Heading to Hauser & Wirth’s new gallery, in Monaco, with Airport, please!

Louise Bourgeois
Spider in Monaco

Over a nearly 30-year history, Hauser & Wirth has created physical spaces in locations where their artists and collectors reside—of course in the large urban cities of London, New York, and Los Angeles but also in legendary resort communities and seasonal gathering spots such as Southampton and St. Moritz. In July 2021, Hauser & Wirth will also open an extraordinary center for the arts on King’s Island, in the port of Mahon in Menorca. The artists and estates represented by the gallery has always been  its driving force for expanding in the areas of art, education, conservation and sustainable development. The impact of the events of the last year and one-half have acted as a compelling catalyst to accelerate Hauser & Wirth, and every major network of galleries, auction houses, and art fairs, in developing new and innovative, often technologically based, ways to present and sell works of art.

https://www.hauserwirth.com/

Hauser & Wirth
Gallery Interior
Monaco

On June 19th, located in the heart of Monaco, near the historic Hôtel de Paris, Hauser & Wirth’s latest gallery features a spectacular main exhibition space, an impressive 350 square yards cube with 30 foot high walls, lit by a dramatic skylight. The conversion of the site has been conducted by Selldorf Architects, New York, which has collaborated with Hauser & Wirth on its spaces internationally since the founding of the gallery in 1992. In Monaco, Hauser & Wirth occupies the lower spaces of a building designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and owned by the Société des Bains de Mer.

https://www.hauserwirth.com/news/32176-hauser-wirth-monaco-opens-inaugural-exhibition-louise-bourgeois

The inaugural exhibition ‘Louise Bourgeois. Maladie de l’Amour’ (Love Sickness although it sounds so much better in French!) runs from  June 19th until September 26th, 2021. A monumental public sculpture from the French American artist’s Spider series, a bronze arachnid over three meters tall, will be installed in the gardens adjacent to the gallery.

One Monte-Carlo
Gallery facade
Monaco

‘When we were invited to play a part in the continuing revival of the art scene in Monaco,’ says Iwan Wirth, President, Hauser & Wirth, ‘we saw that it offered an exceptional opportunity to present our artists in the heart of city, engaging with the vibrant contemporary scene across the south of France, strengthening our European presence. In former times, Monaco was a destination for artists, writers, and filmmakers who were as captivated as we have been by the Côte d’Azur.

Louise Bourgeois
Hauser & Wirth Monaco

INAUGURAL EXHIBITION, HAUSER & WIRTH, MONACO: LOUISE BOURGEOIS

The works in the inaugural exhibition by Louise Bourgeois span a period between 1947-2008 and draw on recurring themes of anxiety and longing, emotions which the artist repeatedly evoked to create her personal visual vocabulary. Along with Bourgeois’ monumental Spider sculpture dating from 1996, one of the artist’s most enduring and iconic motifs, two further aluminium sculptures are suspended inside the gallery. ‘Untitled’ (2004) gently rotates, as a continuously morphing form. The abstract spiral belongs to an important series Bourgeois made during the 1990s and shares a particular affinity to a previous work entitled ‘Les Bienvenus’ (1996), commissioned by the French Government and installed in the Parc de la Mairie in the village of Choisy-le-Roi, France, where she grew up.

Louise Bourgeois

LOUISE BOURGEOIS

Bourgeois’s work is inextricably entwined with her life and experiences. ‘Art,’ as she once remarked in an interview, ‘is the experience, the re-experience of a trauma.’  Employing motifs, dramatic colors, dense skeins of thread, and a vast diversity of media, Bourgeois’s distinctive symbolic code enmeshes the complexities of the human experience and individual introspection.

Rather than pursuing formalist concerns for their own sake, Bourgeois endeavored to find the most appropriate means of expressing her ideas and emotions, combining a wide range of materials – variously, fabric, plaster, latex, marble and bronze – with an endless repertoire of found objects. Although her work covers the range of painting, drawing, printmaking, and performance, Bourgeois remains best known for her sculpture.

 

Bourgeois’s work was included in the seminal exhibition ‘Eccentric Abstraction,’ curated by Lucy Lippard for New York’s Fischbach Gallery in 1966. Major breakthroughs on the international scene followed with The Museum of Modern Art in New York’s 1982 retrospective of her work; Bourgeois’s participation in Documenta IX in 1992; and her representation of the United States at the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993. In 2001, Bourgeois was the first artist commissioned to fill the Tate Modern’s cavernous Turbine Hall. The Tate Modern’s 2007 retrospective of her works, which subsequently traveled to the Centre Pompidou in Paris; The Guggenheim Museum in New York; The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; and The Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., cemented her legacy as a foremost artist of late Modernism.

 

In response to the isolation and distancing of the pandemic, many of the major galleries have successfully opened branches in luxurious resort areas, Palm Beach and the Hamptons, on the East Coast. The debut of a new Hauser & Wirth gallery on the Cote d’Azur is a seductive destination and supports Monaco’s efforts to establish an active art scene with Monaco Art Week and the Monte-Carlo fair.

See for yourself! Airport, please!

Collecting wisely at Sean Kelly Gallery, past, present and future, with Senior Partner Cecile Panzieri

Cecile Panzieri, Senior Partner
Sean Kelly, Founder
Sean Kelly Gallery

PODCASTING WAS DEVELOPED IN 2004  WHEN ADAM CURRY, FORMER MTV VIDEO JOCKEY AND DAVE WINER, CODED A PROGRAM KNOWN AS iPODDER WHICH ENABLED THEM TO DOWNLOAD INTERNET RADIO BROADCASTS TO THEIR IPODS. AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF PODCASTS ON EVERY SUBJECT HAS MULTIPLIED EXPONENTIALLY, POPPING UP EVERY DAY, ON A VAST NUMBER OF PLATFORMS. AS OF 2019, PRE-PANDEMIC, 165 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LISTENED TO A PODCAST WITH 90 MILLION AMERICAS LISTENING MONTHLY. THE LRFA BLOG IS CERTAIN THAT THE NUMBERS ARE EVEN MORE COMPELLING SINCE COVID.

ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL, INTELLIGENT AND INTERESTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO PODCASTS ON THE SUBJECT OF ART IS SEAN KELLY’S COLLECT WISELY. STARTED IN THE SPRING OF 2018, THE PODCAST EXPLORES COLLECTING AND CONNOISSEURSHIP IN A DIALOGUE WITH A DIVERSE GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL COLLECTORS. REFLECTING THE GALLERY’S PRINCIPLES, IT REFOCUSES THE DIALOGUE AROUND CORE VALUES THAT CENTER MORE ON ART, ARTISTS, AND A PASSION FOR COLLECTING THAN ON ART WORLD STATUS AND SHORT-TERM MONETARY INTERESTS. IN COLLECT WISELY, WE LISTEN TO THE FASCINATING STORIES OF HOW INDIVIDUALS CAME TO COLLECT ART, WHAT THEY COLLECT AND WHAT THEY WOULD OWN IF THEY COULD HAVE ANY ARTWORK IN THE WORLD. ARTICULATE AND IMPASSIONED, IT IS AN INSPIRING AND INFORMATIVE DIALOGUE REFLECTING BOTH THE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE  OF SEAN KELLY, GALLERIST, AND THE PASSION OF THE COLLECTOR.

https://www.skny.com/

 

Collect Wisely.
Sean Kelly Gallery Podcasts

THE GALLERY HAS INITIATED A WONDERFUL PODCAST, COLLECT WISELY,  THAT THE LRFA BLOG BINGED ON WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED. HOW DID THE GALLERY COME UP WITH SUCH AN ORIGINAL IDEA AND HOW WAS IT REALIZED?

I am glad that you are admitting to bingeing on it.  This series of conversations between Sean and different collectors  about collecting and connoisseurship started in 2018. It was his idea, and something that he had been thinking about a lot and felt it was necessary to speak about.  Luckily we were able to draw and rely on a diverse group of passionate art lovers who were willing to share with refreshing sincerity their respective and  unique collecting history and perspective.  This initiative resulted so far in 21 fascinating and inspiring podcasts, and has been very well-received in the press worldwide.  It has sparked conversations about our current ecosystem.   Like you, I have loved listening to them, and love what they say in turn about the ethos of the gallery.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/collect-wisely/id1378595357

 

Marina Abramovic
The House with the Ocean View
Sean Kelly Gallery 2002

 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS YOU HAVE HAD IN THE SPACE IN CHELSEA THAT WERE PARTICULARLY OUTSTANDING?

We were in our space in Chelsea for almost 12 years and held many great exhibitions.  That said I would like to single out Marina Abramovic’s extraordinary 12 day performance entitled “The House with Ocean View” in 2002, Joseph Kosuth’s outstanding neon installation entitled “A Propos (Reflecteur de Reflecteur) in 2004,  two remarkable installations by Antony Gormley’s entitled “Clearing”  in 2005 and “Blind Light” in 2007, Kehinde Wiley’s superb exhibition entitled “Economy of Grace” in 2008, and a beautiful installation of over 100 watercolors by Callum Innes made in response to a novel written by Irish author Colm Toibin in 2011.  

Kehinde Wiley
An Economy of Grace
Sean Kelly Gallery 2012

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS IN THE 36th STREET HUDSON YEARS SPACE THAT ARE NOTABLE AND COULD YOU HAVE HAD THEM IN THE FORMER SPACE?

Four exhibitions come to mind: Joseph Kosuth ’s 40 year neon survey in 2015,  our first exhibition of Belgian filmmaker David Claerbout in 2016, our exhibition of monumental sculptures by Mariko Mori in 2018 and  Anthony McCall’s experiential installation “Split Second” in 2019.   The challenging  size of our 36th street’s main space created unique conditions for these artists to respond to it with ambition.  

Joseph Kosuth
A Propos (Reflecteur du Reflecteur)
Sean Kelly Gallery 2004

 WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS?  

I was really thrilled when we are able to return to the gallery which we had to close on March 13.  I have missed my colleagues and being there.  We devised a re-entry plan that we hope will allow us to remain open and once again a destination during this uncertain time.  This includes Joseph Kosuth’s exhibition “Existential Time” which had to be postponed due to the pandemic, to Sam Moyer’s first major outdoor sculpture project presented by the Public Art Fund which will be sited at the Doris Freedman Plaza entrance to Central Park, and to our first major and much awaited solo current exhibition of Shahzia Sikander’s work since she joined the gallery.  

Sam Moyer
Doors for Doris  Doris Freedman Plaza

 

 ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO EXPAND TO ANOTHER CITY AND/OR COUNTRY?

Two years ago we established a presence in Taipei.    Our operations there are currently on hold due to the pandemic.  Asia is a region that cannot be ignored and we hope that we will be able to resume them in the not too distant future. 

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GALLERY?  I am excited about the gallery’s continued growth and place in the art world, and to do so alongside  Sean, his adult children, Lauren and Tom, who have been part of the gallery for a number of years now.   I have known both of them for over twenty years, and have had the pleasure of mentoring them closely.  Though different, I can see how they complement one another, and are determined to being part of the gallery’s present and future.  I look forward to continuing to doing what I love and to playing an active role in the gallery’s future. 

CECILE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL INTERVIEW. YOUR WARMTH AND LOVE OF PEOPLE AND OF ART SHINE THROUGH EVERY WORD. MUCH APPRECIATED!

Stay tuned: future plans at Phillips with Deputy Chair and Head of Private Sales, Miety Heiden

Phillips
New York, London, Hong Kong

SINCE MID-MARCH 2020, PHILLIPS HAS HAD TO  POSTPONE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR UPCOMING SALES, AS DID ALL THE AUCTION HOUSES, IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN. ALTHOUGH A PAINFUL DECISION, IT WAS A NECESSARY ONE. ART FAIRS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED OR POSTPONED, GALLERIES CLOSED AND NOW CAUTIOUSLY OPENING BY APPOINTMENT IN SOME CITIES AND IN EUROPE AND ASIA, AND THE ART WORLD AS WE KNOW IT HAS BEEN RECONFIGURED. WHAT HAS EMERGED IS A RAPID AND PROFOUND DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW WAY OF VIEWING AND BUYING IN THE ART WORLD VIA THE SOPHISTICATED DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY THAT IS NOW AVAILABLE.

PHILLIPS ANNOUNCED:

As a result of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and recent New York State and City mandated restrictions on commercial operations, Phillips regrets that we are unable to make lots from this sale available for pre-Auction, in-person inspection.

Gerhard Richter Phillips Evening Sale, NY, July 2, 2020

ON JUNE 15th, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST OFFERED THIS PREDICTION:

“While you’ll certainly see our core business return to in-person live auctions when it is safe to do so, we’ve witnessed the effectiveness of the online-only platform and the interest it has attracted, which is certainly making it one of our key services and options for our clients. This is something that was in the works well in advance of Covid-19, and you’ll see it remain a pillar … after it as well.”

The transition of sales from in person to online has allowed these forward-thinking auction houses to further develop and fine-tune online sales – and no one is bidding against the phenomenon remaining strong when live auctions eventually resume.

