“contemporary” About 94
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Auction Industry, Press ReleaseWatch Out! by Mr. Brainwash & Rare Piece by Neil Welliver Lead Dane Fine Art’s Luxor Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art
Dane Fine Art will start the new year by presenting more than 1,000 lots of paintings, photographs, posters, prints, sculptures, and carvings in its upcoming Luxor Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art. Dane Fine Art is celebrating its 43rd year with artworks from prominent figures like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Julian Opie, Mr. Brainwash, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Louis Icart, and many others. The auction house is also offering in-house framing and shipping to anywhere in the world. The sale will be held live on January 26, 2023. Collectors can view the complete catalog and place bids by visiting Bidsquare. Sacred Bull, a rare oil on canvas by Neil Gavin Welliver, is a leading lot in the Luxor Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art (lot #226; estimate: USD 40,000 - $60,000). The piece is hand-signed by Welliver, an artist known for his large-format landscape paintings and woodcuts that depict profound yet unassuming views of birches, streams, and evergreens in rural Maine. Even in the frigid Maine winters, Welliver went trekking into the forest to make plein air paintings. Welliver was an American artist who pioneered the Contemporary Realism art movement in the 1950s, affiliated with the American painters Alex Katz and Fairfield Porter, who painted to translate the atmosphere around them. He received his MFA from the Yale School of Art. His works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. Neil Welliver - Sacred Bull Watch Out! (Large Blue), a limited edition of three by Mr. Brainwash, is also available in the Luxor Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art (lot #16; estimate: $15,500 - $21,500). It is an original screenprint with hand-splattered paint on paper. The used-clothing-store-owner-turned-street-artist Mr. Brainwash created this piece in 2019. It shows a large blue dog barking at a bystander, holding back a chain held by its owner. The owner holds a paintbrush dipped in blue paint, the exact color of the dog. Mr. Brainwash gained popularity after reproducing iconic Pop art. Mr. Brainwash…
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Auction Industry, Press ReleaseWarhol’s Diamond Dust Shoes Highlight Bonhams Post-war & Contemporary Sale
Diamond Dust Shoes (1980) by Andy Warhol, estimated at $1,200,000 - 1,800,000, and Untitled (1956) by Alexander Calder, estimated at $700,000 - 1,000,000. View Catalogue New York – An exceptional painting, Diamond Dust Shoes, (1980) by Andy Warhol (1928-1987) will be presented at Bonhams Post-War & Contemporary sale on November 16 in New York. The work, estimated at $1,200,000 – 1,800,000, is from a series of nearly 50 paintings which perfectly demonstrate the qualities that made Warhol the icon he is today: seriality, repetition, and an everyday item being elevated to high art status. The diamond dust effect gives the surface of his works a shimmering effect reminiscent of his use of gold leaf in the late 1950s, creating a magical touch of glamour. An exceedingly rare oil painting by Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is an additional highlight of the sale. Estimated at $700,000 - 1,000,000, Untitled (1956) depicts two pyramids, off in the horizon, with the two anthropomorphic, alien figures gazing out over them and is an exquisite illustration of Calder's exploration of shape and color typically seen in his world-renowned mobiles and monumental stabiles. Also featured in the sale is Untitled (Radiant Baby) from the Grace House Mural (circa 1983-1984) by Keith Haring (1958-1990), estimated at $700,000 – 1,000,000. A succinct and impressive encapsulation of the artist's legacy and practice, the work was a part of Haring’s mural in New York City’s Grace House Church which was meticulously excavated and first presented at Bonhams in 2019. Rue Song (2018) by Adriana Varejão, estimated at $300,000 – 500,000, and Death of Jane McCrea (1951) by Roy Lichtenstein, estimated at $70,000 – 100,000. A section of early examples by the titans of 20th century art, Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), further enforces the substantial offerings in the auction. The three works included in the sale by the pop art master, Lichtenstein, come from the esteemed collection of H. Lee Turner while In Limbo (1941-1942) by Rothko, estimated at $120,000 – 180,000, similarly comes with extensive provenance and exhibition history. Additional sale highlights: Rue Song (2018) by Adriana Varejão (b. 1964). Estimate:…
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Auction IndustryFrom Classicism to Contemporary Art, a Collection Assembled in Paris and New York
