Robert Isabell was a fascinating fellow who worked in the limelight of Manhattan and yet was a very private man from the midwest. Today's story in the New York Times about the auction of his estate is really interesting. The contents of his home in Manhattan, seen by few, was truly eclectic and makes his life and possessions all the more interesting.
A great read in today's New York Times.
Here's the E-Catalogue from Southebys
Here is a list of upcoming auctions all taking place before the Holidays. Here are a number of auctions around the country and a link, worth a look for that special piece.
Lets start off locally at Weschlers.Fine Art & 20th Century Decorative Arts - Washington DC - December 5 2009 12:00PM
DOYLE AT HOME®
FINE FURNITURE, DECORATIONS AND PAINTINGS
Including Holiday Gifts
Auction
Wednesday, December 9 at 10am
Christie's Auction House: Important American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture. New York, December 2nd, 2009
Bonhams and Butterfields: American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture - December 2nd, 2009.
Susanin's in Chicago has some nice things for sale on December 5th, 2009.
Jewelry and Silver at Rago's on December 6th, 2009.
I wrote about Walton Ford early in Homer's start.I'm a huge fan of Mr.Ford and can't wait to see his new pieces now on exhibition at the Paul Kasmin Gallery through December 23rd.
Previous post included below.
Talent will out. I've recently been exposed to the great artist Walton Ford by Habitually Chic. I'm just surprised that I was unaware of his work, as it of a subject and genre that I have always loved. He will be exhibiting his work at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York from May 8 to July 3, 2008. I highly recommend seeing this work if you have the chance. While I might question the political undertones of these pieces, I cannot get over the sheer talent before my eyes and that always wins out.
From Artist 21, " Walton Ford was born in 1960 in Larchmont, New York. Ford graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with the intention of becoming a filmmaker, but later adapted his talents as a storyteller to his unique style of large-scale watercolor. Blending depictions of natural history with political commentary, Ford’s meticulous paintings satirize the history of colonialism and the continuing impact of slavery and other forms of political oppression on today’s social and environmental landscape. Each painting is as much a tutorial in flora and fauna as it is as a scathing indictment of the wrongs committed by nineteenth-century industrialists or, locating the work in the present, contemporary American consumer society. An enthusiast of the watercolors of John James Audubon, Ford celebrates the myth surrounding the renowned naturalist-painter while simultaneously repositioning him as an infamous anti-hero who, in reality, killed more animals than he ever painted. Each of Ford’s animal portraits doubles as a complex, symbolic system, which the artist layers with clues, jokes, and erudite lessons in colonial literature and folktales. Walton Ford is the recipient of several national awards and honors including a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Ford’s work has been featured at Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art at Champion, and the Forum for Contemporary Art in St. Louis. After living in New York City for more than a decade, Walton Ford relocated his studio to Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Ford and his family reside in upstate New York."
From an earlier post, compare his work. It's an obvious evolution of a style I much admire.
I recently stumbled upon the University of Glasgow's Special Collections website and proceeded to spend a few hours gazing at the most beautiful old prints. Here you will find a selection of groundbreaking and wonderfully illustrated natural history books, from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. All I could think of was covering my walls with some of these fantastic illustrations. I've selected just few to give you an idea of what a great resource this collection is for ideas and an appreciation of truly great art.Though I must say that I've always loved Turtles.
Erik Jacobs - New York Times
I loved this story from the New York Times.
Mimi Read, NYTimes:11/11/09: For Maryalice Huggins, old things — particularly fine antiques — are living, breathing beings. Some radiate irresistible allure. Auctions might as well be singles bars.
So it’s perfectly in character that Ms. Huggins, 57, fell under the spell of an unusual old mirror and wrote a quirky book about her 10-year obsession with it. “Aesop’s Mirror: A Love Story” was published this week (Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux), and like Ms. Huggins’s conversation, it is a looping expressway of intersecting stories and tangents.
