Taking the charge and achieving the sale’s top price of $2,500 was “The Magnificent Seven,” an oil on board by Kiar Mesko (Slovenian, b 1936), 24½ by 38 inches in a custom wood frame ($600/1,200).
Review by Carly Timpson
CLINTONDALE, N.Y. — Kensington Estate Auction conducted a 170-lot auction of fine art and antiques on June 23. Janise Poticha, a representative for the house, shared that there were 3,500 registered bidders with many of the lots having upwards of 25 individuals watching before the auction. While the firm declined to share the total realized, the auction did have a 95 percent sell-through rate and Poticha noted, “We are seeing a bit of a change of buying — possibly due to global concerns, buyers being much more selective with their purchases, more careful with spending…but very keen interest in many of our items. We try to sell ‘uniques’ or items of high interest.” The buyers were a combination of private collectors, dealers and designers.
Leading the diverse selection of Eighteenth through Twenty-First Century art, Native American items, photography, stamps, rugs, jewelry, objets d’art, books, autographs, historic documents and more was an equestrian oil painting by Slovenian artist Kiar Mesko. This work, titled “The Magnificent Seven,” featured a band of horses running toward the viewer, with one facing the opposite direction. From a Greenwich, Conn., estate, the custom-framed painting galloped to $2,500, far surpassing its $600-$1,200 estimate range. A note in the auction catalog described the spiritual significance of seven horses depicted together, saying that it “signifies success, prosperity and spiritual progress.”
This exhibition poster for the “Warhol/Basquiat Paintings” exhibition at Tony Shafrazi Gallery from “September 14 through October 19, 1985,” published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York City, and Bruno Bichofberger, Zurich, offset lithograph on paper, 1985, 19 by 12 inches, was knocked out for $1,875 ($1/2,000).
An exhibition poster for the 1985 “Warhol/Basquiat Paintings” exhibition at Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York City, earned the sale’s second-highest price. The bold yellow poster with red text featured the two icons in the style of a traditional boxing poster — think those for Joe Frazier versus Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century.” This original offset lithograph poster, which uses a photo of the two artists taken by Michael Halsband, was published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery and Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich. It came from a private estate and was in good, original condition. When the bell rang, it went out for $1,875. Another Warhol exhibition poster — this one a serigraph for a 1974 run at the Musée Galliera, Paris, and featuring a purple-faced Chairman Mao — found success, selling for $688.
Another artist who was well-represented in the auction was the contemporary graffiti artist Angel Ortiz, better known as LA II. Coming to a head in his selection was a bust of David — entirely tagged, with the exception of his vibrant shock of gold hair — resting atop a similarly tagged acrylic podium. The black plaster bust was detailed with silver metallic paint markers while the podium was spray painted then tagged with metallic paint markers. The catalog noted “these works are from the original New York City period Graffiti Movement during the 1990s” and the consignor acquired them directly from the artist in the late 90s. The David bust sold to an online buyer for $1,500. Following the bust was a two-dimensional work. LA II’s “Can’t Be Stopped (CBS),” a painting done in silver metallic paint markers on acrylic painted black board, had a similar background and it hung for $1,250. An earthenware vase tagged by LA II in silver with fluorescent pink accents additionally bore the artist’s rare signature on its underside. Standing 19¾ inches high, the vase was taken to $875.
This bust of David and the podium it rested upon were both graffitied throughout by LA II (Angel Ortiz) (b 1967). Measuring 55 inches total, the work was tagged by its new owner for $1,500 ($1/2,000).
An untitled lithograph on Arches paper from Joan Miró’s Flight portfolio, created in 1966 and published in 1971, flew to $1,375. This edition, numbered “28/250,” was signed by the artist in pencil and featured bold line illustrations of flying creatures on a stippled background with a few splotches of color. Published by International Rescue Committee, New York City, and printed by Mourlot, Paris, this work was framed and matted under plexiglass and came from a Greenwich, Conn., estate before taking off to its new home with an internet buyer.
A religious Russian contemporary modernist painting, “Symbolic Resurrection” by Anatolij Gousarov, rose to $1,210, selling to a phone bidder. Signed “A. Gousarov” to the lower right, this oil on canvas depicted a scene of a nude man looking down upon another figure who is illuminated and surrounded by angels.
Also won by a phone or absentee bidder was a substantial collection of American postage stamps from a Boston estate. Housed in six bound volumes, though unsorted, there were more than 1,000 stamps included in the collection and Kensington Estate Auctions cataloged it as being “much too large for us to sort out… buyer will definitely be happy.” The set included American mint postage stamps, blocks and full, uncut sheets. These were mailed off for $968, far exceeding their $500 high estimate.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.kensingtonestateauctions.com or 917-331-0807.
