"The
boldness of Halsey Minor's collecting vision lies in its identification
of energy, of a constant flow of ideas emanting from the questions art
asks of the viewers and of their place in the wider world.
'Collecting is about learning and it is developing
connoisseurship,' Minor has stated. 'It is an intense ongoing
process of education, and it my mission to collect only the best."
An
ambitious statement and judging from the sumptuous, large catalogue
that Philips de Pury has put together for the collector one that is not
yet fully fulfilled, but which bears the stamp of a connoisseur.
In
her introductory catalogue essay, Louise Gray wrote that 'The
collecting life of Halsey Minor, founder of CNET and CEO of Minor
Ventures, has wholeheartedly embraced and passed through a number of
chapters - to date, American Modernism, Pop Art, cutting-edge
Contemporary Art and 20th Century Design - and all have pfesented
thesmeves as discernible, evendisparate, themese. However,
thereis little discontinuity present in Minor's eye" the individual
works are all linked tot he passionate focus that the collector has
brought to his activity. Art is an intangible asset of
immense
importance for it is the stimulus of an intense and intimate
conversation between its viwer and its maker not something simply of
monetary alue. Minor once spoke about his passiom - art - in
these terms: 'Whatever I do, I have to feel i rounded out the story -
the collection about the artist. If I lose a piece, I lose
the
collection"
Lot 8, "Nurse in Hollywood #4,' is an acrylic and
inkjet on canvas by Richard Prince (b. 1949) that was created in 2004
and measures 69 by 42 inches. It
sold for $6,466,500.
Lot
2, "Untitled (Black Butterfly Over Lime)," by Mark Grotjahn, oil on
linen, 36 by 29 inches, 2004
Lot 2 is a very
luscious black work by Mark Grotjahn (b. 1968) entitled "Untitled
(Black Butterfly over Lime)." An oil on linen, it measures 36 by
29 inches. It was painted in 2004. It has an estimate of
$300,000 to $400,000. It sold for $362,500.
Lot
4, Prototype "Lockheed" Lounge, by Mark Newson, fiberglass reinforced
polyester resin core, blind-riveted sheet aluminum, paint, 34 1/2 by 65
3/4 by 24 1/2 inches, 1988
Lot
4 is the sinuous blind-riveted sheet aluminum prototype "Lockheed"
lounge by Mark Newson (b. 1963). The lounge measures 34 1/2
by 65
3/4 by 24 1/2 inches and was created in 1988. The present
example
is the only one with white exposed fiberglass reinforced polyester
resin feet as all other examples have rubber-coated black feet.
All examples were built at Basecraft, a small workshop in
Sydney,
Australia. There are 15 examples of this lounge and some are
in
the collections of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the Vitra
Design Museum in Weil am Rhein and the National Gallery of Victoria in
Melbourne The lot has an estimate of $1,000,000 to
$1,500,000. It
sold for $2,098,500.
Lot
6, Prototype Pod of Drawers, by Mark Newson, fiberglass reinforced
polyester resin core, blind-riveted sheet aluminum, paint, 50 3/4 by 27
1/2 by 18 1/2 inches, 1987
Lot
6 is the prototype pod of drawers of blind-riveted sheet aluminum by
Mark Newson. It is 50 3/4 by 27 1/2 by 18 1/2
inches and
was created in 1987. There are 13 such pods of drawers.
It
has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It failed to sell.
Lot
17, "Event Horizon Table," by Marc Newson, polished aluminum, enameled
aluminum, 31 1/3 by 70 5/8 by 38 inches, 1992, artist's proof number
two of three for the edition of ten
MarcNewson
(b. 1963) is a slick and sleek designer of metallic furniture and Lot
17 is an example of his "Event Horizon Table," of polished aluminum and
enameled aluminum. It measures 31 1/3 by 70 5/8 by 38 inches
and
was created in 1992 as artist's proof number two of three for the
edition of ten. It has an estimate of 4250,000 to $350,000. It sold for $242,500.
Lot
14, "Orgone Stretch Lounge," by Marc Newson, polished aluminum,
enameled aluminum, 24 3/8 by 70 1/2 by 32 5/8 inches, 1993
Lot
14 is, of course,the perfect companion piece to Lot 17, which was
created a year earlier in 1992. It is a bit shorter in height
and
width but they are almost identical in width. These are true
space-age appurtenances and it is almost possible to want to have only
one but having seen both they are a very deserving and very desirable
pair. Of course, you better be sure the rest of your humble
abode
is appropriately suited up if you don't want to upset Hal.
These
are incredibly sumptuous and sleek and probably only should be owned by
Brancusi. This lot has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.
It failed to
sell. This lot is the more organic and sensuous.
Lot
12, "Angry Because It's Plaster, Not Milk," by Edward Ruscha, oil on
canvas, 55 by 48 inches, 1965
Lot
12 is a a strong painting by Edward Ruscha (b. 1937) with a great
title, "Angry Because It's Plaster, Not Milk." An oil on
canvas,
it measures 55 by 48 inches and was painted in 1965. It has
an
estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $3,218,500.
Lot
20, "Lost of the Lisbon Rhinoceros," by Walton Ford (b. 1960),
watercolor, gouache, ink and pencil onpaper in three parts, each panel
95 3/8 inches high, 2008
One
of the more impressive works in the Halsey Minor Collection is Lot 20,
"Loss of the Lisbon Rhinoceros," a three-part watercolor, gouache, ink
and pencil by Walton Ford (b. 1960). The work was painted in
2008. It has an estimate of $550,000 to $750,000. It sold for $1,022,500.
Lot
22, "Long, Stormy," by Edward Ruscha, acrylic on canvas, 20 by 159
inches, 1995
Lot
22 is "Long, Stormy," an acrylic on canvas by Edward Ruscha (b. 1937)
that measures 20 by 159 inches and was painted in 1959. It
has an
estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $822,500.
Day
Auction
Lot
201, Untitled, by Mark Grotjahn, colored pencil and graphite
on paper mounted to panel,30 by 22 inches, 2004
Lot 201 is a
strong, untitled, colored pencil and graphite on paper mounted to panel
by Mark Grotjahn (b. 1968). It measures 30 by 22 inches and
was executed in 2004. It has an estimate of $60,000 to
$80,000. It
sold for $152,500.
Lot
216, Untitled, by Dirk Skreber, oil on canvas, 110 1/4 by 165 3/8
inches, 2000
Lot 216 is a very large, untitled oil on canvas by
Dirk Skreber (b. 1961) that measures 110 1/4 by 165 3/8 inches.
It was painted in 2000. It has an estimate of
$200,000 to $300,000. It
failed to sell.
Lot
219, "La Fontaine," by Walter Ford, watercolor, gouache graphite and
ink on paper, 60 by 120 inches, 2006
Lot 219 is a very impressive and dramatic
watercolor, gouache, graphite and ink on paper entitled "La Fontaine,"
by Walter Ford (b. 1960). It was made in 2006 and measures 60
by 120 inches. It has an estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. It sold for $746,500.
See
The City Review article
on the Works from the Crichton Collection May 11, 2010 at Christie's
See The City Review article on
the Spring 2010 Contemporary Art evening auction at Christie's
See The City Review article on
the 2010 Spring Contemporary Art evening auction at Christie's
See The City Review
article on the Fall 2009 Contemporary Art evening auction at Sotheby's