“It’s written for people with short attention spans, like me,” Ms. Huggins said in her husky, animated voice.
Full story here.
Great news for the fall contemporary art auctions.
ART DAILY:NEW YORK, NY.- Tonight at Sotheby’s in New York, Andy Warhol’s monumental masterpiece, 200 One Dollar Bills, brought a remarkable $43,762,500, soaring past the pre-sale estimate of $8/12 million. Competition was fierce. Auctioneer Tobias Meyer opened the bidding at $6 million and was immediately met with an almost unheard of response - a bid of $12 million, twice his opening bid. Five more bidders raised their paddles before the winning bid was cast by an anonymous purchaser bidding on the telephone. The Warhol was the top-selling lot in a sale of Contemporary Art that brought an outstanding total of $134,438,000, far-above pre-sale expectations (est. $67.9/97.7 million) and with all but two lots finding buyers
Washington is indeed a small town and a couple of weeks ago a lovely lady came into the store and we got to chatting. One thing led to another and while we had actually never met before it turned out that we had dozens of friends in common.
The lady turned out to be Tanya Potter Adler and she is chairing along with her better half Howard, this year's Lombardi Cancer Center Annual Gala.
Dr. Potter and his wife Tanya, with Gala co-chairs Tanya Potter Adler and Howard Adler. "Tanya Potter Adler, along with her husband, Howard B. Adler, will co-chair the 2009 Lombardi Gala. Tanya is no stranger to Lombardi. Her father, The Honorable John Potter, MD, is the founding director of the cancer center. We are proud to have someone with such close ties to Lombardi, and the cancer cause, at the helm of our signature fundraising event."
The subject of this blog came up and how I focus a great deal on auctions. " Well really," said the young lady, " I happen to be chairing a charity event with an online auction." "Could you help us out?" To which I replied, "just tell me what to do."
So folks, here is something vastly more worthy than my usual nonsense.
Some of the important people we look to for help.
Drs. Subha Madhavan, Lucile Adams-Campbell, Claudine Isaacs and Shawna Willey of Lombardi
The 2009 Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Center Annual Gala is having an online auction in addition to its silent auction held at the Gala. This very smart idea allows individuals with a stake in the important work the center does to participate and donate and win a great gift.
About the Gala:"The 23rd Annual Lombardi Gala, on November 7, 2009, is an unparalleled celebration to benefit Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Louis M. Weiner, MD, Director. This black-tie dinner dance features a cocktail reception and renowned silent auction; a raffle that includes a 2010 model Lexus automobile; presentation of awards to remarkable individuals for their fight against cancer; and more. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Gala go directly to Lombardi for cancer research, education, and treatment.
Lombardi is just one of 40 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation designated by the National Cancer Institute, the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only one in the Washington, D.C. area. Named in memory of All Star Coach Vincent T. Lombardi, who was treated for cancer at Georgetown University Hospital, Lombardi’s world-renowned research faculty are discovering cancer risk factors, designing effective prevention strategies, and learning how to detect cancers earlier. They are developing and testing the cancer treatments of tomorrow – targeted therapies that will improve both survival and quality of life – and making progress toward the ultimate goal of eradicating cancer. Washington, D.C. has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the country, and Lombardi’s team of oncology experts ready to help you, your colleagues, family, and friends.
We hope that you will join us at the event and in the fight against cancer." The link for the entire event is here.
The online auction runs from now until November 6th. The link to the online auction is here.
Lets take a look at some of the very nice pieces donated for the online auction and their bids and values.
Set of Six
Estimated Value $300.00
Buy Now Price $450.00
Item Number 16
Item Description
Cup and Saucer - Set of Six (6) English Aymsley bone china. Each cup has a different floral design. Late 20th century.
Special Instructions
High bidder must arrange for pick up item or incur shipping/delivery charges
Estimated Value $1,850.00
Buy Now Price $2,775.00
Item Number 19
Item Description
Crown Shaped Cruet Set English marked set of 4 crystal lacons, crown shaped holder. Salad set late 19th Century.
