Sonny Assu, “Re-Invaders: Digital Intervention on an Emily Carr Painting (Indian Church, 1929)” (2014), framed size: 40 x 30 inches, edition of 5 + 2 AP, AP 1 of 2 (image courtesy Equinox Gallery, Vancouver)
At the Opening Night Preview Gala of Art Toronto 2018 last week, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) acquired new work by Ontario’s Ken Nicol and Ligwilds’xw Kwakwaka’wakw artist Sonny Assu. Nicol’s drawing was purchased with funds raised at the Opening Night, matched by funds from the Peggy Lownsbrough Fund; and the Assu piece was purchased with the James Lahey and Pym Buitenhuis Fund. Nicol’s piece, titled “field II” (2017) “is a magnificent, large scale drawing made over the course of 72 days in 2017,” said Kitty Scott, the Carol and Morton Rapp Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the AGO. Assu’s work, “Re-Invaders: Digital Intervention on an Emily Carr Painting (Indian Church, 1929)” (2014) is a part of his ongoing series Interventions on the Imaginary and “overlays an iconic Emily Carr painting with neon pink 3D Indigenous design elements,” according to the AGO press release. [via email announcement]
Serena Perrone, “A Volcano Pilgrim in Exchange for Fire” (detail, 2010), drypoint, gouache monotypes, screen print, letterpress on paper (one of 20 prints with one letterpress colophon in linen box), 11 x 15 inches each, 11 inches x 25 feet overall, edition of four (image courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has acquired Serena Perrone’s work “A Volcano Pilgrim in Exchange for Fire” (2010). The piece was purchased from the Cade Tompkins Projects using the John B. Turner Fund.“Thanks to the support of Cade Tompkins Projects, I am pleased to see this series of prints enter the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I hope it will be enjoyed by generations to come and the words of the late poet Craig Arnold will continue to reach new audiences,” Perrone said.
McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas has acquired Yasumasa Morimura’s “Dedicated to La Duquesa de Alba/Black Alba” (2004) and James Gobel’s “Robert” (2007) through funds from the McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum. “These particular acquisitions enhance two expanding priorities of the McNay’s contemporary holdings — an increasing global presence and greater emphasis on under-recognized communities,” said Head of Curatorial Affairs René Paul Barilleaux. Both works will be on display in McNay’s summer 2019 exhibition, Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today.
“Adam” (c. 1630–1640), attributed to Leonhard Kern, fruitwood, on a later ormolu base and a velvet covered base, with a glazed wood top, figure: 11 inches (image courtesy Sotheby’s)
Sotheby’s A Private View: Property from the Country Home of Christopher Cone and Stanley J. Seeger sale in London brought in a total of £2,762,717 (~$3,528,000) on October 30. The sale’s top lot, a wood “Adam” (c. 1630–1640) statuette attributed to Leonard Kern, sold for £394,000 (~$503,000).
An important Victorian ivory and hardstone inlaid ebony cabinet designed by Alfred Lorimer for Jackson and Graham (c. 1867), of architectural form in Italian Renaissance style, the stepped upper section with broken arch pediment centred by a mythical coat-of-arms with a yellow gold crown over a pale blue enamelled ‘K’ monogram on a lapis ground, the arched panel glazed door flanked by two pairs of Corinthian columns with carved capitals and two panel doors, each over a short drawer, the lower section with moulded edge over four fluted Corinthian pilasters, flanking three panelled doors, on a plinth base, stamped Jackson & Graham to carcase in several places, the locks stamped by Chubb & Co., Makers to Her Majesty, No.596210, the reverse with fragment of lot entry from 1885 sale catalogue
112 x 83 x 25¾ inches (image courtesy Sotheby’s)
Sotheby’s Collections sale in London brought in a total of £1,806,839 (~$2,307,000) on October 31. The sale’s top lot, an important Victorian ivory and hardstone inlaid ebony cabinet designed by Alfred Lrimer for Jackson and Graham, circa 1867, sold for £175,000 (~$223,000).
A Kufic Qur’an folio on blue vellum, probably Qairouan, Tunisia (9th century), Qur’an II, sura al-baqara, vv.74-81, Arabic manuscript on blue vellum, the folio with 15ll. of elegant red-outlined gold kufic, silver verse markers, ‘ashr marked in the margin with a silver medallion, folio 11 ¼ x 15 inches (image courtesy Christie’s)
Christie’s Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs and Carpets sale in London brought in a total of £5,075,250 (~$6,480,000) on October 25. The sale’s top lot, a Kufic Qur’an folio on blue vellum, probably Qairouan, Tunisia, ninth century, sold for £512,750 (~$655,000).
Andy Warhol, “Myths” (1981), the complete set of 10 screenprints in color with diamond dust (apart from Dracula) on Lenox Museum Board, each sheet: 38 x 38 inches (image courtesy Christie’s)
Christie’s sale of Prints & Multiples in New York brought in a total of $13,239,750 on November 23–25. The sale’s top lot, Andy Warhol’s “Myths” (1981), sold for $780,500.
“Masque Fang, Ngil A Fang Mask,” height: 23 ¼ inches (image courtesy Christie’s)
Christie’s Arts d’Afrique d’Océanie et d’Amérique sale in Paris brought in a total of €5,214,750 (~$5,904,000) on October 30. The sale’s top lot, “Masque Fang, Ngil a Fang Mask” sold for €2,407,500 (~$2,726,000).
Appui-Tête Yaka A Yaka headrest, Democratic Republic of the Congo, height: 7 ½ inches (image courtesy Christie’s)
Christie’s Chefs-d’Oeuvre s’art Africain et Océanien de la Collection Adolphe Stoclet sale in Paris brought in a total of €1,393,125 (~$1,577,000) on October 30. The sale’s top lot, Appue-Tête Yaka a Yaka headrest from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sold for €1,207,500 (~$1,367,000).
Antonio Ponce “A basket of apples and quinces and flowers in a glass vase on a stone ledge,” oil on canvas, 24 x 40 inches (image courtesy Christie’s)
Christie’s sale of Old Masters in New York brought in a total of $9,454,500 on October 30. The sale’s top lot, Antonio Ponce’s “A basket of apples and quincces and flowers in a glass vase on a stone ledge,” sold for $576,500.
Attributed to Giambologna, Italian (c. 1550), a wax Bozzetto of a standing man, possibly a model for Julius Caesar, 11. ½ inches tall (image courtesy Christie’s)
Christie’s sale of Property from the Estate of Eugene V. Thaw in New York brought in a total of $2,278,125 on October 30. The sale’s top lot, a wax Bozzetto of a standing man, possibly a model for Julius Caesar, attributed to Giambologna circa 1550, sold for $588,500.
