“Hand and Foot” chair

Phillips de Pury & Company announced the highlights from its Latin America Theme Sale. Building on the success of the inaugural sale last year, it promises to offer the best selection of contemporary Latin American art.

Corey Barr, Head of Theme Sales, New York “We had an overwhelming response to our inaugural Latin American auction last year and wish to build on the success with this year’s sale which will be an outstanding collection of contemporary art, photographs and design.”

Catalogue/Magazine
The Latin America catalogue in the form of an art and lifestyle magazine will illustrate the exciting scene in Latin American art and capture new trends in collecting, artistic work, and emerging ‘centers’ for artists by focusing on canonical and influential figures. Features include an interview with the dynamic collector Cesar Cervantes by Karen Wright; a conversation with Jorge Pardo; Artist Eduardo Abaroa writes about Francis Alÿs who is currently the subject of a Tate retrospective and Hans Ulrich Obrist interviews Cuban artist, Carmen Herrera. Herrera has become one of the most coveted Latin American artists and is finally being recognized as a precursor and influence to Latin American Geometric art.

Contemporary
Surveying the beginning of the contemporary Latin American movement as well as the breadth of its influence, the Contemporary Art section features work by both established and emerging artists. Contemporary highlights include works by Mexican artists Dr. Lakra, Gabriel Kuri, and Abraham Cruzvillegas. Additional works by Fernando Botero, Claudio Bravo, Vik Muniz and Leon Ferrari will also be included in this section.

Established work includes a 1973 Untitled work on paper by Cuban master, Wifredo Lam, estimated between $18,000-22,000. A sculptural work by American painter Neil Williams exposes the profound effects of Latin culture on non-native artists. Bloco de Troncoso I, 1982, estimated between $120,000-140,000, reveals the influence of not only studio partner Frank Stella, but also the impact of Williams’ exposure to Brazilian culture after participating in a São Paulo biennial.

Rufino Tamayo, Diamantes, 1977

Additional highlights include Pepe López’s Guapísimas, 2004, estimated at $20,000-30,000. In Guapísimas, López beckons his audience to confront the reality of global consumerism through cultural codes of society. By painting recognizable logos on traditional Venezuelan baskets, López dares to utilize marketing strategies to illuminate the realities of global production, connecting a commercial image with its forgotten origin.

This session will also include Cundo Bermudez’s Desayuno en la playa estimated at $80,000 – 120,000; and a series from Carlos Garaicoa’s New Architectures estimated between $50,000 – 70,000.

Design
Highlights of the Design section include Pedro Friedeberg’s “Hand and Foot” chair, 1960s, estimated at $12,000-18,000. Rejecting the International Style being predominantly taught in Mexico at the time, Friedeberg embraced the references to Tantric scriptures, Aztec codices, Catholicism, Hinduism and occult symbols in his designs rather than the right angles of his European contemporaries. He began making “Hand” chairs in 1961, using several combinations of hands, feet and fingers, and has extended this theme into tables, clocks and other useful and useless objects.

José Zanine Caldas’ Bench, ca. 1970, estimated at $15,000 - 20,000. In the wake of Brazil’s 1964 military coup, Zanine lost his position at the University of Brasilia and considered defecting to Yugoslavia. Politics and persecution aside, the designer remained loyal to his roots—and roots. He didn’t abscond to distant shores, he retreated to his own, to the beach town of Nova Viçosa, where he carved solid furniture from native woods: acajou, vinhático, and pequi.

Editions
The Editions selection features a range of works in a variety of graphic styles from the earthy materiality of the Mixograph Diamantes, 1977 by Rufino Tamayo estimated at $1,800-2,200; to the rhythmic and brightly colored screenprint by Beatriz Milhazes O Espelho (The Mirror), 2000 estimated at $9,000-12,000.

Photographs
The Photographs section proudly features a wide array of works that reflect the stylistic breadth of Latin American photography. Highlights include Ernst Haas’ Green Water, Mazatlan, Mexico, 1963, which appears in Haas’ legendary book The Creation, based on biblical book of Genesis, and Guerrero Province, Mexico, 1963, each estimated at $5,000- 7,000. Works by Sebastiäo Salgado, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Flor Garduño and Luis González Palma, including Lugar Sin Reposo, 1991, estimated at $7,000-9,000 round out the strong selection of classic and contemporary prints to be offered.