“contemporary” About 206
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Auction PreviewHindman’s Springborn Collection: An Ode to Contemporary Crafts
Hindman’s upcoming Springborn Collection sale features a wide variety of contemporary crafts. The auction offers Wendell Castle’s ‘Seven Days of the Week’ dining set, crafted in 1997. The dining table is made of ebonized mahogany wood; it showcases Castle’s signature stack lamination technique. The ten biomorphic chairs have ash legs and contrasting upholstery. Castle’s pieces, considered works of art for their distinctive designs, have found permanent places in museums and cultural institutions. Pushing the limits of glass art is Mary Ann Toots Zynsky’s untitled vessel. It will be showcased in the Springborn sale. Zynsky uses heat-formed glass threads to form a vessel. She has received acclaim for her exploration of colors and shapes in glassmaking. Nine lots from Albert Paley are also available in the event, including a fabricated steel breakfast table topped with glass. Find more contemporary crafts online by visiting Bidsquare.
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Auction PreviewGaitonde, Sabavala, and Padamsee Headline Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art Sale
Sotheby’s will kick-start this year’s Asia Week with a Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art auction. An abstract canvas by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde leads the catalog. Gaitonde began his career as a figurative artist, later becoming resolutely non-figural, almost geometrical. Executed in 1962, the offered untitled painting shows geometric elements in black and yellow against a red background. Another abstract work from Gaitonde will hit the auction block for the first time. The untitled 1962 painting features calligraphic brush and ink work. According to the lot essay, “the origins of this work are inextricably tied to the artist’s travels to Japan.” Another featured work in this event comes from Jehangir Sabavala. His work uses Cubist elements to achieve varied results and textures. Sabavala’s Lone Vigil features a figure in a landscape that depicts all five elements of nature. Collectors interested in this or any other South Asian artworks can register to bid on Sotheby’s.
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Auction PreviewEd Ruscha’s California Grape Skins in Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated
In Ed Ruscha’s California Grape Skins, a mountain appears like an illusion. Bold white text dominates the composition. This painting is available in the upcoming Contemporary Curated auction, presented by Sotheby’s. Ruscha’s works gained attention during the Pop Art movement for their oddity and satire. Of the available piece, he says: “I had a notion to make pictures by using words... it seemed like a mountain was an archetypal stage set. It was a perfect foil for whatever was happening in the foreground.” Works from established artists like Romare Bearden, Mary Corse, Joan Mitchell, Franz Kline, and Andy Warhol will be available as well. Many of the offered lots reflect on the postwar period, including Dark Heart Cake by Wayne Thiebaud. The artist’s sweet treats explore the American psyche and the era of mass production and consumption. Visit Sotheby’s to view more contemporary art and place a bid.
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Auction PreviewChristie’s Will Offer Selection of Contemporary Asian Artworks
Christie's upcoming auction will explore the world of contemporary Asian art with works from Walasse Ting, Tatsuo Miyajima, Aya Takano, Yayoi Kusama, and others. One of the leading lots is Walasse Ting’s acrylic painting. Ting was a 20th-century Abstract Expressionist celebrated for his vibrant palettes on rice paper. With fluorescent colors and expressive brushstrokes, his works often depicted women, flowers, parrots, horses, and fish. Ting's union of Chinese and Western aesthetics defined his work throughout his career. The offered lot, titled Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries, is an example of his trademark style. Another featured work comes from Chinese painter Liu Dahong. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s. Liu’s work creates satirical versions of historic events, referencing both Chinese and Western cultures. He attempts to evaluate political, cultural, and social conflict, particularly of the Cultural Revolution and post-Cultural Revolution period. In the available piece, Liu shows two parts of the same world. Those interested in this or any other contemporary Asian artworks can register to bid on Christie’s.
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Auction PreviewPost-War and Contemporary Art at Christie’s, From Keith Haring to Matthew Wong
Christie’s will open the Spring 2021 auction season with a selection of post-war, modern, and contemporary art. A full-sized painting by Keith Haring leads the listings. Executed on industrial tarpaulin, the untitled red painting shows the artist’s signature dancing figures. “Vibration marks” indicate their movement. A polka-dotted spirit figure dominates the center of the piece, rising from a hole in the ground. Several works from Keith Haring’s contemporaries are also on offer, including a pink-and-black Marilyn Monroe print by Andy Warhol. This auction presents a range of artistic styles, from Elaine de Kooning’s Abstract Expressionism to Titus Kaphar’s contemporary compositions. De Kooning’s Red Bison/ Blue Horse is notable for its deep colors and sense of movement. Inspired by prehistoric cave paintings, this work references the caves of Lascaux, France. Drawing from more contemporary influences, Kaphar’s Sacrifice painting explores themes of race and multiplicity. Bidders will also find several 21st-century works in the auction. A 2017 nighttime painting from Matthew Wong, a neon sign by Tracey Emin that reads “Sleeping with YOU,” and a suggestive work by Emily Mae Smith finished in 2021 are among the offerings. Find the full catalog and place a bid by visiting Christie’s.
