“contemporary” About 206
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Auction PreviewDane Fine Art Showcases Modern and Contemporary Works in Affordable Art Sale – Day 2
During his early drawing days, artist and activist Keith Haring turned New York’s subways stations into art museums. To make art accessible to a diverse audience, Haring filled empty poster spaces with chalk drawings in primary colors. Witnessing people stop by and admire his paintings made him realize the potential of his art. His later works followed important social and political themes. Haring collaborated with artist Brion Gysin in 1986 for a limited edition artist book titled Fault Lines. It featured drawings by Keith Haring and writings by Brion Gysin. Several printed drawings from Fault Lines are available on Day 2 of the upcoming Affordable Art Sale, presented by Dane Fine Art. A selection of prints, paintings, sculptures, and vintage posters will be on offer. Andy Warhol's original marker drawing on the cover page of "The Philosophy of Andy Warhol” is available alongside works by modern and contemporary artists like James Rizzi and others. Browse the entire catalog or place a bid on Bidsquare.
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Auction PreviewStills by Bernd & Hilla Becher, Cindy Sherman Lead Sotheby’s Contemporary Photographs Auction
In the 1970s, when there was an explosion of photographic stills in mainstream media, Cindy Sherman presented women as complex lead characters. She often referenced Hollywood movies and actresses in her work. Sherman photographed herself playing various roles that enfranchise women. In Untitled #116, Sherman stares blankly into space, leaving the audience ambivalent. It is a signed still framed in 1982 and was previously in the collection of Jay I. Kislak. This Cindy Sherman still will be on sale in the upcoming Contemporary Photographs auction, presented by Sotheby’s this autumn. Available from acclaimed German photographer pair Bernd and Hilla Becher is Water Towers, a sequence of 15 gelatin silver prints framed together and taken between 1963 and 1980. Each still is signed and numbered sequentially. The couple received the Erasmus Prize and Hasselblad Award in the 2000s. Industrial imagery frequently appeared in their work. A group of 13 photographs, together titled Women’s Mobile Museum Portfolio, is notable as well. The collection includes work by Zanele Muholi, Lindeka Qampi, Shasta Bady, and other photographers. Sotheby’s fifth annual Contemporary Photographs auction will highlight work by Wolfgang Tillmans, Matthew Brandt, and Robert Polidori, as well as photographs by trailblazers like Carrie Mae Weems and Sophie Calle. View the full catalog and register to bid by visiting Sotheby’s.
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Auction PreviewNicola Simbari’s Contemporary Painting Will Go Under Showplace’s Hammer
Italian painter Nicola Simbari’s early works mostly depict scenes from his everyday life and Mediterranean landscapes. After exploring several painting movements, he developed his own style, which is today known as Simbaresco. Simbari frequently employed expressive strokes and pastel hues in his paintings. The upcoming New York City Estate Auction, presented by Showplace, will feature an oil painting by Nicola Simbari. The piece shows a view of Ostia Beach in bright shades of blue and ochre. The sale will also feature an oil painting from Surrealist artist Alexie Sundukov. It depicts a round brain in black and white. One notable lot among the 280 available items is Jorge Zalszupin’s T Invertido leather and chrome sofa. Zalszupin was a 20th-century designer recognized for his modern style. In the 1950s, the designer started a furniture manufacturing company called L’Atelier in São Paulo, Brazil. The offered two-seat sofa has a tufted back and stands on a T Invertido base. Register to bid online and view the complete listings on Bidsquare.
