Known for the absurdist humor in his Pop Art compositions, Red Grooms has worked as a painter, sculptor, and printmaker, taking the latter method to a new level in the work being offered in Clars’ Fine Interiors & Design Auction.
Red (Charles Rogers) Grooms (American, b. 1937), De Kooning Breaks Out, 1986, three-dimensional lithograph and collage in colors, 43″ x 28.75″ x 7″. Sold: $2,520
The collaged lithograph, titled De Kooning Breaks Out, depicts famed Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning pedaling a bicycle with a female figure, taken from one of his many Woman paintings, riding on the handlebars. The figures quite literally “break out” in this instance, with the printed paper folding and layered to create a three-dimensional composition. This piece is estimated at $4,000–$6,000.
Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary Art
Artist Spotlight: Joan Miró
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life,” Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893–1983).
Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893–1983), Makemono, 1956, color lithographic scroll in colors on silk with wooden batons (accompanied with original carved and painted wood box), 16.13″ x 382″ (41 x 970 cm). Sold: $16,250
Disrupting the visual elements of established style, Joan Miró was a painter who combined abstract art with surrealist fantasy. He was a leading light of the Surrealist movement, and his work had a significant impact on a wide range of artists — earning Miró recognition as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893–1983), Sculptures (M. 950), 1974, lithograph in colors on BFK Rives France, 20″ x 29.5″. Sold: $441
Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary Art
Artist Spotlight: Norman Rockwell
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary
Norman Rockwell was a prolific American painter and illustrator, best known for depicting everyday American life.
Norman Rockwell (American, 1894–1978), The Conniosseur, color collotype, 27″h x 21.5″w. Sold: $2,000
He was commissioned to illustrate over 40 books, including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Rockwell is probably best known for his cover illustration for the Saturday Evening Post.
Norman Rockwell (American, 1894–1978), Study – Crestwood Commuter Station (for Cover Illustration, Saturday Evening Post, November 16, 1946) & Portrait of an Equestrian Gentleman (verso), circa 1946, charcoal on paper (double-sided), 21.5″ x 20″. Sold: $242,000
Rockwell’s career with the Saturday Evening Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration in 1916, to his last in 1963 — a Portrait of John F. Kennedy.
Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary Art
Artist Spotlight: Andy Warhol
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary
Published in 1979, Andy Warhol’s bizarre take on the classic traditional subject of fruit still lifes, titled Space Fruit: Still Life Series, underscores his evolving interest in abstract art in the late 1970s.
He placed many pieces of fruit against a white background and cast harsh light upon them to create exaggerated shadows and light-based contrast.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987), Peaches from Space Fruit: Still Life Series, 1979, screenprint, 30″ x 40″. Sold: $17,500
Peaches, a work from the series, gives Warhol space to experiment with colors and compositions, showcasing his interest in vibrant unrealistic colors and exaggerated shadows. Presenting an original view of a peach, this work pushed boundaries between the depiction of nature and consumer products. This series is highly sought after by the collectors and Peaches will be offered on March 18th at Clars Auction Gallery.
Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary Art
Designer Spotlight: Toshiko Takaezu
Designer Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary
Toshiko Takaezu, renowned abstract Hawaiian ceramicist from the twentieth century, drew inspiration from her own cultural background as well as contemporary painting and sculpture.
Toshiko Takaezu, Closed Forms. Sold: $24,250
Toshiko Takaezu (American/Japanese, 1922–2011) is best know for her ‘Closed forms’ which can be described as both sculptures and paintings all in one. Each form is unique and varies in shape, size, color and texture and captures a spirit that mirrors work of other postwar expressionist artists, like Joan Mitchell and Mark Rothko.
Two of our modern and contemporary highlights this November come from American artists, Jim Dine and Brian Alfred, who draw inspiration from their surroundings in very different ways.
Clars in collaboration with exhibited.at is honored to host the discussion: Craftsmanship in the Realm of Analog and Digital on November 20th, 1 PM PST.
Lichtenstein was one of the most prominent figures of the Pop Art movement — most known for his comic strip-inspired paintings, prints, and sculptures.
With this inaugural auction, we take great pride in introducing ten esteemed artists who persistently enrich the tapestry of California art.
Auction
Modern + Contemporary
Artist Spotlight: Pablo Picasso
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary
Pablo Picasso, known globally as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer.
In our February 2023 Important Modern + Contemporary Art Auction, Clars offered a rare ceramic plate by Picasso which caught the attention of many phone bidders.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Visage Masque, 1947, ceramic plate, 12.5″ x 15″ (31.75 x 38.1 cm). Sold: $68,750
During the 1940s, Picasso attended a pottery exhibition in the commune of Vallauris in the south of France. He was inspired by his experience to stay in the area, working at the Galerie Madoura as a prolific potter, creating over three thousand vases, plates, tiles, and other objects. Common themes in these ceramics are animals including bulls, birds, and fish, Roman and Greek mythology, and the human form.
