Houston-based artist Ryan Hawk’s work is on display at Sweet Pass Sculpture Park, a surprise clearing among woods and gritty West Dallas commercial buildings.
Subversive ambiguities in Ryan Hawk’s works at Dallas sculpture park
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Club to explore architecture photography
Gary Thompson will present techniques and ideas for photographing buildings and architectural features at the Nov. 14 meeting of the Grand Canyon Photography Club. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. after a short business meeting at the Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center in Wellsboro.
Architectural photography topics to be discussed include composition; curves and diagonals; reflections, light and shadow; perspective; distortionand architectural details.
Thompson retired in 2020 after 42 years of service as a principal of HUNT Engineers, Architects & Land Surveyors, P.C. where he was a NYS professional land surveyor and FAA certified drone pilot.
He is past president and currently a trustee of the NYS Association of Professional Land Surveyors in Albany, N.Y.
Thompson provided corporate photography of his company’s architectural and engineering projects for use in the firms’ publications and marketing materials. In his current ‘retired’ capacity, he continues to provide photography and drone services when requested.
An avid motorcyclist, Thompson is a staff photographer for the Harley Rendezvous Classic, an annual motorcycle rally hosting thousands of bikers. As a result, he has had many of his photographs published from this event in various promotional media and magazines. Thompson has completed other magazine and billboard assignments for Harley Davidson as well.
With a genuine passion for live music, Thompson has also photographed many local musicians and name band acts achieving what he calls “stage status.” Being on stage and back-stage with the big bands provides an entirely new perspective for concert photography.
Guests are welcome to attend a GCPC meeting as a guest before joining.
Prints before photography: Drawings say a thousand words about Egypt
Hosted by the William Benton Museum of Art on Wednesday, Nov. 8, Fadi Awad Elsaid, a Ph.D. candidate hailing from universities in France and Egypt, spoke about the contributions of Nicolas-Jacques Conté (1755 – 1805) on his documentation of modern Egyptian history in light of Ancient Egypt and the French expedition of Egypt at the time. Additionally, Elsaid emphasized the similarities and differences between the two epitomes of this documentation, the “Encyclopédie” and the “Description de l’Égypte.”
Conté was portrayed as a jack of all trades who is more than deserving of acclaim. Despite his artwork being the focus of his legacy for the talk, he was a revolutionary inventor. The scope of his creations is great, considering he invented the contemporary pencil during an era that people associate with communication by ink and quill. Conté was also a proponent for the hot air balloon, and his fascination with machines made its way into his artwork. He drew people who manned machines — some of the last machines designed by craftsmen — showing why his artwork is analyzed to this day.
As a French citizen, Conté played a pivotal role during Napoleon’s expedition, but not in the way one may expect. Despite setbacks, such as losing the Battle of the Nile on Aug. 2, 1798, rendering the army as “the prisoners of its own adventure” and the influence of Britain and the Ottoman Empire preventing any successes, Conté remained with the army. He developed a close relationship with Napoleon, inventing anything he could to aid them and this synergism allowed Napoleon to keep pushing with a desire to triumph.
Elsaid described the period during Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt, around the turn of the 18th century, as both an “interesting moment of history, and an interesting moment of art.”
The colloquial “Encyclopédie” was compiled as a mid-1700s written collection of works. Its main function was its inclusion of both contextual and non-contextual drawings of machines and ordinary objects, either in isolation or accompanied by a scene that provides social context for the object’s use. Transposing the contextual image above the blueprint allows for a reading of the overall piece that starts with forming the conclusion, and ending with pondering the premise.
This practice was repeated almost identically in sections of a loose successor, the “Description de l’Égypte,” first published in 1809. According to Elsaid, the “omnipresence” of the “Encyclopédie” in the newer work is undeniable, as it documents the same things using the previous transposing method, sometimes using identical methods. Also, Conté contributes the addition of workers of various classes only within their social context, re-incorporating a layer of ambiguity lost in the “Encyclopédie.”
Elsaid claims that modern Egyptians had to pay the price for the colossal nature of ancient Egypt and modern France, which can explain why Egyptians are often depicted doing mundane tasks, since the other party assumed superiority. Considering this, and its narrow scope, focusing on Egyptian history specifically instead of universal history like the “Encyclopédie,” another strength of the “Description de l’Égypte” was that people were drawn in a different light, literally, in its depictions.