Joan Mitchell
Noel
Phillips July 2 Evening Sale

PHILLIPS WILL HOLD ITS 20th CENTURY AND A CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE, NEW YORK, ON JULY 2, 2020.

“We live in strange days,” Phillips’ Robert Manley, Worldwide Co-Head of 20th Century and Contemporary Art, said. “But the way I see it is that for every season, every auction you have to take the temperature of what people looking for and buying and those are the things we go after. This season in a way is no different.”

Manley said that Phillips plans to make the July 2 sale as similar to any of its other evening sales before the pandemic. The works are still being heavily researched and with accompanying catalogue essays, to be published online instead of in a printed book. Potential bidders will still have the opportunity to view the painting, but it will most likely be on an appointment-only basis. And the sale will take place with a live auctioneer, though most likely bidders will not be allowed in the salesroom.

VR Walkthrough: 20 Century and Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, July 8, 2020

HERE TODAY, MIETY HEIDEN, DEPUTY CHAIR, HEAD OF PRIVATE SALES AND PHILLIPS X, THEIR ONLINE PLATFORM, WILL SHARE HER PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE OF THE ART MARKET IN GENERAL AND PHILLIPS IN PARTICULAR IN OUR ALMOST POST-PANDEMIC WORLD.

What are your aims and goals in growing the private sales department at Phillips? Are there changes you would like to make in how the private sales department works?

Our private sales department at Phillips is growing and developing as we speak. We are running an exhibition program in all three of our selling locations – London, New York and Hong Kong – and we also have pop- ups all around the world. We work with dealers, curators and artists directly, and are looking into digital private sales as well.

As always, our sales will feature significant examples from a variety of modern, post-war, and contemporary masters.

Do you think the trend towards the private sales sector will continue to increase and, if so, why?

I definitely think there is huge potential for growth in this area. Whilst the auction process still forms the backbone of our business, the ability to engage with our collectors all year round on a more personal and direct platform is a very important and expanding avenue.

IT HAS BEEN A DELIGHT TO POST THIS INTERVIEW WITH MIETY AND THE LRFA BLOG SO APPRECIATES HER CONTRIBUTION OF TIME, EXPERTISE AND INSIGHT.

THANK YOU, MIETY!

Beyond auction, Phillips X with Miety Heiden, Deputy Chair at Phillips, Head of Private Sales and PhillipsX

Deborah Kass
NOMEN: American Women Artists
Phillips X July 2019

In the first traveling exhibition for Phillips X,  Foujita/Sanyu: Muses and Models went on view in both Paris and Hong Kong. Last summer, Phillips X held an exhibition in New York entitled NOMEN: American Women Artists from 1945 to Today, as well as HYSTERICAL  in collaboration with set designer Gary Card in London. Earlier in 2020, 10 Monkeys and a Dolphin brought forth  a sale of exceptional works by the ever popular street artists, Banksy and KAWS.

Phillips has moved beyond physical exhibitions to offer works for private sale digitally. Miety Heiden heads this new division called Phillips X which I am sure has garnered rapid success more quickly than anticipated due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and is particularly timely in terms of the current situation. Whatever the circumstances, Phillips X represents an important expansion beyond auction and a new format for private sales, the online viewing room, certain to reach a global audience.

In an interview posted on the Phillips website on April 9, 2020, Miety adds:

 Our clients at Phillips have been moving online for quite some time now. In our auctions, they register and bid online and we’ve seen explosive growth in the value of works sold online. Just last November, a painting by Sean Scully  sold for over $1.7 million to an online bidder during our New York Evening Sale. Just as we have with our slate of exhibitions, we’ve created this platform to meet collectors where they are, year-round. We began this program with great artists such as Tracey Emin,   Lucian Freud, Yayoi Kusama, KAWS and more. We’re adding new works to the online viewing room on a daily basis and, at present, they all stay online for two weeks. This is an exciting development for our team and for Phillips as a whole.

https://www.phillips.com/article/56425102/tca-miety-heiden-private-sales-phillips-auction

HYSTERICAL
Hosted by Gary Card
Phillips London

What are some of the most significant transactions you’ve made as Head of Private Sales at Phillips?

The private sales department has grown exponentially over the last few years. We have hosted a number of incredibly successful selling exhibitions since I’ve been here – our summer 2019 exhibition Hysterical, for example, was a notable example of one of these shows – a collaborative selling exhibition with renowned set designer and artist, Gary Card.

Ten Monkeys and a Dolphin: Banksy & KAWS
Phillips Jan/Feb 2020

How would you describe the profile of the collector now and how has it evolved over the years?

Collectors today are far more informed about the market and what’s ‘hot’, there is more information available to them online like Artnet and The Baer Faxt which in turn makes them more autonomous. Collectors are also more mobile, traveling to art fairs, auctions and exhibitions all over the world. Collectors also tend to worry more about art being an asset and keeping its value.

Sean Scully
Red Bar
Phillips Evening Sale
November 2019

What do you think of the current art market? From this vantage point it seems to have an almost surreal success with big ticket market quality artworks but a more conservative judicious approach to middle market works?

Actually the contemporary art market is entering a new territory, due to the significant growth and vibrancy of the middle market. There is an increasing focus on works of art priced at the hundreds of thousands of dollars to the lower millions. Our Day Sale totals are breaking records season after season, and we will focus on building on this in 2020. Of course the big ticket items will always have the headlines but the backstories are less rosy.

What do you think the current trends to support artists who did not get the recognition they deserved because of gender or race? How long-term do you think these trends are?

There have of course been many artists who have been overlooked across the art historic canon and into the present day, and when the art ecosystem finally shines a torchlight on these artists it can be a very positive thing, bringing new names and ideas to the table.

Stay tuned! Miety will share some of the highlights of future plans at Phillips in our next LRFA Blog post.

Thank you for following!

 

Private Sales vs Auction with Deputy Chair of Phillips & Head of Private Sales, Miety Heiden

Kehinde Wiley 
American African American
Phillips

Phillips Private Sales first launched in 2018. The curated program exhibits some of the world’s most sought-after works from the 20th and 21st centuries, informed by the company’s understanding of what the market demands and with a focus on approachable works that appeal to multiple types of collectors. Miety Heiden, Deputy Chair at Phillips, is also the Head of Private Sales and director of Phillips X, the auction house’s private selling exhibition platform. Often ahead of the curve set by the art world’s major institutions, the team at Phillips Private Sales has established a pattern of tapping into the zeitgeist and sourcing works that are underrepresented in the secondary market. Last January in New York, Phillips responded to exploding demand for previously-ignored black artists with a group show entitled American African American.

