Results of Swann's Point of Departure: Postwar African-American Fine Art Sale

Swann Auction Galleries' African-American Fine Art Sale 2323 (Point of Departure: Postwar African-American Fine Art) on October 3, 2013 brought in $1,735,690 with buyer’s premium, exceeding its pre-sale low estimate ($1,504,000) for Sale 2323 as a whole. Of the 149 lots that were offered at auction, 111 sold (74% sell-through rate by lot). According to Nigel Freeman, Director of African-American Fine Art at Swann Galleries, “We are very pleased to set a new artist record for Norman Lewis at auction. This important work—previously unrecorded—far surpassed the prior record (also set at Swann, in October 2008) of $312,000. We also saw strong prices for abstract artists including Frank Bowling and Al Loving.”

Four artist records were set in Point of Departure: Postwar African-American Fine Art, Sale 2323. Those lots are highlighted in this post.

Norman Lewis, Untitled
Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Lot 22: Norman Lewis, Untitled, oil on canvas, circa 1957. This piece exceeded its high estimate of $350,000 and sold for $581,000 to a collector, shattering the artist's previous record of $312,000. As stated in the auction catalogue, "This important mid-century painting is not only a truly exceptional example of Norman Lewis's painting, but an exciting discovery. This previously unrecorded painting is one of the most significant 1950s calligraphic figure paintings by Norman Lewis that we have seen, and yet it has never been publicly exhibited."

Frank Bowling, Karters Choice
Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Lot 84: Frank Bowling, Karters Choice, acrylic on canvas, 1972. "This monumental Frank Bowling painting is a significant work from his important map paintings, and possibly one of the last major works from the series." Karters Choice exceeded its low estimate of $40,000, selling for $50,000 with buyer's premium to a collector. Bowling painted this in New York after his solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, which ran from November 4 - December 6, 1971.

Mavis Pusey, Nuvae
Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Lot 79: Mavis Pusey, Nuvae, oil on canvas, circa 1968. Nuvae shows the sophistication of Mavis Pusey's late 1960s abstractions with its subtle palette and modernist composition. Its high estimate was $10,000; however, it tripled that estimate as it set an artist record with a realized price of $33,750 with buyer's premium. Nuvae was sold to a collector.

Robert Blackburn, Refugees
Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Lot 2: Robert Blackburn, Refugees, lithograph, circa 1938. This is the final lot in which a work set an artist record in auction. This scarce, early print which is alternately titled People in a Boat was printed at the Harlem Community Art Center, where Blackburn studied lithography with printmaker Riva Helfond. Refugees sold for $17,500 with buyer's premium against a $7,000 - $10,000 estimate. As with the previously featured lots, Refugees was sold to a collector.

The Norman Lewis (Lot 22) and Frank Bowling (Lot 84) pieces featured earlier were among my personal favorites.  Adding to those favorites were the Elizabeth Catlett, Head, terracotta sculpture, 1947 (Lot 31) which sold for $173,000 to an institution, and Sargent Claude Johnson, Dancer, varnished terracotta, circa 1938-40 (Lot 1) which sold above its low estimate for $37,500 to an institution. The biggest surprise among favorites was the unsold lot by Hale Woodruff, Gathering Storm (Blue Landscape), oil on linen canvas, circa 1958-60, that had an estimate of $60,000 - $90,000. Because this modernist canvas is an excellent example of Hale Woodruff's postwar painting, I thought that it would have been a museum purchase.

To view the final results from Sale 2323, visit: Swann Galleries catalogue.
   

Swann Galleries African-American Fine Art Auction: Sale 2323

The upcoming African-American Fine Art Sale 2323 at Swann Auction Galleries is scheduled for Thursday, October 3, 2013. For Swann Galleries, this auction (POINT of DEPARTURE: POSTWAR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FINE ART) marks the fifteenth sale, over the past several years, that has an African-American art focus. "This point of departure was inspired by the growing internationalism of the art world, and the spread of Abstract Expressionism—the first uniquely American art movement. As a result, many African-American artists were no longer wary of going Modern".

Sale 2323 features a wide range of visual art from the post-war period that reflects how African American art evolved in the mid-20th century, and includes  works by Charles Alston, Beauford Delaney, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Sargent Johnson, among others. Nigel Freeman, Director of the African American Fine Art Department at Swann Auction Galleries, states that "Most of the top lots sold in our February auction were works from the 1970s and onward. Not only are we seeing an increased interest at Swann in quality works from this time period, but we're seeing an overall renewed focus on the buying and selling of this material in the marketplace."  

