signed and numbered Trial Proof 1/2 in pencil in the margin
Edition: from an edition of 24
Sold for R614,520
Estimated at R300,000 - R500,000
Condition Report
The condition is mint.
Archivally framed and floated to the backing mount, not laid down.
Frame with minor abrasions along the edges.
Please note, we are not qualified conservators and these reports give our opinion as to the general condition of the works. We advise that bidders view the lots in person to satisfy themselves with the condition of prospective purchases.
linocut printed on a selection of non-archival dictionary pages collaged and attached with archival tape to a backing sheet of Arches Cover White, 300gsm paper
Artwork date: 2014
Signature details: signed and numbered Trial Proof 1/2 in pencil in the margin
Edition: from an edition of 24
(1)
sheet size: 190 x 108 cm; framed size: 217 x 124 x 6.5 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Johannesburg.
Notes:
By 2014, William Kentridge had been drawing trees on dictionary sheets for some time. In 2012, he was invited to deliver the Norton Lectures at Harvard University. He began preparing these in 2011, and wrote the first four lectures quite quickly, but then found himself at a standstill. One morning , while pondering the fifth and sixth lectures, Kentridge began to draw with ink. A morning of “productive procrastination” turned into a series of over 70 linocuts – The Universal Archive – created with the David Krut Workshop from 2011 to 2015.
Using a good brush and another which was used, with splayed bristles which made less precise marks, Kentridge began the series by drawing figures, coffee pots, a large vase with flowers, and other recurrent images in his oeuvre, including trees. The marks of the bad brush suggested to Kentridge ‘the plethora and the ordered randomness of leaves, or the feathery twigs at the end of a branch,’ as he put it.The ink drawings were photocopy-transferred onto small linoleum plates, just the size of a single dictionary page, and a team of carvers was gathered with a view to re-creating the drawings through relief printing. Copper engraving tools were used to carve in minute detail. The images were printed onto pages from three different 1950s dictionaries, all chosen for their slight difference in color and the flatness of their surface. Some images were printed on a single dictionary page, some two pages, later fifteen and thirty pages.
In this climactic work of the series, If You Have No Eye, 67 linoleum plates were used to print onto 104 pages, which were then variously torn, cut and left whole. Each piece was then assembled and collaged, like a puzzle, onto another layer of dictionary sheets that serve as the background field. The dictionary paper and both glossy and matte inks helped the tree to find its form. The entire process - from preparing the linoleum, carving the plates, printing the pieces and assembly, to arriving at a final result; and then producing the full edition – took two years to complete.
Jillian Ross
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Auction: Modern & Contemporary Art | Johannesburg, 30th Nov, 2021
A focused collection of top historical, modern and contemporary artworks, this boutique-style sale presents impressive examples of South Africa’s best-known artists at auction. Included is a wonderful oil on canvas still-life by Irma Stern painted in 1936, an exquisite equestrian painting by Tretchikoff, 4 early watercolours by George Pemba, a monumental Villa from 1976 and 6 superb lots by William Kentridge. Also on offer are impressive contemporary works by Kate Gottgens, Phillemon Hlungwani, Wim Botha and Banele Khoza, amongst others.
Viewing
Viewing will be open from Wednesday 24 to Tuesday 30 November from 9 am to 5 pm.
Address: 32 Bolton Road, Parkwood, Johannesburg, 2193
Currency conversions are based on the exchange rate at the auction's start time and date. Bidders should verify the current exchange rate on the day of the sale. All invoices and payments must be made in South African Rands.
Logistics
While we endeavour to assist our Clients as much as possible, we require artwork(s) to be delivered and/or collected from our premises by the Client. In instances where a Client is unable to deliver or collect artwork(s), Aspire staff is available to assist in this process by outsourcing the services to one of our preferred Service Providers. The cost for this will be for the Client’s account, with an additional Handling Fee of 15% charged on top of the Service Provider’s invoice.
Aspire Art provides inter-company transfer services for its Clients between Johannesburg and Cape Town branches. These are based on the size of the artwork(s), and charged as follows:
Small (≤60x90x10 cm): R480
Medium (≤90x120x15 cm): R960
Large (≤120x150x20 cm): R1,440
Over-size: Special quote
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Collection/delivery ≤20km: R400
Collection/delivery 20km>R800≤50km
Collection/delivery >50km: Special quote
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A flat fee of R100 will be added to the invoice for packaging of unframed works on paper.
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For collectors based outside South Africa who purchase regularly from Aspire Art’s auctions in South Africa, it does not make sense to ship artworks individually or per auction and pay shipping every time you buy another work. Consequently, we have developed a special collectors’ shipping package to assist in reducing shipping costs and the constant demands of logistics arrangements.
For buyers from outside South Africa, we will keep the artworks you have purchased in storage during the year and then ship all the works you have acquired during the year together, so the shipping costs are reduced. At the end of the annual period, we will source various quotes to get you the best price, and ship all your artworks to your desired address at once.
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