Shortlist 5 - Christie’s First Open Online (NYC)
(Chris Martin, Roy De Forest, Angel Otero, Katherine Bernhardt)
Chris Martin (B. 1954)
Staring Into The Sun (2003-2006)
Oil, paper collage and staples on canvas
79 x 86 inches
Signed and dated on lower right and on reverse
Estimate: $12,000 to $18,000
My Recommendation: Bid up to $22,000
Result: $14,000 (hammer)
Interested in Chris Martin?
Artist Profile
Martin, 66, has an extremely diverse painting practice that can be primal, hermetic, vibrant and meditative, often simultaneously. Classified as Casualist, his work features bright colors and compositions that often originate from a simple doodle. Martin regularly includes non-traditional objects such as glitter, tinfoil and newspaper in his paintings, giving them a homemade feel. He has a degree in art therapy and practiced for 15 years in the 90s and 2000s, which may be the reason why his paintings have a soothing and almost, totemic quality.
My Take
With representation at two excellent galleries (Anton Kern in NYC and David Kordansky in LA) who have track records for taking emerging artists to the next level, Martin is primed to have his prices catch up to his level of recognition as an influential painter. He’s not young, but his work has been and still is fresh in the eyes of collectors and younger artists alike. At auction, his works have sold for as high as $37,000, and are selling for up to $75,000 at his galleries for the largest works. In the next decade, I expect to see Martin’s market consolidate and his prices steadily climb.
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Roy De Forest (1930-2007)
The Wolf Man (1982)
Acrylic on linen in artist’s painted frame
74 ¾ x 87 7/8 inches
Signed, titled and dated on reverse
Estimate: $30,000 to $50,000
My recommendation: Bid up to $45,000
Result: $35,000 (hammer)
Interested in Roy De Forest?
Artist Profile
Roy De Forest’s densely populated canvases are an explosion of imagery and color. He “drew inspiration from Post-Impressionism (ie.Van Gogh), Fauvism (Matisse, Derain), Surrealism (Dali, Magritte), Dada (Duchamp, Ernst), Expressionism (Kirchner) and the Aboriginal dreamtime artists of Australia” (Roberta Smith, NYTimes). Dogs, horses, and other animals are often the protagonists of his paintings, staring back as your eye moves over the many patterns and painterly techniques in his work. He was part of a Bay area group of artists that emerged in the 1950s, including Peter Saul, Joan Brown, H.C. Westermann, William T Wiley amongst others, who rejected the pillars of abstract expressionism, but used many of their techniques in a more playful and image heavy practice.
My Take
De Forest garnered more attention in his lifetime, especially during the 70s and 80s (1975 Whitney solo show), then he has in the past 20 years, but that is beginning to change. His raw painting ability remains fresh in today’s art world and uptown NYC gallery Venus Over Manhattan is shining some much needed light on his work and legacy. A painting such as this would be priced at $100,000 to $125,000 at that gallery, so to buy this work even at the high end of the auction house range, is an excellent opportunity. In my opinion, De Forest is just 1 or two key moments away (a show at another high profile gallery or 1 or 2 key collectors entering his market) from having his prices jump to the next level.
New York Times, review by Roberta Smith is worth a read.
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Angel Otero (B. 1981)
Sour Diesel (2011)
Oil and oilskin collage on canvas
38 x 25 ½ inches
Signed, titled and dated on reverse
Estimate: $10,000 to $15,000
My Recommendation: Bid to $18,000
Result: $10,000 (hammer)
Interested in Angel Otero?
Artist Profile
Born in San Juan, painter and sculptor, Angel Otero makes bold paintings by applying thick layers of oil paint and dried out sheets of oil paint, called “oil paint skins” to his canvases. He applies paint to glass, then scraps it off when it partially dry, and then re-applies these malleable “skins” onto his canvas. This creates a layered and textured surface that has become his signature style, which the above painting is a striking example of. He cites Poussin, de Kooning, Picasso as his main influences, as well as Baroque Spanish painting.
My Take
Not yet 40 years old, Otero has a been a fast-rising star of the art scene, and is represented at 3 excellent US galleries: Lehmann Maupin (NY), Kavi Gupta (Chi), and Susanne Vielmetter (LA). His work has sold regularly at auction above $70,000 and on the primary market (aka, at his galleries). This smallish painting should sell a little above this estimate range, which has been the recent trend for Otero. I still believe in his signature look and process, and being so young, his career and market have a long upward trend ahead. Get on board.
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Katherine Bernhardt (B. 1975)
Stay Out of Trouble 2 (2005)
Acrylic on board
15 ¾ x 11 ¾
Signed, titled and dated on reverse
Estimate: $4,000 to $6,000
My Recommendation: Bid up $8,000
Result: $5,500 (hammer)
Interested in Katherine Bernhardt?
Artist Profile
For the past 15 years, Bernhardt has developed a style that I call Sloppy-Pop (patent pending), in which she depicts models, commercial products, everyday items, Moroccan rugs, the Pink Panther, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, the Kool-Aid man, Garfield, and fetishized objects such as cigarettes, watermelons, palm trees, hamburgers, and many more. Bernhardt paintings are quickly executed and relay the joy of image and mark making. Many of her canvases have an all-over type composition with objects arranged in a seemingly playful, yet structured way that gives the work exceptional balance. Her art is playful, colorful, and relevant. In the above lot, the artist is commenting on our conception of beauty in fashion.
My Take
Bernhardt creates works quickly, is prolific, and sells at various galleries throughout the world. She is represented by leading contemporary galleries: Canada in NYC, Xavier Hufkens (Belgium), and Nanzuka (Japan) and has had shows at other prestigious galleries including Venus Over Manhattan, Salon 94, and Gavin Brown’s Enterprise. Bernhardt’s auction record is just north of $100,000 and her largest works sell for above that price at galleries. These images of models and fashion types were her first main series, and haven’t achieved the recognition that her more recent works have, but they are an important part of her oeuvre. I expect the market for these to catch up over the next decade. A Hammer bid of $8,000 or less for this lot, will get you this colorful, fun painting for under $12,000. A great deal for a painting of a Deborah Harry looking model, by one of this generation’s most recognized image makers.
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