Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Auctions: Contemporary Art Evening and Day Sales, February 12 and 13, 2010 @Phillips London

The early London season ends with Phillips De Pury and its Contemporary Art Evening and Day sales in February. Unlike Sotheby's and Christie's, who have both seen increases in photography consignment activity over the same sales last year, Phillips has seen a drop in both total photo lots for sale and in total estimated value on the block. There are 27 photography lots on offer across the two auctions, with a Total High Estimate of £1097000. The Cindy Sherman history portrait in the Evening sale is the standout photo lot. (Catalog covers at right, via Phillips.)

Here's the breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including £5000): 5
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): £12000

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between £5000 and £25000): 10
Total Mid Estimate: £100000

Total High Lots (high estimate above £25000): 12
Total High Estimate: £985000

The top lot by High estimate is lot 6, John Baldessari, Puzzle (Two Views), 1989, at £200000-300000.

Here is the very short list of photographers who are represented by more than one lot in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Bernd and Hilla Becher (2)
Thomas Struth (2)

The complete lot by lot catalogs can be found here (Evening) and here (Day).
February 12th
February 13th

Howick Place
London SW1P 1BB

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