Marie-Régine Didier followed her tastes, mixing styles in her New York and faubourg Saint-Honoré apartments without caring about trendiness. Her eclecticism is highly appealing. Jean Paul Riopelle (1923–2002), C’est rocheux (It’s Rocky), 1974, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right and numbered “AM 30”, 81 x 100 cm/31.88 x 39.37 in. Estimate: €100,000/150,000 Friends, who fondly called Marie-Régine Didier "Catoune", remember her as an elegant, cheerful and caring woman. Born in Valence in the South of France on July 20, 1936, as a little girl she would whisper, full of hope and desire, “another world awaits me”, says her friend Christian Leprette. Her dream came true when her studies and a modelling career brought her to Paris. She moved to rue de l’Université and discovered the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, immediately falling in love with its bars, restaurants, cabarets and galleries. This cosmopolitan world opened up new horizons to her. On October 12, 1970, Catoune married Édouard and became Mrs. Marie-Régine Didier. She inherited a large press group from her father that included L’Usine nouvelle Maison française and Le Moniteur des travaux publics et du bâtiment among itspublications. Her husband was a great entrepreneur who developed his company in the United States for ten years. They rounded each other out: he was a discreet, brilliant businessman, she an open-minded, affable woman keen to bring people together around them and deepen their relationships. She also made “wise real estate investments and had a flair for decision-making,” says Mr. Leprette. She died childless on November 18, 2021, 11 years after her husband, and had asked her friend to take care of selling her collection, furniture, and other objects in her last apartment, on rue de Grenelle. Some of the contemporary works are not included in the catalog and will certainly be donated to institutions in the United States. Four crackled white-glaze ceramic statues in 18th-century style (three reproduced) depicting the four seasons, h. 156 cm/61.42 in.Estimate: €3,000/5,000 A Classic Interior…Pictures of the bourgeois apartment are striking. The classic pieces in the hallway, such as immense 18th-century style white glazed ceramic statues, are estimated €3,000/5,000. In the living room, a pair of 18th-century German Boulle marquetry…
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Auction Industry, Press ReleaseToomey & Co. Auctioneers To Hold Modern Design + Post-war & Contemporary Art Sale On August 24
Oak Park, IL — On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, Toomey & Co. Auctioneers will hold a Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art sale with over 350 lots by influential figures from the mid-20th century to the present. Items on offer include paintings, prints, sculptures, furniture, lighting, metalwork, pottery, glassware, and more. Along with examples by artists and designers from Chicago and the Midwest, the sale features works by a range of American and global innovators. Preview details and bidding instructions follow the auction highlights below. Highlights of Modern Design + Post-War & Contemporary Art on August 24 Sorcerer’s Village, 1972Estimate $4,000-6,000 Paintings, Drawings, Prints & Sculptures One of the standout works on August 24 is an oil on canvas by celebrated Mexican painter Rodolfo Morales, Plaza in Four Parts (estimate $20,000-30,000), which combines elements of magic realism and surrealism to portray a traditional village scene. Robert Lostutter also draws on fantasy and the sale includes three of his watercolor and pencil drawings and an etching with unusual creatures (highest $3,000-5,000). Other illustrations of note are Patrick Nagel's drawing for COQ magazine and Bernar Vernet's conceptual, geometric work (each $4,000-6,000). Black artists with examples in the auction include Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Margaret Burroughs (highest $4,000-6,000). Two figural ceramic plaques will be up for bid by Marcello Fantoni and Clyde Burt and several steel sculptures by James Bearden will be offered (highest $7,000-9,000). The auction also has works by many other notable artists, such as: Marc Chagall, Alex Katz, Robert Rauschenberg, Sol LeWitt, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Peter Max, LeRoy Neiman, and Banksy (highest $1,500-2,500). Modern American Design American design features two pine display tables by Donald Judd selected by architect John Pawson for Calvin Klein NYC (each $10,000-20,000). Another statement-making form is Vladimir Kagan’s Cloud sofa for Directional ($6,000-8,000). Several classic, mid-century furniture lines are available from Edward Wormley and Paul McCobb (highest $5,000-7,000). Iconic examples from Herman Miller and Knoll will likewise highlight the sale. From George Nelson, the auction includes a Home Office desk, X-Leg dining table, and CSS wall unit (highest $4,000-6,000). Charles and Ray Eames are well represented with four DKW-2 chairs, a 670 / 671 lounge chair and ottoman, and a Compact sofa (highest $2,500-3,500). Various seating options from Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe are part of the sale, in particular, two Barcelona lounge chairs and two ottomans offered together and a custom, four-seat…
