Contemporary Art: My Favorites From The Fall Auction 2015 @ Christie`s, New York

(Drivebycuriosity) - It´s auction season again. Next week the global auction houses will have their huge fall auctions in New York City. This week my wife and I went to Christie`s, one of the global mega art traders  (christies). The place looks like a huge museum and could easily compete with New York´s Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) and other prestigious art institutions. As usual they display the art work to be auctioned on several floors (galleries @ 20 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan). It find it very kind to allow humble spectators like us to visit and enjoy all the precious displays. And they didn`t mind that I took a lot pictures there to get my personal collection.


I display here my favorites from the exhibition of Post War & Contemporary Art to be auctioned next week, as usual a very subjective selection. On top of this post you can see "Two Studies for Portrait" by Francis Bacon (1978, oil on canvas). The expected auction price is in a range of $12,000.000-18.000.000. I wasn´t spontaneous a fan of Bacon, because I considered his paintings as ugly. But now I appreciate his work, because his style is very special and can easily be recognized. And now I can even see some beauty in it. The price tag shows that Bacon is one of the hottest artists now.

If you prefer beauty you might take a look on "Jessica # 2" by Alex Katz (1998, oil on canvas). The expected price range of $180,000-220,000 is almost a bargain compared to Bacon.

You also might enjoy Tom Wesselmann`s "Monica Reclining on Blanket and Pillow" (Black) (1986-89, enamel on laser-cut steel) $100,000-150,000.

And what about "Desnudo sobre fondo oscuro" by Manolo Valdés? (2010, oil and burlap collage on burlap) $200,000-300,000.

Isn´t she cool? "Booth Girl" by Wayne Thiebaud,  (1964, oil on canvas) $3,000.000-5,000.000.






                                           Joseph Beuy In Diamond Dust

They display a lot of works by Andy Warhol´s prolific factory of course. Above you can see "Joseph Beuys (Diamond Dust)" (1980, acrylic and silkscreen ink with diamond dust on canvas) $1,200.000-1,800.000. Beuys was one of the most influential German artists. He liked to work with cheap material - like sleaze - and was famous for his spectacular performances and surprising and original art work. Portraying this artist in diamond dust is really a contrarian idea.
You might recognize "Jackie" (1964, synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas) $400.000-600.000.
"Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean) (1985, synthetic polymer and silkscreen on canvas) has a price range $1,000.000-1,500.000.
"Four Marylins" (1962, acrylic, silkscreen ink and graphite on canvas) lacks a price tag.

"Interior with Flowers" by Richard Diebenkorn (1961, oil on canvas) is an example for abstract expressionism and the (San Francisco) Bay Area Figurative Movement of the 1950s and 1960s (wikipedia).  $1,500.000-2,000.000.




                                                         Famous Germans

Christie´s shows many works by famous German artists. On top of this paragraph "Monstein" by Gerhard Richter (1981, oil on canvas). I believe the painting shows a landscape in the Alpen (European Alps). Richter is my favorite artist - and this work again proves why. Price tag $5,000.000-7,000.000.

Anselm Kiefer is another magician and favorite of mine (theguardian). Above "Der Ölberg" (1981, oil on canvas) $400,000-600,000; "Totnauberg" (1980, oil on canvas) $300,000-$500.000 & "Midgard Utgard" (2002, sand and graphite on black and white photograph in artist´s frame) $100,000-150,000.

Above "Untitled" by Rudolf Stingel (1996, oil on canvas) $800,000-12,000.000 & "One Titel"by Albert Oehlen (2004, oil on canvas) $600,000-800,000 which close my German selection in this post.




                                                              Elegance & Power

 I believe "Modern Painting in Porcelain" by Roy Lichtenstein (1968, porcelain email on steel) is one of the most elegant works by this artist. Price tag $80,000-120,00.

I chose the images above because both are orgys in color: "Phenomena Onyx Ox Eye" by Paul Jenkins 1981, acrylic on canvas) $20,000-30,000 & "Niufu" by Kazuo Shiraga 1986, oil on canvas) $200,000-300,000.

This is "SP83" by Sterling Ruby (2009, acrylic and spray enmal on canvas) $600,000-800,000. Last year I reported about a sole show with Ruby`s works @ Hauser & Wirth in New York ( driveby). I like his large scaled paintings because they looks so powerful, if they fill a whole wall.

I selected both paintings above because of the warm red, which looks almost organic: "Vertical" by Adolph Gottlieb (1971, oil on canvas) $500,000 - 700,000 & "California Window" by Robert Motherwell (1975, acrylic and charcoal on canvas) $1,200.000-1,800.000.

I close my report with a painting by Richard Serra, called "Out-of Round I" (1999, oilstick on paper) $400,000-600,000. The artist is famous for his massive sculptures (here my report about his steel cubes @ David Zwirner driveby) but I like his paintings too.


Enjoy!