Sam Gilliam mixed-media artwork at forefront of Neue’s May 28 auction

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – An abstract acrylic-on-canvas collage and enamel-on-aluminum work by African American artist Sam Gilliam (b. 1933-) is the expected headliner in an online-only May Modern auction scheduled for Saturday, May 28 at Neue Auctions, starting at 10 am Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

“The Sam Gilliam artwork, lot number 12, is titled Pantheon #5 and was executed mid-career by the artist, in 1984,” said Bridget McWilliams of Neue Auctions. “It is an exuberant, highly textured and complex composition, executed with deft craftsmanship.” The piece is 85 by 55in, is signed on the verso and titled on the stretcher and has an estimate of $50,000-$80,000.

Lot 56 is a paper collage – not a print – by Victor Vasarely (French/Hungarian, 1906-1997), titled Kontosch-C. It was created circa 1968-1972, is signed in ink, and carries an estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

Chief among the selection of chairs in the May 28 sale is a pair of Harry Bertoia leather-upholstered diamond chairs for Knoll, designed in 1952. Each features powder-coated steel with gray leather upholstery and bears the original Knoll label. Together they are estimated at $1,000-$2,000. Equally notable is a pair of Le Corbusier LC2-style petit comfort lounge chairs for Gordon International, fashioned in beige leather and chrome-plated steel and estimated at $500-$1,000.

A circa-1960s-1970s Florence Knoll walnut and laminate credenza, featuring a walnut top and sides over four hinged off-white laminate doors with chrome pulls, should rise to $1,500-$3,000. Also, a handmade Thomas Moser Edo cherry dining table, having a rectangular top on a tapering squared leg trestle base, is estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

Lots 200-202 showcase Mid-century Modern wall units: lot 200 is a George Nelson omni walnut wall unit comprising three walnut cabinets, two with sliding doors, estimated at $1,000-$2,000; lot 201 is a walnut and rattan wall unit, comprising three wall cabinets, two with rattan front doors and the third with a fall front, estimated at $800-$1,200; and lot 202 is a walnut wall unit with woven rattan cabinet doors and drawers, featuring recessed pulls and open shelving and estimated at $500-$1,000.

A group of Galle cameo glass vases will appear in the sale lineup. The expected top achiever is a cameo glass scenic vase of baluster form with an everted lip, its gray glass walls overlaid in multiple colors, with a view of a mountain lake landscape from a balcony. Its estimate is $1,000-$2,000; the others have more modest estimates.

To learn more about Neue Auctions, visit www.neueauctions.com. Company officers Cynthia Maciejewksi and Bridget McWilliams can be reached by phone at 216-245-6707 or by email at cynthia@neueauctions.com or bridget@neueauctions.com.

 

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