Shortlist 12 - Christie’s First Open (NYC)
(Sam Falls, Sam Gilliam, and Alex Da Corte)
Sam Falls (B. 1984)
Untitled (Hartland, VT Rain, Rope, 9)
Fabric Dye on synthetic rope and canvas
81 ½ x 60 7/8 inches
Executed in 2013
Estimate: $3,000 to $5,000
My Recommendation: Bid to $10,000
Result: $5,500 (hammer)
Interested in Sam Falls?
Artist Profile
Sam Falls uses photography, painting, and sculpture in his ongoing investigation into the potential and limits of representation in art. He often exposes his works to the elements, allowing the rain, wind, and sun to work in an aleatory manner. Leaves, plants, and fruits, to name a few, can be employed, and over time they react and stain the surface, creating the image for Falls. The artist zeros in on the basic elements of photography in all his works: time, representation, and exposure, but then often translates those questions into a work in another medium. References to painting, sculpture, land art, and the grand history of photography itself are brought to the forefront. The above work contains a dyed rope woven into the canvas, and left outside in the Vermont rain, the dyes bleed into and out on the canvas.
My Take
Falls has enjoyed excellent institutional support including the lobby walls of the Hammer Museum (LA) in 2018, the Pomana College Museum of Art in 2014, and an upcoming solo show at MOCA Cleveland in 2022. He is represented by two established galleries in 303 Gallery (NYC) and Eva Presenhuber (Zurich) and his large, recent works are selling on the primary market for more than $50,000.00. This lot is attractive and features the staining and time stamp that makes a Sam Falls a Sam Falls. With this very conservative estimate, one has the opportunity to get a large work for under $15k, all in.
Christie’s Lot Page
Additional Works
Sam Gilliam (B. 1933)
Musketeers
Acrylic on sewn cloth
26 x 28 ½ x 7 inches
Executed in 1998
Signed, titled and dated on reverse
Estimate: $25,000 to $35,000
My recommendation: Bid to $50,000
Result: $45,000 (hammer)
Interested in Sam Gilliam?
Artist Profile
Born in Mississippi, Gilliam is one of the preeminent color field painters of the DC area school that includes Sam Francis, Morris Louis, and Thomas Downing. His market has taken off sharply in the past decade, achieving auction results for paintings over 1 million dollars. Bright colors and atmospheric affects are a hallmark of his work, which can be both subtle and bold in their effects. Beginning in the late 60s, Gilliam began removing his canvases from their stretchers, draping them, hanging them, and folding them resulting in works that pushed the limits of what painting could be. An extremely influential and pivotal artist, his rise has been long overdue. Gilliam is represented by Pace Gallery in New York and David Kordansky in LA, the latter where he recently had a stunning show of monumental works.
My Take
This small, wall painting/sculpture is a gorgeous example by an artist whose footprint seems to grow with each passing year. The color combination is exquisite and perfectly shows how in the 1960s, Gilliam turned color field painting on its head, by draping and layering his raw canvases, bringing them off the wall. This estimate is very conservative, and I urge interested collectors to stretch. They’ve essentially priced a painting as if it was a work on paper. In 10 years, Gilliam has gone from an incredibly under-recognized artist to someone’s whose work and influence is revered. A 2022 announced retrospective at the Hirschorn Museum in DC (which should travel to other major cities) will only further to cement his reputation.
Christie’s Lot Page
Alex Da Corte (B. 1980)
Melt Banana
Mixed media including enamel paint, spray paint, glitter fringe scarf, bun sponge, hot glue sticks, an H&M ad, in artist’s anodized metal and Plexiglas frame
56 x 56 inches
Executed in 2013
Estimate: $20,000 to $30,000
My recommendation: Bid to $20,000
Result: $16,000 (hammer)
Interested in Alex Da Corte?
Artist Profile
Camden (NJ) born, Venezuelan raised, and recipient of a Yale MFA in sculpture (2010), conceptual artist Alex Da Corte has been a fast-rising star in the art world for the last decade. His multi-colored, dreamlike works and installations make the familiar new again, in unfamiliar ways. He playfully and surrealistically fuses influences from pop and mass culture (often kitsch), design, and art history. Melt Banana features numerous objects that are found at the corner or 99-cent store that most likely we at one point or another have loved, used, and then subsequently discarded. Da Corte is both elevating these objects, but also pointing to their fleeting place in our lives.
My Take
Da Corte’s auction record is $63,000 (Oct ’20), but his larger and more ambitious works are selling for more at his galleries. He is represented by blue chip galleries: Matthew Marks (NYC and LA), Luxembourg and Dayan (NYC and London), Sadie Coles (London) and David Risley in Copenhagen. It really doesn’t get much better than that for someone 40 years old. Creating beautiful, immersive installations, Da Corte has participated in many museum shows (both solo and group). Curators and collectors alike love his work - currently, he was commissioned to create an installation atop the Met Museum Roof (on view through Oct 31). Da Corte’s recent auction results have been weak, but I see that as an opportunity. I’m a big believer in the artist in general, his aesthetic and intellect, and the galleries that work for him. A disciplined buy will pay off down the road. A winning bid of $20,000 (hammer) will get you this work for under $30,000, which is a great price for a large work with wall power. Da Corte is an artist who will be around for a long, long time, and whose market will mature over the next decade.
Christie’s Lot Page
More Images
Artist’s CV