Los Angeles, CA— AAs we approach the second half of 2023, John Moran Auctioneers will present their bi-annual Modern & Contemporary Fine Art sale, Tuesday, June 13th at 12:00pm PDT. This auction features works by many important arts of the 20th and 21st centuries, including paintings, prints and multiples, photography, and sculpture by Alice Baber, Jacques Lipschitz, Karl Benjamin, Joan Miró, Damien Hirst, Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Herb Ritts, among others. This sale will also feature a capsule collection of works from the estate of the esteemed New York gallerist, Howard Wise, including important works by Charmion von Wiegand, Takis, Nam June Paik, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and Peter Hujar.
Ernest Briggs (1923-1984), Untitled (#222) $25,000-30,000
Howard Wise (1903-1989) was an important American art patron and gallerist who left an indelible mark on the American art scene. After beginning his career as an industrialist, Wise sold off his family business to pursue his interests in the arts. He opened his first gallery in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio in 1957, where he exhibited works by prominent contemporary European artists that proved to be unpopular with his Midwestern audience. In 1960, Wise made the decision to relocate his business to New York City and opened his gallery on 57th Street to great acclaim. Over the next several decades, the Howard Wise Gallery became a hub for the international avant-garde art scene. Howard’s second wife, Barbara Wise (1929-2011), played a huge part in the gallery’s success, as she helped cultivate the growing social scene at the gallery and was a strong advocate for many actors and artists throughout her life. Although the gallery was a for-profit business, Howard and Barbara Wise ran the gallery more as a museum exhibition space than as a business and wanted it to be used as an experimental showcase. After the gallery closed in 1971, the Wises established a foundation known as the Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), which helped artists and organizations working within the emerging video art movement. Moran’s is pleased to bring works from the collection of the late Howard and Barbara Wise to auction for the very first time.
Growing international acclaim and recognition as a major female figure of the Abstract Expressionist movement is Alice Baber (1928-1982). Back in August of 2022, Moran’s had achieved a new world auction record for the artist, $187,500 (including buyer’s premium) for her work, “Swirl Of Sounds – The Ghost In The Banyan Tree,” 1976. Then, in their February 2023 Art + Design auction, interest in Baber grew exponentially and her “Axe In The Grove,” 1966, hammered in a whopping $275,000 (including buyer’s premium)—earning the artist an even better world auction record! Now, on the heels of this momentum, collectors have another chance to be a part of Baber’s red-hot market, this time with her paintings, “The Sound of the Summer Hermit” and “The Key of Sound and Light,” 1976, with an estimate of $50,000-70,000, and “Light Ladder,” 1966, estimated $20,000-30,000.
Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973), "Melancholia," $15,000-20,000
La Meneuse de Lune, 1975, will be one of five works offered by the Spanish artist Joan Miró (1893-1983). In La Meneuse de Lune, estimated, $30,000-50,000, Miró explores his distinctive artistic style and combines it with a mystical theme often associated with the moon. The print showcases a fantastical scene that invites viewers into a world of imagination and whimsy. His use of bold colors adds vibrancy and intensity to the work through a rich palette of blues, oranges, reds, and greens, creating a harmonious interplay of hues. The juxtaposition of warm and cool colors enhances the dreamlike quality of the artwork, evoking emotions and a sense of wonder.
One of the highlights from the Howard Wise capsule collection is Charmion von Wiegand’s, The Lotuses, 1960. Von Wiegand (1896-1983) was an American artist and journalist who played a significant role in the development of abstract art and the promotion of spiritual philosophies in the 20th century. With an estimate of $30,000-50,000, “The Lotuses” dates to a period in the artist’s career when she found herself immersed in a rapidly changing artistic landscape. She moved away from strict geometric abstraction and began incorporating more organic and fluid forms in her work, reflecting the broader artistic movements of the time, such as Abstract Expressionism and the Color Field movement.
Other noteworthy selections from the Wise collection are Untitled (#222), 1959, by Ernest Briggs, estimated $25,000-30,000, and an electrified sculpture, Signal, circa 1967-71, by Panayiotis “Takis” Vassilakis, having a $15,000-20,000 estimate. Briggs (1923-1984) was a second-generation Abstract Expressionist painter known for his expressive brushwork, geometric compositions, and revolution in abstract painting that secured New York City’s position as the art capital of the world in the post-World War II period. Takis (1925-2019) was a prominent Greek artist known for his groundbreaking contributions to the fields of kinetic art and sculpture. Throughout his career he challenged conventional artistic practices and explored the relationship between art, science, and technology. His innovative works, characterized by their use of magnetism and motion, established him as a leading figure in the international art scene.
Karl Benjamin (1925-2012) was an American abstract artist who played a significant role in the development of abstract art in Southern California. Benjamin rose to fame as one of four Los Angeles based Abstract Classicists in 1959 and subsequently developed a rich vocabulary of colors and hard-edge shapes in masterful compositions of tightly balanced repose as seen in “FS #8,” 1962. Estimated $20,000-30,000, this work comes from his “Free Style” (hence the “FS” in the title) series.
This auction will also feature four works by the Southern California native, Josh (SHAG) Agle (b. 1962). Josh Agle, known professionally as SHAG, is a contemporary artist widely recognized for his distinctive style that captures the essence of mid-century modernism and retro pop culture. With his vibrant colors, bold designs, and playful characters, as seen in, L.A. Modern (Day), 2005, estimated $5,000-7,000, SHAG has become an icon in the world of modern art.
Other examples of the impressive variety of sculpture offered in the sale feature Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) and Bruno Romeda (1933-2017). Melancholia, 1971, comes directly from the private collection of French American Cubist sculptor, Jacques Lipchitz with a $15,000-20,000 estimate. Inspired by primitive geometric forms, as seen in Untitled #13 (Circle Sculpture), 1986, estimated $12,000-18,000, Bruno Romeda is considered a complete artist because all his work begins by joining twigs, rods, and sticks. His work is an example of technical perfection, harmonizing proportions and bronze work.
—Brenda Smith, John Moran Auctioneers
Alice Baber (1928-1982), “The Sound Of The Summer Hermit” And “The Key Of Sound And Light,” $50,000-70,000
“Growing international acclaim and recognition as a major female figure of the Abstract Expressionist movement is Alice Baber (1928-1982). ”
Upcoming Auctions
John Moran Auctioneers will continue their 2023 lineup with the Art of the American West auction, Tuesday, June 6th, followed by the Modern & Contemporary Fine Art sale, Tuesday, June 13th. Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming auctions so you don’t miss out on the action, and the treasures!
Art of the American West: Tuesday, June 6th | 12:00 pm PDT
Modern & Contemporary Fine Art: Tuesday, June 13th |12:00pm PDT
ReDesigned: Tuesday, July 11th | 12:00pm PDT
For upcoming highlights, online catalogues, and more information on these sales, visit Moran’s website: www.johnmoran.com and follow us on social media: @johnmoranauctioneers. Along with our website, bidding is now available online via Moran’s new mobile app, Moran Mobile, available on both iOS and Android operating systems. You may also choose to bid by phone or absentee.
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