London – Tutto, 1988-1989, by Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) leads Bonhams’ Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on Thursday 12 October, taking place during Frieze Week at Bonhams New Bond Street, London. The work comes from the collection of Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet and has an estimate of £700,000 – 1,000,000.
Giacomo Balsamo, International Director of the Post-War & Contemporary Art Department, said: “We are delighted to offer this exceptional Boetti in London during Frieze Week. This embroidery on canvas, from the Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet collection, is a real eye-catcher. Housed in his Amsterdam apartment, only a stone’s throw from the Rijksmuseum, the work was a vibrant counter-balance to the Golden Age antiques and immediately engaged the viewer.”
Boetti’s Tutto series expresses a recurring theme in the artist’s work – that of the duality of order and disorder. Depicted within the embroidery is a wide range of images, signs, and symbols.
Leonie Grainger, Head of Bonhams Post-War and Contemporary Art department in London, added: “As well as highlights by figurative artists such as Salman Toor, Caroline Walker, Shara Hughes, Ewa Juszkiewicz and Tracey Emin, the October auction also has a strong section of abstract works by artists such as Lucio Fontana, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Günther Förg, Eduardo Chillida and Albert Oehlen.”
Other highlights of the sale include:
- Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Concetto spaziale, Attesa, 1965. Estimate: £500,000-700,000.
- Günther Förg (1952-2013), Untitled, 2008. Estimate: £400,000-600,000.
- Salman Toor (B. 1983), Pre-Drinks, 2018. Estimate: £150,000-200,000
ALSO ON VIEW DURING FRIEZE WEEK AT BONHAMS
An exhibition of works by the Korean artist Hemyeong in partnership with LG OLED, 7-13 October
Hemyeong is a well-established artist in Korea. Her work is collected by leading institutions including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea. She is also a professor at Seoul National University’s College of Fine Arts. Her work is inspired by her idea of “cosmo social philosophy” where the give and take of birth and death in all things in the universe are connected. Drawing on ancient traditions, materials and techniques employed by Korean artisans over generations, her work is both spiritual and seeks to reflect the most natural state of the materials she employs. “For me, painting is an acknowledgement of a sense of being. It channels my whole being into the ‘now’,” she explains. Hemyeong has long worked under the title of Constellation Links where shapes are formed by linking countless constellations. Reflecting on her forthcoming exhibition, Hemyeong comments, “This exhibition focuses on constellations which are never the same. Sometimes distant stars have a greater chance of linking than ones that are close together. A constellation projects a person’s dreams, desires, and ideal state. Mankind’s story is created from ‘meaning’ and ‘vitality’.” Hemyeong: Constellation Links will be exhibited in London for the first time from 7 to 13 October, as part of Bonhams’ Frieze Week events.
Modern and Contemporary African Art
Thursday 12 October
Estimate: £120,000-180,000
Bonhams Modern and Contemporary African Art sale will also be on view and will take place on Thursday 12 October. The sale features a particularly strong selection of works by contemporary female artists, including a standout work by Lisa Brice, A2, which has an estimate of £100,000-150,000. Amongst the highlights is also Street Cadets with Harbinger: Wish, Walk/Loop, Long by Jane Alexander (South African, born 1959), which has an estimate of £120,000-180,000.
A multi-disciplinary South African artist, Jane Alexander is recognised for her grotesque sculptures, which she often uses to present a social commentary on South Africa’s traumatic past. Growing up during Apartheid, Alexander reflects on themes of childhood amid societal segregation. Street cadets with harbinger is one of a number of works that refers to displaced children Alexander observed on the streets of Cape Town near her home between 1990 and 2000 – a period of transition in South Africa from Apartheid to a democratically elected government. One of the most celebrated contemporary South African artists, Alexander’s work African Adventure 1999–2002 entered the Tate’s permanent collection in 2016.
Highlights from Bonhams Impressionist and Modern Art sale will also be on view, with the full preview opening on Saturday 14 October alongside Bonhams Pop X Culture sale.
Leading the Impressionist and Modern Art sale, which will take place on Thursday 19 October, will be Milieu jaune by Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), which will be on view throughout Frieze Week. The work has an estimate of £850,000-1,250,000.
More information on Bonhams upcoming sales can be found HERE
