LOS ANGELES, CA.- Los Angeles Modern Auctions has announced the date of its Winter auction, which will take place on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 12pm (PST).

The curated LAMA auction will represent many of the most coveted examples of contemporary artwork in today’s market. The LAMA auction will include rare paintings by Sam Francis, Ed Ruscha and Alma Thomas, sculptural works by Jenny Holzer and Harry Bertoia as well as prints, multiples and works on paper by Keith Haring, Richard Diebenkorn and Roy Lichtenstein. Additionally, the auction will have a strong representation of Modern Design with works by George Nakashima, and Sam Maloof among others.

One of the twentieth century’s most prolific Abstract Expressionists, Sam Francis is known internationally for his striking use of color, influenced by his time in Paris and later in Tokyo. Untitled (SFF.535) (1969-70, Acrylic on canvas, Est.: $250,000-350,000) demonstrates a command of the medium, as well as the negative space on the canvas. Francis was precise and methodical in his work, and this piece highlights his awareness of the relationship between color and light.

“This auction has the most diverse works of vintage, contemporary art from local estates and collections that we have ever offered,” said Peter Loughrey, Founder and Director of Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA). “LAMA has grown over twenty-five years to include many original works that previously could only have been sold in New York. However, the Los Angeles market has matured over the last five years to support contemporary art at the highest level."

Alma Thomas, a preeminent African-American Expressionist, will be represented in the March 5, 2017 auction with Spring Flowers in Washington, D.C., (1969, Acrylic on canvas, Est.: $125,000-175,000) a rare and vibrant work. Spring Flowers in Washington, D.C. has been in the same family’s collection for nearly 50 years. Thomas was 75 years old before she showed her abstract work, but was the first African-American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum and the first female African-American artist chosen by the Obamas to be displayed in the White House.

"Alma Thomas' work has been overlooked for a generation and is now enjoying a much-deserved reevaluation,” Loughrey said. “Spring Flowers in Washington, D.C. alludes to the annual blooming of the cherry blossoms in the U.S. Capital but can also be seen as an emblem of renewal. In 1969, when this painting was created, Richard Nixon was newly inaugurated and the civil rights movement was just beginning to gain national acceptance. A nearly identical work has hung in the private residence of the White House for the last eight years which was acquired by The George B. Hartzog, Jr. White House Acquisition Trust.”

One of the most influential artists working today, Ed Ruscha, draws upon recognizable icons and images. Zip Rooster (1994, Acrylic on linen, Est.: $150,000-200,000), comes at an appropriate time as 2017 is the year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac. Lucky colors for this sign are brown, gold and yellow: the exact color palette of this featured work.

As proven leaders in California art and design, LAMA’s March 5, 2017 auction will include over 300 items representing West Coast and International artists and artisans including Sam Maloof, De Wain Valentine, Raymond Pettibon, Charles Arnoldi, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Mike Kelley.

The March 5, 2017 Modern Art & Design Auction will be conducted at the LAMA showroom: 16145 Hart Street, Van Nuys, CA 91406 and will start at 12 p.m. (PST). Auction Preview: February 20–March 4, 2017; open daily.