By Libby Lancaster
Santa Monica Auctions is hosting its annual live auction Sunday Nov. 20 at Bergamot Station’s B-7 gallery, with some rare works slated to fetch top dollar.
A Raymond Pettibon work of art sold for over $180,000 at the last auction.
“Because of the unexpected success of the last Pettibon illustration sale (a Sonic Youth cover), a collector who we’ve known for 20 years pulled out of his draw an equally important and earlier work,” said gallery owner Robert Berman in reference to one of the works that will be on sale. “This was used on the Minute Man Album (1993). This original artwork is estimated at $25,000 – $30,000…but one never knows what it will sell for.”
Another specialty item up for auction Saturday is a 1980 “John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Clothed)” photograph by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.
“I’ve been searching for something like the Annie Liebovitz print since I started selling photography,” said Berman. “It’s a beautifully staged photo…the placement of her hair, the sentiment in their faces…It revealed the purity of the love between them.” Only 40 prints of this image were made. Lennon was killed within 24 hours of when that photo was taken. “At that point they had gone through so much…they were the couple of the latter part of the 20th Century,” Berman added.
Berman said another work that will be of interest is a 1921 Edward hopper etching. “Even though it is so small, the use of light and dark is spectacular. We have an amazing assortment of highly collectible artworks, such as the Ed Ruscha book and Christmas card…which would normally only be found in a museum.”
“Timeless/Authorless,” a photographic series by renowned artist Mike Kelley is also part of the sale.
Another notable work is “Index,” a first edition Warhol from 1987, along with pieces from Peter Alexander, Carlos Almaraz, Banksy, Laddie John Dill, Joe Goode, Robert Graham, Ed Moses, Patrick Nagel, Frank Romero, Retna, and Ed Ruscha.
The auction will take place Sunday, Nov. 20 from 12 p.m. at B-7 gallery at Bergamot Station Arts Center located at 2525 Michigan Ave., in Santa Monica.
Online and phone live bidding will be available and the catalog is continually updated. Bidding is available via: live/in person, phone, absentee and internet bidding.
The auction preview is currently on view now at the B-7 gallery until 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. For more information head to www.smauctions.com.
