Los Angeles, CA— John Moran is pleased to present major works by Judy Chicago, Marcos Grigorian, Rosangela Renno, Jenny Holzer, and the Father of the Space and Light Movement, James Turrell with his important work, Hologram #10 at Moran’s Autumn Modern & Contemporary Art Sale. On the heels of Moran’s three World-Auction Records in their September Modern & Contemporary Art Sale, this selection of rare to market works by blue-chip artists on Tuesday, November 1st will certainly be an auction the art world will be closely watching.
Judy Chicago (b. 1939, American), Transformation Painting $80,000-120,000
For over a half a century, James Turrell has worked directly with light and space to create artworks that engage viewers with the limits and wonder of human perception. Along with being an artist, Turrell is an avid pilot and considers the sky his studio, material, and canvas. He is quoted as saying, “My work has no object, no image, and no focus. With no object, no image, and no focus, what are you looking at? You are looking at you looking. What is important to me is to create an experience of wordless thought.” Each of Turrell’s creations falls into one of over twenty categories and this work, Hologram #10 is part of his “Hologram” collection. Unlike traditional holograms that depict objects, Turrell’s designs aim to make a hologram of light itself. Turrell is very thoughtful about his artistic practice, so as a result, he does not mass produce his work and works such as this one do not frequently appear on the market. Most of his works are installations that are not meant to be moved, so this is a rare and exciting opportunity for collectors. With an estimate of $150,000-200,000, Hologram #10 is created using a glass construction displayed on the wall and a projector installed into the ceiling.
Moran’s is honored to be presenting the fresh-to-market work, Transformation Painting, 1973, by the feminist artist and educator, Judy Chicago. This work represents a pivotal moment in her career— It marks the transition of her artistic practice moving away from the light and space movement and toward more socially conscious works, particularly in relation to gender and sexual identity. Chicago helped pioneer the feminist art movement in the 1960s and 70s and this is a strong example of artwork from that time. Transformation Painting, is a part of feminist history and history at large: the work was exhibited at the landmark 1973 exhibition “Womanhouse” in Los Angeles, the first ever feminist exhibition to gain national attention. The abstract imagery of Transformation Painting alludes to the feminine and the captions give insight into the artist’s innermost thoughts and vulnerabilities (i.e., commentary about a dinner party in which she was excluded). It also led her to creating a body of work that is now part of the Brooklyn Museum’s permanent collection thanks to the support of a collector, Elizabeth Sackler. Judy Chicago has entered the historical canon and artworks like this show her to not only be on the right side of history, but to have forged the path. Transformation Painting, estimated at $80,000-120,000, is a highlight of the sale and is one of few works by Chicago to have appeared at auction.
Doug Aitken (b. 1968, American), FATE $70,000-80,000
Like Turrell, Doug Aitken is an American artist known for creating electrical works intended to elicit unexpected and profound responses from the viewer. His installations incorporate video, photography, sculpture, and performance, highlighting a range of subjects. Aitken uses film to expand the traditional notions of art. Explaining his work, Aitken has said, “We’re living in a tremendously new landscape, and the possibility of what can be created is immense. These tools of the moving image have a relatively short history in art, and what we can do with them is still largely unknown. We are still innovating and finding ways to tell stories.” Offered in this sale is his work titled, FATE, estimated $70,000-80,000, is a LED lightbox with text overlaid onto the three-dimensional wall mounted letters that read, “The handle comes up the hammer goes down.” —Thus, referencing the auction market.
The bold and bright oil on wood panel, Turtle, is from the abstract artist, Josh Smith. Smith is a New York-based painter who first became known in the early 2000s for a series of canvases demonstrating his experimentation with abstraction and figuration. He is now represented by the David Zwirner Gallery in New York where this painting was part of a show displaying 100+ similar works. Valued at $50,000-70,000, Turtle is a strong example of his signature style—pictograph-like symbols in broad and watery brushstrokes. Through his repeated, minimalistic imagery, the artist raises questions about the nature of communication and the way in which one can express conceptual ideas through iconographic markings.
Included in this sale are several works previously held in an important New York Corporate Collection, the same collection that housed Moran’s recent World-Auction Record-breaking, Alice Baber. This over fifty-year-old collection features work by Robert Natkin and Robert Sterling Neuman. Natkin painted lyrical and powerful canvases that are represented in permanent collections of major museums, corporate, and private collections, worldwide. Natkin’s work, Puerto Rican will be offered with an estimate of $10,000-15,000. Also, part of this collection is Ciudad de Corazones, 1959, by the painter and printmaker, Robert Neuman. Neuman was part of the second generation of abstract expressionists. In 1956, Neuman was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to Barcelona, Spain, influencing a style shift from his Black Paintings to exploring the expressive nature of color. These works were his attempts to create a universally relevant style of art and captured his impressions of the motion of light he saw on the narrow streets of Barcelona. Part of this series, Ciudad de Corazones, has a $8,000-12,000 estimate and measures 77” H x 146” W, making it the biggest painting of Neuman’s to have ever come up for auction.
Along with American artists, this sale will feature the French mixed-media artist, Jean-Michel Othoniel. Othoniel utilizes materials such as wax, sulfur, and glass to explore ideas of material transformation. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the artist was included in numerous group and solo exhibitions with the theme of reconciling opposites. His work can be found in the collections of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York. His glass sculpture, Collier Rose, 2016, is estimated $18,000-22,000 and was made to be suspended to demonstrate how the shape with light work in a space. In addition to Collier Rose, Moran’s will be offering Othoniel’s work, Amants suspendu, 2014, with an estimate of $15,000-20,000.
There will also be a variety of photography from contemporary artists such as Lawrence Schiller, Robert Weingarten Jean Pigozzi, Yuka V., Mike Figgis, Douglas Kirkland, and Melanie Pullen. An impressive collection by Herb Ritts taken in Hawaii features 90s models Cindy Crawford, Carla Bruni, and Karen Alexander.
—Brenda Smith and Jennifer S. Li, John Moran Auctioneers
James Turrell (b. 1943, Los Angeles, CA), Hologram #10 $150,000-200,000
“Turrell is very thoughtful about his artistic practice, so as a result, he does not mass produce his work and works such as this one do not frequently appear on the market. Most of his works are installations that are not meant to be moved, so this is a rare and exciting opportunity for collectors. ”
Upcoming Auctions
As we enter the Fall season of 2022, John Moran Auctioneers will continue their autumn lineup with the both the California Living auction and the She Made It: Women in Art sale on Tuesday, October 25th. Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming auctions so you don’t miss out on the action, and the treasures!
California Living: Tuesday, October 25th | 10:00 am PST
She Made It: Tuesday, October 25th | 4:00 pm PST
Autumn Modern & Contemporary Fine Art: Tues., Nov.1st | 12:00 pm PST
Made in Mexico: Tuesday, November 15th | 10:00 am PST
California an American Fine Art: Tuesday, November 15th | 4:00pm PST
Art of the American West: Wednesday, November 16th | 10:00 am PST
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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