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PeopleAstrid Ullens: From Contemporary Art to Photography, a Committed Collector
Astrid Ullens de Schooten Whettnall was born into a family that entertained the doctor and writer Georges Duhamel, soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and conductor Herbert von Karajan. A contemporary art and photography collector, she created the Fondation A Stichting 10 years ago. Astrid Ullens How did you begin collecting?I started with contemporary art in the 1980s, working with the Antwerp gallerist Micheline Szwajcer. She introduced me to the great sculptors and painters of the time, like Carl Andre, On Kawara, Stanley Brouwn and Alighiero Boetti. Having grown up in a highly cultured family, it was a rejuvenating experience. Before I started working, I was an obedient housewife and the mother of four children. The two realms remained apart: I didn't dare show my acquisitions at home. What brought you to photography?When I became aware that contemporary art was turning into a business, in other words when money started to matter more than the artists’ work. That’s not my idea of how things should be. I’ve never bought anything as speculation. I felt the need to do research, meet the artists and exchange ideas with them. Some were expensive—I bought certain works for €15,000, a big effort—but prices weren’t as exorbitant as they later became. I stopped everything overnight. One year, I wanted to buy a Brancusi sculpture at the Basel fair but it cost too much so I settled for one of his prints. I didn't think I’d go any further. I went to Paris Photo, which was then at the Carrousel du Louvre, where I discovered Lewis Baltz’s “Prototypes” at Thomas Zander’s booth. That’s how I caught the bug. Adriana Lestido, Untitled, 1991-1993.© Adriana Lestido What draws you to photography?I realized that photography attests to what is doomed to disappear, and that the days of silver prints were numbered. The idea of transmitting is very important to me, especially now that I’m 83 and have 15 grandchildren. I consider art a space of dialogue. That’s why, in the 2000s, I started gathering my acquisitions in a beautiful loft apartment in Brussels to share them with an intimate circle, my grandchildren and others by hosting…
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PeopleDimitris Daskalopoulos: Contemporary Art Open to the World
On the occasion of his major donation, the Greek collector talks to us in his Athens HQ about the reasons for this decision, his passion for art and his philosophy. Dimitris Daskalopoulos in front of David Hammons' Untitled, Body Print, 1975 (106.7 x 78.7 cm/42 x 30.9 in), which he recently donated to the Tate. Photo: Natalia Tsoukalas Dimitris Daskalopoulos, a leading contemporary art collector and founder of the culture and development organization NEON, recently announced the donation of part of his famous collection—which includes works by Louise Bourgeois, Paul Chan, Robert Gober, David Hammons, Mona Hatoum, Sarah Lucas, Jannis Kounellis, Paul McCarthy, Steve McQueen, Annette Messager and Kiki Smith—to four museums in Athens, Chicago, New York and the UK. The donation includes over 350 works by 142 artists: 140 go to the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, a joint donation of 100-odd to the Guggenheim in New York and the MCA Chicago, and 110 to the Tate in London. What led you to make such a significant donation?It was the next obvious stage of my journey and the way I view art, the ownership of works, and their meaning and value. I felt the time had come for me to make decisions about the future of my collection. The works that make it up ought to be seen by a large number of people; they need to be in dialogue with other forms of contemporary art, especially the art of tomorrow. This is why I decided to make them accessible to the public through museums and public institutions with the means to exhibit them. How did you become a collector?First of all, I have to say I don't consider myself a collector in the sense of someone who likes to buy beautiful things, decorate their house in a spectacular way and impress their friends. I've never been like that. I see myself as a curator of a collection. I didn't buy the works because I wanted to own them, but because I wanted to express my way of thinking. These works, which I love and admire, belong firstly to the artists who created…
