Art/Auctions: If I Live I'll See You Tuesday auction of Contemporary Art evening sale at Christie's New York May 12, 2014

If I Live I'll See You Tuesday
Christie's New York
6 PM, May 12, 2014
Sale No: 3495

Peter Doig

Lot 31, "Road House," by Peter Doig, oil on canvas, 76 by 98 inches, 1991

By Carter B. Horsley

Christie's New York opened its Spring 2013 round of Contemporary Art auctions with a short and early sale May 12, 2013 entitled "If I Live I'll See Your Tuesday." It was curated by Loic Gouzer and included works of some young artists and some superstars.

The most attractive and painterly of the 35 offered works was Lot 31, "Road House," by Peter Doig (b.1959), an oil on canvas that measures 76 by 98 inches. It was painted in 1991.

It has an estimate of $9,500,000 to $11,500,000. It sold for $11,926,000.

The sale was immensely successful with all but one lot selling for a a total of $134,600,000, well over the pre-sale high estimate of $124,000,000.

Lot 20, "Little Electric Chair, by Andy Warhol, acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas, 22 by 28 inches, 1965

Lot 20 is a yellow acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas by Andy Warhol (1928-1987) etitled "Little Electric Chair." It measures 22 by 28 inches and was created in 1965 as part of the artist's famous "Death and Disaster Seroes." The catalogue netry notes that "The Electric chair was a particularly sinister image that revealed the dark side of America" and "as such it was a fitting embodiment for Warhol's first exhibition at the Sonnabend Gallery in Parisin 1964. It has an estimate of $7,500,000 to $9,500,000. It sold for $10,469,000.

Lot 12, "Untitled," by David Hammons, bamboo, phonograph record fragments, colored string and hair, 29 by 49 by 11 inches, 1978

The most attractive work in the auction is Lot 12,"Untitled," by David Hammons (b. 1942), a sculpture of bamboo, photograph record fragments, colored string and hair. It measures 29 by 49 by 11 inches and was created in 1978. The catalogue entry notes that "in the manner of African warrior spears and the elaborate headdresses or helmets and face masks 'danced' in African tribal spritiual rituals Untitled contronts the viewer with shards of contemporary life - broken vinyl records, a visual pun that might refer to the ongoing 'record' of racial violenece in a America - and framents of his own hair mounted on 'colored,' string - again a pun on the derogatory term 'colored' used by prejudiced whites in America to isolate Africa Americans in recent times."

To other eyes, however, it might look like a spectacular and very beautiful American Indian headdress of eagle feathers.

It has an estimate of $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. It sold for $3,525,000.

Lot 11, "Nurse of Greenweadow," by Richard Prince, inkjet print and acrylic on canvas, 78 by 58 1/4 inches, 2002

Lot 11 is "Nurse of Greenmeadow," by Richard Prince (b. 1949), an inkjet print and acrylic on canvas that measures 78 by 58 1/4 inches. It was painted in 2002 and was illustrated on the front cover of a 2003 catalogue at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery in New York. It has an estimate of $7,000,000 to $9,000,000. It sold for $8,565,000.

Lot 30, "Untitled (In and Out of the Darkness Face 43.01)," by Mark Grotjahn, oil on cardboard mounted on linen, 88 1/4 by 48 1/4 inches, 2011

Lot 30 is a large work by Mark Grotjahn (b. 1968) entitled "Untitled (In and Out of the Darkness Face 43.01)." An oil on cardboard mounted on linen, it measures 88 1/4 by 48 1/4 inches and was created in 2011. It has an estimate of $3,500,000 to $4,500,000. It sold for $6,045,000.

Lot 26, "Untitled (Gorobe Geister Nr. 6)," by Thomas Schutte, bronze, 116 inches high, 1996

The most arresting and impressive work in the auction is Lot 26 is a large bronze sculpture by Thomas Schutte (b. 1954) entitled "Untitled (Grobe Geister Nr. 6). It is 116 inches high and was created in 1996. It is the sixth of 17 characters in the artist's "Big Spirits" series executed between 1995 and 2004. "Articulated through expressive folds, furls and contortions, the figyre is simultaneously lyrical and monstrous, verging on the comedic and yet faintly tinged with horrow," according to the catalogue entry. It has an estimate of $3,500,000 to $4,500,000. It sold for $5,317,000.

Lot 13, "Untitled," by Martin Kippenberger, oil on canvas, 79 7/8 by 95 1/4 inches, 1988

Lot 13 is a very large untitled oil on canvas by Martin Kippenberger (1953-1997). It measures 79 7/8 by 95 1/4 inches and was painted in 1988. It was once in the Saatchi Collection and was exhibited in the Kippenberger retrospective in 2008-9 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is one of a series of five paintings the artist based on a photograph of Picasso and one of his dogs in 1962. It has an estimate of $9,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $18,645,000.

Lot 29, "The World is Flat," by Mark Bradford, billboard paper, photomechanical reproductions, acrylic gel, twine, wrapping paper, carbor paper, silver coated paper and acrylic on ccanvas, 101 1/4 by 142 1/2 inches, 2007

Lot 29 is a large work by Mark Bradford (b. 1961) entitled "The World is Flat." It is made out of billboard paper, photomechanical reproductions, acrylic gel, twine, wrapping paper, carbon paper, silver coated paper and acrylic on canvas. It was created in 2007 and measures 101 1/4 by 142 1/2 inches. It was exhibited in a retrospective on the artist in 2007 at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,500,000. It sold for $2,405,000.

Lot 16, "Untitled (Fire, Red/Black U)," by Wade Guyton, Epson UltraChrome inkjet on linen, 56 by 36 inches, 2005

Lot 16, "Untitled (Fire, Red/Black U)," is an Epson UltraChrome inkjket on linen, 56 by 36 inches by Wade Guyton (b. 1972), who had a show in 2012 at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It was created in 2005. It has an estimate of $2,500000 to $3,500,000. It sold for $3,525,000.

In a May 13, 2014 article in The New York Times, Carol Vogel wrote that "for weeks the art world grumbled about the sale's high estimate," adding that "the New York artist Wade Guyton, who produced his paintings on inkjet printers, was so disgusted by the enormous price expected for one of his 2005 flame paintings..., that he went on the offensive over the weekend, printing multiple copies of the image from his original disk and posting them on the photo-sharing site Instagram."

She noted that the auction was organized by Loic Gouzer and that 13 of the 35 works were "guaranteed, meaning either Christie's or a third party had promised the sellers and undisclosed sum in advance, whatever the auction's outcome."

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Fall 2013 evening auction at Christie's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Fall 2013 evening auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Spring 2013 evening auction at Christie's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Spring 2013 evening auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Fall 2012 evening auction at Christie's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Spring 2012 evening auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Spring 2012 evening auction at Christie's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Fall 2011 evening auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Fall 2011 evening auction at Christie's New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art Fall 2011 evening auction at Phillips de Pury in New York

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art morning auction at Sotheby's May 11, 2011

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art evening auction at Phillips de Pury May 12, 2011

See The City Review Contemporary Art evening auction at Christie's May 11, 2011

See The City Review article on the Contemporary Art evening sale at Sotheby's May 10, 2011