THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

Although artist Moisio Walfred died in 2001, his work has stood the test of time. Known for photographing cultural events of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s this photograph is no exception. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been an American tradition for decades and this 1930s photgraph captures the spirit and emotions of this special day.
The photograph will be auctioned on December 3, 2009. Details below.

Artist: Moisio Walfred
Bio: View biography on artnet
Title: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Style: Contemporary (ca. 1945-present)
Medium: Photographs, Silver print
Year: ie. circa 1930
Size: height - 11 in, width - 14 in, depth - 0 in
Markings: stamped, on verso, 2005 #3 edition of 6. Image printed from original negative.
Estimate: from $900 to $1,200
BID HERE-AUCTION WILL BE HELD ON DECEMBER 3, 2009 AT 1:00 P.M.

LOUISVILLE EVENTS FOR 11-19 & 11-20

When you are operating a small art gallery or a small museum it is difficult to get the public's attention. Below are two worthy events taking place over the next two days in Louisville. Both events are free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19, 2009

Lincoln: Presidency in Pictures

Get a good look at these historic images and then prepare to bid. Starting on Dec. 6 a duplicate of one of the works from the exhibit will be auctioned off in a silent auction.

Opening Reception: Thursday, Nov. 20 5:30-7:30

Illustrations from Harper’s Weekly & Frank Leslie’s, 1860—1865

November 19, 2009 — February 28, 2010

at the Portland Museum Albert Comstock Gallery

The Portland Museum

2308 Portland Avenue

Louisville, KY 40212

(502) 776-7678

MAPQUEST OF THE MUSEUM FOUND HERE

FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 2009

ILLUMINATIONS: TERESA WALLER

Waller is a local artist working in southern Indiana. While the official subject of many of the works are the leaves she depicts, the real subject matter is the way that light penetrates and changes the surface of every object it touches. Even the nudes appear to glow from within.

The opening will be Friday, November 20 from 6pm-8pm. If you work downtown stop by after work for free wine and cheese...who knows, you might just go home with something.

Gallery at the Brown

The Brown Hotel

335 West Broadway

Louisville, KY 40202

502-583-1234 x 7174

MAPQUEST OF THE GALLERY HERE

NOVEMBER 2009 ART AUCTION MARKET

Jean-Michel Basquiat Brother Sausage, 1983, estimated $9 mil-$12 mil, Unsold, Christie’s New York, Nov. 10, 2009

LARGE AUCTION HOUSES

There has been some confusion about the art market. Is it up or is it down? The answer is it is up from a recent low point in the Fall of 2008 but it is still down from a high point in May of 2008. Overall, the market has been down since its highest point. However, the Fall of 2009 has brought some reason to celebrate.

September 15, 2008 was the day Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and the day the western markets began to plummet in earnest. That date is also a good marker for the day the art market began to change course. Although Christie's had a record sale of $362 million just four months before, the Fall of 2008 could only be described as dismal. Potential sellers that were able to hold onto their works did so.

Andy Warhol200 One Dollar Bills 1962, Estimate $8,000,000—$12,000,000,sold $43,762,500, Sotheby’s New YorkNov. 11, 2009

But if Fall 2008 made art lovers think the market was doomed, then the Fall of 2009 should give them hope. On November 11, 2009 Sotheby's sold 52 of 54 lots which brought in $134,438,000 plus premium. The most exciting lot of the evening was Andy Warhol's 200 One Dollar Bills from 1962. That lot opened at $6 million and then jumped by $1 million bids until the hammer came down at $39 million ($43,762,500 with premium). Although pre-sale skeptics predicted the Warhol lot would 'make the sale' it was, in fact, not the only exciting lot. Alice Neel's work, Jackie Curtis and Rita Red helped set a new auction record high for the artist by selling for $1,650,500. Other new auction records set at that sale including Jean Dubuffet's Trinite-Champs-Elysees, 1961 ($6,130,500); Germaine Richier's , La Feuille bronze, 1948 ($842,500); and Juan Munoz's, Five Seated Figures, 1996 ($1,202,500).

This is not to say the the auction market has rebounded in full. While sales exceeding $134 million proves that the art market is moving up (Sotheby's May 2009 sale totaled just $125 million), it certainly does not come close to the high point in the market and estimates are still conservative. It is also important to note that there have been some disappointments in recent days as well. Just two days before the Sotheby's sale was Christie's Contemporary Art Sale on November 10. Connecticut horse farmer Peter Brant's painting entitled Brother Sausage (estimated $9,000,000-$12,000,000) by Jean-Michel Basquiat and his prized Andy Warhol painting entitled Tunafish Disaster (estimated $6,000,000-$8,000,000) both went unsold. Many in the artworld felt that Brant's desired price was too high while arnet.com said "Cynics may view the buy-ins differently, however, as a gambit to establish lower values for works that may become subject to a property settlement in a future divorce."

