NY Photography Auctions: Results

Via La Journal de la Photographie


Christie’s sales of Photographs and Richard Avedon on 4-5 October achieved a combined total of $7,793,000/ £4,831,660/ €6,000,610, selling 73% by lot and 80% by value.

Sotheby’s October 3rd Photographs auction in New York featured a range of material from the 19th to 21st centuries.

Phillips de Pury & Company’s Photographs auction totaled $4,704,450, selling 81% by value and 76% by lot

Swann sold a complete set of Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian for $1,440,000--the highest priced item ever sold at New York's premiere auction house for works on paper.


APPROPRIATION: PHOTOGRAPHY, ART, AND "STEALING"

Patrick Cariou photographs of Jamaican rastafarians altered and exhibited without consent by Richard Prince. Photograph: Canal Zone

Yesterday the Guardian newspaper had an extensive article about the recent US Federal Judge's ruling against Gagosian gallery and artist Richard Prince for unfair use of 'appropriated' Patrick Cariou rastafarian images. "A New York federal court has ruled that Prince and his gallery infringed Cariou's copyright when he produced a series of works in a 2008 show using 35 pictures from the book Yes, Rasta, published by Cariou in 2000, "in their entirety, or nearly so". The ruling, which may lead to an appeal, stands to cost Prince and the Gagosian, one of the world's leading contemporary galleries, with outlets in London and New York, potentially huge sums. Eight of the works from the exhibition, which was entitled Canal Zone, have together sold for more than $10m (£6m). Seven others have been exchanged for other works of art for between $6m and $8m."
 
Prince's "Cowboy" became the most expensive photograph ever to sell at auction when New York dealer Stellan Holm bought it at Christie’s in November 2005 for $1,248,000. Later, “Marlboro Man" (Untitled, Cowboy), set a record for a photograph when it sold for $3,401,000 at Sotheby’s in New York in 2007.

As we reported on our blog after the Fall auctions, Prince’s “Cowboy” series consisted of old Marlboro cigarette print ads that he re-photographed. And the Marlboro man was based on a LIFE magazine cover of a photograph by Leonard McCombe of a real cowboy.


Similarly, the $63.36 million realized at Phillips, de Pury by Andy Warhol's “Men in Her Life?” was done in silk-screen technique: the dark black and white picture endlessly repeats a photographic image published in LIFE magazine on April 13, 1962.

In the context of the broader art market, Photography's impact, relevance, influence, and relationship to the broader fine art field is still in its infancy. Generally, the prices for the "masters" of photography are a fraction of the prices for the masters of art. But what to think when "art" sells for millions of dollars that is directly "appropriated" from photographs? We have assembled a few relevant posts, and welcome your comments.

Renowned photojournalist Bill Eppridge: When artists appropriate the work of others


"From European collagists in the early 1900s to contemporary installation artists who cull elements from the garbage bin and the Internet, the recycling of materials and ideas has been a fertile practice in modern and contemporary art. Cubist collage, montage, Pop Art, Assemblage, and Appropriation fractured pictorial conventions and led to the upheaval of aesthetic systems of order. Photography has played a catalytic role in this revolution." -- Henry Art Gallery

Jonathon Delacour: Appropriation Art and Walker Evans: Appropriation Art  appears to be the topic du jour


Peta Pixel: Photo Theft Versus Conceptual Art

Richard Prince’s Views on Copyright



Riddle time…who is the artist that produced this image? Appropriation in Photography: II. Whose Is It, Anyway?






 
Related: Thoughts on the Record Fall Auctions

PHOTOGRAPHY MARKET 2011



We received a New Year's email from Penelope Dixon and Associates announcing the relocation of their headquarters to New York City. The newsletter also offered a review of the state of the photography market as we enter 2011.

"We also thought we would take the opportunity to share a brief synopsis of our market analysis for 2010 as follows:


Although the broader art market saw a decline in value throughout 2009, photography remained relatively stable in 2010 with auction values throughout the year that were close to 2008 levels. In addition to sales at auction, photographs offered at shows such as AIPAD (Association of International Photography Art Dealers) and Art Basel Miami Beach have been realistically priced which has helped to spur sales for galleries and dealers.