The plate sold at Clars follows Picasso’s tradition of working with simplified lines and shapes to create a human face, or Visage as the ceramics are known, similar to the paintings made during his synthetic cubism and African-inspired periods. Picasso’s Madoura ceramics continue to grow in popularity due to their accessibility as well as their versatility as decorative objects.
Left: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Visage (A. R. 288), 1955, terre de faience pitcher, painted in colors and partially glazed, 12″ x 4″ x 5″. Right: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Quatre visages (A.R. 436), 1959, white terre de faience pitcher with colored engobe and glaze, 9″ x 5.5″ x 7.5″. Sold: $14,437.50
Other Picasso Madoura ceramics that Clars has offered include two ceramic pitchers, titled Visage and Quatre Visage. Both pieces were both produced at the Madoura de Vallauris workshop in the 1950’s and have Picasso and Madoura stamped beneath.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Études VII (d’après Manet), 1961, graphite on les Annonay (watermarked) paper, 17.75″ x 23.5″. Provenance: Alex Maguy, Paris; Estate of Liselotte Weber (Burlingame, CA). Exhibited: Alex Maguy Galerie de L’Élysée, Hommage à Picasso, November 19–December 25, 1966. Reference: Zervos XX:50. Sold: $150,000.
The second highest selling lot from Clars’ March 2022 Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Auction, selling at $150,000, was a rare drawing by Picasso titled, Études VII (d’après Manet), from 1961. Well-documented in the artist’s catalogue raisonné, the lot had multiple international bidders, but in the end sold to a buyer in San Francisco.
At the same sale, a linocut by Picasso, titled Le Déjeuner Sur l’Herbe, d’après Manet II, achieved $16,250.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Le Déjeuner Sur l’Herbe, d’après Manet II, 1962, linocut in black and white, 20.75” x 25”. Sold: $16,250
Alexander infuses his paintings with surrealist elements, such as skeletons in formal wear and masked figures.
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary Art
Artist Spotlight: Chiura Obata
Artist Spotlight
Modern + Contemporary
While attending the Nihon Bijutsuin art school in Tokyo, Japan, Okayama-born artist, Chiura Obata, was trained in both Japanese and Western painting techniques — a unique education that would influence his style over the years.
Chiura Obata (American/Japanese, 1885–1975), Storm on Lyell Mountain (from the World Landscape Series), 1930, woodcut print in colors, 10.75″ x 15.5″. Sold: $13,000
As a young man entering the United States, Obata settled in California and focused his talents on depicting the landscapes he saw, ranging from deserts and treeless plains to the cliffs and lakes of Yosemite. Obata found success with these subjects, working in both painting and woodblock printing, and began his teaching career at the University of California, Berkeley in 1932. During the second World War, Obata experienced discrimination due to his Japanese identity and was interned at the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah, where he painted some of his darkest and most emotionally resounding works.
Left: Chiura Obata (American/Japanese, 1885–1975), Evening at Clark Inn (from the World Landscape Series), 1930, woodcut print in colors, 15.5″ x 10.75″. Sold: $7,150 Right: Chiura Obata (American/Japanese, 1885–1975), Upper Lyell Fork (from the World Landscape Series), 1930, woodcut print in colors 15.5″ x 10.75″. Sold: $9,100
Throughout his career, the marriage of Japanese and Western approaches to visual language set Obata apart from his peers both in Japan and in the United States. Using Japanese techniques, like woodblock printing and sumi ink-and-brush painting, while portraying distinctly American landscapes earned him a glowing reputation in and around his chosen home of California. Obata’s work resonates within the blended cultures of the San Francisco Bay Area, where his art, whether in subject or technique, feels familiar to so many residents. Obata’s resiliency during and after confronting the horrors of war, with his continued commitment to cultural collaboration, feels just as inspirational and relevant today as it surely was during his lifetime.