The use of shadow in drawings included in the “Description de l’Égypte” brought Elsaid’s points full-circle, as they would have not been possible without pencil shading. One in particular depicts two slaves standing naked in a room, identifiable by their shaved facial hair, portraying the darkness they must’ve been feeling at the time.
The slaves’ faces are also barely visible, showing a gray area between his usual use of faces to show someone focused on their work or observing the artist painting them. This is supported when an audience member asked why these drawings are in black and white; despite economic reasons that makes reproducing in monochrome more affordable, the style is used in particular scenes for a purpose.
The art discussed is part of a larger exhibition currently on display at the Benton, titled “Prints and People Before Photography, 1490-1825,” available until Dec. 27, 2023.
End of an era? Jussi Pylkkänen’s departure reveals much about today’s art market
So Jussi Pylkkänen, Christie’s star auctioneer and global president is stepping down next year, after 38 years in the company. He has said he will be working as an independent art advisor.
His last bang of the hammer will be on 7 December in London, where he will preside over Christie’s Old Master paintings sale. And of course, Jussi was the auctioneer for the most expensive painting ever sold, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi (around 1500). Unless you have been on the moon since 2017, you will know it made a stratospheric $450.3m with fees, and went to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, or Saudi Arabia, or the Saudi culture ministry, or some combination of the above. It has not been seen in public since.
But to get back to Jussi, I have covered many sales as a journalist and have seen him “come a long way” (insiders will recognise the expression) over the years. I recognise his other catch phrases, for example egging on bidders with: “It’s a beautiful thing” or “Thank you for your help,” as someone bows out.
Jussi wasn’t a natural showman, and in his early days as an auctioneer I hope he will forgive me for saying his…er…patience with bidders sometimes led to a few of us muttering sotto voce: “Get on with it, Jussi!”
But that was then, and as I say, he evolved to the successful auctioneer we have seen over the years. Today, as he leaves, he can boast billions of dollars in sales over his time at Christie’s.
But he is not leaving to breed rare sheep or take up paragliding (I invent). No, he is moving on, hopefully, to even bigger bucks. He said himself: “The art market continues to evolve and the extraordinary influx of buyers at the top of the market now offers me a unique opportunity to share my experience with a new generation of collectors who are keen to buy major works of art both privately and at auction.”
His decision reflects the top-heavy state of the market today. While the middle market weakens, there is ever more emphasis on the most expensive works of art. These are by a small group of artists, and indeed very specific works; Brooke Lampley, head of global fine art at Sotheby’s, recently said: “It’s not because one Magritte makes an enormous price, that all Magrittes are suddenly worth that much.”
To take just one example, Sotheby’s sold Magritte’s L’Empire des Lumières (1961), for £59.4m ($79.4m) in March 2022; it had been bought directly from the artist in 1961 and had been in the same collection ever since. But Magritte’s La Voix du Sang (1948), made one-third of that sum, $26.75m, at Christie’s New York in November 2022. And that despite coming from the incredibly storied Paul Allen collection…
Who better to guide the prospective buyer through these and other subtleties of the top end of the market than Jussi Pylkkänen? We all wish him well, and plenty of big bucks, in his new incarnation.
Wendy Worley has been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at The ART Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton
Commonwealth Hotels announced today that Wendy Worley has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing of The ART Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton. Worley brings a palette of more than two decades of experience in the hospitality industry to the 165-room refreshed hotel where art and culture intertwine. In her new role at The ART, Worley will lead the sales and marketing teams, exceed guest satisfaction while successfully driving sales, maximize opportunities for leisure, business and group travelers, and more.
A Denver native, Worley’s early hospitality roles were held at Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts as a sales manager. Her first director of sales and marketing position was with Stout Street Hospitality in Downtown Omaha, followed by Stonebridge Companies and Hilton Garden Inn in Atlanta. Worley then returned to Denver at Stonebridge Companies for a decade as the senior regional director of sales and marketing. She has built an experiential powerhouse portfolio throughout the years, which she will weave into The ART Hotel Denver and continue to enhance the hotel’s guest experience with her fresh perspective.
Wendy loves spending time with her family and four grandsons. In her free time, she also enjoys traveling, eating and shopping, and exploring the outdoors by biking, camping and hiking.
The Magic – And The Whimsy – Of Frances F Denny’s Photographic Still Lifes
“There’s a constant tension between the two,” says photographer Frances F Denny of being both an artist and a mother. “I think the only way to let the tension release a little bit is to try and make work about it.”