The LRFA blog is very pleased to continue the conversation with Miety Heiden whose intelligence and perception of the art market, past, present and future, enriches Phillips’ reach in the global auction world. There is a huge potential for growth in the area of Private Sales, particularly in these extremely uncertain times, haunted by both the coronavirus pandemic and the state of extreme social unrest and inequality erupting in America at the present time.

“In the past, Phillips was not really focusing on private sales, and now we have created a platform for both online and offline sales where we can connect with clients 365 days a year. Auctions will always be a key part of our business, but there’s been a growing movement to engage with collectors more than just a few days a year. Again, as the market goes global, the demand just keeps rising, and we want Phillips to be there to meet it.”

Miety Heiden, Deputy Chair, Head of Private Sales and PhillipsX, in an interview in April 2020

https://www.phillips.com/article/56425102/tca-miety-heiden-private-sales-phillips-auction

Phillips
Installation View
American African American

Miety, thank you for your time and sharing your expertise.

What are the deciding factors on the part of an auction house when analysing the best placement for an artwork, both geographically and in terms of private sales versus public auction?

It generally works on a case-by-case basis – in particular we take into account the reason for selling and the nature of the work. For example, those younger artists of the moment tend to do better at auction, and their reputation privately follows suit. On the other hand, some clients prefer to sell discreetly or quickly, and that’s often where private sales come into play. Sometimes, a particularly special piece can reach a wider audience if sold at auction, so we can go down that route to garner more exposure for the sale as this takes into account the popularity of certain artists in different parts of the world.

Nicholas Party
Landscape
Phillips Evening Sale
May 2019
Estimate $100-150,000
Sold $608,000

The competition with all three auction houses has become increasingly charged as the prices of artworks have increased by geometric proportions and the collector profile has expanded both due to the globalization of art and as a result of digital technology. What are some of the ways in which an auction house can ‘sweeten the deal’ to persuade a collector to consign a work?

Given our more focused lens on the best of 20th century and contemporary art, we understand this market well and our entire team is fiercely committed to singularly promoting individual artworks and collections as leading highlights of a sale season. The emphasis that works of art get within the context of our sales is therefore far greater, as we have the advantage of being more curated in what we do. Our global reach spans a huge range of collectors worldwide, and we are soon opening an unrivalled space at 432 Park Avenue in New York that we are confident will be a huge selling point for Phillips.

Carrie Mae Weems
S/2 Gallery 2015

What are some of the highlights that stood out in the private sale sector during your time at Sotheby’s?

The nature of private sales is of course that they are private! But at the time, the S2 gallery was really ahead of the curve. We hosted a selling exhibition in 2015 called ‘I Like It Like This with Drake’ that included works by African American artists such as Crosby, Hendricks, Basquiat and others that are now in huge demand in the contemporary scene.

Drake
S/2

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/6561104/drake-i-like-it-like-this-sothebys-exhibit

Who are the artists you view as having the strongest foothold now at auction and in private sales and which artists do you see moving into that position in the future?

The enormous amount of enthusiasm for the new generation of artists working in figuration points to a shift in taste. I think 2020 will continue to see this renewed appreciation for figuration in painting, with artists such as Julie Curtis, Genieve Figgis, Tschabalala Self, Nicholas Party, and Christina Quarles garnering great international attention and fierce competition on the secondary market. The result Phillips achieved recently for Amoako Boafo’s ‘The Lemon Bathing Suit’ reflects this shift. Of course let’s not forget the blue chip artists like Warhol and Twombly – these will always continue to do well as long as they are of a good quality. Quality is everything!

Amoako Boafo The Lemon Bathing Suit Phillips London Sale February 2020 Estimate GBP 30,000-50,000 Sold GBP 675,000

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG POST, MIETY WILL DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF TODAY’S COLLECTORS. STAY TUNED!

 

A warm welcome to Miety Heiden, Deputy Chair and Head of Private Sales at Phillips

Miety Heiden Deputy Chair & Head of Private Sales at Phillips

TODAY, PHILLIPS IS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS OF MODERN, POST-WAR, CONTEMPORARY, AMERICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN WORKS OF ART IN ADDITION TO WATCHES, JEWELS, PHOTOGRAPHY, WORKS ON PAPER AND EDITIONS. IN 2020, THE NEW YORK AUCTION HOUSE MOVED TO LARGER HEADQUARTERS AT 432 PARK AVENUE EXPANDING ITS FOOTPRINT IN NEW YORK AND ITS GLOBAL PRESENCE IN THE AUCTION WORLD.  FOUNDED IN LONDON IN 1796, PHILLIPS FIRST GAINED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FROM ITS SALE OF THE ESTATE OF QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE HELD INSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE. ITS FOUNDER, HARRY PHILIPS, WAS AN INNOVATIVE BUSINESSMAN, THE FIRST TO HOST EVENING RECEPTIONS BEFORE AUCTIONS, NOW AN ANTICIPATED AND STANDARD PRACTICE. THE AUCTION HOUSE HAS CHANGED HANDS SEVERAL TIMES INCLUDING ITS OWNERSHIP BY LVMH CHAIR, BERNARD ARNAULT, AND DEALERS SIMON DE PURY AND DANIELA LUXEMBOURG.

Phillips Auction

IN 2014, AT A MOMENT OF A SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN THE THREE LEADING INTERNATIONAL AUCTION HOUSES, ED DOLMAN JOINED PHILLIPS AS CEO AND BROUGHT IN AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM CULLED FROM THE RANKS OF CHRISTIE’S AND SOTHEBY’S. MIETY HEIDEN BECAME AN INVALUABLE PRESENCE AT PHILLIPS, CONTRIBUTING HER ENORMOUS EXPERTISE IN THE PRIVATE SALES SECTOR AT AUCTION, A VERY LUCRATIVE ASPECT OF EACH AUCTION HOUSE. SHE HAD LAUNCHED S/2, THE SELLING GALLERY AT SOTHEBY’S AND WORKED ON THEIR CONTEMPORARY EVENING SALES.

https://www.phillips.com

As reported in Artnet News, March 3, 2016:

In recent years, both Sotheby’s and Christie’s have increasingly focused on private sales, which are generally more lucrative, since they avoid the hefty costs of staging public auctions and publishing auction catalogues.

She contributed to business development and managed client relationships for the New York and Hong Kong contemporary art evening and day sales, as well as focusing on emerging markets and drumming up business on the West Coast. She was also a consultant to the Chinese contemporary art department, and was previously head of the modern and contemporary art department in Amsterdam.

