LOS ANGELES, CA.- Tuesday, June 21, 2022, is remembered as the start of summer and being the longest day of the year. More importantly, it was the when the highly anticipated Post-War and Contemporary Art + Design auction took place at
John Moran Auctioneers. If you were one of the few who missed it, there were over 275 lots offering fascinating fine art in modern and contemporary paintings, a broad selection of prints and multiples from key artists, brilliant Brutalist and abstract sculptures, divine decorative art, and the most fabulous contemporary and mid-century furniture by local and internationally acclaimed designers. This sale garnered a lot of attention! All three preview days brought in big crowds, and on sale day interested bidders made quite a splash online and on the phone.
In the selection of fine art, a 1960 Jean Jansem still life was the top highlight. This Jansem work, lot 69, brought in a whopping $31,250 (including buyers premium). When lot 89 came on the block, all hands were on deck (or should I say, on the phones and computers!) as multiple bidders showed major interest in Deserted Beach. This 1975 oil painting from American artist, Sally Michel came to a final bid of $26,250 (including buyers premium).
Two other American artists performed exceptionally well in this sale, Milton Avery and Thomas Nozkowski. Lot 90, the 1941 painting by Avery, Girl on Balcony, achieved $24,700 (including buyers premium). A Nozkowski oil painting, lot 114, Untitled (8-50), was all in for $23,750 (including buyers premium).
There was a large variety of prints and multiples, including lot 1, a Henri Matisse lithograph that went for $7,500 (including buyers premium) and lots 3-9, works by Joan Miro, with final bids as high as $5,625 (including buyers premium). One of the biggest and most colorful prints in this sale, lot 17, The Monkey Rope, by Frank Stella, ended with a phone bid of $23,750 (including buyers premium). Lot 13, the exquisite color woodcut by Maurits Cornelis Escher, Puddle, was another fan-favorite, hammering in at $28,125 (including buyers premium).
A popular featured collection was a series by Andy Warhol, lots 20-26, a suite of flower screenprints based on images of flowers he found in a wallpaper catalog. The six prints of the Flowers (Hand-Colored) series from 1974 achieved an impressive aggregate total of $73,750 (including buyers premium).
Lot 107, a piece by the American abstract artist, Dimitri Hadzi, Terra III, was one of the best examples of Brutalist sculpture offered in this auction. This 1960s work, standing 49 tall, exceeded its estimate, bringing in $25,000 (including buyers premium).
A tiny piece that packed a major punch was the 7 x 6 ceramic from Doyle Lane, who was known for his innovative, tactile glazes. Lot 41, a collection of amber and rust color ceramic tiles in a wood frame, had an original estimate of $1,000-1,500 but wowed everyone with a final bid of $7,500 (including buyers premium).
Between the capsule collection of designer furniture from a private collector in Los Angeles, some from a Beverly Hills estate, and multiple pieces from various other consigners, there was something for everyone! Lot 144, the Chin Yin coffee table by Philip and Kevin LaVerne did well with a price realized of $9,375 (including buyers premium). The two 1960s pewter and bronze forms by Silas Seandel, lot 184, became a great addition to a bidders living space for $14,300 (including buyers premium). Lots 194-196 presented some of the most famous tables in the design world, created by the eccentric artist, Yves Klein. Table IKB, Table Monopink, and Table Monogold, still coveted by collectors, brought in bids of up to $22,100 (including buyers premium). The biggest surprise was lots 207 and 208, the two dripping brass console tables by Zhipeng Tan. These 2017 uniquely handcrafted beauties had a modest estimate of $2,000-3,000 each, but were sold together for an amazing aggregate total of $32,500 (including buyers premium)!
Brenda Smith, John Moran Auctioneers
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