Inspired by motherhood, the occult, and photography itself, the images in Denny’s new photo series, Spellwork, pair flowers with artefacts from daily life to otherworldly effect. The photographs, on view 9 November through 23 December at Clamp Gallery in Chelsea, are still lifes, but there is nothing still about them – much like life with a young child.
Denny’s last photo series was Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America, an exhibition and accompanying book that inspired her to consider what magic means to different people. “It’s this overused, empty word that seems kind of hocus-pocus-y or Harry Potter-y,” she says over the phone from her home in Pound Ridge, New York. It wasn’t until Denny shot a witch named Starhawk that she realised photography is, in itself, a form of magic. “It’s this alchemy of light and vision and glass,” she says. “Making these images was ritualistic, and to me they feel like incantations or magic spells.” Their titles were drawn from Starhawk’s 1979 book The Spiral Dance, which encouraged Denny to think about magic as “the art of changing consciousness at will”.
It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to add relics of daily life, like beaded bracelets, dice, and Goldfish crackers, to the compositions. “The night before the first of the shoots, I had this craving to include things that would refract light in interesting ways,” says Denny, explaining how she ended up ransacking her five-year-old daughter Virginia’s playroom for “sparkly stuff”. The resulting compositions play off each other chromatically and spatially: a Slinky mimics the curving neck of a stalk of wild garlic, while a fringed purple tulip’s peeling petals evoke the undone wrapper of a grape lollipop. Even combinations that seem perfectly coordinated – a purple bearded iris against Virginia’s purple-markered colouring sheet – were spontaneous pairings. While Denny is quick to concede that flowers are “one of the most ubiquitous subjects in our history, maybe aside from the female nude”, a tea rose framed by, say, a suite of Haribo gummy bears lined up at attention manages to feel like something new. (Her blooms came from Dutch Flower Line in Chelsea’s flower district or, in the case of the Cafe au Lait dahlias, her own Westchester backyard. She photographed them in her studio, a converted barn on her family’s property.)
“I do feel like I made these pictures very guided by intuition and gut, which is not typically how I am as a person,” admits Denny, “and it required a degree of letting go to let things get weird on set.”
The combinations highlight how beauty interacts with the detritus of having children and being a parent, the duality of mothers and artists, and the “triumphant, deathly dance of those two roles merging into one”, as she puts it. “It feels like being an artist and a mother are, on some level, impossible to incorporate with each other, in the sense that it’s hard to be fully both at the same time,” Denny says, with pregnant pauses. “[You] kind of bump back and forth between them.
“I think on some level what the picture’s trying to do is have these two sides of a personality coexist in harmony,” she continues. “Right?”
Or, at the very least, cast a spell.
World’s Largest Folk Art Market, world record in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States–The
International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, features the work of more than 150 artists from 60 different countries; it has hosted more than 1,000 master folk artists from 100 countries, some venturing beyond their villages for the very first time and sets the world record for being the
World’s Largest Folk Art Market, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.
“The International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe is an annual limited-time event that brings together over 100 artists from nearly 60 different countries. It is a transformative experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” the
official website says.
“The Market in Santa Fe is a place where folk artists and heritage crafts from around the world are celebrated, where we honor the humanity in the handmade. For three days each year, thousands of visitors will attend the artists market, purchasing around $3 million of folk art directly from the artists themselves. That money goes on to support artist cooperatives and community projects that benefit thousands of people.
“The International Folk Art Market isn’t just a place to delight in the details and craftwork of folk art, but also a place where you can help uphold traditional cultural practices and support artists directly.”
“Immerse yourself in Santa Fe’s famous International Folk Art Market, the world’s largest exhibition and sale of works by master folk artists. Since 2004, the International Folk Art Market has hosted more than 1,000 master folk artists from 100 countries, some venturing beyond their villages for the very first time. So exceptional is the work presented that over 20,000 people have attended this free event, which runs over five full days,” the
SantaFe.com says.
“The mission of the organization is to envision a world that “values the humanity of the handmade, honors timeless cultural traditions, and embraces the vision of dignified livelihoods for artists.” Considering the impact the IFAM has on a global scale, this is a vision that goes far beyond simple rhetoric. Artist earnings since the event was established have exceeded $31 million and impacted more than one million lives in the communities they represent.
