Danny Shorkend
I HAD the good fortune of speaking to the head of Modern and Contemporary African Art at Bonhams, London, Hannah O’ Leary, and asked her a few questions while trying to find out about the interest in South African art and the institutional realities and processes in buying and selling such art.
Bonhams boasts the top eight of the 10 most expensive South African art sold. I was curious to find out why this may be so and was not disappointed as my discussion was to reveal.
As to the question why particularly South African and African art, she was insistent that great art hails from around the globe, Western or not, that the art itself creates its own value.
She feels that the South African art market is new and exciting, “ahead of the curve”, a great investment opportunity albeit a rather expensive “hobby”.
Considering the lucrative interest in Irma Stern, I was eager to learn why she thinks her work fetches such high prices.
O’ Leary believes it is Stern’s training in German expressionism under the tutelage of the famed Max Pechstein and the general interest in European expressionism, as well as impressionism, that set her apart. This is owing to the fact that Irma Stern took these formal innovations to South Africa, in the process giving it an African flavour.
Moreover, Bonhams interest in contemporary S.A. art is not so much in up and coming artists, or new artists, but in already established artists such as Marlene Dumas and William Kentridge.
Concerning the future of the market, she sees the trend for S.A. and broad pan African sales on the increase, expanding from the local market into a world wide enterprise as her cavorts around the globe, primarily in the United States, Australia and Europe, certainly imply that this indeed is the trend.
Most of the sales, however are from expatriates who have such work in their midst and now wish to sell their assets.
In this sense, one cannot accuse Bonhams of “pillaging” and scampering for African and South African art in particular, but most of the art returns here, often to be seen in public collections.
In fact, the Arab priest by Irma Stern (the highest sold work to date at 3.1. million pounds) was sold recently to the Quatar Museum (the largest buyer of art world-wide), who then had to get a special clearance permit to take this particular work out of the country and it was agreed that the painting had to return to South Africa every five years for public exhibition purposes.
It is also very interesting that Bonhams often have to authenticate original works as there are often forgeries. This requires a keen sensitivity and eye for the artists’ mark making and the like.
What I also learnt is that it is quite a process from potential seller to the gamesmanship of the auction, where the highest bidder wins, so to speak.
In addition, often works are found where the owner never had any idea of its value, only to learn that indeed it could fetch an incredibly high price and after a Bonham valuation this often does indeed occur.
Bonham is represented and has offices in 25 countries, consisting of a network of specialists in South African art, based mainly in London.
After a potential seller (client) sends information and a photograph of the work they own, of say a Sekota, Pemba, Feni, Sithole, Kumalo, Stern, Piernief and so on, an appraisal takes place.
If that checks out, a Bonham agent will travel to that particular location for a valuation.
If the owner then wants to sell, the work is transported, catalogued and put in the auction house “bullring”.
O’ Leary explains that artists who establish themselves with galleries such as MOMA (New York) and the Tate (London) and the art fairs such as Art Basel, attract the attention of Bonhams, and she even cites South African galleries such as Stevenson and Goodman as important markers in the process.
This bodes well for what the theorist Dickie may have called the art-world or more accurately, the “art circle”.
The “art circle” is certainly expanding and the worldwide network of Bonhams together with gallerists and lest we forget, art of the past, as well as contemporary interventions extends the range and scope of art.
Yet, one is often depressed by the gnawing possibility that what is valued may be an arbitrary assessment or whim and consequently some great art may run the risk of being excluded or below the commercial radar.
I suppose that may be unavoidable in this context. Perhaps one should have asked what paintings have been brought for valuation during her stay.
l www.bonhams.com