BIDDING THAT COUNTS

Looking to expand or start an art collection? The charitable TWO x TWO auction is legendary.

BY CHARLIE ADAMSKI CAULKINS

Five years ago, in 2018, I attended TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art for the first time. That year, Dana Schutz was the amfAR Artist Honoree, Diana Ross had the entire audience dancing in the gala tent, and it was my first time experiencing the culmination of art, entertainment, and philanthropy that is TWO x TWO. What struck me the most was the fervor around the auction. There was a palpable buzz as partygoers explored the offerings and eager hands shot up to grab the attention of the always-impressive Oliver Barker, a venerated Sotheby’s auctioneer. Following the live auction, an engaged crowd followed event chairs Howard Rachofsky and John Runyon through The Rachofsky House late into the evening as they closed each lot in the silent auction.

Every fall, I eagerly await the release of the online auction catalog, a ripe hunting ground for collectors new and established alike. The TWO x TWO team has a track record for recognizing artists on the rise as well as pinpointing very timely honorees: This year will be art-world superstar Rashid Johnson. The auction includes works in diverse media and at varying price points—something for everyone. Sotheby’s has been a proud supporter of TWO x TWO for 22 years, and I look forward to October 22, when our auctioneer Michael Macaulay will take the stage once again.

As head of office for Sotheby’s Dallas, I advise clients regularly on auction and private-sale purchases and consignments. I see TWO x TWO as an opportunity of discovery for my clients, a chance to learn about new artists and discover various media, with the silver lining that all proceeds go to amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art.

My first piece of advice when perusing the auction? Follow your gut. Visit twoxtwo.org and browse to find which works speak to you. Second, find an opportunity to see the pieces in person. Thumbnails on a website provide a first impression, but nothing replaces seeing the artwork in real life, especially in the setting of the incredible

Clockwise from above left: Saif Azzuz, Aiken’s Crick (Lulu), 2019, acrylic, enamel, spray paint, and oil stick on canvas, 62 x 90 in. Estimated retail value: $17,500. Courtesy of the artist and Anthony Meier Fine Arts, San Francisco; Charlie Adamski Caulkins at TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art. Photograph by Bruno; Matthew Ronay, Linen and Leather Membrane, 2020, basswood, dye, plastic, steel, and cotton 13.50 x 15.25 x 7.25 in. Estimated retail value: $32,000. Courtesy of the artist and Casey Kaplan, New York. © Matthew Ronay. Photograph by Matthew Ronay.

Richard Meier–designed Rachofsky House. (For example, you’ll see that Saif Azzuz’s painting Aiken’s Crick (LULU) measures an imposing 62 x 90 inches.) Next, find out how the works on your list are being sold, whether through OWNitNOW, the silent auction, or the live auction. OWNitNOW works become available on October 6, so you must act fast. Lastly, have fun, learn something about a new artist, and enjoy a little friendly competition in the drama of the auction.

This year’s lineup will not disappoint. Here are a few highlights that caught my attention:

OWNitNOW

Works available for purchase starting October 6. Once sold, they are gone!

Linen and Leather Membrane, 2020, by Matthew Ronay is a strong (and houseable!) example of the Brooklyn-based artist’s sculpture. Ronay successfully combines organic forms of various media, textures, and shapes into whimsical and lively compositions in saturated tones and varying textures. Exhibited at such institutions as the Serpentine Galleries, London; SculptureCenter, New York; and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, amongst others, Ronay also participated in the 2004 Whitney Biennale. The Nasher Sculpture Center recently acquired a work by the artist and opens an exhibition for him this month.

Helen Pashgian, a pioneering member of the 1960s Light and Space movement out of California, has enjoyed well-deserved exposure of late, most recently with a stunning, career-spanning show at SITE Santa Fe. Pashgian is a true innovator, working with industrial plastics to create forms that play with light and space. In Untitled, 2021, a colored cast-epoxy sphere is perched on an acrylic pedestal as if floating in space—a wonderful example of the artist’s intent to create a moment of illusion, perception, and light.

SILENT AUCTION

The silent auction closes the gala, following the dinner. Each lot closes consecutively—and the silent auction can be a great place to look for opportunities. Maximum bids can be arranged for those not in attendance.

I am always drawn to artists who demonstrate mastery in color, and Livien Yin does just that. In Thirsty No. 1, teal green highlights of the woman’s face contrast sharply with the ochre skin tones

Clockwise from above right: Dan Colen, Mirror, Mirror…, 2010, chewing gum on canvas, 105 x 85 in. Estimated retail value: $250,000. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian © Dan Colen.; Ulala Imai, Ambassador, 2020, oil on canvas, 35.87 x 46 in. Estimated retail value: $55,000. Courtesy of the artist; Nonaka-Hill, Los Angeles; and Karma, New York and Los Angeles; Robert Mapplethorpe, Jack Walls, 1983, gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 in. edition 2 of 10. Estimated retail value: $10,000. Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery © The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used with permission. in the shadows. A green-blue trail of liquid drips down her chin. Although the colors seem otherworldly at first, through her mastery in rendering light, depth, and shadow, Yin brings the figure to life and perfectly translates the urgency of this everyday moment. The Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University recently added a work by the artist to their collection.

Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer best known for his powerful black-and-white work. He brought a refined sense of sophistication to each image he created even when the subject matter was edgy and raw. Jack Walls is a powerful composition of the artist’s lover, formal in stature. Mapplethorpe’s work is held in many major museum collections around the world. This lot is a perfect example of the established work that awaits discovery at TWO x TWO.

Honorable mentions include Emily Furr’s dramatic yet serene Kamikaze Swansong, or consider Mirror, Mirror... by Dan Colen, who is having a long-awaited show with Gagosian in the fall.

LIVE AUCTION

The moment for audience participation! Telephone bids are also possible if you are unable to be in the room.

My five-year-old son is obsessed with Star Wars, so I could not help but take a closer look when I saw amongst the live-auction lots Japanese artist Ulala Imai’s whimsical still life featuring Chewbacca. Imai’s masterful brushwork brings this bright composition to life by playing with textures and surfaces of objects: the skin of the pineapple contrasts with the hard edge of the coffee kettle and gleaming lemons. Imai successfully breathes life and purpose into these everyday objects found around her home. P