Lady Gaga Boosts $392 Million Fashion, Contemporary-Art Sales
By Scott Reyburn - 2012-06-30T12:09:36Z
Lady Gaga was among the buyers during a week of contemporary art and fashion auctions in London that raised more than 250 million pounds ($392 million).
The U.S. singer was represented in the room at Christies Internationals June 27 charity sale of fashion items belonging to the model and designer Daphne Guinness. The auction house confirmed that Gaga was a buyer, though it wouldnt specify which, or how many, items she bought.
The 102-lot evening sale was held to establish a foundation in memory of Guinnesss friend, Isabella Blow, the fashion editor credited with discovering Alexander McQueen. The event raised 476,800 pounds, more than four times the estimate.
Having taken an auction away from Christies, I decided to give them another in its place, Guinness said at the presale preview.
Blow died on May 6, 2007. Her wardrobe, including the clothes McQueen created for his college graduation, had been scheduled to be auctioned by Christies in September 2010. Guinness bought her friends collection before the sale with the long-term intention of putting it on public display.
An Alexander McQueen ivory silk tulle empire-line gown was among the items Guinness offered in its place. Dating from the fall/winter of 2008-2009, it sold for 85,250 pounds, a record for the designer at auction. Lady Gagas management hasnt commented on reports that she bought the gown.
The top price of the evening was 133,250 pounds given by a telephone bidder for Mario Testino photograph of Guinness published in the March 2008 edition of U.K. Vogue magazine.
Basquiat Painting
The night after Christies sale, Phillips de Pury & Co. offered a 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a fri end of Blows when she worked at Vogue in New York during the early 1980s.
Estimated at 6 million pounds to 8 million pounds, the acrylic and oilstick Irony of Negro Policeman was the most highly-valued work in Phillipss 28-lot auction of contemporary artworks. It fell to a telephone bidder for 8.2 million pounds with fees, having been sold privately earlier in the year for about $8 million, dealers said.
A 1984 acrylic-on-canvas of Olympic rings and heads painted by Basquiat and Andy Warhol fetched a further 6.8 million pounds with fees.
Another version of this collaboration, prompted by the 23rd Olympiad in Los Angeles, is currently on show at Gagosian in Davies Street in the Mayfair district of London.
Selling Rate
Phillipss sale raised 23.4 million pounds with fees against an estimate of 15.1 million pounds to 21.2 million pounds, based on hammer prices. The evenings selling rate of 86 percent was similar to those at the equivalent contemporary-art auctions held by Sothebys and Christies on June 26 and June 27 respectively.
Christies 132.8 million-pound offering was the most valuable contemporary-art auction held in Europe, surpassing the 108.8 million pounds raised by Sothebys from a mixed-owner sale combined with the Durkheim Collection in London in June 2011.
The trophies are more expensive than ever, the London- based art adviser Wendy Goldsmith said in an interview. Works in the range of $200,000 to $600,000 are more difficult. People like bankers dont have the same levels of disposable income, and the feel-good factor isnt there any more.
Sothebys (BID) and Christies day sales of contemporary works on June 27 and June 28 raised 13.8 million pounds and 15.5 million pounds respectively. Sothebys found buyers for 69 percent of its lots. The corresponding Part II London auctions in June 2008, at the height of the last art market boom, took 26.8 million pounds and 22.4 million pounds.
Fatigue is another factor, Goldsmith said. Weve just had art fairs in New York, Hong Kong and Basel. Weve never had quite so much of a run-up to these auctions.
(Scott Reyburn writes about the art market for Muse, the arts and culture section of Bloomberg News. Opinions expressed are his own.)
Muse highlights include Robert Heller on rock music, Jason Harper on cars and Rich Jaroslovsky on technology.
To contact the writer on the story: Scott Reyburn in London at sreyburn@hotmail.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
Alexander McQueen gown
Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg.
An Alexander McQueen ivory silk tulle empire-line gown. Dating from the fall/ winter of 2008-2009, it sold for a record 85,250 pounds at Christie's June 27 Daphne Guinness Collection sale to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation. Reports said it was bought by singer Lady Gaga.
An Alexander McQueen ivory silk tulle empire-line gown. Dating from the fall/ winter of 2008-2009, it sold for a record 85,250 pounds at Christie's June 27 Daphne Guinness Collection sale to benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation. Reports said it was bought by singer Lady Gaga. Source: Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg.
Mario Testino photograph of Daphne Guinness
Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg.
