Strauss & co - 2017 Review

can play a constructive role in bringing art lovers and collectors to South Africa by exposing them to the incredible potential and talent of African artists. Together with the Norval Foundation’s museum at Steenberg due to open early in 2018, the A4 Art Foundation and established museums such as the Irma Stern Museum and Iziko Museums, Cape Town is particularly well placed to present visitors with an exciting and in depth view of the development of our art and artists. We deepened our involvement with the Irma Stern museum by hosting functions both in Johannesburg and Cape Town to launch Prof Sandra Klopper’s new book on Irma Stern titled Are you still alive? . It was a pleasure and honour to host Mona Berman at these occasions and to hear her talk about her mother, Freda Feldman’s life and relationship with Irma Stern. Strauss & Co was honoured to be entrusted with the sale of three paintings by Irma Stern of Freda Feldman, Freda Feldman in a Basotho Hat , Freda in a Khaki Dress and Freda with Roses and we are delighted that these poignant and important works found new homes. Our partnershipwith the Friends of Welgemeend and The Boerneef Collection, has developed over four years into a Welgemeend Art Month and this year we saw a three-month exhibition titled South African Abstract Art from the 1950’s to the 1970’s in conjunction with noted collector, Pieter Colyn. In the process, we have been instrumental in not only renovating the third oldest homestead in South Africa and turning it into a high-end exhibition and conference venue that houses the Boerneef Collection, but also enabled a great many pupils from various schools and local and international visitors to engage with art in a quiet and contemplative setting. In Johannesburg, Strauss & Co strengthened its relationship with the Turbine Art Fair by presenting an exhibition of an extract from the Taljaard collection of works by JH Pierneef. We also held an online auction concurrently with many of the works being exhibited at the Fair. Both events proved to be very popular and Strauss & Co has committed itself longterm to the Fair. We are committed to expanding the local market’s knowledge of our artists and during the year hosted several lectures across the country giving our clients deeper insight into the works of Preller, Pierneef, Stern, Battiss, Esther Mahlangu, South Africa’s abstract artists of 1950 to 1970 and the Natal School, amongst others. These events have proven to be very successful and popular and I should like to thank the members of staff who lectured as well as the guest lecturers including the indefatiguable Prof Karel Nel, Warren Siebrits, Prof Frederico Freschi and Sean O’Toole, amongst others. We once again sponsored the Cassirer Welz Award in conjunction with The Everard Read Gallery and the Bag Factory Artist’s Studios, which award this year went to Richard “Specs” Ndimande. We trust that the opportunity to spend ten weeks at the Bag Factory studio and have the resultant works exhibited at The Everard Read Gallery, will inspire and launch a career such as that of Blessing Ngobeni, a previous winner. Hosting the launch of the book Walter Battiss I invented myself, The Jack M Ginsberg Collection , edited by Warren Siebrits, at our Johannesburg offices was another highlight and a fitting tribute to Battiss, the collector and the editor. I hope that you will agree that it was indeed a very busy, exciting and successful year on many levels. None of this would have been possible without a highly competent team, working together in a passionate and focused manner, loving what they do and interacting with you, our clients. We are very proud that, notwithstanding a most demanding schedule, two of our team members, Alastair Meredith and Gera de Villiers, still managed to obtain their doctorates from Cambridge and the University of Stellenbosch respectively. Well done indeed! We are delighted that SusieGoodmanwas awarded theAmpersand Foundation Residency for 2018 and believe she will benefit greatly from spending a month in New York, especially during the New York auction season. My final thanks to my fellow board members for their wisdom, unstinting support and belief in the company, and to you, our clients without whom none of this would be possible. There can be no doubt that 2018 will be a challenging year given the state of the economy, pressure on disposable income, corporate failures and political uncertainty. We believe that we have laid the foundations to weather these challenges and will continue to expand our operations. The launch of our first contemporary art auction to be held on Saturday 17 February during the Cape Town Art Fair, heralds an exciting new direction for Strauss & Co and should, in time, further enhance our relevance and sustainability. With best wishes for 2018. 5