SMALLER AND SMALLER AUCTION HOUSES

YAYOI KUSAMA
Infinity Nets, 1991Acrylic on canvas. 36 x 23 3/4 in. (91.4 x 60.3 cm). Signed and dated "Yayoi Kusama [in English and Japanese] 1991" on the reverse. This work is accompanied by the Yayoi Kusama Studio artwork registration card.
ESTIMATE $35,000-45,000, SOLD at Philips De Pury on November 12, 2009 for $842,500

Phillips de Pury & Company Art Evening sale on November 12 was also successful selling 31 of the 40 lots offered for a total $7,099,250, within its pre-sale estimate of $5.7–8.1 million. With only five lots exceeding the $500,000 mark and not a single lot reaching $1 million, the overall result was a welcome figure. Just a year before Phillips de Pury had an unsold rate of 46 percent by lot and 51 percent by value.

An even smaller Auction house, Stevens Auction Co. in Aberdeen, Miss told Kovel's that their auction business is also doing well again.

THE ART OF ARNESON

Yin and Yang (1992-2002), Robert Arneson, Bronze with white patina, edition 2/3, The blogger's husband posing with the statue. The artist had a keen sense of humor and probably would have like the correlation between the real and the fake heads.

Robert Arneson was born in Benicia California in 1930. After a stint teaching in a California highschool, he became interested in ceramics. In 1958 Arneson received an MFA from Mills College and in 1962 he became a professor at the University of California Davis.

Looking at Arneson's work today one might suspect the artist had a keen sense of humor. What one might not suspect is that the way he used ceramics was, for the time, ground-breaking. Until that time, most ceramics artists created pieces which were purely functional (think teapots, bowls, and tiles). Arneson broke away from that tradition and started creating non-utilitarian pieces. Soon, he became associated with a group of California "Pop" artists who created what was known as "Funk art".

Arneson also became known for creating a series of self-portraits in a wide variety of mediums. Each work depicted the artist with a different identity. In this way, he associated himself with larger issues such as suffereing, life, and death. This is not to suggest that the artist was not controversial. Arneson created many works which challenged authority, poked fun at public figures, and questioned the art world itself.

Robert Arneson, Portrait of George (Moscone), 1981 (7'-10" x 29")

The most famous of these works is a depiction of the San Francisco mayor George Moscone. Arneson was commissioned to create the sculpture in 1981 for the Moscone Convention Center just a few short years after the popular politician's 1978 assassination. When the bust was revealed, much of the public was shocked by the five bloody bullet holes on the pedestal, the words "bang, bang, bang" and "Harvey Milk Too!" Eventually, the Arts Council decided not to use the bust and a private collector purchased it.

The Egghead series (photo at top of page) were among some of the artist's last works before he died. They were originally commissioned for the UC Davis campus. Today the Eggheads are an important part of life on the campus. In fact, the artist specifically requested that the University never limit or inhibit the student's playful interaction with his sculptures. Because the estate of the artist owns the originals, 'editions' of the same works can be seen in other public locations. Recently, when I was in San Francisco, I saw Yin and Yang on the Embarcadero. Pictured above with my husband posing next to them, these pieces are bronze with a white patina are number 2 in an edition of 3.

Today, Robert Arneson's pieces continually sell privately and at auction. Some recent auction figures can be found below. The pieces that demand the most money are those that are more representative of the artist's point of view. Generally, this means they are political or funny. The first piece listed below was completed in a more traditional style and sold for just $3,585. The other pieces have sold or are estimated to sell for higher values because they better represent what collectors are looking for when buying an Arneson piece.

Robert Arneson
Title
Self-portrait
Medium
bronze with blue green patina
Year of Work
1990
Size
Height 7.2 in.; Width 4.2 in.; Depth 3 in. / Height 18.3 cm.; Width 10.7 cm.; Depth 7.6 cm.
Found./Pub.
Walla Walla ed.
Misc.
Inscribed, Stamped
Sale of
Bonhams & Butterfields: Monday, November 19, 2007 [Lot 01604]Made in California
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 US$
Sold For
3,585 US$

(UPCOMING SALE)
Robert Arneson
Title
W.T.W. witness - William T. Wiley
Description
Robert Arneson (American, 1930-1992)W.T.W. Witness (William T. Wiley), 1980signed and dated 'Arneson 1980' (lower right)conte crayon, oil crayon, oil paste and oil stick on Reeves paper51 x 30in
Medium
conté crayon, oil crayon, oil paste and oil stick on Reeves paper
Year of Work
1980
Size
Height 51 in.; Width 30 in. / Height 129.5 cm.; Width 76.2 cm.
Misc.
Signed
Sale of
Bonhams & Butterfields Los Angeles: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 [Lot 02082]Made in California
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 US$
Provenance
Morgan Gallery, Shawnee Mission, Kansas (label on the reverse)Hansen Fuller Goldeen Gallery, San Francisco, California (label on the reverse)Property of a Southern California Collection

Robert Arneson
Title
A nuclear warhead
Medium
ceramic
Year of Work
1983
Size
Height 16.9 in.; Width 18.5 in.; Depth 9.1 in. / Height 42.9 cm.; Width 47 cm.; Depth 23.1 cm.
Misc.
Signed
Sale of
Bonhams & Butterfields: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 [Lot 01119]Made in California
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 US$
Sold For
32,400 US$

'AGE' DOES NOT EQUAL 'VALUE'

Circa 1895, Household Sewing Machine Company, in the collection of the Henry Ford Museum

As an appraiser of old things, I can say with authority that there are many misconceptions about how or why some items are valuable and some are not. Recently, I appraised an item for $3000 and the client swore to me he knew it was worth more. Even after I showed him the most recent sales figures for the same item (with photographs) he was not convinced. It is hard for most people to separate their emotions from their possessions. Common objections are “my mother left this to me and she told it me it was very valuable", “someone once offered me a lot of money for this item”, or “I saw the very same item in a museum and they wouldn’t own something that was not valuable.”

