LOS ANGELES, CA.- Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), the premier auction house for modern art and design on the West Coast, has announced the date of its Spring auction: Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 12pm (PST).

The May 21, 2017 auction will represent a wide range of modern and contemporary fine art and design including sculptures by George Rickey, Louise Nevelson, Jean Arp and Howard Ben Tré; paintings by Mary Corse, Alex Katz, and Paul Jenkins as well as three important works by Claire Falkenstein. Additionally, the auction will feature a strong representation of modern design with furniture by George Nakashima, KEM Weber, and Tejo Remy; and ceramics by Pablo Picasso, Gertrud & Otto Natzler, and a monumental work by Beatrice Wood.

“We are building upon the foundations we first created over two decades ago,” says Peter Loughrey, director of LAMA, “and that is presenting rare and remarkable works—fresh to the market, sourced from original owners—to both local and international buyers in the modern art world seeking quality material.”

The curated auction features art and design predominantly from local estates and collections. The large, kinetic sculptural work by George Rickey, Two Open Rectangles Diagonal Jointed Gyratory (1997), and an early painted ceramic work by Louise Nevelson, Untitled (c. 1945) each come from local collections. Both demonstrate the mastery of craft for which each artist was known and revered. The Rickey moves in a smooth, trance-like form juxtaposed by the industrial and mechanical materials. Known for her monochrome compositions, this early work by Nevelson was created just as she was establishing herself in the art world.

Peter Loughrey states: “I am thrilled to present both Nevelson and Rickey side by side, highlighting a special and abstruse connection these artists share. In the same year Nevelson created Untitled, Rickey was making his very first sculptural mobile. Despite very different outputs, both artists show an extraordinary interconnectedness: from humble familial beginnings—with each migrating across countries at the turn of the century, to shared backgrounds as WPA artists in the mid-to-late 1930s. I am elated not only to present two exceptional works, but also to provide a new perspective connecting two of the most distinctive American artists of the 20th century.”

The momentum surrounding Mary Corse will be further highlighted in the upcoming auction as Untitled (from White Light Band Series) (c. 1990) will be offered, less than one year after LAMA set the world auction record for the artist. Corse’s focus on the interaction between light and medium is evident in this work, which is composed of white acrylic paint and glass microspheres with varying lusters across the canvas.

Two sculptural works and one painting by Los Angeles-based artist Claire Falkenstein will also be offered in the May 21, 2017 auction. One fused glass and metal work, an early cubist ceramic, and an oil on canvas show a distinctive selection of Falkenstein’s vast practice. These very different works also act as a living evolution of her practice as influenced by her time in San Francisco, Paris and Los Angeles.

The design portion of the sale is highlighted by a Tejo Remy chest of drawers, You Can’t Lay Down Your Memory, in the contemporary designer’s signature style. Designed in 1991, this piece received international attention when it was exhibited at the 1993 Milan Furniture Fair, and has since become an icon of contemporary, conceptual design. A custom, sliding door cabinet by craftsman George Nakashima (executed 1960), and a KEM Weber ‘Airline chair’ will also be offered. Additional highlights by Gertrud & Otto Natzler will also be included as bowls and wind chimes made of Natzler ceramics will be offered in the Spring auction. Important and rare ceramics by Pablo Picasso and a monumental wall sculpture by Beatrice Wood round out the latest design offerings.

As proven leaders in modern and contemporary California art and design, LAMA’s May 21, 2017 auction will also feature works by Ed Ruscha, Ed Moses, Enrique Martinez Celaya, Guy Dill and Sam Francis.