Strauss & co - 2017 Review

Art collectors have come tounderstand and accept the processes of repetition, adaptation, variation and transformation which governed Alexis Preller’s artistic development. These processes were all evident in the seminal works offered by Strauss & Co in 2017. The works highlighted below attest to Preller’s superb craftmanship. His use of colour was exceptional, and his intricate and intriguing compositions showcase his distinctive iconography and personal symbolism, which included his so-called ‘’household gods’’ – ranging from Persian vases to leather sandals. This year the best Preller works ranged from powerful portraits to scintillating still-lifes. Sea Amphora (1962), with a Poseidon portrait imposed on an urn-like shape, was a telling example. So were the symbolic portrait heads, Flower King (1968) (page 39), The Poet Prince (1975), and Christ Head (1947) (page 41), all of which attracted robust bidding. Fleurs du Mal (1944) (page 36) depicts a nude male figure and directly references Paul Gauguin’s oil on burlap canvas Spirit of the Dead Watching Manao (1892). Drawing on his experiences as a medic in World War II, Preller transforms the wounds of the young man, stuffed with white gauze, into flowers and butterflies. Notable still lifes offered included Homage to Hieronymus Bosch (1948) (page 40) and the luxuriantly draped Still Life with Thangka and Pomegranates (1951) (page 38). Another interesting work offered was Undeciphered, Conceptualized Message (1975) depicting a shell- like shape that could be construed as a still life and as a prototype for the figures Preller depicted in Hieratic Women (1955). Wilhelm van Rensburg on Alexis Preller 70