Albert York's 'Imaginary Playground' takes top honors at Sarasota Estate Auction

Albert York, ‘Imaginary Playground (Trees and Fence),’ $110,250

SARASOTA, Fla. – Andrew Ford, owner and auctioneer of Sarasota Estate Auction, conducted a notable two-day sale on July 23 and July 24. Its total exceeded $850,000 and multiple lots sold extremely well, with several significantly outperforming their estimates.

The top performer was Imaginary Playground (Trees and Fence), a beautiful oil on plywood painted by Albert York. With an estimate of $80,000-$120,000, this piece brought $110,250 and sold to a phone bidder in California.

Coming in second was Romare Bearden’s The Quilters. Bidding started at $50,000 and rose to $73,000.

Romare Bearden, ‘The Quilters,’ $73,000

Another fantastic lot was a signed, untitled Itzchak Tarkay acrylic on canvas, originally purchased directly from the artist. Estimated at $10,000-$20,000, it achieved $20,790 and a new auction record for Tarkay.

Issac Tarkay

One work of art that greatly surpassed its expectations was a gouache on paper by A.R. Penck. It had a modest starting price of $350 and an estimate of $700-$1,400. Prior to auction day, it drew an internet bid of $7,250, and when all was said and done, the piece brought $13,230.

A.R. Penck gouache on paper, $13,230

Later, a sculpture by Jorge Blanco, was also among the winners. With an estimate of $10,000-$15,000, the piece achieved $14,490. The artist happened to be in the audience, and thoroughly enjoyed the auction experience.

Jorge Blanco, ‘Later,’ $14,490

Many of the articles of jewelry attracted healthy bids as well, chief among them an antique 22K gold and sterling diamond necklace. It ultimately realized $11,970, a sum nearly double its estimate.