It seems that only the weirdest or the most valuable auction lots ever reach the international press.
But this lot – set to star at Sotheby’s in June – ticks both boxes.
The leading auction house is set to sell a collection of photographs taken by former Moscow circus performer Mikki the Chimp, which are valued at a whopping £50,000-70,000.
Now – if you are anything like me – you may be thinking, why should I give a monkey?
Well for a start, the shots weren’t taken on Mikki’s initiative, instead at the behest of Soviet art duo Komar and Melamid.
The pair have worked together for years, passing off the work of animals as their own. They began with a drawing by a dog, before working their way up the ladder.
They even set up the famous elephant sanctuary in Thailand, where tourists can still buy artworks from painting pachyderms to pay for their upkeep.
But the images also provide a somewhat poignant commentary on Soviet Russia itself, with the Mikki representing the thousands of tourists that flock to Moscow every day.
His blurred photographs can be considered symbolic of the skewed vision of Russia they would have received under the Soviet regime, the entire concept commenting on the circus that prevailed under the flag of communism.
Just some food for thought before you dismiss these as simple simian snapshots…
At first glance, it looks like a drawing lifted from the pages of a children’s book – four men racing a rhino through the arid Kenyan desert; the cumbrous creature kicking up dust clouds in its wake.
Upon closer inspection, however, Peter Beard’s typically transformative snap gradually reveals itself to us. The four men, imagined to be straddling the beast, are in fact standing aboard a jeep, the bulk of which is hidden behind the rhino’s hulking form.
Beard’s perspective, the way in which he angles the unblinking eye of his camera, simultaneously reveals the brutal reality of the natural world and the myths we spin in order to temper that reality.
Man’s relentless quest for dominion, his folly, may eventually cost us these fancies, Beard appears to be suggesting.
A prolific diarist, Beard has annotated the image in blood and ink, including the William Faulkner quote: “The ruined wood we used to know won’t cry for retribution – the men who have destroyed it will accomplish its revenge.”
The market for Peter Beard’s work has seen a steady increase since 2009. Duly, this remarkable, utterly unique photo-collage auctioned for £103,857 in London yesterday (May 15). The work achieved an impressive 73.1% increase on its $60,000 presale estimate.
Describing his work in an interview with the New York Times earlier this year, Beard’s wife, Nejma, observed: “This isn’t someone running around the garden with a butterfly net.”
Every so often, an auction comes along that stands out from the rest, that is moving, inspiring, and captures the imagination.
The press release sitting in my mailbox that most recently had this effect was Sotheby’s upcoming auction, ‘First Editions, Second Thoughts’ in London, scheduled for May 21.
It is a fantastic idea – to return authors and illustrators to first editions of their contemporary classics, and have them annotate and scribble and doodle all over them.
To name a few of the highlights, authors, playwrights and poets such as Margaret Atwood, J.K. Rowling, Tom Stoppard, Seamus Heaney, Ian McEwan, Yann Martel, Philip Pullman and others have taken up their pens against their most celebrated works.
Some authors annotate copiously, correcting their writing, criticising their choices. Some speculate as to their own intentions at the time of writing. Others clarify what has been misinterpreted.
The famed illustrators of novels also feature: Quentin Blake returns to Roald Dahl’s Matilda, and Ralph Steadman to Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
What stunning pieces of memorabilia, the ultimate first edition. And what a revelation in the study and understanding of each work. If made public, these notations could change the way these books are perceived forever.
Even better, the proceeds of the auction are going to charity English PEN, which aims to promote the freedom to write and read in the UK and around the world.
The anarchist-illegalist Bonnot Gang – a politicised Parisian organisation operative during the Belle Époque – earned the (arguably dubious) accolade of being the first criminal group to flee a crime scene in an automobile.
As anarcho-illegalists, members of the Bonnot Gang embraced lawlessness as a lifestyle, embarking on a crime spree that took them across France and into neighbouring Belgium.
In March 1912, self-appointed leader, Octave Garnier, sent a sardonic letter to the Surete, the civil police force in France, complete with inky impressions of his fingerprints. Although the whereabouts of this letter remain unknown, if it were to come to market, I’m convinced it would provoke considerable interest.