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Auction PreviewContemporary and Historic Favorites in Santa Paula Art Museum’s 11th Annual Fine Art Auction
The Santa Paula Art Museum’s Eleventh Annual Fine Art Auction will feature 21 original works of art by some of the Museum’s favorite local artists— both historic and contemporary. Linda Brown is among the contemporary artists with work in the catalog. Dedicated to capturing the grandeur of the American landscape, Brown has mastered the art of plein air outdoor painting. Her interest in painting out in the open allows her to capture fine details, making her works appear more realistic. She is also a member of the California Art Club and a founding member of the PAC6 group of women painters. “Painting these locations on the spot is so much more valuable than a photograph,” says a member of the PAC6. Brown’s oil-on-panel, titled Sierra Dawn, is available in the Museum’s timed auction. A notable lot among watercolor paintings is Jessie Arms Botke’s depiction of a Ventura beach house. Botke (1883 - 1971) often painted white peacocks, geese, and cockatoos. She experimented with still lifes and watercolor later in her career. Botke was a notable figure in the California School of Impressionism. A photograph by Bill Dewey is also available in this auction. Titled Faria Winter Waves, the photo depicts the curve of a California road and white-tipped waves from above. Dewey is an architectural photographer whose combined interest in photography and flying results in captivating aerial shots. This annual fundraising event will help fund the Museum’s exhibitions, tours, and community programming. Bidding opens on August 16th, 2021, and ends on August 29th, 2021. View the complete listings on Bidsquare.
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Auction PreviewSotheby’s Brings Contemporary Paintings by Peter Halley and Damien Hirst
Sotheby’s upcoming contemporary art auction will present 12 lots from Damien Hirst, Cady Noland, Carrie Mae Weems, and Glenn Ligon, among others. One of the leading items is Peter Halley’s untitled acrylic piece from 1991. In the early 1980s, the artist began painting prison cells, barred windows, and grids in neon colors. “I grew up with the notion that paintings create light, that picturing light was really important. As my work developed, I wanted to make paintings that created light, not natural light, but an artificial light,” Halley said. The available piece is a representation of his style and color palette. It shows geometric shapes in shades of yellow, orange, and blue. The Contemporary Art Online | New York auction also features a painting by Robert Motherwell. An American painter and printmaker, Motherwell was recognized for his Abstract Expressionist style. His works present an intuitive approach to painting. Titled Open No. 128: Charcoal with Blue on Raw Canvas, the available piece shows the outline of a smaller canvas. Interested collectors of contemporary art can explore the full catalog and register to bid online on Sotheby’s.
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Auction PreviewMickalene Thomas Collage, Kenny Scharf Butterfly Jungle, and Andy Warhol’s Beatle Boots Lead Christie’s Contemporary Art Auction
Christie’s upcoming First Open | Post-War & Contemporary Art auction will feature Mickalene Thomas’ 2011 collage titled Shinique: Now I Know. The collage consists of monochrome and color photographs, acrylic, and papers. In her collages, Thomas tries to give her subject visual authority because in their gaze lies their power. Her works explore sexuality, art history, popular culture, and portraits. Andy Warhol’s Beatle Boots (Negative) acrylic and silkscreen piece is also on offer. Kenny Scharf’s Butterfly Jungle (1989) is another noteworthy lot. “I think of [Scharf] as an environmentalist,” says his friend and art dealer Honor Fraser. Butterfly Jungle reflects some of Scharf’s environmentalist themes. It depicts the rounded forms of several insects in a green, blue, and purple jungle setting. The catalog will also feature a piece by Aboudia (Abdoulaye Diarrassouba). The contemporary African artist uses his canvas to represent the marginalized children he grew up with. This sale will feature Aboudia’s Môgôs #4 painting of several alarmed figures. View all available works of contemporary art and register to bid online on Christie’s.
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Auction PreviewRoy Lichtenstein’s Important Contemporary Print Highlights Bonhams Sale
Bonhams’ upcoming sale will present an important contemporary print from Roy Lichtenstein, a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. In the available Sweet Dreams Baby! print, Lichtenstein employs his signature Benday dots technique. The method is primarily used by comic strips and newspapers to indicate texture. According to the lot essay, “The combative phrase and cartoonish figure of a man on the receiving end of a knock-out punch are meant to deliver a warning, albeit humorous, that [the artist] planned to rewrite the rules of painting, and indeed of printmaking.” The Modern & Contemporary Prints & Multiples auction also spotlights Andy Warhol’s Rebel Without a Cause. Warhol’s prints often explore commercial culture. The available piece shows James Dean, an American actor, posing beside a line of Japanese script. The actor’s outlined figure is set against a bright red backdrop. A faint, repetitive image of James Dean can be seen in the center as well. To view the full listings of modern and contemporary artwork and register to bid, visit Bonhams.
