From the exhibit “Design for Living: 1950-2000,” Cesare Casati and Emanuelle Ponzio, ABS plastic and acrylic table lamps, 1968.
“Night Creature,” Joan Miro, tapestry. Jane Kahan Gallery.
Gansevoort Gallery, New York City.
The Haughtons Bring on their Second Annual Fair
NEW YORK CITY – Fifty-six exhibitors from 13 countries filled the Seventh Regiment Armory at 67th and Park Avenue November 25-29, ushering in the Second Annual International 20th Century Arts Fair. Brian and Anna Haughton, fair organizers, created an impeccable venue complete with sweeping beams of colored lights raking the steel-arched beams. The caliber of dealers present was unparalleled in New York City and the scope of the show according to Brian Haughton was “to present cutting-edge art and design, combining top dealers from Europe and America and the Far East.” Objective accomplished.
A special loan exhibition from the Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts/Montreal Museum of Fine Arts entitled “Design for Living: 1950-2000” showcased 19 pieces from the Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection. Milestone rdf_Descriptions included an Eames’ modular storage unit, a Isamu Noguchi “Akari” floor lamp, Corsini’s plan for a Milan apartment, circa 1957, Harry Bertoia’s Diamond armchair and a chaise lounge and folding screen made from recycled cardboard tubes by Carta, 1998. Grouped in period vignettes, the pieces defined their own timelines specifically and the scope of the Twentieth Century Arts Fair in general.
Mark McDonald of Gansevoort Gallery, New York City, specializes in Twentieth Century Furniture and objects and brought a diverse selection to their brilliant colored booth. Among the rdf_Descriptions were an Arredoluce “Triennale” floor lamp, glass designs from America, Italy and Scandinavia and a Isamu Noguchi “Radio Nurse,” a short-wave radio transmitter, a “Marshmallow Sofa by George Nelson, 1956, an Eames storage unit and various sizes of Noguchi for Knoll wire-base tables.
JMW Gallery of Boston, Mass. focuses on American Twentieth Century fine arts and American decorative arts and featured mint examples of Roycroft copper vases, Mission oak furniture, American Art pottery, lighting fixtures and Grueby ceramic tiles. Jim Messineo and Mike Witt had a busy weekend and Mike stated, “The number of people attending the show was a bit less than we anticipated but the buyers were serious and many decorators were mixed along with retail shoppers. Some high-end objects were sold throughout the show and we have sold everyday.”
The Jane Kahan Gallery specializes in Joan Miro tapestries, paintings and sculpture and an Aubusson tapestry, 901/2 by 120 inches, was from an edition of six and titled “Night Creature.” The gallery also features the works of Pablo Picasso, tapestries, prints and ceramics with several examples available at the show. As Alexander Kahan was Marc Chagall’s agent for lithographs in North America, the gallery has one of the largest collections of Chagall prints and carries ceramics and tapestries as well. Jane stated, “The show went well, not too busy weekdays, but she had met some great buyers,” and was, “happy to be able to educate the public regarding the lesser-known examples of these artists’ works.” A tapestry by Le Corbusier brought much interest, especially by architects and Jane felt it was, “not only an example of decorative art but was also created by someone who was a consummate artist spanning all disciplines of his day.”
Geoffrey Diner Gallery, Washington, D.C., dealers in American and European decorative arts sold a large Donegal carpet, circa 1900 and a 1910 Tiffany lamp. Galerie Jacques de Vos, Paris, sold a pastel and pencil on paper by Jean Miro, signed and dated 1968; also, two bronze figurative sculptures by Jean Lambert-Rucki sold for $20,000 and $30,000 respectively. A French Art Deco grand piano in black lacquer with gold leaf trim sold for $160,000 at Calderwood Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa. Maison Gerard Ltd., New York City sold an extremely important lacquer room by Jean Dunand for $500,000.
Other sales were: Primavera Gallery, New York city, sold a Pascaud secretary desk in sycamore, mahogany and sharkskin, French, circa 1935 in the region of $55,000; Historical Design Inc., New York City sold a Cubist vase, one of only two made, in glazed white-bodied earthenware with black enamel, 1914, to an American museum for approximately $50,000. Historical Design also sold an Axel Einar Hjort, Nordiska Kompaniet console/sideboard in zebra mahogany and palissander with ebonized bases, 1932 in the region of $50,000.
Galerie Fabian Boulakia sold “Les Habitats,” an acrylic on paper by Jean Dubuffet, 1980, and two acrylic on paper paintings by Delaunay- all selling in the $100/300,000 range. The Silver Fund Ltd., London sold a Georg Jensen silver table setting including a five arm candelabra and wine cooler in the range of $150,000. Tai Gallery, Sante Fe, N.M., sold over $100,000 worth of Japanese sculptural baskets, including one by Higashi for $32,000 and numerous African, Indonesian and American textiles at prices of $5/15,000 each.
The 20th Century Arts Fair transcended its informal name and brought together 56 diverse and world-class dealers into a space designed to accent and accompany the incredible depth of rdf_Descriptions which define the Twentieth Century. Sales included spectacular examples of museum quality rdf_Descriptions and extremely rare examples of all the best names from the period. Seldom is a show managed to the extent that Brian and Anna Haughton are able to achieve and the reputation of the show and the dealers presented will continue to build toward a new definition of “Antiques Fairs.”