TODAY THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME MIETY HEIDEN, DEPUTY CHAIR AND HEAD OF PRIVATE SALES AT PHILIPS AUCTION HOUSE. MIETY IS BOTH A FRIEND AND A COLLEAGUE, MUCH ADMIRED BY EVERYONE WHO KNOWS HER. HER LOVE OF THE ARTS, DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE ART MARKET, SENSE OF HUMOR AND COOL COMPOSURE, MAKE HER AN INVALUABLE PROFESSIONAL ALLY AND FRIEND.

https://www.phillips.com/private-sales

MIETY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BLOG!

Where did you grow up and what were your educational pursuits?

I grew up in the Netherlands and I always knew that I was interested in the arts. Once I finished school I studied History of Art at the University of Amsterdam.

How did you develop an interest in art? Were your parents collectors and were you exposed to the museum and gallery world as a child?

No, my parents weren’t collectors or anything like that. When I was 17, I had a conversation with a family friend who explained the auction world to me, and that’s when I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life.

Who were the first artists that struck a chord? How did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in the art world?

The first artists that caught my attention were the Dutch Old Masters – the likes of Rembrandt, whose works I first saw at the Rijksmuseum as a teenager.

The Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam

How did you gain a foothold in the auction world?

I first started my career as an intern at a Dutch auction house in 1992, before joining Sotheby’s Amsterdam five years later. During my time there I also worked a lot in Singapore and Indonesia. I then moved to Sotheby’s New York in 2005.

What pulled you into the private sales sector first at Sotheby’s and now at Phillips? How would you describe the responsibilities of Head of Private Sales versus those of the auction specialist?

Having worked in auctions for 15 years I wanted to explore something new – I had the idea to set up a selling exhibition program at Sotheby’s and came up with the idea to open a gallery within Sotheby’s which we did in 2011. Our first show focused on Sam Francis and was a sell-out. This set the precedent for many more solo artist selling exhibitions for artists such as Basquiat and Keith Haring. In 2019, Phillips’ private sales were up 34% from the previous year – in part because of the time and resources we’ve devoted to it, and our international exhibition program. As we explore new ways to generate business under the pressures of the market, we are focusing more on the private selling aspect of the business.

What was your career path at Sotheby’s? What were your responsibilities when you started and how did they develop over time?

I was at Sotheby’s for 18 years in total. I was head of Modern and Contemporary Art and Indonesian Art at Sotheby’s Amsterdam, and then when I moved to New York I started as head of their Afternoon Sale, before working on the Evening Sale a year later. It was after that I started the S2 program and ran the two side by side, in the same way that I work in both auction and private sales at Phillips today.

IN THE NEXT LRFA BLOG POST, MIETY WILL SHARE HER EXPERT PERSPECTIVE ON AUCTION HOUSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND ON THE POSITIONING A WORK CORRECTLY TO GIVE IT ITS OPTIMUM EXPOSURE, AN ART IN AND OF ITSELF.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! KEEP READING!

Holding one’s breath while allowing artists complete creative license with Meg Malloy, partner, Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

Zipora Fried As the Ground Turns Solid Current exhibit Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

 

BOASTING A DIVERSE ROSTER OF NOTEWORTHY ARTISTS WORKING TODAY, SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. IS AN ESTABLISHED MIDSIZE GALLERY SPACE LOCATED IN WEST CHELSEA. REPRESENTED ARE SUCH BIG-NAME VETERANS AS VIK MUNIZ AND KARA WALKER, AS WELL AS MID-CAREER POWERHOUSES SHEILA HICKS AND DEANA LAWSON. THE WORK REPRESENTS ARTISTS WHO WORK IN EVERY MEDIUM: PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE, VIDEO, INSTALLATION; AND IN EVERY GENRE: ABSTRACTION, NARRATION, FIGURATION, MANY ADDRESSING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES, OTHERS ADDRESSING THE LEGACY OF ART HISTORY AND EVOLVING IT FORWARD.  THE UNIFYING FACTOR IS THE QUALITY, ENGAGEMENT AND IMPACT OF THE WORK, TO THE VIEWER, TO THE COLLECTOR AND TO THE MUSEUM CURATOR.

IN 2019 ALONE, SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO.  EXHIBITED THE WORK OF THE FOLLOWING ARTISTS, AN ABBREVIATED EXAMPLE OF THE BREADTH AND SCOPE OF THE ARTISTS THE GALLERY SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES.

Brenda Goodman

BRENDA GOODMAN

With over 50 years of experience as a painter, Goodman is an artist at the height of her career. She began in 1960s Detroit, as a member of the famed Cass Corridor Movement. In the early 1970s, she exhibited with Guston, Tworkov and de Kooning at the Gertrude Kasle Gallery. After moving to New York City in 1976, Goodman explored ways to integrate intensely personal issues with the freedom of abstract expressionism.

Louis Fratino

LOUIS FRATINO

Drawing inspiration from personal experience and, more recently, photographic source material, Fratino makes paintings and drawings of the male body. His work includes portraits, nudes, and intimate scenes of male couples engaged in activities ranging from the mundane to the graphically sexual. The result is a body of work that is a loving and honest expression of the contemporary gay experience.

Jennifer Packer

JENNIFER PACKER

Packer’s painted figures and still lifes are exceptional for their expressive fields of color, worked tenderly by the artist’s hand. They are images made with the utmost care–for the subject, and for the artist herself. Packer’s subjects are often friends and family, loved ones who serve as an emotive force in her life. Her representations critique the positionality, autonomy and power of the marginalized subject.

Terry Haggerty

TERRY HAGGERTY

Terry Haggerty’s paintings reveal the multi-dimensional possibilities within painting – bold color is used to enliven and give volume and depth to positive and negative space. A series of monochrome lines, corners, and edges fold around one another, activating gaps between geometric planes of color. Haggerty’s works embrace the tension between two-dimensional outline and three-dimensional form, creating images characterized as “half object, half painting.”

AND CURRENTLY, THE BEAUTIFUL RECENT ABSTRACTIONS BY

Zipora Fried

ZIPORA FRIED

Working across sculpture, photography, and drawing, Fried’s oeuvre explores the potential of color and form to transcend language and express the nuances of the human experience. The subconscious remains a focal point of interest for Fried, as the formal conditions of object and image become deconstructed and reinterpreted through their symbolic connections to one another. Every gesture of the artist’s hand, in shape and form, signifies a distinct moment in the phenomenological experience of Fried’s work.

MEG, WHAT ARTISTS DOES THE GALLERY REPRESENT, AND HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE WORK?

The artists that  we represent are quite varied, and it is hard to pinpoint, but I feel that all  start from social or conceptual concerns, and all have great skill and create work that is consistently engaging on both a visual and an intellectual level.

IS THERE A PARTICULARLY AESTHETIC, OR CONCEPTUAL OR ABSTRACT POINT OF VIEW THAT CONNECTS EACH ARTIST’S WORKS?