Special Instructions
High bidder must arrange for pick up item or incur shipping/delivery charges
Estimated Value $250.00
Buy Now Price $375.00
Item Number 20
Item Description
Brass Jardiniere (Planter) Dutch jardiniere. 19th century. Intricate hammered brass.
Special Instructions
High bidder must arrange for pick up item or incur shipping/delivery charges
Estimated Value $125.00
Buy Now Price $188.00
Item Number 6
Item Description
Austrian Crystal Covered Dish 20th century Austrain crystal covered dish with alpine decoration.
Special Instructions
High bidder must arrange for pick up item or incur shipping/delivery charges
Estimated Value $2,400.00
Buy Now Price $3,600.00
Item Number 5
Item Description
Art Deco Urn Go retro with this glass urn in the art deco style. With a black frosted background and carver stylized floral motif, circa 1920, this vase is truly stunning. It will look great with many decors. Signed by: Clianick.
Special Instructions
High bidder must arrange for pick up item or incur shipping/delivery charges.
Donated By:Sarah Boyer Jenkins
Estimated Value $150.00
Buy Now Price $225.00
Item Number 3
Item Description
Antique Porcelain Pitcher Collectors will be delighted to take home this antique porcelain pitcher. This Nippon with iris motif and gilt decoration is circa 1900.
Special Instructions
High bidder must arrange for pick up item or incur shipping/delivery charges.
Donated By:Sarah Boyer Jenkins
These are just a few of the very nice items up for bid and what a worthy way to have fun at an auction. I have attended the event a number of times and can say without reserve that it is a splendid example of people, power for good and is truly worthy of your consideration. I'll be reposting this as a reminder til the big night. CHEER'S Homer.
It couldn't get worse for Damien Hirst
After a career built on conceptual art, Damien Hirst turned to paint and canvas - and the boos from the critics were unanimous. Mark Hudson fears he had it coming.
Mark Hudson of the Telegraph.UK: "This week we may have witnessed one of the pivotal moments in the history of art. Not only has Damien Hirst, arguably the richest and most powerful artist in history, received the critical pasting of his life, but there's a sense that our whole perception of what art is, or should be, may have subtly – or not so subtly – shifted.
In case you've been miles from the media over the past week, Hirst, the man who became famous by putting sharks and sheep in formaldehyde, who summed up the 21st century confluence of art and shameless materialism with a £50 million diamond-encrusted skull – none of which he actually made himself – decided to exhibit paintings executed with his own hand in one of Britain's most august art institutions, the Wallace Collection." Full link here.
ACNews:Written by Terry Kovel
Monday, 26 October 2009 07:11
A rocking chair shaped like a skeleton is bound to be noticed, especially around Halloween. This 20th-century example brought $3,198 at Jackson's Auctioneers in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this past June.
Skeletons are invited guests at our celebration of Halloween, the Mexican holiday called "Day of the Dead" and a few other ghoulish events. A chair shaped like a skeleton, with boney arms, ribs, feet and skull, is one of the largest skeleton pieces a collector can find, and it's a mystifying piece of antique furniture. The late Vincent Price, a well-known actor in horror films, owned a whole set of skeleton chairs. At least four variations of the large, scary chairs have been sold in recent years. A few were painted white, one was dark mahogany and one was a rocking chair. The most famous is a Russian chair that has an inscription that solved part of the mystery of why these chairs were made. The inscription indicated the chair was a gift from "Masonic Lodge, 1838," so at least one of the chairs related to a Masonic ritual. That chair sold in London in 1980 for $36,300, sold again in 1992 for about half that, then sold in 2009 for $3,198 at Jackson's Auctions in Cedar Falls, Iowa. A popular modern "skeleton chair" is an aluminum chair by Michael Aram. It has a ribcage back, no arms or skull, a pelvis seat and three legs that look like bones. Price: $450. If you want your own skeleton chair to frighten guests on Halloween, you can buy an inexpensive chair slipcover that's printed with a skeleton to cover the back, arms, seat and legs with appropriate bones
Southebys:"The collection formed by Lord and Lady Attenborough focuses primarily on British art from the outbreak of the First World War to the 1960s, and features superb works by many of the best known artists of the period, including Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, C.R.W.Nevinson and L.S.Lowry. Collected over six decades, there is a continuous sense of a narrative quality running through all the works, and the remarkable paintings and prints in the collection give us a clear indication of the unerring eye of a master storyteller at work." The auction takes place November 11th, 2009 at Southebys in London.
