The Works of Art catalogue put together by the team at Webb’s was the best offering since the business came under the new ownership in 2018. The presentation of the auction room was once again taken to new heights with a multicoloured paint job on the walls in salmon pink, light grey and white which also mirrored the colours used on the printed catalogue. Professionally made videos highlighting the key works featuring commentary by Charles Ninow, Head of Art, as well as original archival material of the artists painting or discussing the works were posted to Instagram on the days leading up to the sale, and the sale highlights had already been on view in Wellington. You could say that Webb’s threw absolutely everything they had at this sale and it paid off.
Lot 1 was a sure-fire winner, a screenprint by Robin White of Sam’s Place, Bottle Creek (Lot 1 ) which is one of the artist’s most well-known works. Usually these works are extremely faded and in very poor condition, but this work, which had come from the collection of Don and Phillipa Binney was in as new condition, and looked as if it had lived under the bed since it was printed in 1971. Multiple bidders competed from the low estimate of $4,000 to realise $9,500 to an online bidder. The next lot represented good buying with Pat Hanly’s scarce to market but popular image Rainbow over Mount Eden (Lot 2 ) just sneaking in over low estimate to make $3,500.
Through the mid-section of the sale, other strong results were seen in Dick Frizzell’s The Huka Falls 1987 (Lot 17 ) dating from an extremely popular series of central North Island landscapes painted in the late 1980s. Another work from this series holds the artist’s record at auction and the Webb’s work was well contested by two phones and an absentee bidder to finish up at $62,000 against a reserve of $35,000. One of two paintings by Don Binney in the sale, Te Henga (Lot 22 ) which was a fairly muddy example without much definition to the landscape and without a bird, but dating from a good period of the artist’s work did well to reach the low estimate of $85,000.
Riding on the back of the last Tony Fomison painting consigned to Webb’s which sold for a record price in August 2020, was Garden of Eden 1980-1981 (Lot 27 ). This along with Philip Clairmont’s Budda Vietnam had received the lion’s share of the extensive presale publicity.
The Garden of Eden was the first to be offered, and although the image was not as important as The Watcher on the Shore which sold in August, this painting had a very significant provenance as it was one of three painted for Auckland Art Gallery in 1980. One was retained by the gallery, one went into the BNZ collection and this was the third, retained in the same collection since it was painted. There were fewer bidders this time round, but the two main competitors in the room fought hard. The painting had an extremely wide estimate of $300,000-$600,000 and a low bid of $200,000 started things off in $10,000 increments. The bidding stalled around $300,000 and that appeared to be the limit before things kicked back into life again and continued up to $430,000 before selling to a Fomison collector in the room. This price has set yet another new record for Fomison and while that is a good thing as he is an artist who has been undervalued, I’m not sure this is the work which should hold the record. Although it is very calm and reflective painting, it didn’t have the significance or power of The Watcher on the Shore which was a truly moving painting of one of the artist’s most important subjects.
Philip Clairmont’s Buddha Vietnam (Lot 29 ) also had a strong provenance, being held in the same collection since creation (1971) and previously being on long term loan to a public institution. Painted early in the artist’s career, tightly constructed with strong contrasts of colour, this work was a much-admired part of the viewing. Book bids, phones and bidders in the room, ensured the work moved quickly along, so fast I almost missed it selling to an art consultant for $200,000, double its low estimate.
There are very few Antiques Roadshow type experiences at auction in New Zealand, our art history and our social history just doesn’t go back far enough for there to be lots of undiscovered treasures here but Untitled 1971 (Lot 39 ), an ink of paper by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama just happened to be one. Discovered some years ago in a second hand shop within a roll of vintage posters and other ephemera from the same date for a nominal sum, the vendor recognised what they had but held onto it until deciding to consign in 2020. Authentication was sought and given by the Kusama corporation and the world’s most traded female artist was ready for sale in New Zealand. Interest came in from all over the world and the estimate was hard to gauge due to the quantity of her artwork offered at auction and the lack of direct comparable sales. Three phone bidders, a couple of bidders in the room and a strong absentee bid on the sheets all set the lot up for excitement with a low start of $60,000 against an estimate of $100,000-$150,000. It felt as if everyone got a chance to put their hands up as the bidding moved between phones and the room, but the work sold to a bidder in the room for $150,000 and somewhat surprisingly will stay in New Zealand.
Despite some of the other high value lots such as Bill Hammond’s Living Large 3 (Lot 33 ), estimate $200,000-$300,000) and Pat Hanly’s Hope Fire Vessel (Lot 41 ), estimate $120,000-$160,000) failing to sell on the night, Webb’s had success with others, with many works selling over low estimate including 2019 auction favourite Michael Parekowhai’s Portrait of Elmer Keith No.1 (Lot 12 ) which realised $27,000 against a $15,000 reserve and set a new record for this photograph.
With post sales, the auction realised $1,718,500 hammer ($2,064,349 incl BP) with a clearance rate of 65% by lot the day after the sale. Webb’s will be feeling positive for what 2021 will bring with the momentum they have gained, but I hope it’s more auctions and less noisy parties in the auction room!
All prices shown are in $NZ and are hammer, unless otherwise noted.
