Palm Beach Modern Auction's upcoming Modern + Contemporary Art & Design sale on 15 May features over 460 lots, with celebrated names such as Louise Bourgeois, Harry Bertoia, Louise Nevelson, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Some of the top Asian contemporary artists are represented with original works and editions by Aya Takano, Kikuo Saito, Chiho Aoshima and Tadanori Yokoo, offered in both the 15 May and 20 May sessions. Design highlights include a Karl Springer king-size canopy bed, a documented set of Gabriella Crespi 'Sedia 73' chairs, and an Arman table.
This session will also feature an extensive collection of sterling silver, A.V.E.M. glass with Lobel Collection provenance, a 38” Dale Chihuly 'Carnival' Persian glass work, and a monumental work by Emile Galle. Here are a few highlights of the sale that can't be missed.
The premier lot of the sale is this monumental George Segal sculpture installation titled Circus Acrobats from 1989. The two life-sized bronze figures and trapeze comprising the work were suspended for 24 years in the nine story atrium of Orlando, Florida's SunTrust Center, the tallest skyscraper in the city. George Segal is known for his life-sized cast bronze figures, sometimes alone or in tableaux, that can be found in museums like the Guggenheim, SFMOMA, and the Perez Art Museum Miami.
Another acrobatic-themed work is The Acrobats by Fernand Léger. This colourful gouache on paper dates to 1952 and depicts two acrobats posing on a trapeze in the characteristic Cubist forms of Léger. It was authenticated by Léger's wife, Nadia Léger, with a handwritten note on reverse.
For the Doctors of the World organisation, Louise Bourgeois made this work titled Easton, Connecticut, USA in an edition of six (plus one AP). It shows a farmhouse made of steel that opens up to a xylophone with a wooden mallet.
Pablo Picasso may be best known for his paintings, but his whimsical ceramics are beloved collector's pieces that are frequently sought after at auction. Here is a terracotta plate titled Hibou aux ailes deployees (Owl with spread wings) in excellent condition from 1957, when Picasso worked at the Madoura studio in the south of France.
Chihuly's Persians series are often considered his most colourful and intricate, with multiple sized glass elements in vibrant shades. Here is one of his Persians, titled Carnival, drawing inspiration from Venetian carnival and Middle Eastern design. This set is comprised of thirteen elements in yellow, green, orange and red with multicoloured lip wraps and is from 2000.
Another famous glass artist is Emile Galle who was a founder of the French Art Nouveau movement. This large-scale glass Peony vase is 24 x 13 inches with lavish crimson peony designs across the cream-coloured vase. Galle was a botanist and so flowers were a common motif in his works.
