Robert Hodgins, A day at the office, 2003 Oil on canvas, 90x120cm
Robert Hodgins, Study in blue and orange, 2005 Oil on canvas, 75x75cm

 

PRESS RELEASE

Robert Hodgins – From private collections


34LONG, 24 October to 4 November 2006
34 Long is hosting an exhibition of recent and not-so-recent works by much loved South African artist Robert Hodgins.

The show has been brought together from various private collections. 

Hodgins, who was born in London in 1920, is not only one of South Africa’s most senior and best appreciated contemporary artists but with several exhibitions lined up for the future, also one of the most active. 

He has always had a following of discerning collectors in South Africa, particularly among those who understand the requirements of the international art market. His work has now become more sought after than earlier on in his career, as a growing group of young collectors of contemporary art have come to appreciate his art. The value of his work has recently escalated, no doubt due to his belated international exposure. Thanks to his London art dealer, who hosted hugely successful Hodgins solo shows in London in 2003 and again in 2006, Robert has now also found a following in his country of origin. 

In the South African art context, Robert’s style has always been unconventionally unique - some might even call it peculiar - particularly his figures and portraits. He reduces elements to basic shapes and emotive colour combinations, which suggest rather than describe. Eminently a colorist, his colours construct compositions and deconstruct meaning. Thin, translucent overlays produce soft nuances, almost like water colour on canvas. Increasingly, Robert draws on empty space to evoke uneasy sensations of barrenness and misplacement which amplify the fragility of his figures. 

Robert works in various media from graphics and ceramics to watercolour and oils. His oil paintings are by far the most popular with serious collectors. 

Along with surging prices for his art, Robert’s work has also recently generated an active secondary market, with collectors bidding fiercely to acquire works. The July 2006 Johannesburg Sotheby’s auction held by Stephan Welz & Co established a record for Hodgins at auction when they sold Three characters in search of a painter (1998, 90,5 x 121,5cm) for R 133 680-00.

34 Long salutes Robert Hodgins and wishes him health and prosperity for the future.
All images © the artist, 2006
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34 Long Street    Cape Town    South Africa 
For more information contact Andries Loots:   tel. +27 82 354 1500    fineart@34long.com

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