It was the third objection that the $3000 man used as his objection. In our consumer-driven society we often forget that museums do not collect just what is valuable. They also collect items that relate to their collection and to the mission of the museum. Just because an item has historical significance does not mean it has great monetary value. Supply and demand are still applicable in the art and antiques world.

A good example of this is the late 19th century sewing machine. The sewing machine was one of the first machines found in many American homes in the 19th century. At the time, the machines were made by the hundreds of thousands and the technology used to make them was state-of-the art. The sewing machine pictured above was made around 1895 by the Household Sewing Machine Company of Providence Rhode Island. I took a picture of it last month when I visited the Henry Ford Museum. The Ford Museum's mission is to showcase the "genius of the American people" as well as "to bring to life the stories of ordinary people."Thus, the sewing machine was chosen because it is an example of an innovation that helped spur the American economy and average American households forward. The machine was a revolution in technology for its time. Today, however, the market does not financially reflect the historical importance of the item. Sewing machines were made in such large quantities that there are still many that exist today and there are not a lot of modern uses for them. Thus, the prices remain relatively low. Below are some examples of recent auction figures.


FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

1. Household Sewing machine with trunk and cabinet sold at Skinner Auctions on Jan. 24, 2008 for $50

2. Singer Sewing Machine sold at Homestead Auctions, Feb 17, 2008 for $30
3. Singer Sewing Machine sold California Auctioneers, March 16, 2008 for $70

BEING HUMAN ON LABOR DAY

Made In China, Julie McNair

For the last eight weeks, I have been traveling more than usual to complete appraisal work throughout the country. In every city I visit, I try to carve out time at the end of the day or between flights to see an art exhibit or to experience a new museum. One of my favorite places in recent memorry has been Telluride, Colorado. Located in the southwest portion of the state, Telluride is an amazingly beautiful town with a rich history and a lovely art scene.

One day, during an early morning walk, I came face to face with the sculpture above and it immediately captured my attention. The sculpture entitled Made In America is one of the works featured in artist Julie McNair's latest exhibited, Being Human. The title, Being Human, suggests that the artist's intent is to capture what it is like to be human. But more than that, the artist is concerned with what it is like to be human in today's world. For instance Made in America is a depiction of a woman wearing the stars of the American Flag on her dress as she hides American Flag behind her back. Her facial expression is both proud and sad. Is this a comment on the decline in American manufacturing and its proud heritage or is it a comment about the American worker? Is the woman proud or ashamed of her country?

The answers are left to the viewer but the method of creation are readily apparent.
And thoses methods are both interesting and fully successful. Each sculpture has a different texture which is acheived throught the use of press molds, detailed by hand-painting, and then sealed with a post-fired patina. The texture and color help create a mood and personality for each figure. Today's viewer is more accustomed to viewing physically beautiful models as the subject. But McNair's subjects are not traditionally beautiful. Instead, they are interesting and flawed and this forces the viewer to focus on the artist's message or the particular issue she is exploring without wasting time on the beauty of the face or the body. McNair has said, “I start a piece with a specific idea, whether it’s a personal concern or more of a big picture dilemma. From that starting point I jump into the creative flow. The finished piece ends up embodying that energy.”

Julie McNair is a long time resident of Telluride, Colorado but she was not educated in the state. She received her undergraduate degree in sculpture from North Texas University and her M.F.A. in fine arts from the University of Wyoming. During her long arts career she has had varying jobs including grants writer, executive director of the Art League of Houston, Assistant Professor, and art gallery owner.

Being Human will be on display at the Ah Haa Gallery in Telluride, Colorado until September 24, 2009.

A GRAND DISPLAY

In recent years I have begun to notice commercial fixtures showing up in my client's homes. Most people are familiar with the commerical grade stoves and refrigerators in high end homes but recently I have noticed commercial display cases showcasing everything from jewelry to vintage toys to a man's tie collection.

The case above is an Arts and Crafts jewlry case with a trestle base. It is described as having 'key and tenon' contruction and a shoefoot base with brass caps. The finish is original. It sold at Treadway Gallery in Cincinnati in March of 2007 for $600.

The case below is a Lavico Men's Jewelry Display case. it is made of clear glass and oak with three inner shelves and a lower storage drawer. It will be sold on July 29, 2009 at Tom Harris Auctions in Marshalltown, IA. The estimate on this case is $200-$300. To bid on this auction click here.