Bartlett, Basquiat, Jawlensky works to be auctioned at Clars

PanARMENIAN.Net - On May 20 & 21, 2017, Clars Auction Gallery will host a very important sale that will be highlighted by works from prominent Contemporary and American Post-War artists and property from major museums, collections and estates, NME reports.

Fine Art After the record breaking success of “Lifeboat” that sold for $296,500 in their November 2016 sale, Clars will be offering another monumental work by Contemporary, American realist painter, Bo Bartlett (American, b. 1955). Titled Damascus Road (1988), this work is estimated to achieve $125,000-$175,000. This 120 x 168 inch, oil on linen is a dark, mysterious scene featuring a bearded, young black man walking erratically on a remote highway as well as a mother desperately trying to leave with her young son while all are facing an ominous, armed figure in uniform. As Catherine Liu wrote in her review of this painting from his solo PPOW show in New York for ARTFORUM in March 1989, “The black man would seem to represent Paul at the point of his conversion, but his role here seems ambiguous. Bartlett uses the vocabulary of figurative painting to represent the state of the body in the aftermath of a disaster; he quotes freely from Velazquez and Delacroix. The violence and horror in Bartlett’s painting is implicit, embedded in a narrative. Whereas Delacroix tried to create an art engaged with the revolutionary turbulence of his times.” A must have for Bartlett collectors, this painting from nearly 30 years ago, is still considered à propos today.

Clars also will present several significant works by American Post-War and Contemporary artists. The major highlight of this portion of the sale will be Untitled (Arto Lindsay), by Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988). This oil stick on paper measures 14”h x 11”w, and is accompanied by the Certificate of Authenticity from the Authentication Committee of the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat (dated April 23rd, 1999).

Jean-Michel Basquiat created, Untitled (Arto Lindsay) in 1982, the same year he began to gain traction in the art world. In March of 1982, Basquiat held his first one-man show in New York City at the Annina Nosei Gallery in SoHo. The exhibition was a huge success, leading to another solo show in April at Larry Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles. By the fall of 1982, Basquiat’s relationship with dealer Annina Nosei took a nose-dive, and the artist went to work in his Crosby Street lower-east-side studio. During this time, Basquiat is quoted as saying, “I had some money, I made the best paintings ever. I was completely reclusive, worked a lot, took a lot of drugs. I was awful to people.” Basquiat produced some of his greatest works in the Crosby studio, which were shown later that year at the Fun Gallery in New York City. These works were dubbed by Nicolas Moufarrege to be “his best show yet. He was at home; the hanging was perfect, the paintings more authentic than ever.”

The subject depicted in this work is the musician Arthur Morgan Lindsay (Arto). Lindsay was part of the No Wave music group called DNA (1978-1982). DNA was featured in the film Downtown 81 (1981), which features Jean-Michel Basquiat running into the band and Arto while on a quest to sell his artwork. It is not clear whether Untitled (Arto Lindsay) was ever shown in a gallery exhibition, or if it was given as a present at some point to the musician by Basquiat. It is known however, that this work was created during one of the most creative periods in Basquiat’s career, and its depiction of another fixture of New York City’s art scene of the early 1980’s will certainly pique collectors’ attention. The work has been in private hands since 2001 and will be offered to high anticipation in the Important May 21st sale with an estimate of $70,000-$100,000.

Early 20th century European art will be well represented as well with a lovely oil on paper (laid down on panel) by Lovis Corinth (German, 1858-1925) titled, Heuwagen (Haywagon), 1919. To be offered for $80,000-$120,000, this work comes from the estate of the renowned late San Francsico Bay area antiques dealer, Thomas Livingston.

An important highlight in this category will be the charming oil on paper titled, Study -Portrait of a Woman (circa 1912), by Expressionist painter, Alexej Jawlensky (Russian, 1864-1941) which is also estimated at $80,000-$120,000. This work comes from the Estate of Northern California art dealers, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pyle (Morro Bay/San Francisco). Mr. Pyle’s wife, Lea, was a Russian Jewish immigrant living in Paris in 1939 who left for the US just prior to the occupation travelling with many exceptional paintings, this being one of them.

Another exceptional, and rare, Russian painting to be offered is Ivan Shishkin’s (Russian, 1832-1898), “Wooded Clearing,” to be offered at $50,000-70,000.

A larger than life metal sculpture by Sophie Dickens (British, b. 1966) titled, “Minotaur,” will be offered at $20,000-40,000. This 7 foot sculpture from Greek Mythology is from the Estate of Thomas J. Perkins and once stood in both Mr. Perkins’ Millenium Towers penthouse in San Francisco, as well as on his yacht, The Maltese Falcon.

One of the most important global collections of 19th century China Trade paintings from the Estate of Thomas Williamson (Orinda, California) will also be offered. Many of these works were originally purchased from Berry-Hill Galleries (New York, NY) and Martyn Gregory (London, UK). Two of the highlights in this collection are paintings of the American clipper ship, Hurricane (circa 1855), attributed to the artist Namcheong (Chinese 1840-1870). Both carry an estimate of $12,000-18,000. Built in 1851, “Hurricane” made many voyages to Hong Kong, Singapore, and India to and from San Francisco. In the 18th and 19th centuries, tea was in great demand from the Orient this kept European and America ships sailing there regularly.

Another important China Trade painting from this collection is Hong Kong Harbor (circa 1855), estimated at $8,000-$12,000. Hong Kong in the mid-19th century was virtually a barren an unpopulated island. The great commercial and strategic significance of this deep, sheltered harbor (possessing both East and West entrances and lying on the main trade route to China) was vitally important for global trade. These are just a few works of the works to be offered from this rare collection on May 21st.