Webb's Auckland say goodbye with a sale of two halves.

By John Perry in Auckland, on 06-Apr-2016

A game of rugby football as often referred to as ''a game of two halves'', and this term could have been applied to Webb's first and final  art auction for 2016 held in Auckland on 5 April, before new management takes over. Titled the ''Paramount Series'', the auction was in two sections referred to in the catalogue as Part One and Part Two. The logic employed was difficult to fathom as the two parts were rather inconsistent, but I can only assume it was some kind of heavyweight/lightweight division.

Part One consisted of 35 works of which 14 sold on the night, four were subject to vendor approval and the balance (17) failed to attract any bids at all. Now these are not impressive results in anybody's book, but the results were standout in comparison to some of the results achieved in a number of their art sales in the later part of 2015.

Webb's first art auction for 2016 in ''Paramount Series" held in Auckland on April 5 was in two sections referred to in the catalogue as Part One and Part Two. It was the final sale before new management takes over, of what was once New Zealand's premier auction house, founded in 1976 but whose ranking has slipped over the last few years. Top price on the night went to Colin McCahon's watercolour of 1954 entitled Manukau 2 selling for $39,000 (hammer) against a pre sale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.

Top price on the night went to Colin McCahon's watercolour of 1954 entitled Manukau 2 (Lot 14 ) selling for $39,000 (hammer) against a pre sale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.

Gretchen Albrecht's Budding Landscape (Lot 13 ) of 1972 sold for $34,000 after the most spirited bidding of the evening. The bidding started at $20,000 rising fast to reach $34,000 before being knocked down to a phone bidder.

The typical crystal clear Brent Wong landscape entitled Field, Peninsular, Clouds (Lot 6 ) sold to the room for $25,000 well below the $30,000 to $40,000 pre sale estimate.

Part Two consisted of 81 works in a range of styles,media and prices.

With a ''we must sell sign'' clearly in the mind of experienced auctioneer James Hogan, the sell through rate was a lot better with 38 works selling for from $50 upwards to $5,500. Top price in Part Two was for Richard Killeen's 7 Dogs, (Lot 66 ) a silkscreen print from 1980 and Graham Sydney's popular lithograph Night Store, (Lot 62 ) of a nocturnal store front in the Otago town of Herbert sold for $4,000, while the second silkscreen print of Richard Killeen entitled Primitives (Lot 67 ) also sold for $4,000.

Now this sale was a big little bit of art auction history representing the last sale of what was once New Zealand's premier auction house, but that has slipped in it's ranking over the last few years. Why the demise? The reasons are many but change is starting now. A new crew is at the helm with a very experienced team from Australia's Mossgreen auction house. Some changes are already underway and a whole raft of new initiatives are going to be announced llater in the month. All eyes are watching to see the new direction Mossgreen/Webbs will head in the future. Let us hope that the bonds that tie our two nations together can be strengthened and the new combination will see the rise of a unique Australasian auction alliance.

 

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About The Author

John Perry is known locally as a collector / consultant / curator/ educator and artist and is a former director of the Rotorua Museum of Art and History. For the last 20 years has worked as an antique dealer specializing in ''man made and natural curiosities'' from an old art deco cinema on the outskirts of Auckland. Over the last 16 years he has developed a multi million dollar collection of 19th and 20th century artworks for the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust. He recently donated 120 artworks from his collection in various media to the East Southland Art Gallery in Gore. A committed ''art o holic'' he continues to develop collections of New Zealand and International fine art / folk art / ceramics and photography for future usage in a private/public ARTMUSEEUM of NEWSEELAND, not to be confused with Te Papa Museum of New Zealand.

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