I would say it is open-ended, but each of our artists has an integrity and an unshakable commitment to what they do. 

WHAT DID YOU MOVE TO CHELSEA, AND WHAT PROMPTED THAT DECISION?

The gallery moved to Chelsea because there were great spaces, and Soho rents were through the roof.

WAS THE CURRENT 22^nd STREET LOCATION THE FIRST SPACE THAT YOU TOOK, AND HOW HAS IT EXPANDED OVER THE YEARS?

We are at the same address, but the gallery has been in the unusual position of  being able to expand in place as the business grew.   We had half of our downstairs originally and then were offered the other half.   This was due to unfortunate circumstances as both Pat Hearn and Colin de Land who had that space passed away.  Then we rented the back of upstairs from Anina Nosei for storage and viewings, and then when she didn’t renew we took over  that space. 

Sheila Hicks

 

THE GALLERY ROSTER IS A STRONG MIX OF ESTABLISHED ARTISTS SUCH AS ARTURO HERRERA, SHEILA HICKS, KARA WALKER, AND EMERGING TALENTS. WHO ARE SOME OF THE ARTISTS AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS THAT HAVE RESONATED WITH YOU THE MOST?

That is an impossible question!  😊

YOU SHOW ARTISTS IN A WIDE VARIETY OF MEDIA. WHO ARE SOME OF THE ARTISTS THAT YOU REPRESENT THAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING IN TERMS OF THE EXHIBITION OF THEIR WORK? YOU ARE SO GENEROUS WITH THE GALLERY SPACE, ALLOWING THE ARTISTS LICENSE TO TREAT THE SPACE AS PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

You have to have faith in an artist’s  vision.   That said, there are times when we hold our breath. For Kara’s last show, there were three very large-scale unframed works on paper.  The audience for that show was enormous and we worried that the work could be damaged but people were so respectful.  William Córdova created a scaffolding that pushed viewers to the perimeter of the gallery. 

William Cordova
Machu Picchu

MORE ABOUT THE GALLERY, ART FAIRS, CURRENT AND FUTURE EXHIBITIONS WITH MEG MALLOY IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG.

IN THE MEANTIME, EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY, AND HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Andy Warhol
Turkey Noodle Soup

The LRFA blog welcomes Meg Malloy, partner at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. gallery

Meg Malloy
Partner
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. ENJOYS A LONG AND RESPECTED HISTORY IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD FOR DISCOVERING EMERGING ARTISTS WHO GO ON TO GAIN GREAT CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND SUPPORTING ESTABLISHED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS WHOSE CAREERS THEY NURTURE. LOCATED AT 530 WEST 22nd STREET IN THE WEST CHELSEA ARTS DISTRICT IN NEW YORK CITY, THE GALLERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1991 BY BRENT SIKKEMA AS WOOSTER GARDENS. BRENT SIKKEMA BEGAN HIS GALLERY WORK IN 1971 AT THE DIRECTOR OF EXHIBITIONS AT THE VISUAL STUDIES WORKSHOP IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. HE OPENED HIS FIRST GALLERY IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, IN 1976. MICHAEL JENKINS, WHO HAD WORKED ON PROJECTS WITH THE GALLERY SINCE ITS OPENING IN 1991, JOINED AS DIRECTOR IN 1996, AND BECAME A PARTNER IN 2003.

Sikkema Jenkins Gallery
530 West 22nd Street
Chelsea, New York

SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO. WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED ON WOOSTER STREET IN SoHo AND IN 1999 MOVED TO ITS PRESENT CHELSEA LOCATION SUBSEQUENTLY UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION.  THE GALLERY IS AN EXTREMELY INVITING ENVIRONMENT, WITH A DEDICATED AND ACCESSIBLE STAFF EAGER TO EDUCATE AS WELL AS TO PLACE WORKS.

MEG MALLOY, A PARTNER AT SIKKEMA JENKINS, IS THE PERFECT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OPEN UNPRETENTIOUS SPIRIT OF THE GALLERY AND THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME HER TODAY.

MEG, THANK YOU, IN THIS BUSY SEASON OF THE ART YEAR, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG.

Vik Muniz: Surfaces
Current exhibition
Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

WHAT WERE YOUR EXPERIENCES GROWING UP THAT ENCOURAGED AN INTEREST IN ART?

I was born in Chicago and raised in Glencoe, a suburb north of the city. I am the oldest of six.   My mother had wanted to be an artist, and going to museums was a part of my childhood.  The Art Institute also had a great outreach program and before any school trip there, museum docents would come to school and educate us about what we might see.  My parents were involved in a local theater group and I took part in the youth version, always on the management side as a producer or v.p.-  never as a performer.    In high school and college, friends and I used to take the train to the city and to go the Art Institute.  We would just wander.  I was always struck by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Sky Above Clouds, which was installed at the top of a grand staircase at the museum: it seemed so majestic, and it motivated me to read her biography. I loved thinking about her work, and what sounded to me like an impossibly exciting life in art.

 

Georgia O’Keeffe
Sky Above Clouds

DID YOU PAINT OR HAVE AMBITIONS TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST?

 I never had any talent for art making, though  I enjoyed it.  I really thought I would go into publishing. I worked on the school newspapers in both junior high and high school.  One close friend did have parents who were collectors, and another had a mom who ran a gallery downtown.    

WHAT WAS YOUR ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, AND HOW DID IT LEAD YOU INTO THE ART WORLD?

 I went to The University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana and studied Comp Lit.  

My plan was to follow my favorite aunt’s career path in publishing.   Because comp lit is interdisciplinary, we often looked at visual art. My interest in its history was piqued, and I added art history classes to my course of study.  I was a resident advisor and had a number of artists on my floor  – I  loved visiting their studios and talking about what they  were doing.

Kara Walker
Turbine Commission Tate Modern

Then  I took a museum studies class and decided I should go into museum education.   With that goal in mind, I decided to go to grad school in art history, and ended up at UC Berkeley. There I had a job at the art museum bookstore, and then became the intern for Connie Lewallen, a wonderful curator and human being.   She ran the Matrix program, which focused on one contemporary artist at a time in a frequently changing exhibition program, always with an accompanying brochure.  I loved the variety and the engagement with the artists and their ideas.  It was compelling.  I also became the de facto house sitter for the curators — all of whom had great contemporary art and libraries, and I loved being immersed in those environments.

Erin Shirreff
San Francisco Museum of Art

SO MANY INFLUENCES LEADING YOU TO NEW YORK AND A CAREER IN THE ARTS. IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, MEG WILL  DETAIL HER FIRST EXPERIENCES IN THE NEW YORK ART WORLD.

