Investments in works by Oscar Rabin. What to prefer?
ARTinvestment.RU   04 июня 2014

In the past three years, the highest price for a painting Rabin gave not foreign, and at the Moscow auctions

wow, that was like yesterday. In the early 2000-х in the Central house of artists on Krymsky Val painting Oscar Rabin sold in the range of about 6 thousand dollars. At foreign auctions of his paintings worth as much as a whole: in the range 3.5 to 8 thousand dollars on average — 5 thousand dollars.

Everything changed dramatically ten years ago, "cross" (1964) at London's Sotheby's in 2004, became a local sensation, and the auction record for paintings of Rabin set at 23.5 thousand dollars without Commission. It's only been three years — in 2007-м at the same Sotheby's painting "the Bath (Sniff Cologne "Moscow")" (1966) left for 280 thousand dollars. More precisely, even for 336 thousand dollars with the Commission. Coincidence? No. Because then, in 2008-м different picture, "the city and the moon (Socialist city)", bought for the same 280 thousand (337 thousand or premium). For six years: it was 5, and became 280. Here are rough estimations of the investment. What has become interesting?

And then there was a crisis. After 2009 the price of the sixties declined by 25-40 %. And that's nothing. Now-то we understand that it could be worse, given that over the previous five years prices have soared by almost 50 times. The transition from running to walking who-то benefited. Many evaluation criteria have been revised. Purchasing decisions began to be more balanced. Of course, the pace of growth and price levels that they were before the crisis, today it would be better to forget —, it is time to turn the page. To appeal to the past is useless, and investment strategies necessary to build on Rabin including.

whether it Is worthwhile to invest in Rabin? Let's in the form of questions and answers take a look at what you need to pay attention.

the History of post-war non-art is not yet written. The role and importance of certain of its members may be reversed in our eyes. Probably what-то artists can fade into the background. Can this revision touch Rabin?

Oscar Rabin so strongly is a key place in the history of unofficial art that the risk of revising his role is relatively minimal. Active "those", a member of the most resonant exhibitions of unofficial art: in the club "Druzhba" Road Enthusiasts (1967), in a vacant lot in Belyaevo, inIzmailovsky Park and in the pavilion "beekeeping" at VDNH (all — 1974). The main organizer and the inspirer and the "bulldozer exhibition", and the subsequent allowed display in Izmailovo. With such merits to fall out of art history is almost impossible. And not by chance the work of Oscar Rabin illustrates the cover of one of the two volumes of the book "the Other art".

Which period in the work of Rabin is considered the most valuable from the point of view of collectors and promising for investments?

Doemigratsionny — to 1978, when Rabin was forced to leave the Soviet Union. Especially prized 1960-е years. Why "Lianozovo" is valued much higher "Paris", I think, is clear. Radically changed environment, life — soil, giving the scenes and the mood, — and with it energy Rabin's canvases. Of course, periodization is not a dogma. You should always look for specific things, because in later art was bursts. Especially when Rabin revisits the memories of the homeland. It is possible to find the late work of decent quality, which would be two — to three times cheaper than Lianozovsky.

does this Mean that all the work of Rabin, made in Paris, is futile in the investment plan?

No, not really. For investment potential, it is, of course, greatly inferior lianozovskiy things 1960-х. But at the same time and are cheaper by several times. Therefore, the chance to resell them in the future more expensive too. How can you do that? The Council is this: if we have to make a choice from the works created in France, it is necessary to give preference to neutral subjects. That is, no local cafe, cognac, bistro, and even more signs and texts in French. This is bad for liquidity and for investment. Russian collectors of French signs demand not.

Where is the bestbuy and sell Rabin: abroad or in Russia?

In France Rabin is a bit cheaper, all-таки for it is the domestic market. But dramatic cross-country gap no longer exists. About "sell"... you will be surprised, but in the last three years the highest prices for the work of Rabin was not given in London and Paris, and at the Moscow auctions. So, the most expensive thing of Rabin in the period 2012-2014 — is a canvas in 1961, sold to "Sovkome" for 70.3 thousand dollars in October 2012. In second place — "Composition newspaper" (1971), sold at Moscow auction VLADEY in March 2014, over 57 thousand dollars. In both cases, the prices we must add the Commission. In third place are the result of the French auction Ader, but then again, are our — "Scoop" Yes VLADEY. Think about it, should I look for now happiness beyond the seas, if Rabin and we have a good sale. Of course, if the prices are normal. We even make your auction feel. A couple of weeks ago, French, but good plot Rabin at Auction AI was willing to buy for 1 million rubles. Nearly 29 thousand dollars, that is, the price is even higher in Europe. In short, says a lot about that now for the purchase and sale of Rabin to seek foreign area make sense there: in the Russian conditions hardly better.

At auction exhibited quite a lot of pictures of Rabin. The artist is not in a deficit and still works. On the market there are even quite new things, 2010-х. Is there buy now or better not to hurry?

Over the past half year alone paintings Rabin was proposed more than twenty. And it's very good, it's a sign of the health of the market specific artist. So, blood runs well through your veins and you can't be the only buyer. Today, you can choose to buy for a still reasonable price the best — valuable work of the period, distinctive, strong. But how many of them things 1960-70-х years? @Ndashто it. This material is not infinite, in the domestic market he is already in short supply. Conclusion: do not hurry, it is necessary to choose carefully. But if you really had a good thing, then buy without delay. The more times of crisis discount ended.

What is the current pricing for the works of Rabin? What to invest in?

Probably we are in the early phase of growth, what is the number of direct and indirect evidence. In-первых, according to our statistics, over the past six months the General price index of creativity Oscar Rabin Artist's ARTIMX added 53 points (nominally $ 1000 in 6 months turned to 1053 dollars). The price index of painting grew even faster: conditional thousand dollars turned into 1182 the dollar. In-вторых, importantly, the interest in Rabin: in 2008-м huge retrospective atTG, 2010-м from two expositions in Paris, 2013-м a large exhibition in the Moscow Multimedia Art Museum. And more are planned. In addition, as we remember, in 2008 the price index of Rabin suffered a deep fall — about 30 %. At the price level we are today about the situation of the end of 2006 — the beginning of 2007. There is room to grow. The potential for restorative growth is far from exhausted.

in addition, investors supports the fact that paintings and drawings Rabin quoted in international auctions over the past quarter century. Was still the Soviet Union, there was no army of Russian collectors, there was no market as such, and Rabin already being sold in local European auctions. Treated as-то without us years of the eighties, and perhaps earlier. And bought it that important foreign collectors, and not just ours.

On the part of fakes Rabin does not belong to the risk group. Things with red indicators of investment risk there are, but rare. Also a plus for the investor.

with regard to investment potential, I would rank his work like this. In descending order of investment attractiveness: painting until 1978, then by a wide margin — a return to earlier themes in the later painting, and finally, neutral subjects after the emigration (French inscriptions). Separately, I would have seen the early graphics of Rabin. It is highly undervalued in all senses — as for artistic value, and price. Auction prices for original drawings 1960-х years range 2 500-3 300 dollars, best examples of graphs can cost 6 000-9 000 dollars. However, as often happens with graphics, this material still remains mostly a lot of connoisseurs, not included in the area of mass consumption.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Sources: oskarrabin.com, artinvestment.ru