Art Market Monitor

Global Coverage ~ Unique Analysis

  • AMMpro
  • AMM Fantasy Collecting Game
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

A View from the Contemporary Market: Kathryn Widing

March 13, 2019 by Marion Maneker

Mary Bauermeister, Neither-Or ($25-35k) $85k; Kathryn Widing

Kathryn Widing, Head of Sale, Midseason & Online Sales, Post-War and Contemporary Art spoke to us about her $20.9m sale in New York.

You put two works by Mary Bauermeister at the front of the sale and they did well. What was the story behind that strategy? 

I have always admired Mary Bauermeister’s work — she has a wholly unique style that is difficult to categorize or label. I have been consistently surprised by the gap between her primary and secondary prices on the market, and sought to close that gap. The placement of these two works at the beginning of the sale was a two-pronged approach; it was an educational placement as we introduced many clients to her work who were not previously familiar with her output, and it was a strategic placement as the works were estimated conservatively to generate competitive bidding and achieve standout results.

Jean-Paul Riopelle’s Rondo No. 10 did very well. Riopelle’s works have sold very well in Canada for several years. He was once considered a global Contemporary artist (as opposed to a Canadian one) Is your sale a reflection of his emerging from the national category? ​

Riopelle certainly deserves to be considered as a global contemporary artist. We have consistently sold his works very well in Paris and London, in addition to New York. The example in our sale was a true gem as it was in very good condition for its age as a 50s painting, and the intensely layered, punchy and colorful surface of the painting was one of the best we have seen. The estimate was also extremely conservative for works from this period. These factors fused together to create a successful result.

Beauford Delaney’s Abstraction Number 4 doubled the estimates. Is this a harbinger of interest in late Delaney abstract works? Delaney too has been sold mostly in African American art sales in recent years. Is his emergence a parallel to Sam Gilliam and thus driven by his abstract works? ​

We are in an opportunity-driven art market. Delaney’s works have long been undervalued, and clients responded to this realization in the sale. I strongly believe in Delaney as an artist and in his market, which is underscored by the work’s placement towards the front of the sale. I was glad to see this successful result, and believe that his works will continue to achieve high prices going forward, both abstract and figurative, with exposure internationally.

Can you tell us a little about the difference between the two Warhol flower paintings. Were the prices a function of the difference in size? ​

Certainly. Warhol Flowers are estimated depending on size using recent comparables, as well as by their color palettes (a green background is preferred to a white background, as an example). Warhol was quite prolific in producing the Flowers, as he often gave them out to friends and family as Christmas gifts.

A Tom Otterness bear similar to the Barney Ebsworth’s sold well? Is that the explanation? 

​Otterness’ bear sculptures have always performed well — both Melva Bucksbaum’s medium scale example and Barney Ebsworth’s large scale example performed extremely well against their pre-sale estimates. The bear’s saddened expression is infectiously endearing — everyone who sees the work smiles. It is that attraction that results in competitive bidding for these works, and these results are outliers from the general market for Otterness.

More from Art Market Monitor

  • Will They Buy Online?Will They Buy Online?
  • It's Nigeria NextIt's Nigeria Next
  • Is This Thomas Kinkade’s Fate as an Artist?Is This Thomas Kinkade’s Fate as an Artist?
  • Sotheby's Sparkles in Paris = €60mSotheby's Sparkles in Paris = €60m
  • No Nostalgia for BaryshnikovNo Nostalgia for Baryshnikov
  • Ai Weiwei at the TateAi Weiwei at the Tate

Filed Under: General, Micro-markets

About Marion Maneker

Want to get Art Market Monitor‘s posts sent to you in our email? Sign up below by clicking on the Subscribe button.

Top Posts

  • After Pandemic’s Rapid Change, Sotheby’s Has 8 Predictions for 2021
  • Keith Haring’s 1989 Retrospect Comes to Sotheby’s London Prints Sale
  • A Season of Improvisation: Fall 2020 New York Modern and Contemporary Art Auction Analysis
  • Tony Podesta's Secret Art Buying
  • Four of Picasso's Women Valued at $28m Come to Christie's from Rose-Walters Collection
  • Norman Rockwell's Not Gay. But Is He a Great Artist?
  • Roy Lichtenstein’s Top Ten Auction Prices
  • How to Chant Like an Auctioneer
  • Basquiat's Last Girlfriend
  • Christie's Announces $70m Picasso Self Portrait
  • About Us/ Contact
  • Podcast
  • AMMpro
  • Newsletter
  • FAQ

twitterfacebooksoundcloud
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
California Privacy Rights
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Advertise on Art Market Monitor