30th Nov, 2022 18:00
20th Century & Contemporary Art
55
Cecil Skotnes (South Africa 1926-2009)
Head
carved, incised and painted wood panel
Artwork date: circa: 1970
Signature details: signed bottom right
carved, incised and painted wood panel
Artwork date: circa: 1970
Signature details: signed bottom right
(1)
122.5 x 120.5 x 5 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Cape Town.
Jeremy Stephen Antiques, Johannesburg.
Estate of South African artist, Lionel Hinwood.
Notes:
Cecil Skotnes formed part of a group of groundbreaking post-war artists who sought to establish a uniquely South African vernacular in their art – moving away from the largely conservative, Eurocentric works of the early 1990s. Skotnes’s unapologetic pursuit of this mission shaped much of his artistic development and defines much of his legacy today.
When Egon Guenther introduced Skotnes to woodcut printing in 1954, he encouraged the artist to envision the wood block as an independent art form of its own – to be incised and painted outside of the printmaking method. For Skotnes, this was a turning point. The medium conjured up images of local traditional arts, where wood is a favoured material and provided a vehicle through which he could develop his own idiosyncratic artistic language.
Almost twenty years later, by the time he created Head, Skotnes had mastered the art form with which he is synonymous today. His carving of line is controlled yet rhythmic, enhancing both tone and texture. Whereas earlier works were rendered in more subdued colours, here the artist is confident in his use of striking yet earthy tones of red, ochre and black. These formal elements come together to present a single, totemic figure in the centre of the panel. The abstraction of the figure gives a nod to the stylised works of Pablo Picasso and Henry Moore, of whom Skotnes was a great admirer. However, this figure is undoubtedly, uniquely African, and a celebration of Skotnes’ refinement of his own artistic individuality at the height of his career.
Lisa Truter
Collections:
The artist is represented in numerous local and international collections, notably, Norval Foundation, Cape Town.; Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town.; Royal Belgian Library, Brussels.; Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Copenhagen and Schlesinger Organisation, London.
You can place an absentee bid through our website - please sign in to your account on our website to proceed.
In the My Account tab you can also enter telephone bids, or email bids@aspireart.net to log telephone/absentee bids.
Join us on the day of the auction to follow and bid in real-time.
The auction will be live-streamed with an audio-visual feed.
Auction: 20th Century & Contemporary Art, 30th Nov, 2022
The focused sale brings to market 84 highly collectable lots, with the diverse collection showcasing highlights by modern masters including magnificent still-life compositions and a Zanzibari boat scene by Irma Stern, an Alexis Preller abstract and an early JH Pierneef landscape. Also included is a significant collection of celebrated contemporary artists: Mustafa Maluka, David Koloane, Walter Oltmann, Norman Catherine, Willem Boshoff, a rare self-portrait oil by Robert Hodgins as well as a large bronze sculpture by Zanele Muholi, the first of this new body of work to be offered on auction.
The sale features a special selection of artworks by William Kentridge. One of the most celebrated and influential living artists today, his major retrospective exhibition is currently on show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. This is one of the most unique and high-quality Kentridge collections to come to market. Spanning his career and showcasing the many mediums in which he works, the sale features signature charcoal drawings alongside collages, tapestry, prints and sculptures.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
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
Should artwork(s) be collected or delivered to/from Clients by Aspire Art directly, the following charges will apply:
Collection/delivery ≤20km: R400
Collection/delivery 20km>R800≤50km
Collection/delivery >50km: Special quote
Packaging
A flat fee of R100 will be added to the invoice for packaging of unframed works on paper.
International Collectors Shipping Package
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.
Aspire Art will arrange suitable storage during, and cost-effective shipping at the end, of the annual period.
Collections
Collections are by appointment, with 24-hours’ notice
Clients are requested to contact the relevant office and inform Aspire Art of which artwork(s) they would like to collect, and allow a 24-hour window for Aspire Art’s logistics department to retrieve the artwork(s) and prepare them for collection.
Handling Fee
Aspire Art charges a 15% Handling Fee on all Logistics, Framing, Restoration and Conservation arranged by Aspire.