OAKLAND, CALIF. — Clars shattered the United States auction record for Loie Hollowell (American, b 1983) by more than 52 percent from the previous record when it sold for $1.05 million “Point of Entry (Blood- Orange Moon Over Orange Sac)” at its Modern + Contemporary Art + Design sale on March 25. Skyrocketing demand for the New York-based artist’s sensuous abstractions were quite apparent with bidders from around the world vying for this lot at Clars. Conservatively estimated at $400/600,000, it only took seconds for it to surpass its estimate. Rick Unruh, chief executive officer and director of fine art at Clars, exclaimed, “Clars showed the global art world that when one has an exceptional contemporary piece, such as our Loie Hollowell, they (the bidders) will come — and they did.”

A more extensive recap will appear in a future issue.