PLEASE JOIN US!

A profound commitment to the interests of the artist with gallery director, Maria Bueno, of Cheim & Read

Art Basel 2019
Cheim & Read

IN HIS RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK, BOOM, A FASCINATING AND COMPREHENSIVE COMMENTARY ON HOW THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD AND MARKET HAS EVOLVED, MICHAEL SHNAYERSON WRITES:

TRADITIONALLY, DEALERS LARGE AND SMALL HAD TRAVELED TO A HANDFUL OF FAIRS: FIAC IN PARIS, NEW YORK’S ARMORY SHOW, AND THE MOST ESTABLISHED FAIR, ART BASEL SWITZERLAND. WHEN ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH JOINED THE PACK IN 2002, AND FRIEZE LONDON IN 2003, THE PACE REMAINED, FOR A WHILE, MANAGEABLE. YET EACH YEAR, MORE NEW ART FAIRS SPROUTED, IN ONE COUNTRY AFTER ANOTHER…CLARE McANDREW, THE CONSULTING ART-MARKET ECONOMIST WHO NOW WORKS FOR ART BASEL, COUNTED 260 MAJOR FAIRS. WITH MORE AND MORE ART TO BE SEEN AND SOLD, DEALERS FELT THAT THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BE A PRESENCE IN AT LEAST A FEW OF THE PROLIFERATING SHOWS. IT WAS A COSTLY DECISION. 

Michael Shnayerson, BOOM, Public Affairs, New York, pp. 362-363.

Michael Shnayerson
Boom
Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art

A FEW GALLERIES ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE OF THE MARKET SHARE. MANY COLLECTORS ARE VISITING ART FAIRS AS THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE WHEN BUILDING AND ADDING TO THEIR COLLECTIONS AND FREQUENT THE GALLERIES LESS AND LESS. AT THE SAME TIME, JENNIFER FLAY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF FIAC, IN AN INTERVIEW IN THIS WEEK’S FINANCIAL TIMES,  POINTS OUT THAT ART WORLD INDIVIDUALS MAY SOON NEED TO RE-EVALUATE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY BRING THE FOCUS OF THE MARKET BACK TO REGIONAL AND LOCAL SITUATIONS.

IN THIS CLIMATE OF ECONOMICAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, THE RESPONSIVE ART MARKET IS UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATION IN ITS WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.

TODAY, WE WELCOME BACK MARIA BUENO, PARTNER AT CHEIM & READ, WHO HAS OPTED TO OPEN AN UPTOWN GALLERY FOCUSED ON CONNOISSEURSHIP, THE SECONDARY MARKET AND AN UNFLAGGING COMMITMENT TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ARTIST.

https://www.cheimread.com

Frieze, New York, 2018
photo taken by Brian Buckley courtesy of Cheim & Read, New York

MARIA, WHAT ART FAIRS DOES CHEIM & READ PARTICIPATE IN, AND WHY?

Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach. The outstanding quality of the material on view brings in people who are important to us, from curators to collectors to museum patrons. We take these fairs very seriously and our presentations reflect that effort.

WE ARE IN A CHANGING AND VOLATILE ECONOMIC CLIMATE. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL IMPACT ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MARKET?

It is hard to predict but collectors will always find the resources to acquire a work of the highest quality no matter the circumstances. We strive to source and show work of this quality level so that collectors feel comfortable and confident in what we are showing and offering them. We have worked hard to establish a loyal client base which we hope will follow us into the next chapter of the gallery’s history.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK IT WILL HAVE ON THE GALLERY SYSTEM?  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN REPRESENTATING ARTISTS NOW AND EVEN A FEW YEARS AGO SINCE SOME DEALERS HAVE NUMEROUS GLOBAL LOCATIONS?

Dealers will need to find innovative ways to continue doing business and make sure artists have the freedom and flexibility to make their work. Today it seems like everyone is vying for “worldwide exclusive representation” – these representation wars are tiring and not necessarily in the best interest of the artists. Why not have several dealers with whom you like and respect working for you? 

Ron Gorchov
Opening exhibit September 2019
Cheim & Read
23 East 67th St, New York

WHAT ARE THE GALLERY’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

Our new gallery opened on September 26th with an exhibition of historical, never before exhibited paintings by Ron Gorchov. We plan to mount 3-4 exhibitions per year, most of which will have a historical focus and examine key periods in artists’ oeuvres. Catalogues and other publications will add to our commitment to original scholarship. We also plan to participate in select art fairs. We will continue to work directly with a number of artists whom we have had long relationships with and will continue to pursue meaningful projects on their behalf. We will also concentrate on private sales in the secondary market. This work is informed by our depth of knowledge developed by decades of connoisseurship and our extensive archive.

 

Lynda Benglis
Catalina
Museum of Cycladic Art Athens, November 2019

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE IMPACT OF OUR SOPHISTICATED AND EVER DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY ON ARTISTS’ WORK?  WHICH ARTISTS EMBRACE THESE INNOVATIONS MOST SUCCESSFULLY?

While Cheim & Read has always had a particular interest in the traditional medium of painting, technology has been helpful in executing a sculptor’s concept in more ambitious scales. Lynda Benglis for example continues to push the boundaries of this medium and uses new technology with her foundries to create incredibly intricate and detailed works on monumental scales. It’s exciting for all of us to see come to life.

Lynda Benglis at The Cycladic Museum, November 22, 2019

“Lynda Benglis: In the Realm of the Senses” opens at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens. The exhibition curated by Dr. David Anfam is the first solo exhibitions for Benglis in Greece, a country that has great significance for Benglis aesthetically and culturally. 

THERE ARE CERTAINLY TRENDS IN COLLECTING, MORE THAN EVER, SINCE IMAGES AND ARTWORKS ARE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET, INTERNATIONAL ART FAIRS, AND THE GLOBAL MARKET.  HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE WHAT IS A TREND THAT WILL RECEDE ALONG WITH THE MONETARY VALUE  FROM AN ARTIST THAT WILL CONTINUALLY COMMAND A PLACE IN THE MARKET WITH ONLY SLIGHT EBBS AND FLOWS ?

In most instances, you can only know these things with time. For us, we continue to show and support artists we believe in, no matter the trends. It is this steadfast commitment to a particular vision that I think differentiates us from other dealers. 

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG, MARIA WILL SHARE HER PERSPECTIVE ON TRENDS IN THE ART MARKET AND THE CONTINUED FOCUS AND FUTURE OF CHEIM & READ.

PLEASE JOIN US!

