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Buying Today's Hot Artists
A Contemporary Look Buying Contemporary Art Means Searching Beyond the Obvious
Judd Tully
From the Print Edition:
Kevin Bacon, May/Jun 00
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PAI charges a 15 percent buyer's premium on every lot sold, regardless of the hammer price.
Following the encyclopedic marathon of vintage posters at PAI, Swann Galleries debuts its Modernist Posters auction on May 8 at the firm's snappy salesroom at 104 East 25th Street in Manhattan. Auction specialists in works on paper, photography, cameras, books and historic documents, Swann will offer approximately 200 posters dating from 1906 to 1976 and ranging in price from $500 to $25,000. "I can't give you a dictionary definition of 'modern posters,'" says Nicholas Lowry, Swann's poster specialist, "so you can just say that it covers anything that's modern."
High on Lowry's list is Parisian Charles Loupot's striking shampoo ad "O Cap" from 1928 (est. $15,000$20,000). The famed graphic artist created a genielike image with an Art Deco edge, as the opened shampoo bottle emits a foaming likeness of a woman's luxuriant tresses. Elegantly rendered letters emblazoned across the bottom of the poster proclaim the obvious: "POUR LES CHEVEUX."
Also in the beauty department, Niklaus Stoecklin's "Binaca," from 1941, features a precisely rendered still life of the once-famous toothpaste brand (or pâte dentifrice) standing upright in a glass, as a toothbrush leans in the opposite direction. This advertising image exudes a strong Pop art flavor (est. $3,000$4,000).
On the travel side, Otto Morach's scenic view of a charming Swiss resort town, "Davos," from 1927, makes you want to check to make sure your passport is still valid (est. $2,000$4,000). Even for those viewers who don't harbor a shoe fetish, "Unic," Cassandre's sleekly cropped close-up of a pair of men's cap-toed and highly polished oxfords from 1932, taps a very modern beat (est. $6,000$9,000).
Swann's fully illustrated color catalogue is available for $25 and can also be viewed (for free) on-line at www.swanngalleries.com. Swann charges a buyer's premium of 15 percent on the first $50,000 and 10 percent thereafter. The poster caravan travels to the West Coast on June 28 with Butterfields' sale of "20th Century Decorative Arts" in Los Angeles, which includes a choice sampler of vintage French advertising posters and travel posters from exotic climes.
Georges de Feure's striking 1894 lithograph "Paris Almanac" features a young woman, elegantly costumed in a fur-trimmed cape and elaborate hat, holding a fresh copy of the popular city guide. The image is set outdoors, and the background is busy with strolling Parisians, mostly men in top hats (est. $2,000$3,000).
Poster Auctions International's previews are May 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The show is May 7 at 11 a.m. at The Church of the Armenian Diocese auditorium, 2nd Avenue at 34th Street; contact: Jack Rennert at (212) 787-4000. Swann Galleries's preview takes place May 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the auction is set for May 8 at 10:30 a.m., at 104 East 25th Street; contact: Nicholas Lowery at (212) 254-4710. Butterfields' preview will be held from June 23 to 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the auction will take place June 28 at 6 p.m., at 7601 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles; contact: Morisa Rosenberg, 323-436-5435. --JT
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