New Zealand Art Auction Sale Reviews

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The final 2015 Dunbar Sloane, Fine Art auction on 18 November in Wellington was an eclectic mix of New Zealand and international artworks and some of the key pieces were sourced from the Wellesley Club, a Wellington institution which ceased operating in 2014. A highlight from the 73 lot sale was a very strong result for C. F Goldie's, Memories, Tearara, A Chieftainess of the Arawa Tribe (above) which sold for $450,000 against a low estimate of $300,000.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 21-Nov-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

Big Ticket Paintings Achieve Big Prices At Dunbar Sloane

The final 2015 Dunbar Sloane, Fine Art auction on 18 November in Wellington was an eclectic mix of New Zealand and international artworks and some of the key pieces were sourced from the Wellesley Club, a Wellington institution which ceased operating in 2014 due to declining membership and building repair costs.  Items from this collection were traditional in nature, lots of watercolours and heavy oils, befitting the surrounds of a gentleman’s club.

Within the fairly large offering of 142 lots of the International Art Centre’s Important, Early and Rare sale in Auckland on 11 November, the Peter McIntyre collection comprised 10 lots, all from one owner. The owner had picked works which were extremely strong in the their composition and colour. From the collection, 'King Country Musterer' proved to be the most sought after, selling for $51,000 against an estimate of $30,000 and achieving the second highest price at auction for his work.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 13-Nov-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

Peter McIntyre Collection Exceeds Expectations At International Art Centre

It was another varied catalogue for the International Art Centre’s Important, Early and Rare sale, however this time round it was missing a few of it’s usual blockbuster pieces and there was a notable absence of works by C.F Goldie or Horace Moore Jones which have been stalwarts of the last few sales.

However a great collection of paintings by Peter McIntyre, one of New Zealand’s foremost landscape painters was enough to keep the buyers engaged and bidding throughout the sale.

The Untitled sculpture by Arnold Manaaki Wilson (lot 75) stole the show at the Art + Object August Contemporary Art sale in Auckland on August 6. He was one of the first Maori artists to work with sculpture in a non traditional format, and the lack of previous auction sales only added to the works appeal. Estimated at $12,000-$16,000 it was strongly contested in the room to sell for $37,000.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 07-Aug-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

Rare Arnold Manaaki Wilson sculpture excites the buyers at Art + Object

As the buyers trickled in and the room slowly filled at Art + Object, for the August Contemporary Art sale in Auckland on August 6, it was hard not to wonder if the mid winter weather had got the better of the clients and most had stayed home to keep warm.

A packed room at International Art Centre’s 'Important, Early and Rare' sale on 22 July 2015, with television cameras present, saw ‘Simpson and His Donkey’ by Horace Moore-Jones quickly exceed its low estimate of $300,000 to sell for $420,000, breaking IAC's own record for the artist of $220,000 set in March this year for a smaller version of the same work. Earlier in the sale, the second highest price of the night had been achieved for Frances Hodgkins Monastery Steps (above), which sold for $320,000.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 23-Jul-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

‘Simpson and His Donkey’ break their own record at the International Art Centre

On a cold winter’s night in Auckland, it was all go at the International Art Centre’s 'Important, Early and Rare' sale on 22 July 2015, with a packed room, television cameras, a drunk patron causing a commotion and most importantly, stellar results and new auction records.

The International Art Centre always produces a varied sale and this one was no exception, featuring some very interesting and high quality paintings.

Every auctioneer really hopes for a fantastic collection to come to market to provide the base for their sale, and if they have reasonable estimates, even better. Underpinned by a private collection from the Kapiti Coast, Dunbar Sloane in Wellington achieved the highest price of the night at their July 1 sale for a stunning pencil drawing by the British artist L.S Lowry, 'Dinner Time' from a private Wellington collection, purchased in London in 1958.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 06-Jul-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

L.S Lowry drawing takes away top price at Dunbar Sloane

Every auctioneer really hopes for a fantastic collection to come to market to provide the base for their sale. If they have reasonable estimates, even better.

