CONTEMPORARY GIANTS AT BONHAMS - ANISH KAPOOR, FRANK AUERBACH & BANKSY Our Coverage Sponsored by Paul Mayer Attitudes
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Bonhams Post-War and Contemporary Art offers a stunning Anish Kapoor sculpture in stainless steel (estimate: £450,000-650,000), an important Alexander Calder Araignée (Maquette) from 1957 (estimate: £250,000-350,000) and two new Banksy works purchased during his 2013 ‘residency’ in New York – for just $60. Now estimated at £50,000 – 70,000 and £30,000 - 50,000 Kids on Guns and Winnie the Pooh were both acquired from Banksy’s Central Park stall where an unassuming trader sold his paintings to passing tourists.
Other highlights of the sale include Frank Auerbach’s Portrait of J.Y.M. from 1992 (estimate: £300,000-500,000) and a rare Lucio Fontana Concetto Spaziale from 1952 (estimate: £250,000-350,000), both of which have never appeared on the market.
Anish Kapoor is well known for his experiments with reflective surfaces and his mirrored discs are today widely regarded as his most instantly recognisable works. Bonhams is thrilled to offer one of these iconic works by one of Britain’s best known and collected artists. Frank Auerbach’s stunning portrait of Julia Yardley Mills captures not just a physical likeness of the sitter he knew so well, but also the unique energy of the subject and the vitality of a moment. We are delighted to be offering this fresh work on the market.
Alexander Calder brings metal to life and his three-dimensional works display unique character traits. Araignée (Maquette), 1957 is a captivating example of Calder’s masterful ability to capture in metal a satisfying sense of dynamic equilibrium. Lucio Fontana’s Concetto Spaziale, 1952 is an early and important example of Fontana’s Buchi (holes) series. Coming from a private collection for the first time in forty years, this is a rare example of one of the most influential artistic practices of the second half of Twentieth century.
BANKSY’S $60 PRANK GETS SERIOUS AT BONHAMS
Two new Banksy works purchased during his 2013 ‘residency’ in New York – for just $60 apiece – will feature in Bonhams next sale of Contemporary Art on July 2nd in London for a price which reflects their true value. Estimated at £50,000 – 70,000 and £30,000 - 50,000 Kids on Guns and Winnie the Pooh were both acquired from Banksy’s Central Park stall where an unassuming trader sold his paintings to passing tourists.
Gareth Williams Head of Contemporary Art at Bonhams comments: “The Central Park stall was one of Banksy’s greatest coups during Better Out Than In, his 31 day unofficial residency in New York City, where he attempted to unveil a new work every day during October 2013. The fact that his paintings were original and were being offered at a tiny fraction of their true retail value raises real questions about the perception of worth and the nature of art as commodity within the marketplace, something that the artist must be acutely aware of.”
Film footage shows Banksy's immediately recognisable black and white stenciled canvases stacked on a trestle table or suspended on the stall's makeshift metal framework. One canvas was stencilled with a discount store label announcing the price of each work as $60. The following day the event was documented on the artist's website: "Yesterday I set up a stall in the park selling 100% authentic original signed Banksy canvases. For $60 each."
For the casual observer it must have been difficult to believe that the works were in fact genuine. The nature of the trader and stand, located in one of New York's tourist hotspots, and the overall display of the works was a master stroke, a setting and presentation at odds with the hallowed space of a gallery environment designed to lend artworks gravitas and, by association, added value. Consequently the first paintings weren't sold until 3.30pm when a lady acquired two for her children after first negotiating a 50% discount. The footage shows them being placed without protection in a blue plastic carrier bag. Kids on Guns and Winnie The Pooh the two lots offered at Bonhams July 2nd sale were purchased shortly afterwards.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and
Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com.