Left: Chiura Obata (American/Japanese, 1885–1975), Shower, Point Lobos, 1933, watercolor and gouache on silk, 19.5″ x 14″. Sold: $15,000 Right: Chiura Obata (Japanese/American, 1885–1975), Deer Dance (Folk Dance), Scare Crow, Northeastern Prefecture, Japan, circa 1960, watercolor, gouache, and gold leaf on silk, 33.5″ x 21″. Sold: $18,750
A featured highlight this month is a watercolor on paper by influential German-Swiss artist Paul Klee. This piece, titled Fragment of a Mural (Fragment einer Wandmalerei), shows an abstract image that is left to the viewer to decipher. Klee is known for the use of geometric forms in his work — often building his arrangements with triangles and rectangles — but here we see an unrecognizable object, made more mysterious by the title identifying it as just one section from a larger composition. Klee is perhaps even better known for his innovative take on color theory. The blending of purple into red into gray tones seen in this work illustrates Klee’s opinion that small sections of color could be unified to create a harmonious visual. Furthermore, during his time as an instructor at the Bauhaus, Klee taught as a master of stained glass, often using smoking techniques to color pieces of glass. The muted tones in this watercolor echo the hazy, blended hues that would result from smoking glass. The work on paper is estimated at $100,000–$150,000.
Paul Klee (German, 1879–1940), Fragment einer Wandmalerei, 1933, gouache, 7.5″ x 9.75″ (19.05 x 24.8 cm). Estimate: $100,000–$150,000
Also included in the sale this month is a work on paper, titled Green Hill, by American artist, Mark Tobey. As a founder of the Northwest School in Seattle, Washington, Tobey imbued in his peers an appreciation of East Asian culture — the effects of which are visible in Green Hill, with its muted color palette echoing Shan Shui landscapes, and an expressionist style that mimics calligraphy. The misty atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest was a driving influence on Tobey, who used earthy tones to illustrate Green Hill, with the green of the hill obscured almost completely by a heavy fog against a sepia sky. Green Hill is dated 1957, the year before Tobey became the second American artist to win the International Grand Prize at the 1958 Venice Biennale. The work is estimated at $30,000–$50,000.
Mark Tobey (American, 1890–1976), Green Hill, 1957, tempera, 12.25″ x 18″ (30.8 x 45.4 cm). Estimate: $30,000–$50,000
Another important work in the February sale is a steel sculpture by acclaimed Mexican artist, Rufino Tamayo. The piece depicts two figures, likely one male and one female based on their clothing, standing with hands overlapped in an uncomplicated embrace. The stylized figures are reminiscent of the simplified figures seen in well-known Tamayo paintings like Tres Personajes, with dominant geometric lines replacing the naturalistic curves of the human body. The sculpture shows the figures’ bodies as rectangles, with semicircle arms and circular hands. The male figure’s legs and female figure’s skirt are triangular, and the base is a narrow rectangular platform. The gray patina of the metallic material is consistent throughout and recalls the stone and clay sculptures of the Zapotec, an indigenous Pre-Colombian culture from whom Tamayo claimed both heritage and inspiration. The work is estimated at $70,000–$100,000.
Next featured in the February sale is the Makemono lithograph scroll by Catalan painter and sculptor, Joan Miró, created circa 1956. Considered a major figure in the Surrealist family, Miró uses this color-printed Chanton silk scroll to marry a traditional East Asian medium with his “automatism” technique, a method of revealing an individual’s psyche through spontaneous drawing and painting. Makemono presents form and color before narrative, showing abstract human figures interspersed with birds, eyes, and nonobjective forms derived purely from the artist’s imagination. From an edition of only 50, the vibrant scroll is anchored by wooden batons on each of the two ends and includes its original carved and painted wood box. The scroll is estimated at $20,000–$30,000.
Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893–1983), Makemono, 1956, color lithographic scroll in colors on silk with wooden batons (accompanied with original carved and painted wood box), 16.13″ x 382″ (41 x 970 cm). Estimate: $20,000–$30,000
Other notable artworks to be offered in the sale include prints by Yayoi Kusama, a ceramic plate by Pablo Picasso, and a painting by Guy Anderson.
Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929), Pumpkin, 1982, lithograph in colors with collage, 22.75″h x 18.75w″. Estimate: $30,000–$50,000
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Visage Masque, 1947, ceramic plate, 12.5″ x 15″ (31.75 x 38.1 cm). Estimate: $20,000–$30,000
Fernand Léger (French, 1881–1955), Deux Personnages, 1947, watercolor, 12.5″ x 16.25″ (32 x 41 cm). Estimate: $60,000–$90,000
Enrico Donati (American/Italian, 1909–2008), Luxor VIII, 1979, oil and sand on canvas, 50″ x 48″ (127 x 122 cm). Estimate: $10,000–$15,000
Our auction on January 16th will feature distinguished design, fine craftsmanship, and notable works by artists and artisans across cultures and periods.
Our auction on October 17th will feature a curated selection of Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Art, and Fine Jewelry & Watches.