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Auction IndustryNative American Art to Hit Bonhams’ Block, From Louisa Keyser Baskets to Contemporary Paintings
On June 29, 2022, Bonhams’ Native American Art department will present a curated sale of historical and antique items. The available lots acknowledge the diversity of Native American art, which includes countless mediums and distinct styles. “‘Native American art’ is a very broad term. Plus, there are people who collect regional objects, while others who collect a little bit of everything,” the Director of Bonhams’ Native American Art Department in Los Angeles, Ingmars Lindbergs, told Auction Daily. “It can seem a bit eclectic at times.” An exceptional Louisa Keyser / Dat-so-la-lee degikup basket, Washoe. Image courtesy of Bonhams. Native American jewelry, pottery, Southwest paintings, textiles, and more will be available this June. Many of the objects date back at least 100 years. One portion of the catalog is devoted to Inuit ivory objects excavated from St. Lawrence Island, located west of mainland Alaska. The lots were primarily sourced by authorized Inuit people living on St. Lawrence Island who sell the antiques for revenue. These small figures and utilitarian objects are between 500 and 2,000 years old. “We have a very fine selection of baskets from a number of different sources, including what I believe to be the largest single-owner collection of Northern California basketry hats. An elderly couple in Oregon consigned the items after spending the last 30 to 40 years building their collection,” Lindbergs said. Among the top lots is an exceptional degikup basket from Louisa Keyser, also known as Dat-so-la-lee (lot #149; estimate: USD 150,000 - $200,000). This slightly oval basket features a stitched design of concentric triangles and chevrons. The artist favored this form between 1898 and 1916. She produced approximately 40 major ceremonial baskets like the available lot while under the patronage of Abe and Amy Cohn. A Northwest Coast raven rattle. Image courtesy of Bonhams. Another section of the sale is devoted to Pacific Northwest Coast art, which includes recognizable design elements and careful artistry. One notable piece of Pacific Northwest Coast art in the sale is a pipe bowl from the 1820s or ‘30s (lot #73; estimate: $15,000 - $20,000). It showcases the classic…
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Auction ResultJohn Moran Auctioneers Concludes Modern and Contemporary Fine Art Sale With Success
John Moran Auctioneers’ Modern and Contemporary Fine Art auction concluded on February 16, 2022. The event found success with the sale of 140 works in Impressionist, abstract, and figurative styles. Several young, emerging, and renowned modern artists were represented in the live auction, including Martha Alf, Thomas Fougeirol, and Sudarshan Shetty. Sudarshan Shetty, Untitled, 2007. Image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers. Sudarshan Shetty's untitled work went under the hammer in John Moran Auctioneers’ recent fine art event. The oil and acrylic painting drew competitive bidding, which pushed its final price past the high estimate of USD 5,000. The hammer price was $10,000. The vibrant piece shows four sculptures of Lord Ganesh, a deity who is widely followed and celebrated in Hindu culture. The figures are seated in the same position; however, they face in different directions. Sudarshan Shetty was born in 1961 in Mangalore, India. He is best known for his contemporary paintings and sculptural installations. Cultural elements inspire many of his compositions. Shetty is currently living and working in Mumbai. “Shetty’s works are culturally grounded and contextually rooted and yet of wondrous appeal to anyone who encounters it. His seemingly simple juxtaposition invokes a visceral reaction,” writes Shraddha Nair for STIR. He Sen, Pretty Dudu and Pretty Toy, 2008. Image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers. John Moran Auctioneers also offered He Sen's Pretty Dudu and Pretty Toy. It sold for $1,250. The acrylic and oil work has He Sen's signature at the bottom right corner. It captures the melancholy of a young woman clothed in pink and white lingerie. She holds a doll with a pink bowtie. He Sen was born in 1968 in Yunnan Province, China. He studied at the Sichuan Academy of Fine arts under the preeminent Chinese painter Zhang Xiaogang. During his study period, He Sen became familiar with the expressionist Sichuan style, which can be seen in many of his paintings. His artworks also show a blend of traditional features and contemporary styles. Lara Schnitger, Sexy Bitch, 2006. Image courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers. Also available in the online auction was a Lara Schnitger work…