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Auction PreviewPalm Beach Modern Auctions Offers Selection of Contemporary Art & Design
Pop artist George Segal’s work interacts directly with the viewer’s psychology, a difference compared to other 20th-century Pop art that focused on daily mass-produced objects. The New York-based sculptor was famous for his life-sized human body sculptures hosted in public spaces like coffee shops and train stations. His figurative sculptures momentarily drifted the viewer away from the fast-paced world and allowed them to focus on their inner self. Palm Beach Modern Auctions’ upcoming event highlights a monumental sculpture by George Segal. Circus Acrobats features two life-sized figurines of trapeze artists trying to catch each other. The 1989 ceiling-suspended sculpture features Segal’s signature casting style with rough surfaces and a bright white color. The Acrobats by Fernand Léger emphasizes the artist’s variant form of Cubism involving tubular shapes, popularly known as Tubism. In 1917, Léger returned to Paris after suffering a war injury. The painter spent most of his time exploring Parisian life, including the famous Montmartre circus Cirque Médrano. The Acrobats is a 1952 gouache painting of two contortionists against a natural background. The brightly colored painting also highlights the tubular forms of the acrobats’ limbs, a prime Tubism example by Léger. Two graffiti art-inspired drawings by Jean-Michel Basquiat will be available as well. For fashion collectors and enthusiasts, the auction will offer a collection of Hermès handbags. Showcased is a Birkin 25 handbag launched in 1980. The sale also includes sculptures by Pablo Picasso and Louise Nevelson, Alexandre Noll furniture, Christofle and Tiffany & Co. silverware, and a Kenneth Noland scarf. Interested collectors can view the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
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Auction PreviewFreeman’s Modern and Contemporary Art Sale Features Barbara Hepworth Torso Sculpture
Freeman’s upcoming Modern and Contemporary Art auction will present a major bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth. One of Britain’s first abstract sculptors, Hepworth found inspiration in the Yorkshire countryside where she grew up. The naturalistic stone-like sculptures of Hepworth’s early career gradually evolved to include sharp edges and more human shapes. The artist cast the available bronze, titled Torso II (Torcello), while coping with the death of her son in World War II. The piece belongs to Hepworth’s anthropomorphic torso series. It features a dimpled texture, deep hollows, and a slender base. Other notable sculptors represented in the sale include Henry Moore, Fritz König, and Allan Houser. Modern and contemporary art collectors will find some of the most famous 20th-century artists in the auction catalog, from Andy Warhol to Pablo Picasso. A print of Warhol’s Mao is among the leading lots. Picturing Chairman Mao Zedong in bright green and blue, the piece was printed in 1972. It includes a handwritten dedication to Janet Solinger, a prominent New York arts administrator. Picasso’s Trois Femmes is on offer as well. This 1960 color linocut depicts a group of three women on a coffee brown background. The women appear to be stretching and welcoming the morning. Visit Bidsquare for more information and to place a bid.
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Auction PreviewJoan Mitchell’s Untitled, 1989 Leads Hindman’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale
Through the 1980s, American Abstract Expressionist painter Joan Mitchell suffered numerous health problems, including cancer. Mitchell created an untitled painting in 1989 amid these health issues. The oil painting, which will come to auction with Hindman, reflects the artist’s late-career reflective mood. Shades of blue and aquamarine crisscross the canvas, interrupted by two strokes of mustard yellow. Hindman’s lot description notes that, for Mitchell, the painting is “the essence of the external world internalized, interpreted and expressed in paint, conveying a deeper and harder felt meaning.” The upcoming sale will feature works from other key American artists of the 20th century. Alexander Calder’s Pyramidal Shapes painting from 1956 is particularly notable. Calder is best known as a sculptor of aesthetic mobiles, but he occasionally worked in two dimensions. The available Calder painting positions a pyramid in the foreground. Two lines balance on its peak, supporting a sphere and a half-moon on either side. Another pyramid and a white sphere draw the viewer’s eye to the composition’s vanishing point. Hindman’s auction of post-war and contemporary art spans across national boundaries. The catalog offers works by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, Japanese abstractionist Sadamasa Motonaga, and Taiwanese sculptor Yuyu Yang. Find the complete listings and register to bid on Bidsquare.
