Contemporary Art: Fall Auctions 2017 - A Visit @ Sotheby`s, New York

(Drivebycuriosity) - It´s auction season again. This week the global auction houses will have their huge fall auctions in New York City. My wife and I went to Sotheby`s, one of the global mega art traders  (sothebys). They have 8 floors of exhibits for the upcoming auctions, which can easily compete with the collections of big museums like New York´s MoMa - and the entry is free!

I spotted many of my favorites, but also discovered some new & fascinating artists. I display here just my favorites from the exhibitions of  Post War & Contemporary Art, a very subjective selection as usual.

It seems that chairman Mao is the star of the auction. Andy Warhol`s "MAO" (1972, acrylic, silkscreen ink and pencil on canvas82 by 60 in. 208.3 by 152.4 cm) has a price estimate in the range of  $ 30,000,000 - 40,000,000.

They have more Warhol`s of course. Above you can see "The Last Supper" estimate $4,000,000 - 6,000,000 plus "Details of Renaissance Paintings (Paolo Uccello, St. George and the Dragon)" Estimate $ 1,000,000 - 1,500,000.

Francis Bacon belongs still to the kings of the art world, his "Three Studies of George Dyer" has an Estimate of $ 35,000,000 - 45,000,000.

There also were a lot paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat - as usual at these auctions: "Head and Scalupa" Estimate Euro 5,000,000 - 7,000,000 (December auction in Paris); "Flash in Naples" Estimate S 7,0000,000 - 10,000,000 & "Cabra" estimate $ 9,000,000 - 12,000,000.

Above you can see a work by Mark Tansey, who`s surrealist story telling paintings I adore: "Study for ´Discarding the Flame`" Estimate $ 450,000 - 650,000.



                                                               Sunflower Seeds

I was happy to find more works by my favorite artists, including 2 works by Anselm Kiefer: "Dem unbekannten Maler" Estimate $ 250,000 - 350,000 plus "Die berühmten Orden der Nacht" (1996, emulsion, acrylic, shellac and sunflower seeds on burlap) part of the private Sales.

There were more interesting pieces of course including Marlene Dumas`s "Magdalena (Underwear and Bedtime Stories) estimate $3,000,000 - 4,000,000;  Richard Prince`s  "Untitled (Cowboy)" Estimate $ 400,000 - 600,000. 
I think Andy Denzler`s "Saint Francesci " is really an bargain with an Estimate of just $ 10,000 - 15,000.

I also had fun with George Condo`s "Three White Nudes" Estimate $ 120,000 - 180,000;
Cecily Brown`s "Bad Boy" Estimate $ 200,000 - 300,000 seems to enjoy himself.
Richard Diebenkorn`s "Untitled (Seated Woman)" Estimate $ 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 and William Nelson Copley`s "Carnival in Paris" Estimate $ 20,000 - 30,000 caught my eyes as well.

Above you can see David Hockney`s semi-abstract  "Breakfast at Malibu, Wednesday" Estimate $ 1,200,000-1,800,000 followed by Albert Oehlen`s "Müll Flasche" Estimate $ 600,000 - 800,000;   Mark Breadford`s "Exodus" Estimate $ 1,200,000 - 1,800.000; Pat Steir`s "Smaller Yellow on Blue Waterfall" Estimate $ 600,000 - 800,000 & Sam Francis` "Untitled" Estimate $ 400,000 - 600,000.

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 to expand my personal image collection.

To be continued.