Artists Kebbled twice over - with poor auction prices

Latest Kebble Auction reveals interesting responses
Staff writer

A few pieces of art from the Brett Kebble’s estate went on auction at Kirstenbosch, Cape Town this month. The artworks constituted only a tiny fraction of what was available on auction, including antiques, luxury cars and property. But judging from the lofty prices reached for other items on auction, art buyers were keener to acquire souvenirs of the late controversial Kebble than to pay realistic market-related prices. For example, a set of 3 digital Iris prints by 2007 Standard Bank Young Artist, Pieter Hugo, went for well below market value at R 9 000. By contrast, 8 paintings by Scottish artist John Boyd fetched between R 60 000– R80 000 each. Perhaps most revealing in terms of bidder interest was the sale of 11 sculptures by Phillip Rikhotso (joint overall winner of the last Brett Kebble Art Awards), which went for just R 10 000. Creditors are still tracking down the remaining trophies of the Brett Kebble art collection, which, according to the Cape Times, amounts to an estimated R 40 Million.