Strauss & co - 26 - 28 July 2020, Online

126 304 Claire Gavronsky SOUTH AFRICAN 1957– A Case for Painting signed and dated 2011 on the reverse oil on canvas 100 by 120 by 2 cm, unframed R90 000 – 120 000 EXHIBITED Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Immaterial Matters , 3 to 24 March 2012. 305 Dominique Zinkpè BENINOIS 1969- Les Copains du Soir (The Friends of the Evening) signed; inscribed with ‘Minuit 02’and dated 2019 on the reverse paint, hessian and wood glue on canvas 200 by 200 by 10 cm R80 000 – 120 000 EXHIBITED Dyman Gallery, Stellenbosch, Comédie Humaine: Dominique Zinkpè , solo exhibition, 1 to 25 November 2019. A Case for Painting (2011) formed a part of Immaterial Matters, an exhibition showcasing the works of the artist duo, Claire Gavronsky and Rose Shakinovsky, also known as rosenclaire. The body of work evaluates the commercial orientation of the contemporary art world, questioning its impact on contemporary artists and their choice of mediums, as well as how material concerns may potentially limit artistic expression. ‘The title of Claire Gavronsky’s irreverent painting is a play on words that evokes the historical baggage that accompanies painting but also the question that every artist is forced to ask before they pick up a paint brush: do I need to say this with paint?’ 1. Mary Corrigall (2012) available at https://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/life/ in-defence-of-paintings-1259486 Benin-born Dominique Zinkpè’s paintings have been described as depicting ‘a world of ghosts’– as well as the transformations that humans, animals and organic forms undergo through interaction with their environment. His hybrid beings – somewhere between human and animal, the living and the dead – engage in dance and evoke rituals and games around status, gender and desire that are deeply rooted in Benin culture. Overall, his broad oeuvre draws from the aesthetic currents of the past, underscoring the unresolved tensions arising from the fusion of Ca- tholicism, Animism and indigenous traditions with contemporary culture – and these themes are often explored in the spirit of irony and satire. Zinkpè is one of the most celebrated contemporary artists to emerge from Benin. His strongly personal style and versatility as a painter and sculptor have secured him increasing international recognition. Source: adapted from https://www.everard-read.co.za/artist/DOMINIQUE_ZINKPE/ biography/