Smart collectors and first-time buyers would be well advised to closely consider Deutscher and Hackett’s timed online Melbourne Modern, Contemporary and Indigenous art auction which will end from 7pm Tuesday September 5. Among the higher catalogue estimates is Ray Crooke’s (1922-2015) Village Islanders (Lot 4 ) at $35,000-$45,000
Crooke, who won the 1969 Archibald Prize for his portrait of novelist George Johnston, was renowned for his landscape paintings and Gleeson, a National Gallery of Australia board member, was regarded as Australia’s foremost surrealist painter and poet.
The William Dobell (1899-1970) Nude, 1933 (Lot 6 ) is another painting worth close examination from an artist who, was not only knighted for his contribution to art, but is recognised one of the 20th century’s leading Australian portrait and landscape painters with three Archibald Prizes (1943, 1948 and 1959) under his belt.
Iconic Australian artist Brett Whiteley (1939-1992) has a brush and ink Self Portrait at 36, Comedown, 1975 (Lot 2 ) on torn reassembled paper with the title verso: ‘seed pods and the tide coming in’.
Twice winner of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, Whiteley is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries – living and painting in Australia, Italy, England, Fiji and the United States and holding many exhibitions during his life.
Another Archibald Prize winner for his portrait of Australian actor David Wenham in 2000, Adam Cullen (1965-2012) has two paintings in the auction – The Space Between the Anus and the Steeple, 2005 (Lot 10 ) and Rodeo Hip Sport Rodeo Clown, 2007 (Lot 11 ).
He was well established as a Sydney “grunge” painter for his controversial subjects and distinctive style and represented Australia at the 25th Sao Paulo Art Biennial.
British-born painter Peter Booth – now a figurative and surrealist and key late 20th century Australian artist – who moved to the country in 1958, has three paintings in the auction, two of which are Palace and Figures, India (Lot 7 ) and Spider and Head, 1994 (Lot 8 ).
John Coburn (1925-2006) is another strong entry with The Second Day: God Separated The Light from The Dark, 1969 (Lot 12 ).
David Hockney is another British-born artist who has a colour lithograph entitled Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1976 (Lot 3 ) – showing respectively the famous American novelist and portrait artist seated together in wicker armchairs – in the auction.
An important contributor to the 1960s pop art movement, he is considered one of the most influential of 20th century British artists.