To read Lord Attenborough's thoughts on his collection in The Times, click here.
Video from Southeby's of the collection here.
Rago's Auction House in New Jersey is having a very nice auction of moderne pieces on the weekend of October 24/25. This collection of 20th century pieces are not usually the finds I seek out, but then unfortunately I can remember when this was the height of chic and then for many, lost favor.
A very astute friend reminded me recently that for much of the population today, this is all new to their eyes. For those of us born just a bit before 1980...,we can now look back and see that good design did exist in those days, when a few smokey clouds might have blurred our vision. Its a huge catalogue which you can view here.
Some of my picks are kitschy and fun and bring back memories of "what were you thinking," but others really are fine and yes finally classic. Lets take a look.
GILBERT ROHDE / HERMAN MILLER Paldao four-door cabinet with large etched brass pulls, single shelf and interior shallow drawers. Stenciled 4104 on back. 33" x 66" x 16"
Estimate: $1,500 - $3,500
Sale Price: $1,830. A very nice buy.
LOUIS W. RICE / BERNARD RICE"S SONS Silver-plated Skyscraper candlestick with copper handle, ca. 1928. Stamped Skyscraper Des. Pat. Pending Apollo EPNS Made by Bernard Rice"s Sons Inc. 5270. 8 1/2" x 3 3/4" x 2 3/4"
Estimate: $1,500 - $3,500
Sale Price: $6,100. I liked it but that is one expensive candlestick.
ANDY WARHOL The Souper Dress, screenprint in colors on cotton, ca. 1965. (Literature: Mark Francis, "The Warhol Look: Glamour, Style, Fashion," New York, 1997, for illustration of another example.) Titled on original label at collar, with care instructions. 38" long"
Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500
Sale Price: $3,172. Iconic.
STARK CARPET COMPANY (New York) Room-size rug with green fretwork pattern on cream ground. Fabric label. 12" 2" x 14" 6
Estimate: $1,500 - $3,500
Sale Price: $1,098. A great buy. We all loved it at the store.
GEORGE NAKASHIMA Walnut Turned-Leg dining table with two free edges, three butterfly keys to top, and two leaves. (Provenance available.) Table: 29" x 60 1/2" x 37 3/4", leaves: 17" x 36 1/2"
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000
Sale Price: $9,760. A fair price.
GEORGE NAKASHIMA Early pair of walnut slat-back lounge chairs. (Provenance available.) 30" x 23 1/2" x 31"
Estimate: $2,500 - $4,500
Sale Price: $4,880. If only I had the place for them.
UDY KENSLEY McKIE Exceptional mahogany dining table, the base carved with birds and fish, 1979. Signed JKM 1979. 30" x 65" x 34 1/2"
Estimate: $60,000 - $90,000
DID NOT SELL.
PEDRO FRIEDEBERG Hand chair with three-footed base and gilded finish. Branded Pedro Friedeberg. 35" x 20" x 21"
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sale Price: $19,520. WOW!
RON KENT Large flaring turned wood bowl. (Provenance: Collection of Kenzo Takada.) Faint script signature. 7 1/2" x 16 1/4
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sale Price: $2,196. Such a pretty piece. I think someone got a good deal.
