Joburg-based collector Liesle Barrath takes Pavillon54 on a walk through her private art collection. Housed in her leafy home, it is a cool and eclectic mix of works featuring heavy-hitting names such as Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi and Nandipha Mntambo together with street-art inspired works courtesy of artists Khaya Witbooi and Vusi Beauchamp. Walking through the space, Liesle recounts the story behind each of the purchases, what emotions the artworks stir within and as we stop to consider each work, it becomes clear that she collects from a gut feeling.
This work by Helen Sebidi hands in the entrance way, in a way it's a nod to the notion home.
Barrath is a chartered accountant in the financial services industry so perhaps starting an art collection was an exercise in right brain exploration. Her journey began with visits to art spaces in the city, “I find and acquire art through galleries predominantly and have recently started using online platforms for exposure to a broader geographical range of artists and artists that are not yet represented by galleries,” she says. “I still prefer to see work in person before making a decision, so I rely on the relevant platform to make the introduction and arrange a viewing.” The result is an inspiring and distinct collection that tells the story of her growth as a collector.
Barrath is still an avid collector, and the conversation wanders to the future. “I am hoping to add sculpture to the collection in future since I have recently relocated to a space that allows for that.”
In this series, we invite collectors to open their art collections to Pavilion 54 readers.
Tell us about the first work you bought
The earliest work I acquired is a set of photographic prints of the inhabitants of downtown Johannesburg. I appreciated the way the photographer captured individuals in motion as they made their way down the city streets. I also like that the work is an odd shape - the elongation conveying the length of the street in the image. When I bought it, I was still fairly new to Johannesburg and this really recorded what I was feeling and seeing in the city at the time.
Could you describe your approach to collecting?
I have often tried to be deliberate about building on a certain category. For example, choosing to collect work by young black artists or focusing on female artists for a time. However, that's not how it always plays out. For example, when I walked into the Johannesburg Art Fair in 2017, I had a list of three artists whose work I wanted to see. But then I walked past the Room Gallery booth and was captured by one of the pieces there and ended up acquiring that instead. I still love that piece for what it evokes in me.
These two works by Vusi Beauchamp are perfectly at home, it seems that the arched niches were made for them.
Please tell us a little bit about your art collection? What are the highlights?
My recent relocation allowed me to finally hang work that I did not have space for in my previous home and I've noticed an affinity to monochromatic work. I definitely have a preference for abstracts but I am also drawn to images of faces.
A highlight? Being able to add paintings by Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi was definitely a highlight. Although they're small paintings, they spark a great amount of joy when I pass them.
Which artists working in abstraction have you collected?
Pebofatso Mokoena, I just appreciate his work in general. I also have work by Io Makandal and Zander Blom. I find their works allow me to go into a meditative exploration.
This painting by South African artist Pebofatso Mokoena is just one of the abstracts that takes Barrath into her “meditative” states.
Has digitisation changed the way you collect?
As mentioned, I do use digital platforms to find new works and artists but I still prefer to see the work in person. The platform arranges the introduction to the gallery, project space or to the artist. I often find that the work translates differently in person than on screen and if I still have the same gut reaction I had when viewing online, the decision is easier.
I find online platforms useful for the range of artists and mediums, and I enjoy the surprise discoveries. I also enjoy reading the articles published on these platforms. Most often I read features on other collectors for their perspectives on the collecting "habit", how they have evolved their approaches and their experiences in the art world in general.
What’s next?
Something I'm keen to explore next is sculpture from different regions on the continent, just to become more familiar with them and engage further.
I didn't intend to start a collection but it ended up that way, it was a bit of a haphazard thing. I reached a point where I wondered why I was continuing to acquire work when I no longer had adequate wall space, and what the purpose of what had become "a collection" was. I still do. I suspect that many people who collect art may go through this — especially if they did not grow up in a family that interacted with art and did not place much value in it. This question around the purpose of a collection will probably be a guide to how to continue on the collecting journey.