The crowd at Webb's Auckland last big auction of the year seemed to have taken their cue from the inscription on the big Hotere Song of Solomon (Lot 37) painting in the sale. “For lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone… the time of the singing birds is here”. There was certainly an upbeat air and the first few lots sold well and mainly above the reserve prices.
Art + Object have advised that the auction entitled “Ralph Hotere: This Land” scheduled to be held at 3 Abbey Street, Newton, Auckland on Thursday 24 September at 6.30pm has been cancelled.
Inside every art auctioneer is a secret wish that one fine day they might uncover a caché of unseen art treasures...and if they dared to dream a bit more they might unleash a fervent hope that the works were by a truly significant artist. Art + Object seem to have been granted the wish that “… we may dream good dreams again” (as O’Africa, attests) (Lot 58) in their forthcoming sale. On 24 September they will offer 60 hitherto untouched and “hidden” works by one of New Zealand’s most important and respected living artists, Ralph Hotere.