Artists

From Albert Adams to Portia Zvavahera, Strauss & Co maintains a detailed database of every artist sold at auction since 2009. Whether it is painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, ceramics or new media, this searchable database lists by artist every lot offered and provides aggregated data useful to collectors. Famous South African artists like William Kentridge, JH Pierneef, Alexis Preller and Irma Stern are introduced with helpful biographies along with the best contemporary artists.



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David Brown

South African 1951-2016 


David Brown is best known for his metal sculptures of human figures orchestrated into allegorical tableaus. Suggestive of carnivals and ritualised combat, his speculative scenes offer barbed commentary on late-apartheid South African life. Brown’s dystopian vision, which he elaborated with anachronistic fashions and analogue technologies, is in the current vernacular pure steampunk. A graduate of the Michaelis School of Fine Art, where he studied design and photography, Brown was persuaded to pursue sculpture in 1975 by his father-in-law, artist Cecil Skotnes. He initially produced wooden totems, but in 1980 exhibited dogs carved from Jarrah, an Australian hardwood, clothed with metal jackets. Brown started to work in bronze in 1984. Brown drew inspiration for these dystopian allegories from the scenes he observed at his Woodstock studio, from which he witnessed the demolition of District Six and often saw camouflaged policemen gather before their sorties into townships with their armoured vehicles.

Sean O’Toole


64 lots offered      48.44% sold      ZAR 1 776 058
 

  Including Premium and VAT Results include Buyer's Premium and VAT
David Brown; The Prison Warder, 11 Deadly Sinners Series
10 Mar 2025
Sold for ZAR 52 900
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
David Brown; The Engine Driver, 11 Deadly Sinners Series
10 Mar 2025
Sold for ZAR 33 063
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
David Brown; The Hunter, 11 Deadly Sinners Series
10 Mar 2025
Sold for ZAR 33 063
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
David Brown; Two Men and their Dog
17 Feb 2025
Sold for ZAR 140 700
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
David Brown; Wall Piece
10 Feb 2025
Starting at ZAR 12 000
Make an Offer
David Brown; Man + Animal N03, Study of Maquette
2 Dec 2024
ZAR 5 000 - 7 000
 
David Brown; Spectator Watching the Ships Go By
11 Nov 2024
Sold for ZAR 82 075
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
David Brown; Soldier at the Outpost 2
9 Oct 2024
Starting at ZAR 30 000
Make an Offer
David Brown; Dog Head
28 May 2024
ZAR 60 000 - 80 000
 
David Brown; Untitled
20 Mar 2024
ZAR 250 000 - 350 000
 
David Brown; Slave Series B
27 Nov 2023
ZAR 18 000 - 24 000
 
David Brown; Slave Series A
27 Nov 2023
ZAR 18 000 - 24 000
 

VAT is charged on both hammer and premium for daggered lots.