A few highlights from Sale 2323 follow. The entire auction (Sale 2323) consists of 149 lots which may be viewed in the online catalogue.
 

Sargent Claude Johnson, Dancer, varnished terracotta, circa 1938-40, approximately 10"x 6"x 7" (including base).       Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Lot 1 
Sargent Claude Johnson,  Dancer

Upon first viewing the catalogue, I immediately took a strong liking to this piece. This was my first time seeing a piece, in this style, by Sargent Claude Johnson. Dancer, a striking terracotta, is an extremely scarce modernist figure by the artist. Approaching the 1940s, this experimental work demonstrates Johnson's increased interest in European modernism and abstraction. It is a radical departure from the naturalist heads the artist produced in the 1930s. Dancer (Lot 1) has an estimate of $30,000 - 50,000.

  

Charles White, Hope Imprisoned, 1946, tempera on cream woven paper, 26" x 20".

Lot 10
Charles White, Hope Imprisoned

Hope Imprisoned by Charles White, tempera on cream woven paper, was completed in 1946. This striking work on paper is a significant painting by

Charles White, and is closely related in composition to Woman of Sorrows, colored inks, 1947, Howard University in Washington, DC. These and other

similar works portray an isolated and sorrowful woman. During this time period,  Charles White popularized the plight of the downtrodden depicted with graphic social realism. His anonymous subjects are imbued with an intense level of emotion. Hope Imprisoned (Lot 10) has an estimate of $100,000 - 150,000.

 

Norman Lewis, Untitled, oil on linen canvas, circa 1957, 49"x 63". Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 22
Norman Lewis, Untitled

This untitled piece by Norman Lewis is the cover art for the catalogue and it represents the highest estimate of the 149 lots in Sale 2323. Quoting the entry in the catalogue, "This important mid-century painting is not only a truly exceptional example of Norman Lewis's painting, but an exciting discovery. This previously unrecorded painting is one of the most significant 1950s calligraphic figure paintings by Norman Lewis that we have seen, and yet it has never been publicly exhibited. The original owner, now deceased, took private art lessons from Norman Lewis in Harlem as a young woman. They remained life-long friends after she moved to Chicago. According to the family, she visited him in New York in the late 1950s with the desire to acquire an oil painting for herself. She bought this large painting out of his studio."

Lot 22 (Untitled) has an estimate of $250,000 - 350,000.

Elizabeth Catlett, Head, terracotta, painted dark brown, 1947, 11"x 6"x 8½". Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 31
Elizabeth Catlett, Head

This exquisite sculpture by Elizabeth Catlett is an important and iconic work of art made at the beginning of a great period of creativity in Mexico, reflecting an attention to form and exploration of materials characterizing the rest of Catlett's career.

Lot 31 (Head) has an estimate of $80,000 - 120,000.

William T. Williams, Chuckerbootstar Last, 1972-73, acrylic on cotton canvas, 84"x 60". 
Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 85
William T. Williams, Chuckerbootstar Last

Chuckerbootstar Last, a large painting, represents the evolution of the artist's important geometric abstraction in the early 1970s. This work depicts a departure from the artist's usual primary color palette; Williams has harmonized a geometric composition in deep secondary colors--purples, greens and browns-- with a carefully textured surface. This is the first significant work by William T. Williams made after 1971 to come to auction.

Chuckerbootstar Last (Lot 85) has an estimate of $75,000 - 100,000.

An illustrated auction catalogue, with information on bidding by mail or fax, is available for $35 from Swann Galleries, Inc., 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. View online catalogue.

For further information, and to make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please contact Nigel Freeman at 212-254-4710, extension 33, or via email at nfreeman@swanngalleries.com.

Live online bidding is also available via artfact.com.

All images were provided by Swann Auction Galleries.

Select African American Art Exhibitions: Fall Highlights for 2013

This highlight features a few exhibitions that are either opening or will still be on view in the the fall of 2013. Presenting the exhibitions as they approach their opening dates or shortly after opening, assures a freshness and currency of information for visual art enthusiasts. A number of important traveling exhibitions that opened earlier in the year are still being featured across the country and are accessible from the Blog page entitled: Select Art Exhibitions in 2013. This page is updated on a weekly basis by either adding newly discovered exhibitions or removing those that are approaching their expiration date. Its intent is to provide comprehensive coverage of current ongoing exhibitions on view for the current quarter of the year.