“In July 2022, out-of-town and resident attendees at the market spent an estimated total of $9,855,427 outside of the market itself and generated Gross Receipts Tax of an additional $812,159. IFAM itself paid $246,211 in Gross Receipts Tax and generated an additional $1,448,477 in contracts and salaries associated with the event – bringing the total economic impact of the 2022 market to more than $11.5 million over five days.”
“Started in 2004, the annual International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe is held during one weekend of July on Milner Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Folk Art Market is one of three summer markets in Santa Fe; Santa Fe also hosts the Spanish Market and the Indian Market.
“The Market was founded by businesswoman Judith Espinar, together with Thomas Aageson, executive director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and former executive director of Aid to Artisans; the former Market executive director, Charlene Cerny, formerly director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, and Charmay Allred, a community philanthropist. The State of New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation are the primary strategic partners. In its inaugural year, the market hosted sixty participating folk artists. By 2008, the number of artists grew to 125 artists from 41 different countries and in 2009, 126 artists from 46 nations.
“UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) was an early sponsor, providing funding for ten artists, followed by an artist-training program in 22 countries. UNESCO has given its Award of Excellence to several products beginning in 2007. In 2009, three booths featured UNESCO award-winning work.[6] In 2008, 97% of the market artists were from developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central Asia, and the Middle East.” (Wikipedia)
“After nearly 20 years, thousands of visiting artists and so many millions of dollars impacting Santa Fe and heading to countries across the globe, the International Folk Art Market today announced it will leave its long-standing Museum Hill location behind next year,” the
Santa Fe Reporter says.
“The release goes on to explain that attendees can expect a similar size and scope to previous markets in 2023, including more than 160 artists from 52 countries—39 of which will come to Santa Fe for the first time next year. It also reports that market attendees spent an estimated total $9.86 million last year, additionally generating more that $812,000 in gross receipts tax. The market itself paid $246,211 in GRT, according to the statement.
“Additionally, Murray says, market organizers are hopeful for more foot traffic, be it from folks visiting the Farmers Market or simply traveling through the neighborhood. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express terminus also played a role in selecting Railyard Park for the market’s new location, as passengers can step off the train and take a short walk to the market.”
“Since it began in 2004, as many as 800 master folk artists from as many as 92 countries across six continents have participated. You can literally take a stroll around the world. Wend your way under the canopies and be awestruck by the vast displays of art flowing in waves of color and texture like a global smorgasbord,” the
Santa Fe Selection Travel Guide says.
“This is a market for everyone including folk art collectors, cultural enthusiasts, families and the casually curious.
“Museum Hill is the ideal location with plenty of space and beautiful vistas of the Sangre de Cristo foothills, the Jemez and Sandia mountain ranges.”
“Since 2004, the International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe, produced by the International Folk Art Alliance in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs, has hosted more than 750 artists from 91 countries in the world’s largest exhibition and sale of works by master folk artists,” the
New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs says.
“The Market offers folk artists a respected spot in the global marketplace to gather together and share their handmade traditions, and to create economic, social, and individual empowerment.
“International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe fosters economic and cultural sustainability for folk artists and folk art worldwide and creates intercultural exchange opportunities that unite the peoples of the world. Each year over 20,000 visitors come to Museum Hill to experience the Market and celebrate folk art while enjoying international food and music.”
“There are thousands of original folk art works and artist demonstrations at the 20th annual International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico,” the
Inside Santa Fe says.
“In Railyard Park this year, the world’s largest folk art market presents over 150 global artists in booths showcasing fine handmade crafts from textiles, ceramics, jewelry, basketry, clothing and more from more than 50 countries in an open-air bazaar. Shop for handmade crafts, taste global food from market food vendors and listen to world music.
“Visit their website for tickets and more information. Tickets have timed entry, and you can stay all day. The exception is Saturday day market closes at 5:45pm. The night market event requires a a separate ticket.”
“Instead, nearly 200 artists — all selected by juries of experts — displayed colorful jewelry, basketry, carvings, pottery, metalwork, paintings, textiles and much more,” the
PBS says.
“They came to the world’s largest international folk art market from more than 60 nations with a range of ethnic, cultural and economic diversity.
“From Japan, there were silk and bamboo kites. From Oaxaca, Mexico, came delicate gold filigree and pearl jewelry. From Peru, there were carved gourds, and from Uzbekistan, handwoven kilims. Every stall brought a story.”
