Contemporary Art: Fall Auctions 2017- A Visit @ Phillips, New York

(Drivebycuriosity) - It´s auction season again. Next week the global auction houses have their huge fall auctions in New York City. So my wife and I went to Phillips on 450 Park Avenue (phillips),  the No. 3 of the global auction empires, and visited their pre-auction exhibition.

The company has the reputation to be more focused on contemporary works than her bigger competitors and to show more cutting edge art by up-and-coming artists. But they also had some big names. I display here some of my favorites from the exhibition - as usual a very subjective selection.

On top of this post you can see the filet piece of the auctions: Peter Doig`s "Red House" (1995-96, oil on canvas). They estimate the auction price in the range of $18,000,000 - 22,000,000. I indulged into the colorful surrealist composition which looks like a moment in a dream. I envy the one who will finally get this amazing work. Above this paragraph another dream-like Doig painting: "City Singer in a Wood" (Estimate $150,000 - 250,000).



                                                            Surrealist Games

Above another surrealistic gem: Mark Tansey`s "Garden" (Estimate $800,000 - 1,200,000). I admire how he mixes reality with fiction and plays surrealist games on canvas.

Above 2 paintings which are both very powerful: "Mystery Nurse" by Richard Prince (Estimate $3,000,000 - 5,000,000) & Andy Warhol`s "1 Colored Marilyn (reversal series)" (Estimate $1,500,000 - 2,000,000).

 

On top of this selection George Condo`s  funny & surrealistic "Full Figure Combination" (Estimate $100,000 - 150,000) followed by Richard Estes hyper-realistic"Car Reflection" (1969, oil on canvas, Estimate $220,000 - 280,000) & Sanya Kantarovsky`s elegant "Untitled (detail) (Estimate $15,000 - 25,000).



                                                        Dystopian Fiction

I am also impressed by Roger Brown`s "Company Town, Feudal System" (Estimate $30,000 - 50,000) - a kind of dystopian fiction.

There were some more or less provocative pieces of course:  Raymond Pettibon`s "No title (The Part of)" (Estimate $20,000 - 30,000) followd Thomas Ruff `s"Nudes ik01" (2009, chromogenic print face-mounted to Diasec, in artist's frame, Estimate $30,000 - 40,000) &  Sigmar Polke`s "Ohne Titel" (1998, acrylic and interference color on canvas, Estimate $2,000,000 - 3,000,000).

Both paintings caught my eye because of their intensity: Kon Trubkovich`s "Out of the black and into the white" (2012, oil on linen, Estimate $25,000 - 35,000) & Korakrit Arunanondchai`s "Untitled History Painting (Time Piece A)" (Estimate $40,000 - 60,000).

There were also some more traditional abstracts: Eva Hesse "Untitled" (Estimate $200,000 - 300,000); Helen Frankenthaler "Warming the Wires" (Estimate $900,000 - 1,200,000); Franz Kline "Sawyer" (Estimate $10,000,000 - 15,000,000) & Lee Ufan "From line No. 800152" (plus a detail) (Estimate $800,000 - 1,200,000).

I love these combination: The abstract painting "Untitled" by Norman Bluhm  (1960, tempera on paper laid on canvas, Estimate $12,000 - 18,000) & Louise Nevelson`s "Untitled" (1959, painted wood, Estimate $80,000 - 120,000).

I am grateful that they allow humble spectators like us to visit and enjoy all the precious displays. And they didn`t mind that I took pictures there to expand my personal collection.

To be continued.