Masterpieces by Gutai painters, K.Shiraga & A.Tanaka, to be offered in Mallet Japan Evening Sale Mallet Japan- Modern & Contemporary Art, Evening Sale 081024
Auction: October 24th at 5:00pm
Preview: Oct. 21 to 24 from 10:30am to 7:00pm
News-Antique.com - Oct 07,2008 - Oct 7, 2008, TOKYO - Mallet Japan’s Modern and Contemporary auction will be held on October 24th in Tokyo.
Following the 2 astonishing paintings by Shiraga Kazuo which went for almost double its high estimates, Mallet Japan is yet to introduce 2 more masterpieces by the artist in its upcoming evening sale scheduled for October 24th. In its previous evening sale, the 2 paintings, each measuring 162 x 130 cm with an estimate of 10,000,000 - 15,000,000 JPY sold successfully for 31,000,000 JPY and 24,000,000 JPY.
In its upcoming sale, Mallet Japan will be offering a total of 4 paintings by this recently deceased artist, 2 of which with an estimate of 8,000,000-12,000,000 JPY (lot#59 'Dattan no Hi (Fire Ritual)', 97x130cm, 1974; lot#65 'Kaibun', 111x145cm, 1991). Kazuo Shiraga, who died this April at the age of 83, joined Gutai, an avant-garde art group lead by Jiro Yoshiwara, in 1955 and became established as a distinct action painter known for its unique style of painting using his bare feet. By utilizing his body parts instead of the brush, Shiraga achieved embodying trace of action and its speed in his works. This will be a great chance to acquire dynamic works by this one and only artis, Kazuo Shiraga.
Also on offer are 2 works by Atsuko Tanaka, (lot#56 `Untitled`, 33.5x24cm, 800,000-1,300,000 JPY; lot#66 `Untitled`, 92x74cm, 2,000,000-3,000,000 JPY) another representing Gutai painter who experimented not only with 2-dimentional works but also with various means of expressions including installation and performance. In quest of a new mode of art that "no one has ever seen before", Tanaka came to focus on the realization of 'Pure Abstraction' which led her to present form as it is while never assigning any meanings to it. According to Tanaka, lines and circles which form her contemplative paintings are nothing more than what they are and their significance lies only in their emotinal trigging aspects. Those two works on offer vividly represent her unrestrained creativity and notion of "Pure Abstraction".
The sale also covers a wide range of items from works by emerging artists such as Ayako Rokkaku (lot#62 'Untitled', 1,500,000-2,500,000JPY; lot#51&52 'Untitled' 200,000-300,000 JPY each) and Hiroto Kitagawa (lot#60 'Silver Button 2003, Man, Purple', 300,000-400,000JPY) as well as internationally renowned artists including Yoshitomo Nara (lot#58 'Untitled', 500,000-700,000JPY), Yayoi Kusama (lot#49 'Buds (2)', 2,500,000-3,500,000JPY; lot#63 'Coast', 2,000,000-3,000,000JPY), Tiger Tateishi (lot#64 'Untitled', 400,000-600,000JPY) and Toshimitu Imai (lot#44 'Cherry Blossoms', 200,000-300,000JPY; lot#53 'Waves', 400,000-600,000JPY; lot#54 'Le Ciel Brule', 1,000,000-1,500,000JPY).
Highlights from the section of works by European artists include paintings by Bernard Buffet (lot#126 'Nature Morte aux Vases de Moustiers'; lot#136 'Paysage', 5,500,000-6,500,000JPY each), Maurice de Vlaminck (lot# 137 'Paysage', 2,000,000-2,500,000JPY), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (lot#139 'Pomme - fragment', 5,000,000-6,000,000JPY), Maurice Utrillo (lot#135 'Versailles', 2,500,000-3,000,000JPY ; lot#141 'Montmartre', 5,000,000-6,000,000JPY) and Georges d'Espagnat (lot#140 'Petit Jardin Sicilien', 2,000,000-3,000,000JPY).
The sale also includes some interesting works by such American artists as Kenny Scharf (lot#148 'Win A', 500,000-600,000JPY), Julian Schnabel (lot#157 'Head', 1,000,000-1,500,000JPY), Tom Wesselmann (lot#158 'Daniele 71', 6,000,000-7,000,000JPY) and Keith Haring (lot#160 'Untitled', 300,000-500,000JPY).