Life in a jewel box with Courtney Kremers, Sotheby’s VP and Contemporary Art Specialist

The History of Now: The Collection of Daniel Teiger
Sotheby’s London

THE COLLECTION OF DAVID TEIGER, A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND FORMER TRUSTEE OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, WAS SOLD AT SOTHEBY’S STARTING IN LONDON LAST OCTOBER DURING FRIEZE WEEK. THE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE AUCTION HOUSES VYING FOR SUCH A SUPERB, VARIED AND LEGENDARY COLLECTION MUST HAVE BEEN FIERCE BUT SOTHEBY’S MARKETING STRATEGY WON THE DAY. TITLED “THE HISTORY OF NOW”, THE COLLECTION FEATURED EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLES OF MODERN, FOLK AND CONTEMPORARY ART, FEATURING EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLES BY SUCH ARTISTS AS JASPER JOHNS, DAVID HOCKNEY, JOHN CURRIN, PETER DOIG AND MARK GROTJAHN IN A SERIES OF TEN TARGETED SALES WORLDWIDE.

Mark Grotjahn
The History of Now- The Collection of David Teiger

DAVID TEIGER CREATED A LIST OF PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE HIM IN HIS COLLECTING. SOTHEBY’S ADVOCATED THE SAME FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION IN ITS MARKETING AND SELLING OF IT: TRAVELING WORKS TO MANY CITIES, THREE IN ASIA ALONE; RESEARCHING, DOCUMENTING AND CATALOGUING EACH LOT; SELECTING THE VENUE THAT WOULD BEST SERVE EACH WORK OF ART, RESULTING IN AN OVERALL TOTAL OF MORE THAN $100 MILLION.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2018/history-of-now-collection-david-teiger-l18623.html

Peter Doig
Buffalo Station 1
The History of Now- The Collection of David Teiger sale

THE HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF WORKS  OF ART AND OF THE ART MARKET REQUIRED FOR THE SALE OF THE TEIGER COLLECTION IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE VIRTUALLY DAILY DEMANDS ON SPECIALISTS IN A TOP AUCTION HOUSE. CONSISTENTLY PLEASANT, CHEERFUL AND POLITE TO EACH AND EVERY DEMANDING COLLECTOR AND ADVISOR IS ANOTHER REQUISITE.

TODAY, THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BACK COURTNEY KREMERS, SENIOR VP AND CONTEMPORARY ART SPECIALIST, TO SPEAK FIRST HAND OF HER SOTHEBY EXPERIENCE.

WHEN DID YOU START AT SOTHEBY’S AND WHAT PROMPTED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN AN AUCTION HOUSE?  CUSTOMARILY, MANY PEOPLE START AT AN AUCTION HOUSE AND THEN GO ON TO WORK AS A DEALER OR ADVISOR?

Yes I did it backwards. But I am so thankful I did. I was able to understand the ecosystem that the auction house serves by first being a part of that ecosystem. Sotheby’s approached me about an opportunity to revamp their mid season sales in early 2013; that fall, we introduced the Contemporary Curated sales. It was an exciting new challenge, and when I left Kim to pursue it, she couldn’t have been more supportive.

Vija Celmins
Burning Plane
Good to Go: Property from the Collection of Joni Gordon

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT WORKING IN AN AUCTION HOUSE?

I am surrounded every day by people that love what they do. My colleagues, both in and outside the Contemporary department, are some of the most passionate, inspiring, and hard-working people that I have ever encountered. The energy is contagious. Not to mention the thousands of objects I get to see, handle, basically live with, every year. And not just Contemporary works… Our office is a rotating museum of Old Master paintings, jewels, photographs, Japanese scrolls, the most beautiful mid-century design objects. I spend most of my waking life in a jewel box essentially. It is a privilege to work at Sotheby’s, so I try to earn it every day. 

Ed Ruscha Broken Pencil In Its Own Light: Collection of Ed Cohen and Victoria Shaw

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR AUCTIONS OR SINGLE OWNER SALES OR SPECIFIC LOTS THAT STAND OUT AS HIGHLIGHTS DURING YOUR TIME AT SOTHEBY’S?

The Joni Gordon Sale in 2014 – we sold a rare Vija Celmin’s plane painting (now on view in the SFMoMA show) and achieved a record price for the artist. In 2017, the sale of works from the Collection of Ed Cohen and Victoria Shaw which included the most breathtaking works on paper by Anselm Kiefer, Michael Andrews, and Brice Marden… These weren’t the most high value consignments, or the biggest single owner sales in recent years, but the works were rare connoisseurs’ gems.   

Cecily Brown
Bonus
In Its Own Light: The Collection of Ed Cohen and Victoria Shaw

HOW DOES S/2, SOTHEBY’S GALLERY, WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SALES DEPARTMENT?  HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT THE BEST VENUE WHEN ADVISING A CLIENT INTERESTED IN SELLING A WORK THEY OWN?

Simply stated, when advising collectors regarding auction versus private sale, we need to understand what it is that they value most. For some, privacy and control of the sale process is paramount, and so private sale would be our recommendation. For others, the auction platform, which can present a unique opportunity for upside at a particular moment, is more appealing. With that said, every conversation is highly circumstantial and takes into account any number of factors. One that comes up frequently is depth of an artist’s market in relation to works currently consigned for an auction season (e.g. if we have four Calder mobiles already consigned for auction, we are likely not going to recommend adding a fifth).

Alexander Calder
Art Contemporain
Sotheby’s Paris, June 5, 2019

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU WORK ON A FORTHCOMING AUCTION?  DO YOU HAVE A FEW LOTS THAT COME IN THAT ANCHOR A SALE AND THEN SEEK OUT WORKS COLLECTORS MIGHT HAVE THAT WOULD COMPLEMENT THE SALE AND BE ENHANCED BY EXISTING LOTS?

Yes – you nailed it. We generally work on sales six months in advance, but naturally the intensity ramps up about two months out. Roughly half of the sale comes in from collectors who reach out to us directly. The other half we seek out proactively. Based on what has come into the sale in the first few months, we seek out artists and periods that we don’t yet have. We start to create ‘wish lists’ that we work from. If we are a month away from deadline and see that we don’t have a great Joan Mitchell or Donald Judd, we will go out and try to find one. Our wish list changes a bit every season depending on what we know collectors are looking for, and also, opportunities we may see to tell a particular story in an auction season. We look at the ingredients on the table, and then figure out how to make a well balanced meal! 

Joan Mitchell
L’Arbre de Phyllis
Lumieres: The Levy Family Collection
Sotheby’s NY May 16, 2019

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG POST, COURTNEY WILL SHARE HER PERSPECTIVE ON SOTHEBY’S PRESENT AND FUTURE.

PLEASE JOIN US!

AND HAVE A HAPPY AND LONG-AWAITED MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!