In the first half of 2010, the photography market continued to show signs of stability and growth with a notable sale of Irving Penn works at Christie’s, New York in April where every photograph sold, many for considerably more than the estimates. In addition, were the sale of the Polaroid Collection at Sotheby’s in June and the Avedon sale at Christie’s in November, both of which saw new auction records for several artists. An analysis of auction sales over the past year indicates that that global photography sales have returned to levels seen just prior to the peak of the market. This trend will hopefully continue throughout 2011, providing further new growth in the photography market."

SUMMER IN SANTA FE

It is almost hard to believe, as it snowed as recently as May second, but summer is almost here! Memorial Day always signifies the "unofficial" start of summer, and Santa Fe is famous for its summer offerings (see the New York Times article "The Art of Being Santa Fe" ).  Here, we offer an advance look at some of the major events of this year's Santa Fe summer.

Summer is high season for Santa Fe galleries. Special gallery events and openings take place on Friday evenings, check The Santa Fe Gallery Association's website for details.  The outdoors beckons golfers, hikers, bikers, fisherman, and river rafters. And, an annual tradition going back 61 years, the Rodeo de Santa Fe takes place June 23 - 26. Sanctioned by the PRCA,  "RODEO de Santa Fe" is a big time rodeo with a small town feeling.

Santa Fe's summer really takes off in July. The first week of July and the July Fourth weekend are teeming with events.

Start the month off with a Santa Fe Fourth of July tradition: pancakes on the Plaza. The United Way hosts this annual community feast, which also includes live music and dance, kid's entertainment, art booths and a cool car show. (End the day watching a fireworks display, which begins around 9:30 p.m. at Santa Fe High School, 2100 Yucca Road.)

On Friday, July 2, Monroe Gallery of Photography hosts the opening reception for a retrospective exhibition of acclaimed photojournalist Bill Eppridge. A true American legend, Bill Eppridge is one of the most accomplished photojournalists of the Twentieth Century and has captured some of the most significant moments in American history. His assignments were as varied, exhilarating and tumultuous as the times he covered. Enjoy a rare opportunity to meet Bill Eppridge during the reception Friday, 5 - 7 PM, and throughout the day Saturday, July 3.

Also on Saturday and Sunday, July 3 and 4, celebrate the wines of New Mexico at a historic southwest ranch! Discover the delicious blends of today’s vintners at the Santa Fe Wine Festival, where you can sample and purchase varietals from sixteen New Mexico wineries, in a festive atmosphere with live music, food, traditional agricultural products and handmade arts and crafts for sale.

The Santa Fe Opera opens the 2010 season on July 2 with Madame Butterfly. Every July and August since 1957, opera lovers have been drawn to the magnificent northern New Mexico mountains to enjoy productions by one of America's premier summer opera festivals.

Next up: the country’s largest international folk art market, The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, returns for its seventh year July 9 - 11. More than 120 select folk artists from over 45 countries travel to historic Santa Fe where thousands (nearly 25,000 in 2009) of national and international visitors gather to admire and buy distinct folk art forms that express the world’s diverse cultures.

The same weekend, SOFA West returns for its second year in Santa Fe. SOFA features prominent international galleries and dealers presenting masterworks bridging the worlds of design, decorative and fine arts, showcasing the rich visual heritage of the decorative arts alongside new, innovative expressions. The works bridge historical periods, art movements and cultures, from ethnographica, Asian arts and mid-twentieth century modern to the most cutting-edge contemporary arts and design. SOFA has partnered on this year’s Opening Night with the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, and last year attracted over 10,000 fair-goers.

July 15 - 18 brings ART Santa Fe, a prestigious contemporary art fair that brings art collectors together with artists and gallerists from around the world. The fair showcases work by acclaimed masters and cutting-edge artists. The weekend includes an opening gala, a rotating exhibit of solo installations, and a keynote lecture. This year Art Santa Fe celebrates its ten-year anniversary in 40,000 square feet of state-of-the-art event space. Monroe Gallery joins galleries from the United States, China, Japan, Europe, and Latin America at this year's edition.

The month of July closes out July 24-25 with the 59th annual Traditonal Spanish Market on the Plaza. Spanish Market features handmade traditional arts by over 200 local Hispanic artists as well as continuous live music and dance, art demonstrations and regional foods. A separate youth exhibition area also features the work of some 100 emerging artists. The Market provides a unique opportunity for visitors to enjoy a taste of New Mexico’s vibrant Spanish culture, both past and present.

That's only a sampling of what Santa Fe has to offer this summer! August is just as busy, with the world-famous Indian Market August 21 - 22. See the full calendar of annual events here, and visit the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau's website here for more information.