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Auction IndustryUltra-Contemporary Art Ascendant: The Rise of the Market’s Newest Category
Tomokazu Matsuyama, Mrs. Omega, July 2011 - June 2013. Image courtesy of Phillips. For years, the auction industry has had a problem with language. Terms such as “post-war” and “modern” stretch gingerly to cover the market’s holes, and their meanings often differ from one auction house to the next. While unclear terminology is the stuff of scholarly debates, it also creates confusion for analysts and collectors looking to assess value. The category of contemporary art is particularly troublesome. The dictionary offers limited guidance. An artist need only be “marked by characteristics of the present period” or “happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time” to be considered “contemporary,” according to Merriam-Webster. Yet this definition has also proved too fluid for the auction market, like when works by Georgia O’Keeffe appear alongside those by Jeff Koons. To address this issue, Artnet News coined a new term to describe the latest and greatest: ultra-contemporary art. Since the term’s debut in 2019, “ultra-contemporary art” has increasingly made its way into common auction world parlance. British auction house Phillips has taken a particular shine to it. In fact, Phillips has positioned itself as a market leader in fresh works by young artists. How did this new auction category evolve, and what might the future hold for ultra-contemporary art? Auction Daily investigates. Amoako Boafo, Golden Frames, 2018. Image courtesy of Phillips. What Is Ultra-Contemporary Art? According to Artnet News’ original definition, ultra-contemporary art “strictly applies to artists born from 1975 to the present day, as a way to bring valuable visibility to the youngest talents with strengthening secondary markets.” The term implies the sharpest part of the cutting edge. Ultra-contemporary artists usually are extremely new to the market, have comparatively small price history lists, and boast a Goldilocks amount of available work. Some have not even enjoyed their first museum exhibition before their art crosses the auction block. Today, ultra-contemporary art is a rapidly expanding terrain. New auction stars emerge regularly as collectors turn away from the predominantly white and male old guard to more diverse upstarts. These artists often…
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Auction ResultA Historical Document and Important Pieces of Contemporary Art Fetch Record Prices During Sotheby’s New York Marquee Week
Roy Lichtenstein, Two Paintings, 1983, from the Collection of Douglas S. Cramer. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s. A series of major auctions during Sotheby’s New York marquee week offered some of the most prized and valuable assets in the auction industry. The historic week totaled a record USD 1.33 billion in sales for the auction house. Kicking off Sotheby’s New York marquee week auctions was the white-glove Macklowe Collection. The first part of the famed collection brought in a whopping $676 million. Sotheby’s witnessed strong results throughout the week, breaking the record for an important historical document. A single copy of the United States Constitution sold for $43.2 million in a single-lot auction. The selling price listed is inclusive of Sotheby's buyer's premium and overhead premium. Claude Monet, Coin du bassin aux nymphéas, 1918. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s. Modern Evening Auction The first event of Sotheby’s New York marquee week fetched a total closing amount of $282.9 million. The Modern Evening Auction, led by one of Frida Kahlo’s last and most important masterpieces, yielded a personal record for the artist. Diego y yo, dated 1949, sold for $34.9 million. It also set a new benchmark for a work of Latin American art at auction. Claude Monet’s Coin du bassin aux nymphéas sold for $50.8 million, topping the sale with the highest closing bid. Featuring the theme of water lilies, the painting enjoys a profound spot in the artist’s oeuvre and remains one of the most iconic pieces of the Impressionist movement. Yoshitomo Nara, Nice to See You Again, 1996. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s. The Now Evening Auction Bridging the various techniques and trends that shaped art over the last 20 years, the Now Evening Auction highlighted works by notable contemporary artists like Mark Bradford and Matthew Wong. A 1996 artwork by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara titled Nice to See You Again sold for $15.4 million. Another important lot from the evening event was a Banksy artwork titled Trolley Hunters. This particular lot sold for $6.7 million. The painting previously appeared in Barely Legal, a Banksy exhibition in Los Angeles that helped…
