Susan Graham at Compound Editions – artmarketblog.com

Susan Graham at Compound Editions – artmarketblog.com

Susan Graham Vessel for Safekeeping (Survivalism) 2009 Porcelain Edtion of 50, plus 10 APs $250.00 each

It is good to see that there are people willing to make a stand against the global economic crisis and start new ventures to promote the work of emerging artists even though many would shy away from making such commitments. Two such people are the owners of Schroeder Romero and Winkleman Gallery who launched Compound Editions, a collaborative fine art multiples publishing venture, in November last year. The latest offering from Compound Editions is by New York based artist Susan Graham who has created a fantastically witty work that is very much a memento of our times. “Vessel for Safekeeping (Survivalism)” is a sort of “alternative” mantel piece ornament that consists of a hand sculptured and hand glazed porcelain lacy box which contains a porcelain credit card and porcelain scissors.

We all like to think that we have complete control over our financial status but Graham’s use of a very fragile and rigid material in the construction of the box, card, and in particular the scissors, suggests that we do not have as much control as we may think. Although a pair of scissors is provided to cut up the credit card the porcelain scissors are completely useless as though mocking the helplessness of the viewer. Even though we can’t cut the credit card with the scissors the fragility of the porcelain credit card makes it very vulnerable to damage, just like our financial status, if not properly taken care of. Graham also appears to be suggesting that our identities are very much defined by our financial status and that people judge others according to their financial means in much the same way as the sort of ornaments that a person has on their mantel piece can say a lot about them and and their family.

“Vessel for Safekeeping (Survivalism)” is an edition of 50 plus 10 APs and can be purchased for $250 from Schroeder Romero and Winkleman Gallery or by emailing compoundeditions[at]gmail.com

Further information and other editions can be found here:
http://compound-editions.blogspot.com/

Susan Graham has been included in numerous exhibitions in the United States and Europe including recent shows at the Tucson Museum Of Art, John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Michigan; the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, the Sherman Gallery at Boston University, Hunter College Leubsdorf Gallery, New York; the Musee d’art et d’industrie de Saint-Etienne, and the Musee International des Arts Modestes, Sete, France.

More info on Susan Graham and her work can be found here:

http://www.susangrahamart.com/

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

Do-Ho Suh at SculptureCenter – artmarketblog.com

Do-Ho Suh at SculptureCenter – artmarketblog.com

SculptureCenter Home Exhibitions Events Visit Join About Press Store Limited Editions Bookstore Event Tickets Search All content © SculptureCenter. All rights reserved. Limited Editions Do-Ho Suh Doorknob/Bathroom, 2003 Polyester fabric, lithograph on paper in acrylic box 12" x 18" x 7 3/4" Edition of 20 with 3 artist proofs $4,500.00

A new auction record was set for a limited edition work by the popular Korean artist Do Ho Suh at Philips De Pury’s June 2nd Editions sale where one of the artist’s limited edition lithographs, “Untitled, 1998”, sold for $7,500 against an estimate of $2000 – $3000. A far more interesting limited edition work by Do Ho Suh titled “Doorknob/Bathroom is available from the New York based SculptureCentre for $4,500.00. An edition of 20 with 3 artists proofs, “Doorknob/Bathroom” is “a full-scale reproduction of the doorknob of the artist’s Chelsea apartment. Do-Ho Suh often works with semi-transparent fabrics that he delicately sews together to represent – and defy – existing and functional spaces and objects. Doorknob/Bathroom exists as an isolated architectural element, separated from Suh’s apartment and therefore abandons its ties with a specific place and becomes a loose abstraction with a new-found flexibility and transparency”

The popularity of Do-Ho Suh’s work and the inclusion of his work in the collections of the NY Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the LA Museum of Contemporary Art makes this limited edition a good investment.

To purchase or inquire about this SculptureCenter Limited Edition, please contact Mary Button at mbutton@sculpture-center.org or 718-361-1750 x111

For more information go here:
http://www.sculpture-center.org/storeLimitedEdition.htm?id=10159

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

Limited Edition Art Market Update – artmarketblog.com

Limited Edition Art Market Update – artmarketblog.com

Lot 39, VICTOR VASARELY, 'Kedzi' 1990

On the 3rd of June auction house Phillips de Pury held their third ever sale of Modern and Contemporary Editions in New York after achieving good results for both auctions dedicated to Modern and Contemporary Editions  in 2008. The affordability of limited editions should be a definite draw card in the current economic climate but the fall from favour that contemporary art has experienced of late would have increased the risk of a poor result.  With expectations high for their first Modern and Contemporary Editions auction of 2009 there was plenty at stake for Phillips de Pury.  To find out how they went, keep reading.

