Marin Museum of Contemporary Art
500 Palm Drive, Novato, California 94949
415-506-0137
About Auction House
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art connects art, community, and artistic expression. The Museum is a vibrant arts center offering exceptional contemporary exhibits and education programs for art-lovers of all ages. The exhibitions in our three galleries change every seven weeks.Auction Previews & News
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Auction PreviewMarinMOCA – Live Auction
“My art is about paper. How it feels, how it tears, how it absorbs or reflects light,” Louise Forbush has said about her work. A San Francisco Bay Area artist, Forbush is known for her handmade paper collages decorated with fabric pieces, gold leaf, and calligraphy. Forbush’s love for paper developed while she was studying ikebana— a Japanese flower arrangement technique. Forbush applied her ikebana techniques of color balance and texture to create her art. The Marin Museum of Contemporary Art’s upcoming exhibition and benefit auction highlights Warm Light, a Kochi paper collage by Forbush. Mostly mistaken for paintings, Forbush’s art is noted for its fluid nature and intricate details. The event also features an altered book titled Life in the Woods by Stephanie Thwaites. Made using elements of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, the panoramic piece captures the beauty of Walden Pond through the hand-painted pages of the book. Also offered is a collage made of generic items such as envelopes by Julia Ross and an altered book with African fabric by Lisa Rodondi. Find more details about the event in this Auction Daily article. To explore the top book arts in this auction and to register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Auction IndustryTwo Bidsquare-Exclusive Altered Book Auctions to Benefit the Marin MOCA
The Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)’s Altered Book Exhibit and Fundraiser is a fixture of the San Francisco Bay Area. Local artists regularly compete to turn written works into fine art, sculpture, and everything in between. Now in its 11th year, the 2020 event will be held exclusively online with Bidsquare. Proceeds from the auctions of these altered books benefit the Museum’s educational and cultural programs. Over 100 lots are offered in the timed auction, held between July 30th and August 21st, 2020. This silent auction will close one lot every minute after 6:00 PM PDT on the 21st. On August 29th, 2020, at 10:00 PM EDT, the top 12 book creations will be auctioned via live stream. The Donald O. and Ronald R. Collins Fund of the Marin Community Foundation will match winning bids and donations up to USD 10,000. Linda Mueller, Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer. Image from Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. The definition of altered books includes almost any possible change to the written word. Artists can paint over pages, sculpt the edges, remove text and place it elsewhere, or use a combination of techniques. Featured lots in the silent auction will cover the full range of these styles. Punkie Ebert’s The Voyager is a sculpture that resembles a traditional snow ship, complete with two masts and miniature netting ($50 - $500). Antique book bindings form the front and sides of the ship. Physiology of Marriage Repertory XVIII and The Counterfeiters are among the titles. Linda Mueller’s Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer, also in the timed auction, takes the opposite approach. This piece is a reproduction of a painting of the same name by Gustav Klimt. The original was one of the last portraits from the artist’s key “Golden Phase” and depicted a wealthy Viennese society woman. Mueller’s interpretation is painted on canvas, wood, and the pages of art books about Klimt ($50 - $500). Barbara Crow, Pandemic Primer. Image from Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. Altered book art is not a new phenomenon. “Medieval Italian monks scraped clean the pages of old manuscripts and…
Auction PreviewMarinMOCA – Silent Auction
Jeff Downing is a San Francisco ceramist noted for his emblematic and humorous sculptures. Born and raised in New York, Downing initially wanted to try his hand at music. However, his first introductory class of ceramics altered his career path. Moved by the experimental nature of ceramic art, Downing soon moved to California to study sculpture under the guidance of Stephen DeStaebler. The upcoming auction, a fundraiser to benefit the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, features a handcrafted sculpture titled Kindled Spirit by Downing. The black porcelain sculpture is composed of lightning cable and metallic wax. This piece reflects the influence of Robert Arneson and Alberto Giacometti on Downing’s art. The Marin MOCA - Silent Auction explores books that have been transformed into works of fine art and sculpture by artists such as Katie Gutierrez, Beth McCoy, and Betsy Kellas. One highlight is The Voyager, an intricately detailed model ship by Punkie Ebert. It was made from several books, using spines for the hull and pages for the sails. Also presented are collages from Judith Danner and the Marin MOCA’s award-winning artwork by Julia Arndt. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
