Contemporary Art: Fall Auction 2015 @ Sotheby´s - A Subjective View

(Drivebycuriosity) - It´s auction season in New York City. On Monday my wife and I went to Sotheby´s on New York`s Upper East Side, one of the huge global auction houses (sothebys). We enjoyed there the exhibitions of the art works which are part of this week`s day & evening auctions for contemporary art (auctions/2015). This is a huge show and can easily compete with the collections in the big museums like New York´s MoMa - and the entry is free! I am also grateful that they 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 shows - as usual a very subjective selection. On top of this post you can see Roy Lichtenstein`s  "Vicki!--I Thought I Heard Your Voice!" (1964, porcelain enamel on steel; 106,7X106,7cm). They estimated the price in a range of  $6,000,000-9,000,000.

Above this paragraph "Pouring Coffee" by Richard Diebenkorn  (1958, oil on canvas) $4,000,000-6,000,000. I think this wonderful painting belongs into the category Californian (Bay Area) Expressionists.

3 women - seen from 3 different painters: John Altoon`s "Untitled (F-8A) (1962-63, pastel and ink on illustration board) $20,000-30,000;
"A Friend of my Mother`s"by Gerald Lang  (1964-1971, oil on canvas) $60,000-80,000
& "Val Veeta" by Mel Ramos  (1965, oil on canvas) $400,000-600,000.




                                                     Obsessed With Mao


Below more women, delivered by Andy Warhol`s factory:

The first image above this paragraph belongs to Warhol`s "Portfolio: Cowboys and Indians" (Annie Oakley)  (1986, color screenprint on Lenox Museum Board) followed by "Sarah Bernhard (from Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century)" (1980, acrylic and silkscreen on canvas) $250,000-350,000.

Warhol must have been obsessed with Mao. He made so many portraits of the chairman. Here "Mao" (1972, acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas) estimate upon request; followed by his "Volkswagen (from Ads)" (1985, acrylic and silkscreen) $300,000-400,000.

Do you like the "Persian Couple" by the Iraqi artist Hayv Kahraman, who currently lives in San Francisco? (2009, oil on linen) $40,000-60,000






                                                               If The Dead Had Ears

I am a huge fan of Mark Tansey`s magical paintings. Above his "Shades" (2001, oil on canvas) $2,000,000-3,000,000.

I am also a connoisseur of Eric Fishl`s visionary compositions. Above 2 works by the German artist: "Overnight" (1981, oil on canvas) $400,000-600,000 &  "If the Dead Had Ears" (1996, oil on linen) $150,000-200,000

Above "World Traveler (Hotel Room)" by Inka Essenhigh  (2004, oil on linen) $18,000-22,000.

"Final Life II" by Robert Longo (1982-84, charcoal on paper mounted on panel and red lacquer relief sculpture) $500,000-700,000.

George Condo`s " Celestial Bodies" (2010, acrylic and pastel on canvas) $600,000-800,000.
& David Smith`s "Untitled" (1964, enamel on canvas) $40,000-60,000

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. Above Francis Bacon`s "Portrait" (1962, oil on canvas) $12,000-18,000.

The 3 paintings above all have some mystery in common: "Lovers with Clown Storm" by Nigel Cooke  (2011-2012, oil on linen, backed with sailcloth) $100,000-150,000;
Ross Bleckner`s "Untitled" (1993, acrylic on linen) $40,000-60,000.
& "Oscar Wilde" by Deter Dalwood  (2003, oil on canvas) $40,000-60,000.

Do you wanna go there? "Dorado Hilton, Dorado, Puerto Rico" by Enoc Pérez (2011, oil on canvas) $150,000-200,000.

New York´s Time Square is certainly not my favorite place, but this photorealistic painting is gorgeous: Richard Estes`s "Times Square at 3:53 P.M., Winter" (1985, oil on canvas) $300,000-400.000.

I am not a big fan of Jean-Michel Basquiat. But some of his wall-filling paintings are impressing:  "Masonic Lodge" (1983, acrylic and oilstick on canvas) $1,500,000-2,000,000
& "Untitled" (1987, acrylic, oilstick and pencil on canvas) $1,800,000-2,500,000. 95 1/4 X 117 1/2 inches; 242X298,5 cm.





                                                                   Magicians

I envy the person who will take this home: "Concetto Spaziale, Attese" by  Lucio Fontana (1965, waterpoint on canvas) $15,000,000-20,000.000.

Here another magician: Gerhard Richter with his "Cage Grid (Complete Set)" (2011, giclée print on paper mounted on aluminum, in 16 parts) $600,000-800,000.

Wow! Kazuo Shiraga`s "Chiyusei Byotaichu" (1962, oil on canvas) $1,500,000-2,500,000.

Above another Roy Lichtenstein: "Modern Painting with Yellow Interweave" (1967, oil and magna on canvas) $1,500-2,500.000.






                                                 Precison & Craftmanship

Damien Hirst`s works are often challenging. But Don Thompson describes in his excellent book  "The Supermodel and the Brillo Box: Back Stories and Peculiar Economics from the World of Contemporary Art" (driveby) the precision & craftmanship needed to produce Hirst`s dot-paintings. Above "Loperamide" (2005, household gloss on canvas)
& "Dimyristin" (2007, household gloss on canvas) $300,000-400,000.

Last but not least:  In the background "Double Elivs" by Peter Halley  (1990, Dayglo acrylic, acrylic and Roll-A-Tex on canvas, in 4 parts) $70,000-90,000.



Enjoy!