The first auction of Modern and Contemporary Editions held by Phillips de Pury in May 2008 was very successful resulting in a total sale value of US$2,688,288 (including buyers premium) for 134 lots and achieving a 92% sold by value rate and 86% sold by lot rate. One year later and the 2009 Modern and Contemporary Editions auction, held on the 2nd of June, achieved similar statistics as the 2008 auction with 90% sold by value and 88% sold by lot. This, however, is where the similarities end. For starters, the 2009 sale total of US$1,120,075 was less than half the 2008 total of US$2,688,288. If you are thinking that the 2009 auction must have been smaller than the 2008 auction then you would be wrong because in 2009, a total of 280 lots were auctioned compared with 157 in 2008. What this means is that although the sold by value and sold by lot rate were almost the same for 2008 and 2009, the value of the lots in the 2009 auction were much lower than they were in 2008. The average price per lot for each auction confirms this with the average price per lot in 2009 coming to US$4590 compared to an average price per lot of US$20,060 in 2008. An ever more revealing indicator of the difference between the two auction is the fact that in 2008 a total of 63 out of the 134 lots sold fetched more than US$10,000 whereas in 2009, only 18 out of the 244 lots sold fetched more than $10,000.

With a majority of the lots on offer selling for less than US$4000 and many selling for one or two thousand dollars there were plenty of works that were affordable to almost anyone. Because of the lower value of the works being sold it is likely that a majority of the buyers were either collectors or decorators as opposed to hard core investors or trophy hunters. This is a good sign that people still have a certain amount of disposable income and that they are willing to spend that money on art within reason.

The results of the 2009 Modern and Contemporary Editions auction shows that limited edition works of art remain popular especially those priced at less than $10,000. Although the lower number of higher priced works in this years auction compared to the 2008 auction could be perceived as being the result of a lack of supply, I doubt that this would be the case and would suggest that this was a deliberate tactic by Phillips de Pury to ensure a high sold by lot and sold by value rate. The general reduction in the amount of money being spent on contemporary art across across the board was reason enough to increase the number of lower priced works in the auction in order to avoid a poor result. By focusing on low value works, Phillips de Pury could have ended up with an auction of low quality works that were undesirable regardless of their low price. Instead it appears that Phillips de Pury deserve a round of applause for putting together a catalogue of top quality yet affordable works of art.

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

Affordable Photography at Troika Editions – artmarketblog.com

Affordable Photography at Troika Editions – artmarketblog.com

Sand Blaster By Bill Jackson

In August of 2007, Jen Bekman launched the online art store 20×200 (http://www.20×200.com) with a mission to make fine art available to everyone. Bekman’s concept of selling one print in a range of physical sizes and edition sizes at varying price levels caters to everyone from the serious collector to those who just want something to decorate their home. Each week two new works are released one of which is a photographic work and one of which is a work on paper. The prints range in size and price from 8″ by 10″ prints from an edition of 200 which cost $20 to 40″ by 30″ prints from an edition of 2 which cost $2000 with other options in between.

Jen Bekman’s US based 20×200 had the niche all to themselves until the UK based Troika Editions opened for business in April this year. Troika Editions is a new online gallery with a focus on contemporary photography which offers a new photographic image for sale each week made available as limited editions prints which vary in size, price and edition number just like 20×200. All their prints come with a certificate signed by the artist and a unique edition number which is what one would expect from anyone selling a top quality fine art edition. According to the Troika editions website “Each art work will be offered in the same three sizes, small, medium and large; in the same three edition runs of 300, 30 and 3; at the same prices of £35, £350 and £3500. All you have to do is decide which one you like.”

The artists whose work is chosen to be sold as limited edition prints by Troika are carefully selected by a curator because of their current success and future potential. The website states that “Troika Editions showcases exciting and beautiful work by photographers with a pedigree. These are the next photo stars; they have won awards, published books and had exhibitions. We believe they are artists to watch in the future”.  So far things look good for Troika editions with the current offerings appearing to be highly desirable and top quality. I’m a particular fan of the slightly eerie but very intriguing work ‘Sand Blaster’ by Bill Jackson (see image) who just won the silver award in the Royal Photographic Society 152nd International Print Exhibition. Jackson has a very extensive cv that includes lots of solo and group exhibitions as well as an impressive list of rewards which suggests that he is definitely an artist worth investing in.

