The results of the auction of post-war and Contemporary Art Christie's March 11
ARTinvestment.RU   13 марта 2009

Trades under the name First Open brought $ 3 million. The most expensive work was the painting by Tom Vesselmanna

March 11, at New York auctions were held on the works of postwar and contemporary art Christie's First Open. At the First Open auctions are sold mostly not very expensive works of famous artists. The total bid amounted to nearly 3 million dollars.

The largest amount has picture «Back to blue» (1998), American artist Tom Vesselmanna (Tom Wesselmann). She left for 146,5 thousand dollars when estimeyte 80-120 thousand. Vesselmann famous for their colorful paintings in the style of pop-art.

In the second place in the ranking of the most expensive lots - a work of Israeli artist Yaakov Agam (Yaacov Agam). Painting «New Landscape», estimated at 50-70 thousand dollars, was sold for 122.5 thousand. This work, written in 1976, looks like a modern computer graphics. Agam is one of the great masters of kinetic and optical art. The works of his are not very expensive: «The new landscape» won the second line in the list of his major achievements auction.

The third place took the lot, consisting of three figures, executed in 1981, the conceptual artist Robert Longo (Robert Longo). Works had 110 thousand dollars at estimeyte 40-60 thousand. Longo is the author of impressive works. For the foundation, it usually takes the photos from the media. Among other projects Longo - videos and movies. In the 1980's he created a video for such well-known groups like New Order and REM, and in 1995 was made as directed by the fantastic movie «Johnny-Mnemonic», which played a popular actor Keanu Reeves (Keanu Reeves), Dolf Lundgren ( Dolph Lundgren) and Takeshi Kitano (Takeshi Kitano).

At the auction were also interesting works by artists of Russian origin: Louise Nevelson (Louise Nevelson) , Arshila Gorky (Arshile Gorky) , Jules Olitski (Jules Olitski) . Sale of the Olitski (details of which can be found here ) was one of the major surprises auction. Paintings, entitled Total Trend (1966) lasted for 92.5 thousand dollars, with thousands of estimeyte 18-25. The painting belongs to the most characteristic and recognizable artist's creations: the colors on it organically pass one another. The artist has made of this effect is very original (for 1960) way: it is painted on canvas using an aerosol.

Wooden relief «Silence music I» (1974), another born in the Russian Empire, Louise Nevelson, has 74.5 thousand dollars, with preliminary estimates of 40-60 thousand. Unnamed surrealistic image of Mark Rothko, created in mid-1940's, went to 22.5 thousand, with thousands of estimeyte 12-18. A graphics Arshila Hills sold out within estimeyta: sketch for the painting at the Whitney Museum (ca. 1932), was sold for 35 thousand in the estimeyte 30-40 thousand nameless and gouache, which was written in the second half of the 1930's, yielded 25 thousand, with a preliminary assessment of 25-35 thousand.

estimeyta went in excess of many works, including works by Alexander Koldera (Alexander Calder) and Jean Dyubyuffe (Jean Dubuffet). At Koldera and Dyubyuffe now in great demand, remember the great sale of their creations at the February auction Sotheby's and Christie's . The little silver brooch Koldera created in the late 1940's, has 43.8 thousand dollars, with preliminary estimates of 15-20 thousand. Jewelry created Kolderom enjoyed great popularity - recently in New York's Metropolitan Museum was arranged exhibition devoted exclusively to them .

«Portrait of Jean-Paul» Dyubyuffe (1947), as Koldera brooch, estimated at 15-20 thousand, and left for 43,8 thousand. A collage «situation XXIV» (1978) with the same estimeyte was sold for 30 thousand. This work is very much like the works of some artists outsiders, and not without: it was the main promoter Dyubyuffe marginal art.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: christies.com , chelseaartgalleries.com , artinvestment.ru