Ending 3rd Dec, 2024 18:22
20th/21st Century Classics
46
6 days, 8 hours, 51 minutes and 10 seconds
Peter Clarke (South Africa 1929-2014)
Bemused Lovers, Death Hovers
colour woodcut
Artwork date: 1971
Signature details: signed, dated and numbered 6/34 in pencil in the margin
Location: Cape Town
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R15,000 - R20,000
Buyers Premium
(this item has a reserve)
colour woodcut
Artwork date: 1971
Signature details: signed, dated and numbered 6/34 in pencil in the margin
Location: Cape Town
(1)
sheet size: 50 x 38 cm; image size: 43 x 30.5 cm; framed size: 70 x 57.5 x 2 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Cape Town.
Notes:
Peter Clarke’s distinctive simplicity of form depicted the daily lives, customs and traditions of Cape communities with compassion and empathy. The artist could mitigate between the small joys of daily life and his social and political criticisms of the apartheid regime. By the 1960s the artist was receiving serious recognition as his art was showcased at exhibitions in England, Germany and the USA. Clarke’s work was included in the 1961 Sāo Paolo Biennale, and later in the 1964 Venice Biennale.
In 1967, Clarke and his family fell victim to the Group Areas Act which saw them forcibly relocated to Ocean View. In the period that followed, his critique and personal anguish became visibly sharpened in the scenes he depicted. Bemused Lovers, Death Hovers, reflects the troubled times in which Clarke and his community were living. Still staying true to reflecting his surrounding community Clarke uses sombre hues and stark contrasting shadows to carry the subject matter of a couple finding love in times of hardship, alluded to by the title and the ominous image of the scarecrow behind the pair. During this period, Clarke would experiment with the relief print process, using “colour relationships and tonal contrasts not merely as descriptive but as expressive devices.” [1]
[1] 'Listening to Distant Thunder: The Art of Peter Clarke'. (2011). [Exhibition catalogue]. Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg. 4 May to 2 July 2011, p.128.
Prints & Multiples
Discover a diverse selection of prints and multiples, featuring limited editions and iconic works by renowned artists, each with its own artistic and collectable value.
The overall condition is good.
Minor tears predominetly along the margins of the sheet. 2 small tears on the top right quadrant of the image measuring approximately 0.5 cm.
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