Harry Bertoia, Bush (c. 1975), est. $100,000-150,000.
Regarded as the industry’s leading West Coast-based auction house, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, the premier auction house on the West Coast for Modern and Contemporary Art & Design, today announced an impressive selection of recently discovered works from original collections in Los Angeles estates for its March 5, 2017 Modern Art & Design Auction.
“Like ‘farm to table,’ LAMA has built a reputation for digging up fresh, vintage, contemporary art and design from local estates and offering them directly to collectors,” states Peter Loughrey, Director of Modern Design & Fine Art at LAMA. “This sale is our best harvest yet with diverse offerings in many price ranges.”
The curated auction will feature works from some of the most influential artists and designers of the 20th Century with a strong core by American artists. The top lots of the auction demonstrate the rich history of Los Angeles collectors during the 20th century. The auction will include a series of works by Sam Francis, all from a single estate. In addition, Zip Rooster, an acrylic on raw linen by Ed Ruscha will be offered as an appropriate feature during the year of the Rooster in the Chinese Zodiac which started January 28, 2017. Rounding out the top lots are a significant drawing by Keith Haring, Untitled #3, as well as an intimate painting from highly coveted artist Alma Thomas, Spring Flowers in Washington D.C. All of the top lots are being offered on the resale market for the first time and serve as a window into Southern California collections and estates.
Works by Chris Burden and Jenny Holzer, each from local collections, will add another dimension to the sale with thought provoking images and text. Lorser Feitelson, Peter Halley, and Peter Alexander will all be represented in the auction, with newly offered works from the estates and collections of the original purchasers.
Sam Francis’ Untitled (SF 53-101) (1953-1954) and Untitled (SFF.535) (1969-1970) will go to auction for the first time, and have been in the same Los Angeles collection since acquisition from the artist. The varied works by Francis in this sale show his range, as they span many years in which his influences shifted and expanded as he traveled the world.
Untitled #3 (1988) by Keith Haring was created for a solo exhibition for Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles, just two years before the artist’s death. The black and white work features an unbroken line of ink creating a tree of figures, surrounded by Haring’s characteristic frenzied lines depicting movement and motion. LAMA is representing this work for the original owner of the piece who purchased it at the 1988 exhibition.
This sale also features five sculptural works by Harry Bertoia, one of the most prolific artists to emerge from the post-war era. The feature sculpture, Bush, is a bronze work from c. 1975 which demonstrates Bertoia’s mastery of a difficult medium as the piece captures the intricate and delicate natural world. This example has not traded hands since the seller acquired it directly from the artist in 1975.
Two important American craftsmen, George Nakashima and Sam Maloof, are also prominently featured in the sale. A bespoke, Rosewood desk and a Rosewood dining table by Maloof, as well as a sliding door, room divider by George Nakashima are just three of the several design lots to be offered this March from the homes of the original owners.
Additionally, a portion of the March 5, 2017 Modern Art & Design auction is being offered to benefit the Palm Springs Art Museum. An impressive painting by contemporary artist Rob Pruitt titled Death Valley, two iconic bronze sculptures by Robert Graham, and an important painting by Jean-Paul Riopelle will be offered on behalf of the Museum. The proceeds raised from this portion of the auction will benefit the acquisition and exhibition programs for the Palm Springs Art Museum.
The auction will be comprised of over 400 lots of fine art and design. LAMA continues to focus on and work with regional estates to find new, fresh material for an ever-growing art market. The March 5, 2017 Modern Art & Design Auction highlights LAMA’s ability and strength to find treasures previously unseen on the secondary market.
“Like ‘farm to table,’ LAMA has built a reputation for digging up fresh, vintage, contemporary art and design from local estates and offering them directly to collectors,” states Peter Loughrey, Director of Modern Design & Fine Art at LAMA. “This sale is our best harvest yet with diverse offerings in many price ranges.”
The curated auction will feature works from some of the most influential artists and designers of the 20th Century with a strong core by American artists. The top lots of the auction demonstrate the rich history of Los Angeles collectors during the 20th century. The auction will include a series of works by Sam Francis, all from a single estate. In addition, Zip Rooster, an acrylic on raw linen by Ed Ruscha will be offered as an appropriate feature during the year of the Rooster in the Chinese Zodiac which started January 28, 2017. Rounding out the top lots are a significant drawing by Keith Haring, Untitled #3, as well as an intimate painting from highly coveted artist Alma Thomas, Spring Flowers in Washington D.C. All of the top lots are being offered on the resale market for the first time and serve as a window into Southern California collections and estates.
Works by Chris Burden and Jenny Holzer, each from local collections, will add another dimension to the sale with thought provoking images and text. Lorser Feitelson, Peter Halley, and Peter Alexander will all be represented in the auction, with newly offered works from the estates and collections of the original purchasers.
Sam Francis’ Untitled (SF 53-101) (1953-1954) and Untitled (SFF.535) (1969-1970) will go to auction for the first time, and have been in the same Los Angeles collection since acquisition from the artist. The varied works by Francis in this sale show his range, as they span many years in which his influences shifted and expanded as he traveled the world.
Untitled #3 (1988) by Keith Haring was created for a solo exhibition for Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles, just two years before the artist’s death. The black and white work features an unbroken line of ink creating a tree of figures, surrounded by Haring’s characteristic frenzied lines depicting movement and motion. LAMA is representing this work for the original owner of the piece who purchased it at the 1988 exhibition.
This sale also features five sculptural works by Harry Bertoia, one of the most prolific artists to emerge from the post-war era. The feature sculpture, Bush, is a bronze work from c. 1975 which demonstrates Bertoia’s mastery of a difficult medium as the piece captures the intricate and delicate natural world. This example has not traded hands since the seller acquired it directly from the artist in 1975.
Two important American craftsmen, George Nakashima and Sam Maloof, are also prominently featured in the sale. A bespoke, Rosewood desk and a Rosewood dining table by Maloof, as well as a sliding door, room divider by George Nakashima are just three of the several design lots to be offered this March from the homes of the original owners.
Additionally, a portion of the March 5, 2017 Modern Art & Design auction is being offered to benefit the Palm Springs Art Museum. An impressive painting by contemporary artist Rob Pruitt titled Death Valley, two iconic bronze sculptures by Robert Graham, and an important painting by Jean-Paul Riopelle will be offered on behalf of the Museum. The proceeds raised from this portion of the auction will benefit the acquisition and exhibition programs for the Palm Springs Art Museum.
The auction will be comprised of over 400 lots of fine art and design. LAMA continues to focus on and work with regional estates to find new, fresh material for an ever-growing art market. The March 5, 2017 Modern Art & Design Auction highlights LAMA’s ability and strength to find treasures previously unseen on the secondary market.
