Clars’ Summer Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Auction brought in active bidders from across the globe vying for artwork from world famous artists and design from master woodworkers.

The sale began with modern and contemporary art. A featured highlight was Wayne Thiebaud’s (American, 1920–2011) Portrait of Jean Lee Porter, 1951/52, whose provenance was strong and led to a hammer of $31,500. The subject, Jean Lee Porter, was a big band singer in San Francisco and her own notoriety certainly contributed to the interest in the piece.

Another featured highlight was March Avery’s (American, b. 1932), Resting Nude, 1989, oil on canvas. Her stark style of painting, with bold colors and simple linework, appeals to the 21st century minimalist aesthetic. This particular work depicts a female nude — a subject that is highly sought after — and sold for $28,980.

This sale also included a fine example of Alecos Fassianos’ (Greek, 1935–2022) work, Figure in Blue, 1963, oil on canvas, which sold for $20,160. The piece features a quite graphic and color-saturated palette. Several phone bidders fed the competitive bidding.

Squeak Carnwath’s (American, b. 1947), Not Fact, 1996, oil and alkyd on canvas, sold for $18,900 — achieving the 4th highest record price for the artist. Squeak Carnwath, like Thiebaud, is another Bay Area figure. She lives in Oakland and taught art at both UC Davis and UC Berkeley, so her name is notable in Northern California. Her paintings are playful and youthful, appealing to the younger audience buying contemporary art.

Jasper Johns’ (American, b. 1930), Flag (Moratorium), 1969, offset lithograph in colors, edition 97/300, sold for $17,640. This piece was made as a political and anti-war expression, and in the highly politicized climate we live in now, powerful imagery and strong statements feel pertinent and valuable to collectors.

The Design department had strong prices realized across various categories in the Summer Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Auction. Leading the show was an Arthur Espenet Carpenter dining suite, consisting of eight Wishbone dining chairs and a dining table. The chairs and table realized a combined $40,950, with numerous bidders vying for the lots. Also, a Philip and Kelvin LaVerne ‘Marriage Whirl’ table realized $12,600.

Cristina Campion, Associate Director of 20th Century Design, noted, “we’re certainly seeing strong results for American master woodworkers, including Espenet — as well as other American icons like the design duo, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne.”

The sale included master craftsmanship from across genres and cultures. A highlight was a Tony Hunt totem pole dating to 1990, measuring at a mighty 8′11″. There were several telephone bidders on the totem pole that brought the final sale price to $20,160.

Danish Modern furniture preformed quite well, with a pair of Finn Juhl NV-45 lounge chairs selling for $25,200, and a single Finn Juhl NV-45 lounge chair realizing $16,380. “There’s always a market for noteworthy and iconic Danish Design at auction,” commented Ms. Campion.

Clars’ next auctions will be held on July 14th & 15th. Consignments are always invited. Schedule a private or virtual valuation appointment by emailing [email protected].

Born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1881, Gustave Baumann was a renowned American artist who achieved notoriety for his exquisite woodcuts and prints.

He immigrated to the United States and settled in the artistic community of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baumann was known for his exquisite craftsmanship, intricate details, and captivating compositions. His woodcuts and prints showcase an appreciation for nature, displaying vibrant colors and capturing the essence of landscapes and cultural scenes.

Filled with beautiful blooming landscapes in brightly colored skies, his work illuminated the beauty and grandeur of the American Southwest. Baumann’s meticulous technique — combined with his ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and tranquility — makes his art highly desirable for collectors seeking timeless beauty.

Wayne Thiebaud was an American painter known for his depictions of everyday objects and scenes. While he is primarily associated with Pop Art, still lifes, and landscapes, on rare occasion he would work in portraiture.

Clars offered Thiebaud’s Portrait of Jean Lee Porter, an oil painting created in 1951/52, at our Summer Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Auction. This particular artwork is a rare example of portraiture in his oeuvre, commanding a total of $31,500.

The painting showcases Jean Lee Porter, a friend and model for Thiebaud. Thiebaud’s distinctive style is evident in this piece — characterized by his use of bold, vibrant colors and thick application of paint. He captures the sitter in a frontal pose against a neutral background, emphasizing her facial features and expression. Thiebaud’s attention to detail is notable in the rendering of Porter’s face, which exhibits a sense of realism and three-dimensionality. The painting showcases Thiebaud’s early exploration of form, light, and color. As his focus shifted towards other subjects, his output of portraits became less frequent, making these early works relatively scarce.

Thiebaud had a special ability of infusing everyday subjects and settings with vitality and personality, showcasing his skill as a painter. His unique approach to capturing the essence of his subjects through rich brushwork and intense hues makes Thiebaud’s work so exciting for artists and collectors to this day.

Rafael Coronel is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the new expressionism movement in Mexican art.

Coronel was born on July 24, 1931, into a family of artists in Zacatecas, Mexico. He studied at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado “La Esmeralda” (National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking) in Mexico City and Europe.

Coronel’s art often depicted human figures, landscapes, and still life compositions. He employed a distinctive style characterized by vibrant colors, meticulous details, and a touch of surrealism. His paintings showcased a deep understanding of Mexican culture and history — reflecting indigenous influences and the country’s social issues.

Gudelia emphasizes Coronel’s interest in portraiture, which was inspired by everyday people encountered on the streets of Mexico City. He depicted the human existential angst in the figure’s spectral, menacing face, with a downturned mouth and harrowing facial features set against a chiaroscuro background.

Coronel’s contributions to the art world and his dedication to preserving Mexican cultural heritage continue to inspire artists and art enthusiasts to this day.