“New Mexico has always had a rich cultural and artistic history. From early Native American artists dating back thousands of years to the contemporary artists of today, New Mexico is well known for its thriving arts community. It should come as no surprise that the world’s biggest International Folk Art Market started right here in Santa Fe, New Mexico,” the
Only In Your State says.
“What once was a one-weekend-a-year event, has turned into a year-long program that empowers artists and cultures from all over the world. From master world-renowned folk artists to artisans looking to provide a better life for their families in small communities all over the globe. The International Folk Art Market is held every July in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It features the work of more than 150 artists from 60 different countries.
“It must be an amazing feeling to travel all across the world to attend an event that celebrates your culture and values the hard work you do as an artist. But the impact doesn’t end there. These artists are often members of local co-ops in their country. In fact, these 150-plus artists represent another 25,690 members of cooperatives and groups from their home countries.”
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BBC Arts announces The Real Story of Inigo Philbrick (w/t) – a tale of fraud, fame and fortune for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
BBC Arts is lifting the lid on the contemporary art market in a major new box-set series for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The Real Story of Inigo Philbrick (w/t), a 3 x 60’ box-set series, tells the story of the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of Inigo Philbrick, once the art world’s go-to contemporary art broker.
With exclusive documentary access to Inigo Philbrick and his fiancée, Made in Chelsea star Victoria Baker-Harber, the series follows the rise and fall of UK-born, US-bred wunderkind Inigo Philbrick, who fast became the art world’s go-to art dealer, until it all came tumbling down.
The couple were the subject of a six-month international manhunt by the FBI. Philbrick’s ‘catch me if you can’ disappearance spectacularly ended with his arrest on the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. He was tried and convicted and is currently serving seven years in prison in Pennsylvania.
This access-all-areas boxset, including never-before-seen archive, video and text messages, details Philbrick’s crimes, lavish lifestyle and high-profile connections that took him from the lap of luxury to life behind bars.
Alistair Pegg, BBC Arts Commissioning Editor, says: “This compelling series promises exclusive access to one of the most jaw-dropping art world stories of recent years.”
Jennifer Harkness, Executive Producer, Blue Ant Studios, says: “We’re thrilled to be working with BBC Arts, to bring this multi-layered story to UK screens. This project is the first documentary that provides exclusive access to both Inigo Philbrick and Victoria Baker-Harber, a love story that spanned multiple countries, multi-million dollar art deals and an international manhunt ending in an exotic, South Pacific archipelago.”
Alongside the inside story from Inigo Philbrick and Victoria Baker-Harber, the series features interviews with leading art world figures, fine artists, buyers, dealers, lawyers, and law enforcement, to uncover the truth about the value of art in today’s market.
The Real Story of Inigo Philbrick (w/t) is made by Blue Ant Media for the BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The director is Jamie Crawford. The series producer is Sarah Sharkey Pearce. The series was commissioned for BBC Arts by Alistair Pegg.
IP
IWM Art, film & Photography Galleries: from warnings to weapons of war
They will house around 500 works, showcasing some of the IWM’s vast film and photography collections, which include over 23,000 hours of footage and more than 12 million photographs, alongside works by artists including Henry Moore, Paul Nash and Anna Airy, Olive Mudie-Cooke, Eric Ravilious, Norah Neilson-Gray and Stanley Spencer, alongside the photography of Cecil Beaton, Olive Edis and Bill Brandt.
Thematically organised with sections on propaganda, witness and evidence, mind and body, anticipation and anxiety and more, it interrogates the image as a reminder, a warning, an illumination, a protest against or a weapon of war.
Sotheby’s And Christie’s: A Rollercoaster Week For NY’s Autumn Auctions
Sotheby’s Emily Fisher Landau Collection triumphs in an expectation-setting selective Market, while Christie’s 21st Century sale struggles.
In a market characterised by uncertainty, Sotheby’s brought a touch of stability to New York’s autumn auction season with its dedicated sale of works from the collection of Emily Fisher Landau, the late patron of the Whitney Museum of American Art. The auction, held on 8 November, achieved a hammer total of $351.6 million ($406.4 million with fees), within the pre-sale estimate range of $344.5 million to $430.1 million.
