The September MAO Art Quiz!!

Summer is officially over! So everyone, please, put the white powder pants away..it's time to get back to reality!  Well, just as the art gallery season gets back into full shwing next week.. so do the art auction houses! September06 looks like a busy month, Christies alone, has 16 auctions scheduled.

Thanks to the hard work of Zach Miner, Christies has established a new type of auction, it's called "First Open." Which is a nice way of categorizing emerging artist work from gallery owners inventory that they need want to dump sell.... mostly to pay their huge bills, from the hyper-fabulous lifestyles over expansion into new expensive lavish Chelsea gallery spaces.  And while most of the time these auctions have works which have yet to allow the paint to dry all been made in the last 10 years, sometimes there can actually be some hidden gems up for sale.

Which brings us to our, quite handsome, and provocative September Art Quiz.

This is Lot 154 from Christies September 13th "First Open - Post War and Contemporary Art" Auction."

Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
Mao/Electric Chair
stamped with the Estate of Andy Warhol stamp and numbered WP890.50 (on the reverse)
silkscreen inks on paper
17½ x 22½ in. (44.3 x 57.7 cm.)
Executed circa 1978.

Pre-Sale Estimate : 35,000 - 45,000 U.S. Dollars

So... for this month's quiz.. post your guess for the final hammer sale price (20% commission included) without going over.  Everyone is welcome to play..one guess per person, and even if you've previously won a MAO Quiz you're welcome to play. And since anyone who's anyone in the NYC art world, is still sitting on a beach giving attitude being fabulous.. there's plenty of time to think of a good guess! Just submit your answer before 10am on the 13th. You can also email your guess to [email protected]

The lucky winner who comes closest without going over, gets to choose between either a 1 year basic museum membership to any museum, or an arts based charity for a generous donation to be given in their honor.

As always.. Dr. Quiz will serve as both judge and jury.

Good luck.. and just remember..the Art Market is still going crazy, plus Warhol is Hot Hot Hot! The last time an Andy Warhol MAO image came up for auction... it totally crushed went well through the high end of the estimate.

So Happy Fall 2006 Auction Season everyone, welcome back.. and.. Let The Games Begin!

Comments

[Mike]

How can anyone not want a Warhol MAO & Electric chair??

It sells for $50,000 + 20% which gets us to a final hammer price of $60,000. A Bargin!

[Mark G]

The last quiz you had on a Wahol auction I came up with a guess that was pretty damn close, but I didn't post it. I'm not wasting time with this one: $97,500.00.

[lisa hunter]

Commission included? Are you trying to trick us into doing math? I'm guessing 75K, because it's not only one but two iconic images.

A contemporary art specialist at a Top Three house told me they routinely underestimate when they want a lot of people to show up, as long as the consignor is okay with the diminished reserve price.

[Art Brute]

That print is nice, simple and stark, unusal for Warhol. Is it unique? Also looks unsigned? But anyway Mao and the Electric Chair. That's classic. 67.5k!

But if you're looking for a really good buy on a Warhol. I think the Hammer&Sickle prints are way way undervalued and honestly, make for a much better and more interesting work of art hanging on your wall then the typical dayglow celebrities, dollar signs, and cows etc. that grow so old on me so quick. He turns the iconic symbol of despised communism into a beautiful still life, suitable for framing even in the most docile capitalists homes.

Opening bid of only $1500 for a signed edition of only 50---small for Warhol. Although this is a slightly less desirable p.p. But I'd throw in a bid at that price. http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=190026697126&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

[patrick key]

$86,520.00

[Juan Brantes]

Interesantes articulos

gracias

[Anthony]

140k

[A.J.]

$117.oo USD
A gorge piece, wish it could be mine.

[Kenny T]

Um, most people put the white "pants" away in the summer-time. All that humidity makes them clumpy.

$88,350.

[Fabio Rojas]

The last Warhol contest winner was the guy who guessed $1 million on a painting with a presale estimate of about $275k. Nobody else was even close. But is the print market equally hot? I'll go with $200k, just for kicks.

[Peter McCourt]

$216,000

[Mike's Mom]

You all are way too high.... This is a small print, not signed, and with no color. Hence it wouldn't fit into the typical "Art To Impress" buyer category.

I say $25,000.

[Jimmy]

I say $52k.

[Mikey Z]

I'll put my guess in at $40k

[Nicole B]

My guess is $125,000.

Thanks,

Nicole

[Bill Wilson]

My guess is $110,000.

[David Fuchs]

$44,000, including commission

'Nuff Said.

fugitiveant

[Dr.Quiz]

OK.. Time is UP!! It's 10am.

I bid $57,000

[Mike @ MAO]

So... While many of the lots went way over their presale estimates, our MAO/Electric Chair Warhol, was not one of them!

The total hammer price + buyers Premium was only $36,000. A hammer price of $30,000 + 20%. Very much below the presale estimate.

Well... So that makes the winner of this months Art Quiz.. My Mother! OMG!

Honestly my mom doesn't read the blog or even touch a computer too often.. But she did laugh when I showed her the Christies First Open catalog & the presale price on this small Warhol.. she then told me, Warhol is known for great powerful colors.. and she said

"These people are crazy! They'd be lucky to get a bid of $25k." So I entered it as her guess..

Oh well.. now I know where to go for my art advice!!

[Mark G]

Well, I feel like an ass! :-)

Anyway, good for your mom! Smarter than everyone else!!