Auction
Highlights
Fall Modern + Contemporary Art + Design Post Sale Highlights
Modern + Contemporary
Stories & News
The September 16 Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale at Clars, totaled over $1.3M across 230 lots.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987), Cowboys and Indians (the complete set of ten screenprints), 1986, screenprints in colors, 36″ x 36″ each. Sold: $503,750
Clars’ Fall Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale on September 16th started off the season with impressive results having 230 lots achieve a little over $1.3 million in sales. Fine Art led the way with $1.1 million in sales with the highlight being Andy Warhol’s complete set of ten screenprints, Cowboys and Indians, selling for $503,750. Rick Unruh, Clars CEO, remarked, “Clars is definitely ‘moving up the ladder’ in being recognized internationally as one of the premier auction houses for Modern and Contemporary works. This past auction was our 3rd complete set of Warhols to be offered in the last 2 years — all with outstanding results.”
Another stellar performance was several Pumpkin screenprints by Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929) selling for a combined price of $108,750.
Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929), Top left:Pumpkin (Y), Top Right:Dancing Pumpkin (YOR), Bottom Left:Napping Pumpkin, Bottom Right:Red Colored Pumpkin. Sold: $108,750
Clars Auction Gallery had a nearly 100% sell through rate for the Fall Design sale, with just above 100 lots selling for over $210,000 total.
Angelo Mangiarotti Eros Dining Table. Sold: $18,750
Clients from across the country were vying for Design lots, with many items selling at or above the high estimate. Cristina Campion, Associate Director of 20th Century Design at Clars commented, “strong sales like this one really demonstrate that Clars is a recognized name among Design collectors across the United States.”
Mario Bellini, Cab Chairs Model 413. Sold: $10,625
Top picks included an Angelo Mangiarotti ‘Eros’ Dining Table sold for $18,750, with a $6,000–$9,000 estimate. Other auction highlights include a suite of eight Mario Bellini Cab Chairs, Model 413, that brought $10,625, a set of Christian Liaigre Bazane Stools that sold for $9,375, a Charles and Ray Eames 670 and 671 chair and ottoman that realized $8,125, and a Vladimir Kagan Ondine Chair that commanded $8,125.
Christian Liaigre Bazane stools. Sold: $9,375
Clars is gearing up for it’s next Design auction on December 18th, and is hopeful that the department will continue to see an upward trajectory in sales.
Vladimir Kagan Couture Sloane II sofa. Sold: $8,125
The star lot will be the complete portfolio of Andy Warhol’s 1986 Cowboys and Indians. The ten screenprint series portrays a range of imagery representing both historical and mythical lore of the American West. They will be offered with an estimate of $500,000–$700,000. Additional highlights will include important works by Bay Area Figurative artists including Nathan Oliveira, Raimonds Staprans and Joan Brown, as well as works by KAWS, M.F Husain, Yayoi Kusama, and Richard Pettibone.
Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987), Cowboys and Indians (the complete set of ten screenprints), 1986, screenprints in colors, 36″ x 36″ each. Estimate: $500,000–$700,000
Nathan Oliveira (American, 1928–2010), Untitled (from the Windhover series), 1990, oil on canvas board mounted to panel, 16.5″ x 20.5″. Estimate: $12,000–$18,000
Raimonds Staprans (Latvian/American, b. 1926), Boats in Blue Water, 1963, oil on canvas, 22″ x 25″. Estimate: $12,000–$18,000
Joan Brown (American, 1938–1990), Cucumber and Lemon, 1965, oil on plywood board, 16.25″ x 15″. Estimate: $40,000–$60,000
KAWS (American, b. 1974), Four Foot Companion, 2007, black cast vinyl sculpture, 51″ x 23″. Estimate: $40,000–$60,000
Maqbool Fida Husain (Indian, 1913–2011), Untitled (Woman and Horse), 2000, acrylic on canvas, 54.5″ x 34″. Estimate: $60,000–$80,000
Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929), Napping Pumpkin, 1993, screenprint, 20.8″ x 25.75″. Estimate: $30,000–$50,000
Richard Pettibone (American, b. 1938), Andy Warhol Double Elvis, 1968, screenprint on canvas, 8.5″ x 8.5″. Estimate: $30,000–$50,000
Gustave Baumann (American/German, 1881–1971), Rain in the Mountains (1926), 1956, woodcut in colors, 9.25″ x 11.25″. Estimate: $12,000–$18,000
Invader (French, b. 1969) Invasion Kit #11: Blue, 2009, ceramic tile mosaic, 6.25″ x 8.75″. Estimate: $10,000–$15,000
Nathan Oliveira (American, 1928–2010), Smiling Man with Green Eyes, 1961, oil and gouache on paper, 25″ x 20″. Estimate: $10,000–$15,000
Our auction on January 16th will feature distinguished design, fine craftsmanship, and notable works by artists and artisans across cultures and periods.