MILO BAUGHMAN / THAYER COGGIN Burlwood four-door credenza with white laminate interior on polished chrome base. 34 1/2" x 72" x 18"
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sale Price: $2,806. Very Rat Pack.
EDWARD WORMLEY / DUNBAR Single-door burlwood bar cabinet with faceted body. Dunbar factory tag. 20 1/2" x 16 1/4"
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sale Price: $1,952. A Bachelor's buy.
GROSFELD HOUSE Pair of enameled wood bookcases in dark green with silver trim, each with three shelves over single cabinet door. 71" x 30" x 11"
Auction Date: Sat, October 24, 11AM
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
DID NOT SELL
DONALD DESKEY Side table with black glass top on banded and chromed steel base. 20 1/4" x 22 1/4" x 15 3/4"
Auction Date: Sat, October 24, 11AM
Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Sale Price: $4,575. Loved that table
WENDELL CASTLE Cherry bench with two chip-carved and polychromed supports, 1997. Signed Castle 97. 31" x 77" x 18"
Auction Date: Sat, October 24, 11AM
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000
DID NOT SELL. Not surprised.
Its not quite up to the UK competition..and why??? Okay, I'll join up..I volunteer and what fun it would be, but lets get serious here we need a full blown competition with major funding. There's no reason that we can't find ( present winners aside) great portrait art, and we have to get to work on that.However, Kudos to the top three.
"Blog portrait competition winners Dave Woody of Fort Collins, Colorado has received first prize in the National Portrait Gallery’s 2009 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. His photograph titled “Laura” was chosen as the winner from a field of over three thousand entries. First prize was a cash award of $25,000 and a commission from the museum to portray a remarkable living American for the NPG permanent collection. The portrait by Dave Woody, as well as works from forty-eight other artists, are on display at the National Portrait Gallery, in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition exhibition on the second floor.
Of his work, Woody comments, “I am never really attracted to photographing subjects who are totally self-aware or self-confident, as I’m more interested in those people who move through this world with a quiet grace. Spending time with friends allows me to see them in a certain light where their mask drops and something soft and inviting is seen, and I’ll think of making a photograph of them.”
Second prize was awarded to Stanley Rayfield of Richmond, Virginia who submitted a painting titled “Dad.” 
Third place went to Adam Vinson of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. His oil-on-panel painting is titled “Dressy Bessy Takes a Nap.”
Commended artists are: Margaret Bowland, for a painting titled, “Portrait of Kenyetta and Brianna”; Yolanda del Amo, for her C-print photograph, “Sarah, David”; Gaela Erwin, for her pastel-on-paper, “Baptismal Self-Portrait”; and Emil Robinson for an oil-on- panel portrait titled “Showered.” Each was awarded a cash prize.
These works were finalists in the museum’s second national portrait competition. Of the entries submitted from across the country, forty-nine artists’ works were chosen for display in the exhibition; seven of these works were chosen for the short list. The competition received entries in every visual-arts medium.
NPG Director Martin Sullivan states, “The variety and depth of the entries was encouraging to me since it proved that portraiture is an ever-evolving genre. And best of all, this competition allows the National Portrait Gallery and its visitors to see how today’s artists interpret portraiture in all of its forms.”
Finalists for the 2009 competition were chosen in early May, and the winners were announced at the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Awards Celebration Thursday, October 22. In addition, one exhibiting artist will win the People’s Choice Award, in which visitors to the exhibition, both online and in the gallery, may cast a vote for their favorite of the forty-nine finalists. Voting for the People’s Choice Award will close January 18, 2010.
The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition is named for Virginia Outwin Boochever, a docent for and ardent supporter of the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition’s catalog describes Mrs. Boochever’s endowment for the portrait competition “as a way to benefit artists directly… as a unique opportunity to fill a void in the American art world.” The works in the Outwin Boochever competition will be on display until August 22, 2010." To view images of the works, see the exhibition website.
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