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Auction PreviewRaymond Pettibon, RETNA, and More Highlight Contemporary Art Sale
Raymond Pettibon rose to prominence after producing album art for Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, and his brother's band, Black Flag. Pettibon wears his influences on his sleeve, referencing pop culture and his California upbringing with little concern for appearing derivative. Bonhams’ upcoming Post-War & Contemporary Art sale will feature an untitled piece by Raymond Pettibon depicting a surfer. Having spent much of his childhood near Venice Beach, surfing plays a major role in Pettibon's work. This particular acrylic on plexiglass piece shows a surfer getting his bearings inside the tube of a large wave. Also heavily influenced by pop culture was Pop artist Mel Ramos. This sale includes a portrait from Ramos depicting Academy Award-nominated actress Ali MacGraw. Ramos was particularly known for juxtaposing nude figures with the most popular products of his day, from Baby Ruth candy bars to Coca Cola. With MacGraw, though, Ramos takes a more conservative approach. He dresses MacGraw in a black top balanced by a white and blue choker. Another featured work comes from graffiti and studio artist RETNA, titled Blackstone Camo. The script on this and many of RETNA’s other works is a language all its own, inspired by hieroglyphics and Native American pictographs. Also influencing this piece is another RETNA project, in which the artist turned an abandoned Douglas DC-3 airplane in the Arizona desert into an art installation. Those interested in this or any other lot can register to bid on Bonhams’ website.
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Auction PreviewChristie’s To Offer Post-War and Contemporary Art in Upcoming Sale
A member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, Joan Brown (1938 – 1991) was a painter who played a significant role in the local artistic community. Her painting style was characterized by the use of bold colors and symbolism with a personal touch. The upcoming Christie's auction of post-war and contemporary art will feature Brown’s David with Statue of Mary Julia #2. The pastel, acrylic, and fabric collage on paper piece was executed in 1976. Mary Heilmann, another California-based artist who experimented with techniques, styles, and mediums, is represented in this event. Chrysanthemum Fan, a painting on shaped plywood, is among the featured lots. Heilmann completed it in 1988. Another key highlight of the sale is Eddie Martinez’s BH Stack #14, which is an oil and enamel on canvas piece mounted on a panel. Based in New York, the artist is known for his use of bright color schemes and abstract forms. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Christie's.
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Auction PreviewPaintings from the Hairy Who lead Hindman’s Post War and Contemporary Art Sale
Hindman’s upcoming Post War and Contemporary Art auction will feature a 1977 acrylic painting by Jim Nutt, a Chicago Imagist and founding member of the Hairy Who art group. Six art school graduates gathered in Chicago to form the group in the mid-1960s, combining forces to snag gallery space in a competitive market. Their work is often contrasted with the slick Pop Art flowing from New York. The style of the Hairy Who was more frequently described as “sweaty, nervous, sometimes giggly or goofy,” according to Hyperallergic. The available Nutt painting is titled Shouldn’t We Be More Carefull? [sic]. It depicts a maternal figure tending to the outstretched hand of a young boy. The viewer can gather more context for the scene from the purple words surrounding the figures: “... small potatoes or/ and Big Thumbs.” The sale also includes works from other founding members of the Hairy Who. From Gladys Nilsson, the wife of Jim Nutt, is a Plexiglass painting made a few years before the Hairy Who group officially formed. Chicago Imagist collectors will find pieces from Karl Wirsum and Suellen Rocca as well. Visit Bidsquare to view the full catalog and register to bid in the Post War and Contemporary Art auction.
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Auction PreviewHockney, Basquiat, and Still Headline Contemporary Art Evening Sale
David Hockney's Nichols Canyon is among the highlights of Phillips' upcoming 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale. The painting illustrates Hockney's daily drive from his home atop Nichols Canyon in the Hollywood Hills down to his studio. "I look down on Hollywood," says Hockney about the commute with a smile, aware of the double meaning. Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still is also represented in this auction with a piece from his later career, PH-407. After spending 15 years in New York at the urging of Jackson Pollock and others, Still looked for a simpler life in Maryland. Paintings from this period, including PH-407, are noted for their heightened focus on two-dimensional figures. Jean-Michel Basquiat collectors will find the artist's Portrait of A-One A.K.A. King offered in this sale. Produced in 1982, the year Basquiat joined the New York art scene, this portrait shows the artist incorporating his street art background into his early canvases. The work pays tribute to A-One, Basquiat’s friend and fellow street artist. Numerous graffiti tags surround A-One in this piece. Although these details may look impromptu, several layers of revisions on the canvas indicate Basquiat carefully chose and edited each tag. Those interested in this or any other piece can register to bid on Phillips’ website. Meanwhile, those interested in other upcoming contemporary art sales can browse more of Auction Daily's previews.
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Auction PreviewContemporary Art Day Auction to Offer Works by Barkley L. Hendricks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and More
Sotheby's Contemporary Art Day Auction presents late 20th-century fine art from around the world. That includes Barkley L. Hendricks' portrait Jackie Sha-La-La. Hendricks aimed not only to capture a person's likeness in his portraits but also their personality. Here, Jackie's eyes are covered by an elaborate hat as she makes herself comfortable on a couch. Like many of his contemporaries, Hendricks did not shy away from pop culture, represented here with the Coca-Cola can that Jackie holds just within view. Representing Jean-Michel Basquiat in this sale is a drawing produced in 1988, the year of his death. In the drawing, Basquiat presents a busy marketplace offering salves, raw diamonds, and walkie-talkies. Buzzwords like "AUTHENTIC" and "EXTRA EXTRA" fly in different directions. Also inspired by commodities is Wayne Thiebaud's painting of an ice cream cone, titled Single Triple Decker. Unlike his Pop Art contemporaries, Thiebaud depicts products like cakes and ice cream without cynicism. "[W]here Warhol was cool and ironic," the critic Cathleen McGuigan writes, "Thiebaud was warm and gently comic, playing on a collective nostalgia just this side of sentimentality." Register to bid in this sale on the Sotheby’s website.