A Mario Testino photograph of Daphne Guinness published in the March 2008 edition of the U.K. Vogue magazine. It sold for a top price of 133,250 pounds at Christie's International's auction of the Daphne Guinness Collection, Sold to Benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation, in London on June 27. Copyright Mario Testino.
A Mario Testino photograph of Daphne Guinness published in the March 2008 edition of the U.K. Vogue magazine. It sold for a top price of 133,250 pounds at Christie's International's auction of the Daphne Guinness Collection, Sold to Benefit the Isabella Blow Foundation, in London on June 27. Copyright Mario Testino. Source: Christie's Images Ltd. 20! 12 via B loomberg.
"Irony of Negro Policeman" by Basquiat
Phillips de Pury & Co. via Bloomberg.
"Irony of Negro Policeman," a 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. It sold for a top price of 8.2 million pounds at an auction of contemporary artworks at Phillips de Pury & Co. in London on June 28.
"Irony of Negro Policeman," a 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. It sold for a top price of 8.2 million pounds at an auction of contemporary artworks at Phillips de Pury & Co. in London on June 28. Source: Phillips de Pury & Co. via Bloomberg.
Basquiat Self-Portrait
Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg.
A 1981 untitled self-portrait by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The acrylic, oilstick and spray-paint canvas sold for a record in an auction of post-war and contemporary works at Christie's International in London on June 27.
A 1981 untitled self-portrait by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The acrylic, oilstick a! nd spray -paint canvas sold for a record in an auction of post-war and contemporary works at Christie's International in London on June 27. Source: Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg.
"Warrior"
"Warrior," a 1982 acrylic and oilstick-on-wood panel painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Sotheby's sold the piece in its June 26 auction of contemporary artworks in London.
"Warrior," a 1982 acrylic and oilstick-on-wood panel painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Sotheby's sold the piece in its June 26 auction of contemporary artworks in London. Source: Sotheby's via Bloomberg
Francis Bacon Self Portrait
"Study for Self-Portrait," a 1980 painting by Francis Bacon. The work sold in a 79-lot auction of contemporary artworks at Sotheby's in London on June 26.
"Study for Self-Portrait," a 1980 painting by Francis Bacon. The work sold in a 79-lot auction of contemporary artworks at Sotheby's in London on June 26. Source: Sotheby's via Bloomberg.
"The Tragic Conversion of Salvador Dali"
"The Tragic Conversion of Salvador Dali (After John Martin)," a 1998 canvas by Glenn Brown. The painting sold in Sotheby's evening auction of contemporary artworks in London on June 26.
"The Tragic Conversion of Salvador Dali (After John Martin)," a 1998 canvas by Glenn Brown. The painting sold in Sotheby's evening auction of contemporary artworks in London on June 26. Source: Sotheby's via Bloomberg
"Study for Self-Portrait"
Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg
"Study for Self-Portrait," a 1964 painting by Francis Bacon. The work sold in a 69-lot auction of post-war and contemporary artworks at Christie's International in London on June 27.
"Study for Self-Portrait," a 1964 painting by Francis Bacon. The work sold in a 69-lot auction of post-war and contemporary artworks at Christie's International in London on June 27. Source: Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg
"Struktur (2)"
Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg
"Struktur (2)," a 1989 abstract painting by Gerhard Richter. It was among 69 postwar and contemporary artworks being offered by Christie's International auction in London.
"Struktur (2)," a 1989 abstract painting by Gerhard Richter. It was among 69 postwar and contemporary artworks being offered by Christie's International auction in London. Source: Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg
"Le Rose du bleu (RE 22)"
Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg
"Le Rose du bleu (RE 22)," a 1960 sponge relief by the French conceptual artist Yves Klein. The work, encrusted with nine sea sponges, was sold for an artist record by Christie's International in its June 27 auction of post-war and contemporary artworks in London.
"Le Rose du bleu (RE 22)," a 1960 sponge relief by the French conceptual artist Yves Klein. The work, encrusted with nine sea sponges, was sold for an artist record by Christie's International in its June 27 auction of post-war and contemporary ! artworks in London. Source: Christie's Images Ltd. 2012 via Bloomberg
Hirst Medicine Cabinet
A work by Damien Hirst. The early medicine cabinet "My Way," dating from 1990-1991, failed against a low estimate of 1.2 million pounds at a sale in Sotheby's London.
A work by Damien Hirst. The early medicine cabinet "My Way," dating from 1990-1991, failed against a low estimate of 1.2 million pounds at a sale in Sotheby's London. Source: Sotheby's via Bloomberg.