Strauss & co - 2014 Review

PINKER Stanley 1924-2012 ©The Estate of Stanley Pinker | DALRO For Namibian-born Stanley Pinker art was a means of recognising his deep roots in particular landscapes as well as continually searching elsewhere for references to his identity. Through a constructive approach to art that drew on defining elements of art history, social life and politics, he constituted a sense of self that would not only provide insights into this extraordinary artist but into who we are as South Africans and as global citizens. It is not so surprising then that his Camping in the Kouebokkeveld sold for a remarkable R2 728 320, given that this painting celebrates both the ancient and modern artists who have drawn their inspiration from this area. It acknowledges fellow artists such as Erik Laubscher as well as San artists who produced the rock paintings found in the mountains surrounding Prince Alfred Hamlet, sites with which these intrepid campers were familiar. Painted in 1985, the same year as its companion piece, Meeting at the Mountains of the Moon with which Pinker won the first prize and gold medal at the Cape Town Triennial, Camping in the Kouebokkeveld firmly establishes Pinker as a leading contemporary artist. As Stephan Welz observed, “I have been aware of this remarkable, undocumented painting for many years. It is precisely the kind of work we pride ourselves in sourcing: of the highest calibre, fresh to the market and a key work for the serious art collector”. 64