20th Century and Contemporary Masters Lead Phillips’ Photographs Auction
Sale on 3 October to Include Exceptional Works by Man Ray,
Robert Frank, Helmut Newton, William Eggleston, and Christian Marclay
NEW YORK – 13 SEPTEMBER 2017 – On 3 October 2017, Phillips will host its fall Photographs auctions in New York. The various owners sale will bring together over 130 lots by 20th century and contemporary masters of the medium, including Man Ray, Robert Frank, Helmut Newton, William Eggleston, and Christian Marclay, among others, and will begin immediately following the conclusion of the 2pm session for The Odyssey of Collecting: Photographs from Joy of Giving Something Foundation.
Vanessa Hallett, Phillips’ Worldwide Head of Photographs and Deputy Chairman, Americas, said, “Our October Photographs auctions offer a strong selection of fresh-to-the-market images, providing an opportunity for collectors to pursue works spanning the history of the medium. Further, following the success of the April sale of The Odyssey of Collecting, we are also keen to share the next and final group of works from this important collection with the public.”
Photographs
2pm, Immediately following the conclusion of The Odyssey of Collecting
Featured on the catalogue cover is Christian Marclay’s unique print, Untitled (Luciano Pavarotti, Halo and Four Mix Tapes II), 2008. The subject of audio cassettes and their unfurling tape elevates this largely outdated recording method through the use of an equally historical photographic process – the cyanotype – a camera-less process widely associated with the 19th century. This combination of subject matter and process forms a conceptually rich and dynamic pairing that further mirrors Marclay’s expansive talents as a visual artist and composer. Unique cyanotypes by the artist are highly coveted, with other examples located in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Brooklyn Museum of Art; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Predating Christian Marclay’s unique cyanotype by nearly 90 years is Man Ray’s Rayograph, 1922, which leads the auction at an estimate of $250,000-350,000. Showcasing the artist’s then radical use of camera-less photography, his rayographs provided a foundation for contemporary experimentations with the medium, such as Marclay’s, that follow. This unique print is from Man Ray’s creatively active period in Paris, and is reflective of his early experimentations with the photogram technique, which stand at the forefront of Modernism. Also showing an exceptional experimentation with the medium of photography is Ray K. Metzker’s Blind Man’s Bluff, 1966. Estimated at $20,000-30,000 this composite is one of only five examples in existence, as the intended edition of 10 was never fully realized.
Additionally among the auction’s top lots is William Eggleston’s Untitled, 1971-1974. From the photographer’s 1970s series of acclaim, Los Alamos, this specific print is a contemporary reinterpretation of the original negative, printed in a stunning oversized format that further emphasizes Eggleston’s famed use of saturated color that is held in universal regard. In this print, the bold colors, shapes, and planes intersect and repeat, creating a Kandinsky-like Modernist composition, which was captured through Eggleston’s lens on the legendary roadway of the American highway.
Another oversized print, Helmut Newton’s distinctive, provocative, and daring Big Nude VII, Nancy La Scala, Monte-Carlo, 1990, is among the auction highlights and is expected to bring $200,000-300,000. Newton’s photographs of women, such as Nancy La Scala, marked a seismic shift in the representation of the female form in 20th century fashion photography and pushed forward the image of the modern woman: powerful, independent and free from all social conventions and restrictions. In similar fashion, Newton’s timeless Saddle I, Paris, 1976, which has remained in a single private collection since the 1970s, will be offered at $50,000-70,000. Both prints, in the formats on offer, are exceptionally rare-to-the-market.
Further, a suite of three iconic photographs from Robert Frank’s The Americans is included in the auction. In 1986, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, sought to acquire 27 prints from this important series for their permanent collection. To generate the funds needed for such a significant acquisition, The Met's Department of Photographs approached a small group of donors for assistance, who were later offered three prints from Robert Frank as a gift for their generous support. The three lots on offer – Trolley, New Orleans, 1955, Chicago-Political Rally, 1956, and US 285, New Mexico, 1956 (the latter two each estimated for $70,000-90,000) – come directly from one of the private collectors who helped to make this important museum acquisition possible.
Additional classic highlights include Lewis Wickes Hine’s iconic Mechanic at Steam Pump in Electric Power House, circa 1921, expected to bring $15,000-20,000; a charming portrait of Charis taken by Edward Weston in 1934, which is estimated for $20,000-30,000; and Ansel Adams’ complete Portfolio Four: What Majestic Word. In Memory of Russell Varian, priced at $50,000-70,000. Also included is a strong selection of photographs by Irving Penn which showcase his brilliance as a printmaker including a platinum palladium print of Butchers, Paris, 1950 from Small Trades and a vivid dye destruction print, Still Life with Triangle and Red Eraser, New York, January 23, 1985, estimated for $40,000-60,000 and $20,000-30,000, respectively. These works are all further balanced by additional contemporary material, including Thomas Struth’s Pergamon Museum IV, Berlin, 2001 at $100,000-150,000; Pieter Hugo’s Mummy Ahmadu and Mallam Mantari Lamal with Mainasara, Abuja, Nigeria, 2005, at $20,000-30,000; as well as works by Louise Lawler, Richard Pettibone, Christopher Williams, Vik Muniz, and others.
Photographs from the Collection of Jeffrey M. Kaplan, Washington D.C. | Lots 271-285
Sixteen works from the collection of Jeffrey M. Kaplan will also be included in the sale. Led by a life-long passion for the arts and culture, Mr. Kaplan has amassed an impressive collection that illustrates key moments and movements throughout the history of the photography. The photographs on offer include works by leaders in the field, thus demonstrating Kaplan’s deep knowledge and keen awareness of the medium. From Alfred Stieglitz, and his selections from Camera Work, to Ansel Adams and Berenice Abbott, the classic is balanced by the contemporary with an equally impressive selection of works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Alec Soth and Robert Polidori.
The Odyssey of Collecting: Photographs from Joy of Giving Something Foundation
10am & 2pm
At 10am, the sale day will begin with The Odyssey of Collecting: Photographs from Joy of Giving Something Foundation. Following the successful offering of works from the collection earlier this year, the fall sale will include 229 lots, spanning three centuries of photography. Assembled by JGS's founder Howard Stein, this sale presents rare and unique works by true masters of the medium, such as Eugène Atget, Edward Steichen, Imogen Cunningham, Robert Frank, and László Moholy-Nagy, among many others. For the full press release about this collection, please click here.
ABOUT PHILLIPS
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, Geneva, and Hong Kong, 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, and is committed to supporting contemporary arts and culture through a worldwide programme of Arts Partnerships.
Visit www.phillips.com for further information.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.
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