From the wall frescoes of ancient Rome to the trompe-l’oeil ceiling murals of Renaissance Europe, optical illusions have been a popular trend in visual art for ages.

Artists like Victor Vasarely and M.C. Escher revamped the way artists fool the eye in the 20th century. Perhaps inspired by the revitalized interest in optics, Jasper Johns created an image that toys with our perception of color.

In the work, titled Flag (Moratorium), Johns presents the United States flag with pink, green, and black, replacing the traditional stars and stripes palette. The viewer is invited to stare at the small white dot in the center of the flag for 30 seconds, then avert their gaze to a white wall where they will see the same flag in its original red, white, and blue. This phenomenon, known as a negative afterimage, is caused by stimulation of the cells that carry signals between the eyes and the brain. Johns’ artwork is often layered — whether literally with material or metaphorically with meaning — and Flag (Moratorium) takes this layering a step further, with a covert optical illusion hiding just beneath the surface.

Johns’ flag prints are among his most well-known and iconic works. He first began exploring the American flag as a subject in the mid-1950s and the flag became a recurring motif in his art, representing various themes and concepts. The flag prints emerged during a time when abstract expressionism dominated the art scene. Johns’ use of familiar imagery, like the flag, challenged the prevailing ideas of what art could be. By appropriating this national symbol, Johns questioned the boundaries between art and everyday objects, inviting viewers to reconsider their own perceptions and interpretations.

The flag prints were created through various printmaking techniques, such as lithography, screen printing, and etching, allowing Johns to experiment with different textures and color variations. Today, Johns’ flag prints are highly regarded and can be found in significant museum collections worldwide. They continue to be celebrated as essential contributions to contemporary art history.

“I knew I would be a painter. It never occurred to me that I would do anything else,” March Avery.

Born into a family of artists — her father being Milton Avery and mother Sally Michel — March Avery cultivated a style that was distinctly her own. Growing up, she was surrounded by artists who were friends of her parents. She began creating by the age of two through painting, drawing and sculpting. She developed a style of her own that celebrates brilliant color and abstract forms.

Working across multiple mediums, David Hockney is known for his painting, drawing, prints, photography, collage, set design and digital media.

Hockney was born on July 9, 1937 in Bradford, United Kingdom, and studied at Bradford School of Art and London’s Royal College of Art. In 1964, Hockney moved to California. Drawing inspiration from the region’s light, color, and landscape, his swimming pool paintings garnered him international recognition.

During the 1980’s, Hockney began creating intricate photo collages that he called “joiners.” His early photo-collages consisted of polaroid photographs in a grid. He evolved his style to photo lab processed 35mm photographs, creating abstract representations of the scenes he had photographed in a more organic layout. Photos were taken over a number of minutes, highlighting Hockney’s interest in showing the passing of time, and often show slightly different perspectives of the subject. Deeply inspired by artists such as Pablo Picasso and Greorge Braque, Hockney’s photographic collages are a historical nod to the cubist collages that inspired him. He remains one of the greatest living artists of his generation.

This June 15th at Clars Auction Gallery, we are excited to offer a number of excellent pieces by esteemed artists throughout the Modern and Contemporary periods.

First featured is a photo-collage by influential English artist, David Hockney. Titled Gregory Watching the Snowfall, Kyoto, February 21st, 1983, the arrangement of violet-toned photographs depicts Hockney’s partner, assistant, and frequent model, Gregory Evans, lying in bed and looking out the window of a Japanese washitsu at the garden outside.

Another highlight in the June sale is an oil on board painting by French Fauve artist, Louis Valtat. The work, titled Fraises, depicts a cluster of bright red strawberries on a deep green lettuce leaf. Valtat’s technique blends the color-forward elements of Fauvism with the expressive brushwork of Impressionism to create a sense of movement in a traditional still-life composition.

Lastly, we are presenting a signed multiple by American Neo-Dadaist, Jasper Johns. Titled Flag (Moratorium), the print is a rendering of perhaps Johns’ most well-known subject: the American flag. This work was made to commemorate the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations that took place in 1969. The symbolic use of orange and camouflage-green tones, along with a white “bullet hole” in the center of the image, is meant to highlight the violence that occurred throughout the controversial war.

This sale will also offer additional important works by renowned artists such as Rafael Coronel, Brett Weston, Milton Reskin, Wayne Thiebaud, and Hunt Slonem.

Joseph Raphael, a California native, studied at the California School of Design.

He saved money during the 1890s, first as a newspaper illustrator and later as a sign painter, to continue his artistic studies overseas. He spent most of his life aboard, living 36 years in Paris and the Netherlands.

Keeping strong ties to San Francisco, he exhibited his paintings regularly in local shows and through Albert Bender, a patron of early works of Ansel Adams and Diego Rivera. Before World War II, he returned to San Francisco and maintained a studio on 345 Sutter Street until his death on December 11, 1950.

This May at Clars, we are pleased to offer two acrylic on canvas paintings by Atlanta-Miami-based artist, Anthony Liggins.

Liggins, born in 1965, is a leading figure in the American abstract expressionist resurgence, as well as a prominent African American artist with an international presence.

Liggins names music and dance as two of his major inspirations. In the two pieces offered at Clars this month, titled Blue Angel and Sacred Oasis, the impacts of rhythm and movement are apparent. Melting streaks of color echo sonic waves, which are interspersed with repetitive, grid-like dot work, and bold swaths of color play between rigid lines to create a dynamic interaction of the geometric and organic. The two paintings by Anthony Liggins are each estimated at $4,000–$6,000.