Black Rhino | Christie's

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Black Rhino

Details

Black Rhino
Lifesize
78in. (198cm.) high; 57in. (145cm.) wide; 114 1/8in. (290cm.) long

Special notice

This lot is subject to storage and collection charges. **For Furniture and Decorative Objects, storage charges commence 7 days from sale. Please contact department for further details.** VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium All the measurements stated in the catalogue descriptions relate only to the dimensions of the bronzes. These dimensions do not include any associated plinths (eg. perspex stands).

Further details

DYLAN LEWIS' BIOGRAPHY
1964
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
1982
Studied Fine Art at Cape Technikon, Cape Town, South Africa.
1985 - 1989
Studied painting under Ryno Swart, Ruth Prowse School of Art, Cape Town, South Africa. Mastered taxidermy and museum display.
1995
Invited to Cordova, Alaska to represent South Africa at Artists for Nature Foundation Expedition.
monumental sculpture of Black Rhino.
1996
Commenced work on The Cat Collection.
1997
Completed monumental sculpture of Cape Buffalo.
1998
Opening of Stellenbosch studio attended by HRH Price Bernhard of the Netherlands.
2000
Commenced work for international travelling exhibitions.
2001
Completed monumental sculpture of White Rhino.
2004

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
1991
International Wildlife & Natural History, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
1992
International Wildlife & Natural History, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
The Directors' Collection, Delta Park, Johannesburg.
1993
The AGRED Collection, Little Brenthurst, Johannesburg.
1995
Wildlife Art, Christie's London.
International Wildlife & Natural History, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
1996
Society of Wildlife Artists, Mall Galleries, London.
1999
Premiere of International Recent Cat Sculpture Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town.
Second International Recent Cat Sculpture Exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
'Art London' 1999, Everard Read, Duke of York's Barracks, London.
Third International Recent Cat Sculpture Exhibition, The Manx Museum, Douglas, Isle of Man.
2000
Fourth International Recent Cat Sculpture Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town.
Fifth International Recent Cat Sculpture Exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
Art London 2000, Everard Read, Duke of York's Barracks, London.
Dallas international Art & Antiques Fair 2000, Miriam Shiell Fine Art, Dallas.
Toronto Art Fair, Miriam Shiell Fine Art, Toronto.
2001
Sixth International Recent Cat Sculpture Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town.
'Art London' 2001, Everard Read, Duke of York's Barracks, London.
Toronto Art Fair, Miriam Shiell Fine Art, Toronto.
Dallas international Art & Antiques Fair 2001, Miriam Shiell Fine Art, Dallas.
2002
The Cat Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town.
'Art London' 2002, Everard Read, Duke of York's Barracks, London.
The Cat Exhibition, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
Private Fund Raising Exhibition, Friends of Africa Foundation, Gordon Getty Residence, San Francisco.
2003
The Cat Exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town.
'Art London' 2003, Burton's Court, London.
'Art London' 2003, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
2004
'Art London' 2004, Burton's Court, London.
2005
Up until now, Everard Read, Johannesburg.
2006
'Art London' 2006, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London.

Lot Essay

''....This was a very important piece to me as it was my first large-scale commission. It was done for the centenary celebrations of the former Natal Parks Board (now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), one of the major parks' organisations in southern Africa. The Natal Parks Board was very involved in black rhino and white rhino conservation. This piece was unveiled by Nelson Mandela in a ceremony at the Hluhluwe Game Reserve. He was presented with a maquette of this work, which he now has in his private collection. This piece was done from life, I worked from black rhino in the game reserve. It was done in plaster of paris and, as in all my pieces, the form emerges from the landscape. The rhino powerfully thrusts outwards, bursting out of the bush, bursting out the ground from behind rock and the textures of the rhino are very much about enhancing that forward thrust. It has a rock-like texture which is reminiscent of these animals. When you first see them out of the corner of your eye in Africa they appear almost as rocks, and I explored that particularly in the textures of this piece.''

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