Babobski’s Blog: News and opinions from South Africa and around the world

The Brett Kebble art collection went on auction last week and raised R 54 million. Some artists’ paintings received record prices, which is quite amazing in this economic climate.

 Yet, art experts have been saying for at least five years now that South African art is a good investment and should form part of a diversified portfolio.

Below:  An undiscovered gem:  Gawie Cronje, an old school South African landscape artist who lived in the Eastern Cape

 Many people, when hearing about art and oil paintings tend to think about Van Gogh and Van Rijn. However, there are secondary art markets around the world and South Africa has a flourishing art market as well.

 Kebble’s collection included the big names in South African art. J.H. Pierneef, Alexis Preller, Irma Stern, Nita Spilhaus, Maud Sumner, Vladimir G. Tretchikoff, Jan Volschenk and Pieter Wenning were just some of the names Kebble had collected.

 One of the Irma Stern painting sold for R 5 013 000 at the auction, held in Johannesburg.

 His Pierneef sold for R 267 000 and a Jan Volschenk achieved a world record price of R 668 000.

 Not all of us have the resources of a Brett Kebble so how does one go about collecting art?

Below:  Casey Van Der Leek  will carry on the tradition of landscape paintings in South Africa.

 In the South African context, Irma Stern, Hugo Naude, WH Coetzer and JH Pierneef are regarded as old masters. It would be difficult to buy any of their painting cheaply and when a quality piece comes on the market, it will reach premium prices.

 Then there are the masters. Included in this group of artists, are Adriaan Boshoff, Gregiore Boonzaaier, Frans Claerhout, Gabriel De Jong, Pieter van der Westhuizen, Otto Klar and Errol Boyley.

 Many of these artists died in the past few years and the prices of their works have risen accordingly. A Claerhout oil painting will set one back around R 100 000, while a Boshoff oil painting under R 50 000 could be considered a bargain.

 An elderly gentleman in the Eastern Cape bought an Otto Klar oil painting for R 200 in 1972. That same painting is valued at R 38 000 today and that is a conservative estimate.

 Other investment art is called contemporary and would include artists such as Christiaan Nice, Anton Benzon, Wessel Marais, Corne Weidemann, Philip Britz and Casey van der Leek.

 These artists should realize a good return over a longer period of time and are all well regarded in the art world.

 Then one gets the artists who work towards a specific theme, like the surf artists. Stephen Bibb has made a name for himself with his ocean orientated paintings with dolphins and waves gracing the canvas. Martin Bakker is another surf artist to keep an eye on for an investment.

Below:  Stephen Bibb:  Moonrise over Supertubes Jeffreys Bay.  Bibb is well renowned for his surf art and gains his inspiration from the ocean.

 What could you buy with R 1 000 000?

 A good JH Pierneef or an Irma Stern if you lucky.

 What could I buy with R 100 000?

 Keep your eyes open for an Adriaan Boshoff or an Errol Boyley.  Boshoff is regarded as the finest South African impressionist artist and a small Boshoff painting will cost around R 30 000 – R 35 000 at least.

Errol Boyley died in 2007 and his paintings are in demand.  The prices of his paintings seem to have settled down but will pick up again once the economy turns.

 What could I buy for R 10 000?

 Casey van der Leek or a Philip Britz would offer good value and growth.  Van Der Leek is regarded as one of the new generation of South African landscape artists and his paintings are in demand locally and internationally.  Philip Britz studied under Christiaan Nice and is becoming known for his District 6 paintings and donkey carts on farm road landscapes.

There are also the undiscovered masters, one of them being Gawie Cronje whose landscapes grace the homes of many art lovers in the Eastern Cape.  Cronje can certainly be regarded as a peer of Gabriel De Jong and his paintings will appreciate in value and presently offer value for money.

 It is worthwhile to cultivate a good relationship with a reputable art gallery. Often the galleries will look after their regular clients and you have the assurance of being able to sell you art again, should the need arise.

 Art auctions are another avenue to build an art collection. One may find bargains on auction from time to time so never stop searching.

 Art is like any other investment. Money is rarely made overnight and art is a longer term investment. The bonus is that you can enjoy your paintings hanging on your walls more than looking at a share certificate. So yes, money may not grow on trees but it certainly grows on walls.