NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s Contemporary New York sale series continued in the afternoon of October 2, with An Eye Towards the Real: Photographs from the Collection of Ambassador Trevor Traina. The sale, which took place live at Christie’s Rockefeller Center, achieved a total of $3,252,564 with 80% sold by lot and 88% by value. The sale experienced deep bidding throughout, with active participation online, on the phones, and in the room.
Darius Himes, Christie’s International Head of Photographs comments: “Being entrusted with the sale of Ambassador Traina’s post-war and contemporary photography collection has been an honor from the outset. From the road-trip inspired work of Frank, Shore and Soth, to pioneering women like Arbus, Sherman and Taryn Simon, we have had the pleasure of working with some of the most extraordinary photographs of the past 60 years. Tonight’s results should send a signal that, when presented thoughtfully and led by an experienced team, photographs can hold a position of strength in the marketplace and inspire a new generation of collectors interested in the rich history of photography.”
Leading the sale was Dortmund, 2009 by Andreas Gursky which realized $352,800. Additional top lots include William Eggleston’s Greenwood, Mississippi (Red Ceiling), 1973, which sold for $302,400, Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Still #81, 1980 which achieved $289,800, and Diane Arbus’s Boy with a straw hat waiting to march in a pro-war parade, NYC, 1967, which made $119,700.
Five artist records were set during the sale. The fantastic results stand as a testament to the strength of the collection. The appetite in the market for icons was established in May with the successful sale of Diane Arbus’s "Identical Twins, (Cathleen and Colleen), Roselle, New Jersey, 1966 (1967) - which sold in the 21st Century Evening Sale for a record-breaking price of $1.2 million.
Artist Records:
• Alec Soth, Charles, Vasa, Minnesota, 2002; Price Realized: $201,600
• Larry Sultan, My Mother Posing for Me, from the series "Pictures of Home", 1984, printed 2016; Price Realized: $69,300
• Slim Aarons, Poolside Glamour, 1970; Price Realized: $63,000
• Matthew Porter, 110 Junction, 2010; Price Realized: $32,760
• Taryn Simon, Folder: Explosions, 2012; Price Realized: $22,680
