AUCTION: 8 October 2015 11:00 am* and 2:00 pm
*Start time is approximate and will begin immediately following Innovators of Photography: A Private East Coast Collection which begins at 10:00 am.
VIEWING: 26 September – 7 October 2015
AUCTION LOCATION: Phillips, 450 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
MORE INFORMATION: http://phillips.com/auctions/auction/NY040215
NEW YORK– 21 September 2015 – Phillips is pleased to announce the 8 October Photographs auction featuring a strong selection of works by Richard Avedon, an extremely rare to the market still life by André Kertész, and notably, the largest collection of works by proto-Modernist Pierre Dubreuil to be offered at auction. Additionally, key works by Nobuyoshi Araki, Vik Muniz and Elger Esser, round out a solid contemporary selection, with the overall sale showcasing the best of both classic and contemporary photography.
Richard Avedon’s set of four portraits, The Beatles, London, August 11, 1967, will be offered at $300,000 – 500,000. Taken by Avedon in the same year the Fab Four released Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields the pictures were originally published in a 1968 issue of LOOK magazine as a special pull-out portfolio. The portraits are iconic in status and these specific prints, printed in 1988, are believed to be among the first sets of the Beatles printed in this format. Another quintessential portrait, Bubba Morrison, oil field worker, Albany, Texas, June 10, 1979 from his series In the American West will be offered with an estimate of $100,000 – 150,000. This celebrated body of work documents subjects Avedon selected during his travels across seventeen states from March 1979 to October 1984. The results of this commission included 17,000 negatives of 752 subjects, and this image was one of only 123 photographs selected for the final exhibition and monograph. In this oversize format, it is a rare offering on the secondary market.
Returning to Avedon’s roots in fashion photography are two striking works, Lauren Hutton, Great Exuma, the Bahamas, October, 1968 and Nastassja Kinski and the Serpent, Los Angeles, California, June 14, 1981, both estimated at $70,000 – 90,000. “Richard Avedon, more than any other photographer of his generation, viewed making photographs a performance on par with literature and drama.” Said Vanessa Hallett, Senior Director and Worldwide Head of Photographs. “We are delighted to offer some of Avedon’s most iconic images.”
André Kertész’s photograph Still Life with Mirror, Pens and Key, circa 1927 is on offer at $120,000 – 180,000. This early print highlights his strength as a Modernist and creates a poised and contemplative still life that rivals other iconic images in his oeuvre. Robert Frank’s Trolley, New Orleans, 1955, a picture synonymous with Frank’s historic photographic documentation The Americans and the cover image for the 1959 Grove Press edition of the landmark book detailing his 1955-1956 journey across the United States, is estimated at $120,000 – 180,000.
Contemporary highlights include Nobuyoshi Araki’s From Close to Range, 1991 ($80,000 – 120,000); Elger Esser’s Doubt Frankreich, 1999 ($50,000 – 70,000); and Vik Muniz’s Dora Maar Seated, after Picasso from his series Pictures of Pigment, 2007 ($70,000 – 90,000). The image, comprised of pigment, recreates Picasso’s iconic portrait of photographer and his muse, Dora Maar, and exemplifies Muniz’ contemporary interpretation of classic works of art.
Additionally, seven important lots will be offered by Pierre Dubreuil whose photographs are being re-considered as some of the most interesting proto-Modernist and Modernist work created in the first three decades of the 20th Century. The offerings include: A complete set of the artist’s known diapositives, 1901-1930 ($80,000 – 120,000), A complete set of the artist’s known stereographs, 1900-1914 ($30,000 – 50,000), and three oil prints such as The Play of Life (Self-portrait), circa 1930 ($80,000 – 120,000). As the vast majority of the photographer’s work was destroyed during World War II, this offering is not only rare, but also represents the most complete grouping of Dubreuil’s stereographs and diapositives that are known to be in existence.
The Photographs auction will take place immediately following Innovators of Photography: A Private East Coast Collection on 8 October 2015 at Phillips’ 450 Park Avenue location. A pre-sale viewing will run for both sales from 26 September – 7 October.
Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st Century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewelry, Phillips offers professional services and advice on all aspects of collecting. Auctions and exhibitions are held at salerooms in New York, London and Geneva, while clients are further served through representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. Phillips also offers an online auction platform accessible anywhere in the world.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.
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