At Art+Object’s sale of Important Paintings and Contemporary Art sale in Auckland on 27 March 2024, prices for large scale sculpture exceeded expectations on the night. There are many potential purchasers for large scale Paul Dibble works and there was an auction contest for his life size bronze Busy Lady (Lot 35 ). This particular piece had five active bidders including two latecomers who joined in at $175,000 and $180,000 when the lot was already at top estimate, taking the lot to $210,000 to an internet bidder.
A recent work dating from 2020 by painter Grace Wright Now or Never (Lot 8 ) was well contested to make $24,000 against a low estimate of $14,000. The artist has an extensive and unfulfilled waiting list at her dealer gallery Gow Langsford, so it was not surprising that the work was purchased by her dealer John Gow in the room, on behalf of a client on the phone.
Another early lot which well exceeded expectations was Andy Warhol’s Indian Nickel Head (Lot 15 ) from his Cowboys and Indians series which was produced a year before his death in 1987. The portfolio contains 10 prints and this single image was estimated at $50,000-75,000. All the bidders for the work were online and one can only assume overseas as well, and despite the image not being one of the best known by the artist, it still doubled its low estimate to realise $100,000 off a $50,000 reserve, in line with auction sales for the work internationally.
Two paintings by Bill Hammond bought surprising results, for two very different pieces. Snares (Lot 29 ) from 1995 and is a transitional piece into the artist’s most well known bird paintings which were first exhibited in the late 1990s. Snares includes the artist’s hallmark elongated bird motif and the inky blue and emerald green colours which were well utilised in the later paintings. The estimate of $80,000-$120,000 was very reasonable for a work of this size so it was surprising to see the internet bid fall short at $70,000 and sold subject.
Dating from just two years earlier The Quik and the Ded (Lot 30 ) also by Bill Hammond, could have been painted by a totally different artist if the viewer was unfamiliar with his style. This major work dates from the end of his comic book type imagery from the 1980s. This work had last traded at Webb’s in 2001, for the not insubstantial sum of $95,000, and this this time round it carried at estimate of $180,000-$260,000. It sold for $200,000 to Mary Vavasour, one of the consultants in the room and equals the top price for a work to the period at auction.
The consultants battled it out again, this time for a major work by Ralph Hotere Vive Aramoana (Lot 33 ) from of the artist’s most recognisable and important series of paintings. The Aramoana series was painted as a protest against a proposed smelter in the area, and this particular image is a minimal, elegant work, carrying almost as much detail on the back as there is on the face. Despite good interest from various parties, it sold just under low estimate at $190,000 to a consultant in the room.
Large scale sculpture exceeded expectations on the night, with a bidding contest for Paul Dibble’s life size bronze Busy Lady (Lot 35 ). The figure’s multiple arms and legs are outstretched but finely balanced, carrying a serving tray, a fish and a cup and saucer all while in motion. There are many potential purchasers for these large scale Paul Dibble works and they always sell strongly. This particular piece had five active bidders including two latecomers who joined in at $175,000 and $180,000 when bidding was had already reached the top estimate, taking the lot to $210,000 to an internet bidder.
Another sale highlight was Gretchen Albrecht’s KareKare Sky - Sunset (Lot 40 ), a lush representation of the expanse of changing colour at the end of the day on Auckland’s west coast. These early works by the artist with their generous layers of poured acrylic directly onto the canvas are amongst her most sought after, and this particular example was in excellent condition which is not always the case for all works from the period. The painting sold at the top estimate of $150,000 to an internet bidder, falling just shy by $5,000 of a new auction record.
The sale included four works by Tony Fomison but two were stand out examples. The largest of the group Untitled (Head and Spirits) (Lot 41 ) is a magnificent example of the artist’s use of chiaroscuro, the contrast of light and shadow which is present in many of his best works. Despite the technical strength of the painting, the imagery was perhaps too tough for collectors and it was sold subject to an internet bidder at $370,000 which was $100,000 under the low estimate.
The next lot, See No Evil (Lot 42 ) dated from the same period, and was a diminutive work measuring just 18 x 26 cm. What it lacked in size, it made up for in impact, the face of the figure is painted in extreme close up with various degrees of light contrasting against the black background. It also had a great provenance; the current owner had purchased it directly from the artist around 1977. This painting carried an estimate of $65,000 - $85,000 and with a couple of room buyers engaged in the bidding it sold for $78,000.
Interest in the sale usually falls away for the final 10 lots in a sale, but this wasn’t the case in this auction. The result for a curious work by Jan Nigro (Lot 62 ) Death of a Skittle Clown surprised, as clown related imagery can be off-putting to buyers. The bidding continued until the lot sold to an internet bidder to realise $20,000 against a $14,000 low reserve.
At the conclusion of the auction, the clearance rate was a respectable 55% which is a good result considering the current economic climate in New Zealand. As at International Art Centre sale the previous night, some of the higher value lots went unsold, perhaps suggesting clients are being highly selective about what they purchase in the market. It’s also possible the the post sale process may have been hampered, with only one business day available before the Easter break but currently the sale total stands at $2,146,000 including buyers premium without post auction sales included.