It was Dunbar Sloane in Wellington who landed a great consignment for their July Fine and Applied Art Sale. A number of exceptional paintings carried the provenance ‘Private Collection, Kapiti Coast’ and these artworks provided some of the best results of the sale.

The highlight of Webb’s Important and Contemporary Art sale held in Auckland on 9 April was the important and early work by Andrew McLeod Tree Time, which sold for $61,000 against a low estimate of $35,000, creating a new artist record. However to say the rest of the sale was disappointing is an understatement. The auction sold 8 of the 41 works under the hammer and although there would be some referrals to work with, many lots were passed in with no interest
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 10-Apr-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

Good intentions fail to translate to sales at Webb’s Important and Contemporary Art auction

The Webb’s that we’ve known over the past 40 years has changed significantly and the latest reincarnation in the last 6 months could be its most dramatic. Now owned entirely by Mowbray Collectables, the last remaining link to the founder, Peter Webb, was severed when Sophie Coupland (the long standing Head of Art) left toward the end 2014.

A new management team, stunning new premises in Parnell, new corporate sponsorship relationships and new sale categories all signalled a move toward a New Zealand auction house based on an international model.

The first sale of the year at Art + Object in Auckland on 1 April was quiet with lots of seats still available when the sale started, and was in sharp contrast to their highly successful Ron Sang auction just a few weeks ago, writes Briar Williams. The highlight of the sale was the result for Michael Parekowhai's Tu Tama Ra which was subject to a good old fashioned tussle in the room where two determined bidders battled it out. The work sold for $140,000 hammer against a low estimate of $80,000, creating a
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 02-Apr-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

Michael Parekowhai a bright spot in a tough sale at Art + Object in Auckland

The first sale of the year at Art + Object was billed in the presale literature as ‘tightly focused’ and either by necessity or choice, the sale was diminutive in the number of lots, just 63 in total.   

The room was quiet with many seats still available when the sale started, and was in sharp contrast to the highly successful Ron Sang auction just a few weeks ago where it was standing room only.  The auction ticked along pretty slowly at the beginning with lots of phone and absentee bidding to make up for the lack of room attendees.  

The highlight of the group of World War I paintings offered at International Art Centre on 25 March was a version of the famous watercolour by Horace Moore Jones, Simpson and his Donkey. Last sold in 2008 for $110,000, the low estimate this time round was $150,000, but like Auckland house prices climbing sky high in record time, four phone bidders whisked the final sale price up to $220,000, a record for the artist.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 26-Mar-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

World War I image of Simpson and his Donkey achieves record price at International Art Centre

A varied and interesting sale marked the start of the year for International Art Centre (IAC) which was nicely compartmentalised into a few sections including artworks relating to World War I, artworks from the family of Dorothy Kate Richmond and a collection of works by Garth Tapper. 

Also included were works by C.F Goldie, Raymond McInytre and Felix Kelly, rare on the market generally but so many have recently turned up in the last 18 months at IAC that perhaps this scarcity is wearing off.

In a packed room of over 300 with people spilling out the doorways and sitting on the floor, Art + Object in Auckland last night sold the collection of Ron Sang, one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent architects, and arts supporters. The sale total was an impressive $1.90 million (IBP), compared with a pre-sale low estimate total of $1.31 million. Don Binney was amongst the many artists collected by Ron Sang, and his Katoomba Fatbird (above) sold for $260,000 (hammer) against a low estimate of $200,000.
By Briar Williams in Auckland on 06-Mar-2015 Exclusive to the AASD

A Fantastic Start to 2015 for The Ron Sang Collection at Art + Object

It must be a strange feeling, for a lifelong collector, watching your collection being sold.  Do you wonder if the new owners will love the pieces as much as you did?  Is there a sense of relief that you wont have so much ‘stuff’ around you?  Most of us will never experience the myriad of feelings associated with such a sale, but there is no doubt if you choose to sell your collection at auction, the first thing you want is a packed room full of palpable excitement and the Collection of Ron Sang at Art  + Object didn’t disappointment.

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