Here are my top 5 gangster collectibles, inspired by the late French auto-bandits:
1. Bonnie and Clyde’s guns
Two guns recovered from the bodies of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow sold in October 2012 for a combined $504,000. Since they were bought by a single US-based collector, Bonnie Parker’s snub nosed .38 Colt Detective Special and Clyde Barrow’s .45 Colt Model 1911 are destined to stay together for the foreseeable future.
2. The Kray twins’ Bunnykins figurines
A toy train, a set of dominos and a pair of Bunnykins figurines which once belonged to notorious East End gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray are to go under the hammer later this week. Valued at between £20-100, a spokesperson for the auction house overseeing the sale told the Daily Mail newspaper that the items were offered from “a private collection”…
3. Butch Cassidy’s Colt
American outlaw Butch Cassidy formed the Wild Bunch after a stint in prison, during which he promised never to reoffend. The Wild Bunch terrorised the American mid west during the 1890s, stealing sacks of gold from the steam trains that shuttled through the plains, transporting precious metals from the rural mines into the burgeoning cities.
Cassidy claimed never to have killed a man, insisting the gang did everything in their power to avoid loss of life.
Cassidy’s Colt revolver – a powerful piece of the Old West’s mythos – which he turned in during a gun amnesty in 1899, brought $175,000 in September 2012.
4. Al Capone’s rosary
Al Capone’s plastic-centred rosary made $3,500 at RR Auction in September 2012. The infamous American gangster, who led a prohibition-era crime syndicate, certainly had a lot to confess to… My sympathies go out to his priest.
5. Billy the Kid portrait
The only known authenticated portrait of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid sold for $2.3m in June 2011.
Billy, described as “lithe as a cat” in Phillip J Rasch’s work Trailing Billy the Kid, is said to have been a personable, friendly character as well as a sharp shooter, who, in dress, favoured “an unadorned Mexican sombrero”. These complicating qualities have contributed to the construction of a somewhat paradoxical legacy – he is at once murderous outlaw and folk hero.
I’ve always been a fan of the art nouveau style. Instantly recognisable, the genre was at its zenith from 1890-1910 and remains a powerful influence in art today.
But, until this week, I’ve never been able to put a name to the creator of those famous posters depicting girls in flowing, neoclassical robes which, combined with the iconic art nouveau typography, have become synonymous with the genre.
That is, until I checked out Christie’s Vintage Posters auction, which is headlined by a fantastic series of four lithographs entitled The Stars:
The Stars will set you back $40,000-60,000
These wonderful works were created by the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, who is credited with giving birth to the style that dominated European art at the turn of the century. Such was Alphonse’s importance to the genre, it was initially termed “Mucha Style”, before being changed to art nouveau when more artists jumped on the bandwagon.
Call me ignorant, but I had never heard of him.
Lalique, Gaudi, Klimt, Tiffany, Mackintosh, I’m well versed in all of their works. But not Mucha.
That’s why I’ve decided to give him some long-overdue exposure in this blog. Take a look at some of his finest works:
This poster created a storm among Paris artists, rocketing Mucha to fame
It all started with this advertisement for Gismonda, a play by Victorien Sardou, which hit the streets of Paris in 1894.
Mucha’s advertisement for Job Cigarettes
Mucha saw his greatest success as a commercial artist, renowned for his high output that included illustrations, designs for wallpaper and carpet, and even theatre sets.
The unique style of Mucha’s adverts distinguished him from other artists, and soon every company wanted him behind their products
So now you know who’s behind these world famous advertisements. Next time you see one of the countless reproductions of his work in a poster store, you can impress your friends by holding your chin thoughtfully and saying: “What a fantastic example of Alphonse Mucha’s work!”
The competition among the weekday antiques programmes here in the UK is fierce.
So fierce, in fact, that when we asked, “Who is your favourite British TV antiques expert?”, there was a three-way tie for the lead.
Dickinson – no votes
Here are the top four:
The much missed David Barby – 30%
Eric Knowles (Antiques Roadshow) – 30%
Tim Wonnacott (Bargain Hunt) – 30%
David Battie (Antiques Roadshow ) – 10%
And then there is poor David Dickinson – the bronzed Adonis of daytime TV. Perhaps his time in the sun has been and gone – polling precisely 0% of the vote.
Adrian loves autographs, classic cars, memorabilia, watches and unique items with great stories
Dan loves sports memorabilia, error stamps and the investment potential of unique collectibles
Louise loves antique books, vintage cameras and old movie posters
Joe loves militaria, comic books and Japanese inro
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