To see all the works available from Troika editions visit http://www.troikaeditions.co.uk/

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

Join the Artist of the Month Club – artmarketblog.com

Join the Artist of the Month Club – artmarketblog.com

There are several organisations that run art by subscription programs but the Artist of the Month Club is the best I have come across so far. For only US$2400 (including shipping and handling) for a years subscription you can receive an original limited edition work of art in the mail by an artist who has been chosen by a world class curator. Each month a different curator will choose an artist that they believe are worthy of being part of the project and that artist will produce an original limited edition work of art that will be mailed to subscribers along with a certificate of authenticity. Subscribers will not know who the artist is or what the work is that they will be receiving prior to receiving the work in the mail which adds an element of surprise and excitement.

Each work of art is an edition of 50 which means that a maximum of 50 people can subscribe at one time. Past artists who have contributed a work of art include William Powhida, Zoe Crosher, Matthew Higgs and Pinar Yolacan. The work for April was a photography titled ‘Boro’ by Turkish born artist Pinar Yolacan who was chosen by Ana Finel Honigman. Pinar is a 28 year old up and coming photographer who has had solo exhibitions at the Yapi Kredi Foundation (Turkey), the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Rivington Arms (New York) as well having been part of many group exhibitions the most recent of which was Fotografie Forum International in Frankfurt.

If the Artist of the Month Club sounds like something you would be interested in subscribing to or even if you want to give a subscription as a gift you can find out more information at http://www.artistofthemonthclub.com

image:

‘Boro’ 2009 by Pinar Volacan

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

Mai-Thu Perret Edition from Parkett Art – artmarketblog.com

Mai-Thu Perret Edition from Parkett Art – artmarketblog.com

Mai-Thu Perret is a rather interesting Swiss artist who I was not really aware of until recently when I came across a rather intriguing limited edition of Perret’s work being sold at Parkett Art. An exhibition of Perret’s work titled “New Work: Mai-Thu Perret” is currently on show at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in San Francisco, California. The exhibition includes works that have been influenced by a fictional narrative that Perret has created called The Crystal Frontier which the SFMOMA website describes as a “a fictional account of a group of women who found a small utopian community in the desert of southwestern New Mexico in an attempt to escape the impositions of capitalism”. Perret started The Crystal Frontier in 1999 and has since produced films, posters, mannequins, furniture, paintings, wallpaper, sculptures, ceramics, banners and performances most of which Perret exhibits as having been made by members of the fictional Crystal Frontier community.

Parkett Art are currently selling a limited edition work by Perret titled “A Portable Apocalypse Ballet (Red Ring), 2008” which is a model of a girl holding a red ring that lights up. A brief description of the work is provided which states that “The purity of the circle, unassailable with eyes closed in order to see”. This work appears to have been created in conjunction with a film that Perret produced called “An Evening of the Book” in which female dancers performed movements in group formation along with simple acts, like cutting through a black banner, manipulating white fluorescent tubes, opening a book, or playing with hula hoops. According to the text by Julien Fronacq that is part of the feature on Perret in the latest edition of Parkett Art “The film
itself takes its inspiration from Varvara Stepanova’s set designs for an agit-prop play of the same title. Viewing the piece in the gallery’s three-projection installation, one can’t help but think of modernism’s most emblematic objects (the monochrome, the
neon tube) or of Yvonne Rainer’s everyday gestures, like walking or sitting, that play down the pathos of dance.”

The body of work that has been produced by Perret as part of “The Crystal Frontier” is eclectic and complex which makes explaining the symbolism and meaning behind “A Portable Apocalypse Ballet (Red Ring)” rather difficult to do in a single blog post. What I can tell you is that Mai-Thu Perret’s has been receiving plenty of attention over the last six months and with current exhibitions of her work at the SFMOMA and Aspen Art Museum there is no doubt that Perret is an emerging contemporary artist well worth keeping an eye on.

A Portable Apocalypse Ballet (Red Ring), 2008 is an edition of 45 and is available from Parkett Art for US$2500. For further information or to purchase the item go to http://www.parkettart.com/index3.htm

and you can read more about Perret’s work here:  perret-21

Image: “A Portable Apocalypse Ballet (Red Ring), 2008″
sculpture, opaque non-toxic polyurethane resin, color cast with instant polyurethane pigments, clothing designed by Ligia Dias, beige viscose fabric with white accents and metal buttons, black leather belt, modacrylic light brown wig, solid cast polyurethane resin base, painted, neon ring powered by 12 V CE and UL approved universal wall adapter, 14 3/4 x 7 x 7” ( 37,5 x 17,8 x 17,8 cm) production by Gamla Model Makers, Feasterville, PA, USA, Ed. 45/XX, signed and numbered certificate.

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.