Ron Sang, one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent architects, publisher of books on artists, champion of artists and their craft, is a man extraordinarily devoted to the arts in New Zealand. A lifelong collector and auction goer, his collection consists of stunning and important contemporary paintings and pottery, by artists who are his friends. The fact that many of them are now very valuable almost seems incidental.
The catalogue consisted of 188 lots of paintings, ceramics and studio glass, furniture and books and all of the art fell in the first 60 lots. Of course it was going to be a great sale, but a packed room of over 300 with people spilling out the doorways and sitting on the floor only confirmed that. All the works were in fabulous condition. The prints had fantastic colour and were beautifully presented, most float mounted in white frames, ready to go to new homes. The surfaces of the paintings were pristine and many looked as good as the day they were painted.
Art + Object had strategically placed some very nice, well estimated prints in the first few lots to really get the sale going and the gorgeous work by Robin White Hoopers Inlet, (Lot 2 ), gave a sense of things to come when it sold for $8,500 against a low estimate of $4,500. Next up was the collection of small sculpture by Guy Ngan who was a particular friend of Ron Sang’s. There were some stunningly tactile pieces in this group but the highlight was (Lot 10 ), Anchor Stone which sold for $32,000 against a low estimate of $12,000. At one point, the bidding was going so fast that it sounded as if Ben Plumbly the auctioneer was just routinely counting, ‘$26,27,28,29 thousand’ as if the money didn’t matter and to the buyers it probably didn’t!
It wasn’t long until the next exceptional result and this occurred at (Lot 14 ), Toss Woollaston’s Mapua. This is the largest and one of the most important works by Woollaston to be offered at auction and the work was hotly contested by a number of room buyers. Bidding started at $70,000 against a low estimate of $100,000 but easily eclipsed this to head upwards to $152,500 which is a new auction record for Woollaston and just about double his previous highest price.
If I mentioned everything else that well exceeded estimate and broke auction records, this report would go on for pages but it’s fair to say that most of the other lots were well contested and quick highlights included (Lot 22 ), Don Binney, Katoomba Fatbird which sold for $260,000 against a low estimate of $200,000 and (Lot 23 ), Robin White, Beyond Wainamu, Te Henga III which made $135,000 against an estimate of $90,000. A big surprise was the painting by Karl Maughan, Foxhall Road (Lot 28 ) which sold for $42,000 against a low estimate of $15,000. The major work by Pat Hanly, (Lot 21 ), Suburban Innocents had a hefty estimate of $200,000-$300,000 which was high, but given A+O’s recent success with Hanly’s work, seemed achievable. They did get it away at $200,000 but perhaps with less interest than they had hoped for.
A lovely selection of prints and less important original works rounded off this first section and given the lower estimates, quite predicably went a bit crazy. Ben Plumbly was hoping to finish off his 60 lots with a quick hammer but multiple phone, absentee and room bidders thwarted his plans. Some of the prints sold for 4-5 times their estimate and this ended off a very lively sale.
A single vendor sale of this importance is always going to bring buyers out of the woodwork and create a lot of interest and this was a great way to start off the 2015 auction calendar. As for the man himself, Ron Sang, sitting at the auction in his usual spot, on the aisle, 6 rows back, I’m sure he’ll go home to his empty walls and shelves with a smile on his face.
The auction sold a staggering 98% by lot and 127% by value (including the decorative arts lots). The sale total was an impressive $1.90 million (IBP), compared with a low estimate total of $1.31 million.