Black Art Project (BAP) welcomes any information or leads that you might have relating to Black art exhibitions, particularly regional exhibitions that are not traditionally marketed on a national scale. BAP will verify the accuracy of any information submitted. Thank you for any assistance that you provide.

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Museum

Wangechi Mutu (Kenyan, b. 1972). Riding Death in My Sleep, 2002. Ink and collage on paper, 60" x 44". Collection of Peter Norton, New York. © Wangechi Mutu

Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey will be on view in the Elizabeth Sackler

Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum from October 11, 2013 through

March 9, 2014. This is Wangechi Mutu’s first survey in the United States; it is

the most comprehensive and innovative show yet for this internationally renowned, multidisciplinary artist.

More than 50 works from the mid-1990s to the present, including collage, drawing, sculpture, installation and video are featured in Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey. The exhibition features many of the artist’s most iconic collages drawn from major international collections, rarely seen early works and new creations. 

A richly illustrated, full-color catalogue accompanies the exhibition Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey.

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland

The David C. Driskell Center

Alison Saar, Weight, 2012, Fiberglass, wood, rope, cotton scale and miscellaneous objects, 80"x 65"x 24".
© Alison Saar, 2013. Image courtesy of LA Louver Gallery, Venice, CA.

Alison Saar: STILL..., a collection of 11 sculptures created by artist Alison Saar, includes works from 2010 to 2012 and combines the ruggedness of nature with solid structure; the exhibition includes four never-exhibited works and six new pieces. Alison Saar: STILL... will be on view at the David Driskell Center from September 12 through December 13, 2013.

Alison Saar’s work is deeply tied to her multiracial heritage, and it is through this lens which she so strikingly captures the human spirit. Through her sculptures, she displays the primal intensity of people underlying the civility of everyday life. Saar scrutinizes bigotry and historical burdens and portrays these concepts through a visual and kinesthetic tension, such as in the powerful piece titled Weight that shows a young black girl on a swing, weighed down with shackles, a lock and key, boxing gloves and other assorted items on a cotton scale. "Combining African art and ritual, Greek mythology, and German aspects of expressionism, Saar challenges stereotypes and offers an indictment of human discrimination." SEE more images from Alison Saar: STILL....

A catalogue accompanies this exhibition.

  Ithaca, New York

 Cornell University

 Johnson Museum of Art

Laylah Ali, Untitled, 2000, gouache and pencil on paper, Collection of Susan Greenberg Minster. Photo courtesy of the artist

Johnson Museum of Art presents Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series. The exhibition will be on view September 14 through December 22, 2013. The Greenheads series - created between 1996 and 2005- will be shown as a comprehensive body of work. Over forty of these gouache paintings from a total of more than eighty have been gathered from collections to chronicle the series' development.

Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series "chronicle the development of her dramatis personae—thin, round-headed two-dimensional beings of indeterminate sex and race—who anticipate, respond to, or enact unseen power struggles." The exhibition will allow viewers to examine the evolution of Ali’s series.

Madison, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin–Madison Campus

Chazen Museum of Art

Romare Bearden (1912–1988), Cattle of the Sun God, 1977, collage, © Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York. Courtesy Ann and Sheldon Vogel

Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey, featuring approximately 50 works, will be on view through November 24, 2013 at the Chazen Museum of Art. The museum will also organize extensive educational and community programming in conjunction with the exhibition. "In 1977, Romare Bearden created a series of collages and watercolors based on Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. Rich in symbolism and allegorical content, Bearden’s Odyssey series bridged classical mythology and African American culture. The series conveyed timelessness and the universality of the human condition, but was displayed for only two months in New York City before the works went to private collections and public art museums."

Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in cooperation with the Romare Bearden Foundation and Estate and DC Moore Gallery. It was curated by English and jazz scholar Robert G. O’Meally, the Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature and founder and former director of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University. 

SEE exhibition related programs. A catalogue accompanies this exhibition.

 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Barbara Chase-Riboud, American, born 1939, All That Rises Must Converge / Red, 2008. Red bronze, silk, cotton, and synthetic fibers, 74 1/2" x 42" x 28", Base: 23 1/2" x 17 5/8". Courtesy of the Artist.

Barbara Chase-Riboud: The Malcolm X Steles will be on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from September 14, 2013 through January 20, 2014. The exhibition will bring together more than forty works from the United States and Europe that examine Barbara Chase-Riboud’s artistic career, focusing primarily on her important Malcolm X sculptures. See this exhibition in the following galleries: 172, 173, Alter Gallery 176, and Great Stair Hall.

