Banksy, Ruscha, Lichtenstein and Warhol are top guns in Santa Monica Auctions’ June 1 Summer Sale
May 29, 2008
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - In what may end up being their most successful Contemporary Art event ever, Santa Monica Auctions is pulling out all the stops for its 391-lot sale this Sunday, June 1. Real-time Internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.
The auction roster includes highly important Modern works by Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and controversial British graffiti artist Banksy, as well as a series of paintings by legendary comic book artist R. Crumb.
The sale catalog is arranged in logical alphabetical order according to the artist or photographer’s surname, starting with Berenice Abbott’s industrially themed gelatin silver print titled Con Edison Power House (estimate $2,200-$2,800) and concluding with an untitled Bob Zoell abstract silkscreen resembling a flying saucer in space (estimate $6,000-$8,000). In between, there are many significant Modern masterworks.
Pop art pioneer Ed Ruscha’s minimalist tour de force from 1976 titled Smoke Came out of Her Ears, Fuses, Fizz and Popped (estimate $280,000-$320,000) measures 22¾ inches by 28.625 inches and comes with provenance through the Jules Glazer Collection. A high-profile contemporary of Ruscha’s and a pop art genius in his own right, the late Roy Lichtenstein is amply represented with five lots in the sale, ranging from a 1980 Cheese Head poster (estimate $800-$1,000) to a 1990 woodcut/screenprint titled The Den (estimate $45,000-$55,000).
The R. Crumb group lot (#93A) consists of five humorous original paintings and one display of placards created at the Wild Family Ranch as backdrops for the artist’s 1981 music festival. Originally, seven artworks were created for the festival. Two were returned to the artist and remain in his possession in Suave, France. Each of the paintings in the group lot to be sold by Santa Monica Auctions is accompanied by a letter of authenticity signed by R. Crumb.
The art world is sure to be watching closely when Banksy’s 2002 untitled artwork comprised of overlaid stencils (“Heavy Weaponry” over “Radar Rat,” signed with a Banksy bar code), crosses the auction block. The elusive English street artist paints covertly during the night on public walls and surfaces, planning it so his artworks are revealed as surprises in daylight. He does not paint commercially for profit, hence his works are extremely rare and seldom available to purchase. Banksy is the man of the moment in galleries worldwide, and his 30 inch by 26 inch (sight) artwork in Santa Monica Auctions’ June 1 sale is expected to fetch $120,000-$150,000.
There’s a huge buzz about Sunday’s sale, and we’ve only hit a few of the highlights here, so a browse of the online catalog is definitely recommended. Click here to view the entire illustrated catalog, to leave an absentee bid or to sign up to bid live via the Internet on auction day.
