Auction Results: Photographs, May 10, 2011 @Bonhams

In terms of generating solid results in an auction, there's nothing like selling 24 out of the top 25 lots you have available. Bonhams did just that in its recent Photographs sale in New York, led by a long string of Sugimoto prints that all found buyers. Overall, the Buy-In rate was nicely below 20% and the Total Sale Proceeds bumped up against the High end of the range.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 170
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $871000
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1283600
Total Lots Sold: 140
Total Lots Bought In: 30
Buy In %: 17.65%
Total Sale Proceeds: $1204018
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Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 139
Low Sold: 111
Low Bought In: 28
Buy In %: 20.14%
Total Low Estimate: $673600
Total Low Sold: $536068

Mid Total Lots: 31
Mid Sold: 29
Mid Bought In: 2
Buy In %: 6.45%
Total Mid Estimate: $610000
Total Mid Sold: $667950

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: $0
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was tied between two lots: lot 122, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Colors of Shadow C1018, 2006, and lot 123, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Colors of Shadow C1027, 2006, both at $30000-50000; lot 122 sold for $30500 and lot 123 sold for $24400. The top outcome of the sale was lot 101, Irving Penn, Alfred Hitchcock, New York, May 23, 1947/1955, at $54900.

75.00% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of 4 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 70, Lucien Clergue, Picasso a la Cigarette a la Californie, Cannes, 1956/1977, at $6710
Lot 93, Flor Garduno, Basket of Light, Sumpango, Guatelmala, 1989/1993, at $4270 (image at right, bottom, via Bonhams)
Lot 101, Irving Penn, Alfred Hitchcock, New York, May 23, 1947/1955, at $54900 (image at right, top, via Bonhams)
Lot 110, Richard Avedon, Humphrey Bogart, Actor, New York, 1953/1970, at $30500 (image at right, middle, via Bonhams)

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Bonhams
580 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Flor Garduño, Mujeres Fantasticas @Throckmorton

JTF (just the facts): A total of 26 black and white images, displayed in wide black frames, throughout the gallery. Most of the works are 20x16 inches, although there are a handful in a larger size (approximately 40x30 inches). Negatives range from the late 1980s to the present. (Installation shot at right.)

Comments/Context: Looking at the work of Mexican photographer Flor Garduño, you would never, ever, mistake her work for that made by a man. Indeed, Garduño's images are among the most overtly "female" pictures we have seen.

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Nearly all of Garduño's pictures have a sensual female form/nude staged together with symbols from the natural world (fruit, leaves, flowers, feathers etc.). Her compositions have an earthy mythology to them, an almost dream-like or magical quality that seems drawn from the long history of Latin America. In her early days, Garduño was an assistant to Manuel Alvarez Bravo, and she seems to have absorbed the same love of the uniquely Mexican culture, as well as the ability to structure images with poetic simplicity. She is also a master printer; all of her works are printed with an astounding and meticulous attention to dark and light. This show mixes a few new pieces with a variety of other works from the past decade or two, so there is some ability to see how her approach and aesthetic has been refined over time.

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Collector's POV: For us, while Garduño's work is always made with an original point of view and with thoughtful care, the results are often hit or miss. When it works, the images are stunning; when it doesn't, the works feel a bit contrived and odd. The works in this show are priced between $2500 and $9000, dependent mostly on size it seems. We actually already own an excellent nude by Garduño (Los Limones, 1998, found here and also on display in this exhibit), which we bought a few years ago from Andrew Smith (gallery site here) when we were living on the West coast. In addition to prints found in the retail market, Garduño's work has become more available at reasonable prices in the secondary market in the past few years.

Rating: * (one star) GOOD (rating system described here)

Flor Garduño, Mujeres Fantasticas

Through January 9th

Throckmorton Fine Art

145 East 57th Street

New York, NY 10022