Chase-Riboud’s sculptures dedicated to Malcolm X have been likened to contemporary interpretations of the steles erected in various parts of the ancient world to commemorate important people and events. Cast from cut and folded sheets of wax, the sculptures combine bronze, manipulated into undulating folds and crevices, with knotted and braided silk and wool fiber. 

The artist developed the first four sculptures in this series in 1969, inspired by the civil rights movement and her political and personal experiences living in France and traveling to North Africa, China, and the Soviet Union. Chase-Riboud returned to the series in 2003 and again in 2007–8, creating a total of nine additional works. Reconciling vertical and horizontal, mineral and organic, light and dark, the artist has forged in the Malcolm X steles powerful beacons dedicated to the possibility of cultural integration.

There is a catalogue, Barbara Chase-Riboud: The Malcolm X Steles, offering insightful assessments of the works in the exhibition and includes the artist's reflections in her own voice on her oeuvre. 

 Sacramento, California
Crocker Art Museum

 

Kara Walker, Untitled (Scene #5 from Emancipation Approximation portfolio), 1999–2000. Screenprint on paper, (7/20),   44" x 34".

Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker's Tales of Slavery and Power will be on view September 22, 2013 through January 5, 2014 at the Crocker Art Museum. 

Featuring 60 objects from the collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, the exhibition demonstrates the artistic approach Walker takes to subject matter, historical narrative, and the complexities and ambiguities of racial and historical representation. To make her pursuit compelling, Walker radically reinvented the 19th-century silhouette portrait, elevating the practice of tracing onto and cutting out black paper figures into a formidable, grand format for her "nightmarish fictions."  

The graphic nature of the artist's work, both in content and format, moves from the wall to moving picture in this presentation of silhouettes, drawings, prints, and video. As race remains one of the most difficult conversations to have in America, this exhibition is especially timely amid the discourse on race today, 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. 

St. Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St. Louis

Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

        

Rashid Johnson, Self Portrait Laying on Jack Johnson's Grave, 2006.

Rashid Johnson: Message to Our Folks is the first major solo museum exhibition to survey the career of this Chicago-born, New York-based artist. Featured in the Kemper Museum's Ebsworth Gallery, the exhibition will be on view September 20, 2013 - January 6, 2014.  Message to Our Folks, titled after a 1969 album by avant-garde jazz collective Art Ensemble of Chicago, the exhibition examines how Johnson's work has developed over the first fourteen years of his career.

"Johnson incorporates commonplace objects from his childhood into his work in a process he describes as hijacking the domestic. He transforms these materials—plants, books, record albums, photographs, shea butter, soap—into conceptually loaded and visually compelling art that investigates the construction of identity. Steeped in individual experience while invoking shared cultural references, Johnson's work also calls upon black American creative and intellectual figures, extending the legacy of these cultural icons."

A fully illustrated catalog, the most comprehensive documentation of Johnson’s work to date, accompanies the exhibition.  

Venice, California 

L A Louver Gallery 

Alison, Saar, The Cotton Eater study (sugar sack shroud series), 2013
found sugar sacks, gesso, charcoal and graphite, 81" x 37". Image courtesy L.A. Louver, Venice, CA.

Alison Saar: Slough, featuring new sculptures and drawings created in 2013, will be on view at L A Louver Gallery from September 3 through October 5, 2013. The title of the exhibition, Slough, is defined as "a situation characterized by lack of progress," or "to cast off or shed dead skin." It is this duality of meaning, and a sense of both impasse and renewal, that pervades the 15 new works in the exhibition.

The Cotton Eater Study (sugar sack shroud series) is a large drawing measuring 81 x 37 inches rendered with charcoal and graphite on found cotton sugar sacks. This and other drawings on cotton panels from the sugar sack shroud series are on view in the exhibition. Another of those drawings, Backwater Blues, "which Saar created in New Orleans during her fellowship at the Joan Mitchell Foundation in April 2013. Dismayed by the lack of progress following the tragedy of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, Backwater Blues illustrates a woman clothed in a sheer slip gazing back as water rises above her ankles. Framed by a found screen door, the drawing sheds light on the media’s voyeuristic coverage of the devastation  following the hurricane, where footage of victims often disheveled and undressed, were broadcast without any regard for their dignity."