The star of the evening was Pablo Picasso’s 1932 portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter, titled “Femme à la montre,” which fetched $121 million ($139.4 million with fees), meeting its pre-sale estimate “in excess of” $120 million. This is now the record-holder for the Spanish artist. Nine out of the 31 lots on offer surpassed the $10 million mark, with three works crossing the $30 million threshold.
Sotheby’s strategic approach to setting estimates made this sale stand out, striking a balance between reflecting the market and the uniqueness of the artworks. This careful estimation led to a significant portion of the works—around two-thirds—hammering within their pre-sale estimate ranges. Such a result contrasts with the spring auction cycle, where inflated estimates led to disappointments, suggesting a potential market dynamics shift.
Sotheby’s guaranteed a minimum price for all 31 objects in the auction, ensuring a sold-out sale regardless of bidding activity. Moreover, 25 of the 31 lots were backed by third parties, minimising risks and ensuring a smooth auction process. While some works sold below estimates, the overall outcome was hailed as a success in a discerning art market.
As the market continues to evolve, Sotheby’s remains cautiously optimistic, strengthening its position by a well-executed sale demonstrating the importance of precise expectation-setting in a market driven by real collectors.
Christie’s NY 21st-Century Sale: Bids Fluctuate Amid Art Market Rollercoaster
Christie’s 21st-century evening sale on 7 November did little to soothe investors’ concerns in an art market seeking stability during New York’s autumn auction season. Contrary to expectations, the results defied conventional buyers’ preference assumptions amidst the 2023 market correction. Bidders engaged in fierce battles over works by young and relatively unestablished artists, while several high-profile lots by renowned artists either sold below estimate, failed to find buyers or were withdrawn at the last minute.
The auction amassed a hammer total of $88.4 million ($107.5 million with fees), falling below its revised estimate range of $93 million to $134.2 million, a figure that excluded two withdrawn lots—a Mark Bradford canvas and a Jean-Michel Basquiat drawing—valued at $6.5 million to $9.5 million in total.
Of the 43 works slated for auction, 39 found buyers, resulting in a sell-through rate of 90.7%. This figure rises marginally to 95.1% if the two withdrawn lots are excluded from consideration. Initially, bidding for the auction’s first lots was lively, especially for works by ultra-contemporary artists. Stefanie Heinze’s “Third Date” (2020) surpassed expectations, fetching $190,000 ($239,400 with fees), while Jenna Gribbon’s double portrait “Regarding Me Regarding You and Me” (2020) nearly quadrupled its low estimate, selling for $380,000 ($478,800 with fees). Similarly, Sanya Kantarovsky’s “Charnel Field” (2022) doubled its low estimate, hammering at $160,000 ($201,600 with fees).
The momentum continued with works by artists from the previous generation. Reggie Burrows Hodges’ “Intersection of Color: Loge” (2019) sold for $580,000 ($730,800 with fees) against a $300,000-$500,000 estimate, and Henry Taylor’s “Batman” Part Alien” (2018) brought in $650,000 ($819,000 with fees), surpassing its identical estimate range.
However, the energy waned when bidding began for the sale’s first trophy lot—an untitled 1981 Basquiat canvas with an estimated value of up to $15 million. The hammer fell at the work’s $10 million low estimate, reaching $11.9 million with fees. Similarly, Cy Twombly’s monumental “Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version II)” (2004) fetched only $17 million (just under $20 million with fees), below its $18 million to $25 million estimate.
The excitement returned briefly for Rashid Johnson’s “Bruise Painting ‘Picture Maker’” (2021), which fetched $1.4 million ($1.7 million with fees), surpassing its $1.2 million high estimate. However, enthusiasm quickly waned, and several lots, including John Currin’s 1999 “Nice ‘n Easy” (estimated at $7 million-$10 million) and an untitled 1982 Keith Haring painting (estimated at $3.5 million), failed to meet their estimates. This pattern of erratic bidding persisted throughout the sale, with moments of high anticipation followed by subdued outcomes.
Despite these fluctuations, the auction demonstrated that there is still optimism in the market. However, the unevenness experienced in the high-end auction sector during the first ten months of 2023 may continue into the year’s final two months. Christie’s 21st-century evening sale has left investors with lingering uncertainty about the market’s trajectory.
More to be added to this report on 10th November
Top Photo: Oliver Barker Sotheby’s Chair takes bids during the sale of the collection of Emily Fisher Landau Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s
Tags
21st Century sale, Christie’s, Emily Fisher Landau Collection, Sotheby’s
