First Contemporary Art Auctions in New York, Sotheby's with the auction “Contemporary Art” of September 21, which saw a catalog of 415 lots, closes with $12,277,564 cleared. Several works have not aroused interest and others have remained unsold, mostly by artists who have recently begun to be present in international auctions and therefore not yet so established or known to a wider public. They have held up very well others like the Japanese Yayoi Kusama, with the work: pumpkin (estimate: 25 – 35 dollars), sold for 52,500 dollars and Pink Infinity-Net, acrylic on canvas – 52×44,5 cm (estimate: 60 thousand -80 thousand USD), sold for 116,500 USD. Of him, works with this meticulous mesh that look like a modern net or a perfect cobweb are preferred.
Curious the purple canvas in acrylic and chewing gum: New York, New York – 165,1×132,1 cm – of Adam McWen (estimate: USD 60,000-80,000), sold to 134,500 USD; o Untitled from 2008 by Wade Guyton, Epson UltraChrome printed image on linen, depicting a black X on a white ground – 100,6×91,4 cm (estimate: 150,000-200,000 USD) sold for 284,500 USD.
Still present with accessible values, “Architecture and interiors” works by Anton Henning and Dexter Dalwood, Thomas Scheibitz, all between 30,000 and 50,000 USD. The different ones works present by Calder (gouache on paper) they exceeded the estimate and by two doubled, 1974 Bahia (estimate: US$50,000-70,000) sold for US$116,500 and l'Enchantée (estimate: US$30,000-50,000) sold for US$110,500.
For the Chinese, they have maintained the esteem or awarded just above, such as Zhang Huan, Zhang Dali, Chen Jiagang, Wei Dong, Alex Guoefeng Cao, the latter reached USD 22,500 per the double image Kennedy: I.JFK VS Jackie; II. JACKIE VS JFK II, but it is known that the works depicting celebrities are the ones that are always of interest (see the success of the Brazilian by Vik Muniz with Picture of Diamonds, works that exclusively portray celebrities encrusted with diamonds).
And finally appreciate the images (c-print) of Candida Hoffer and other authors present with photographic works.
Top Lot (Sotheby's):
Gerhard Richter, Untitled – oil on paper – 64,7×100 cm – (estimate 250,000-350,000 USD) sold to 842,500 USD. Only in 2010 this artist presented estimates under 100,000 USD, since this year he has already recorded a doubling with estimates between 200 and 300 thousand dollars. With this last award, it becomes interesting for collectors and investors to understand the forthcoming "auction releases".
Frank Stella, Window Sketch – oil and pencil on canvas – 106,7×213,4 – (estimate: 350,000-450,000 USD) sold at 578,500 dollars.
Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Blue Butterfly) –oil on canvas placed on a panel – 66×60,9- (estimate: 350,000-450,000 USD) sold for 554,500 USD.
Also from Christie's New York the “First Open Post-war and Contemporary Art” auction of September 19, gave a good result 174 lots with a total of awards of 8,434,150 USD. In this auction we find other interesting names, for example the aforementioned Vik Muniz, Brazilian artist with very special works, Cibachrome prints mounted on aluminum in six copies, which is present in the auction with some works including: Untitled Blue, after Yves Klein (Pictures of Pigment) 2006, 129, 5×101,9- (estimate: USD 20,000-30,000) sold for USD 50,000.
Also from Christie's interest in Alexander Calder and his colorful gouaches on paper: Untitled from 1976 -73,6×109,2 – (estimate: USD 50,000-70,000) sold for USD 122,500. Several works by George Condo, well reevaluated, a Francesco Clemente sold for $30.000, Ivan Navarro at 40,000USD, Hannan Wilke to 40,000 USD, Tony Cragg to 43,000 USD… and many more.
Top Lot (Christie's): Yayoi Kusama, Red Nets, No.19 – oil on canvas from 1960 -72,2×60,9 – (estimate: USD 400,000-600,000) sold for USD 1,022,500.
Louise Bugeois, Spider Home from 2002 (est. $500,000-700,000) sold for $5,66,500.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tyranasaurus Rex from 1986 (estimate 60,000-80,000), sold for 278,500 USD, being a work on paper, pencil, color graphite, the value achieved is decidedly important, but it is also true that Basquiat's works are highly sought after, as well as none many since the artist died at the age of 28 in 1988.
