Phillips Announces Highlights from
the April Design Auction in London
Sale on 26 April to be Led by Modern Masters of Italian and French Design
LONDON – 28 March 2018 – Phillips is pleased to offer works by the most respected designers from the past century, including Alberto Giacometti, Diego Giacometti, François-Xavier Lalanne, Jean-Michel Frank, Gio Ponti and Wendell Castle, among others in its first Design auction of 2018. A group of works by Ettore Sottsass are included in the sale, as well as ceramics by Hans Coper and Lucie Rie. Comprised of 171 lots, Important Design will take place on 26 April at Phillips London. As part of a unique collaborative project between Phillips and ARTinD, eight leading international architects have designed a silk carpet, taking inspiration from the Golden Section. The eight unique carpets will be exhibited during the Important Design preview, and sold online between 19 – 29 April.
A strong feature in the sale is a group of 16 works by Ettore Sottsass, who has lately garnered a great deal of attention, especially following the recent exhibition at the Met Breuer. Among the highlights are works in ceramic, including a Totem, no. 18, 1966, standing at two meters in height (illustrated above). Also included is a writing desk, his Nefertiti from 1968-1969, and Composizione di elementi di legno colorato e specchio, 1959 (illustrated above). The wall piece, or mirror, is of particular relevance, referencing in its choice of composition his metal sculptures of the 1950’s. This particular language remained part of his lexicon throughout his career and can be found in works designed some 50 years later. To coincide with PAD, several of these works are travelling to Paris to go on display at Phillips’ Paris gallery on 46 Rue du Bac from 4 – 6 April.
Building on the success of American crafts in New York in December, Important Design brings together a celebration of the woodworking skills of the American East Coast, with highlights by Wendell Castle and Judy Kensley Mckie. Trained as a sculptor, Castle shifted his attention to furniture in 1963 whilst working on a stool originally conceived as a sculpture. As he often described when discussing his creative approach, Castle did not dissociate with either the role of designer and sculptor, as both aspects equally pertained in his work. Castle considered stack-laminated wood was as 'the foundation of [his] art', abandoning the direct carving of a single timber for a less limiting creative process. The sofa offered here, made about a decade into Castle’s investigations into the potential of stack lamination, is an excellent example of the style that helped define his career (illustrated below left). Where Wendell Castle began his career as a sculptor, Judy Kensley Mckie started as a painter. McKie is, above all, a creator of unforgettable images and her work strays far afield from the traditional preoccupations of furniture. Her designs are distinguished by their brilliant volumetric draftsmanship and the sheer wit of their conception. Leopard Couch (illustrated below right) ranks among McKie’s most compelling conceptions. It is a very early example of her signature style and brings to the fore her real genius as a designer – her inexhaustible imagination.
In a unique collaborative project between Phillips and ARTinD, eight international architects have designed a silk carpet as part of a project that explores the blurring traditional domains between art, craft and design. Ben Van Berkel, Peter Eisenman, Norman Foster, Sou Fujimoto, Thom Mayne, Alessandro Mendini, Piero and Nathalie Sartogo, and Peter Zumthor have all drawn inspiration from the Golden Section, in order to create a unique carpet. The sale of the eight resulting carpets will be hosted online (19 – 29 April), whilst being exhibited at 30 Berkeley Square over Phillips public sale preview.
Auction: Thursday, 26 April 2018, 2pm BST
Auction viewing: 19 - 26 April
Location: 30 Berkeley Square, London
Click here for more information.
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Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of 20th Century and Contemporary 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. In addition to providing selling and buying opportunities through auction, Phillips brokers private sales and offers assistance with appraisals, valuations, and other financial services.
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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.
PRESS CONTACTS:
LONDON - Katie Carder, Head of Press, Europe kcarder@phillips.com +44 20 7901 7938