Contemporary Art: Spring Auctions 2018 - A Visit @ Christie`s, New York

(Drivebycuriosity) - It´s auction season again. This week the global auction houses are performing  their huge spring auctions in New York City. 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 - and admission is free! As usual they displayed the art work to be auctioned on several floors (galleries @ 20 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan).

I focused on the exhibitions for the day & evening auctions of Post War & Contemporary Art. I spotted there many of my favorites, but also discovered some new & fascinating artists. I display here just my favorites from the shows, a very subjective selection as usual (No guarantee for mentioned price estimates).

The girl above this paragraph is inspecting Andy Warhol`s "Most Wanted Men No 11, John Joseph H, Jr." (Estimate on Request), apparently one of the top lots.

Above this paragraph you can see another top lot: Francis Bacon`s "Study for Portrait" (Estimate On Request). I love his unique powerful warped style.

Above you can see Willem de Kooning`s  "Untitled VII" (Estimate USD 4,000,000 - USD 6,000,000) followed by Nicolas de Staël`s "Nu Debout" (Estimate USD 7,500,000 - USD 9,500,000). Both are very beautiful.

More brand names of the art market: "Untitled" by Wade Guyton "Estimate USD 1,000,000 - USD 1,500,000" followed by Robert Motherwell`s "Open No 81: In Blue with Charcoal"  (Estimate USD 800,000 - USD 1,200,000).

Above "Trinker" by Georg Baselitz (Estimate USD 1,200,000 - USD 1,800,000)
 followed by Theodoros Stamos` "Untitled Number 2" (Estimate USD 150,000 - USD 200,000).

There are not many females in this business. But there is at least one woman who`s star is rising:  Cecily Brown. Last year I reported about her show @ Paula Cooper Gallery New York  ( driveby). Above her "Girl Trouble", with detail (Estimate USD 700,000 - USD 1,000,000).

2 typical paintings by Tom Wesselmann: "Little Great American Nude #27 ..." (Estimate USD 400,000 - USD 600,000) followed by "Blue Nude Drawing" (Estimate USD 400,000 - USD 600,000).

"Venus with Watch" by John Currin (Estimate USD 3,000,000 - USD 5,000,000)

Several paintings & drawing by the always funny George Condo:  "Nude and Forms" (Estimate USD 2,200,000 - USD 2,800,000) followed by "Figure Composition 5"(Estimate USD 60,000 - USD 80,000) & "Figure Composition 6" (Estimate USD 60,000 - USD 80,000)

The also funny Richard Prince with "Untitled (Picasso Painting)" (Estimate USD 200,000 - USD 300,000)

Another favorite of mine: Neo Rauch with Bürger (Estimate USD 80,000 - USD 120,000). I love his surreal paintings.

"Mae" by Alex Katz (Estimate USD 250,000 - USD 350,000).

Eric Fischl`s "Corrida in Ronda No 7" (Estimate USD 250,000 - USD 350,000) followed by David Wojnarowicz`s "Science Lesson" (Estimate USD 400,000 - USD 600,000)




                                                 Californian Expressionists

There were several paintings by Richard Diebenkorn. The expressionist painter belongs to the Bay Area Figurative Movement created by a group of artists working in the San Francisco Bay Area (wikipedia): "Untitled" (Estimate USD 2,000,000 - USD 3,000,000) followed by "Portrait of NS" (Estimate USD 250,000 - USD 350,000); "Untitled" (Estimate USD 400,000 - USD 600,000);"Nude—Elbow on Knee Estimate" (USD 800,000 - USD 1,200,000) & "Table and Folding Chair" plus detail (Estimate USD 900,000 - USD 1,200,000).

Above another expressionist: Wayne Tiebaud`s "Three Candied Apples" (Estimate USD 1,200,000 - USD 1,800,000).

Above the wonderful and very special sclpture "The Mayersdorff Bar" by  François-Xavier Lalanne  (Estimate USD 2,200,000 - USD 2,800,000).


To be continued