Time Capsule | The Silo

Almost one decade ago: Andy Warhol’s “Endangered Species and Ads” prints bring a combined $677,000 USD alone at this notable Modern and Contemporary Art event.

Two complete portfolios by Andy Warhol, Endangered Species, 1983 and Ads, 1985, sold for $338,500 USD each to far exceed their estimates among a field of fresh-to-market iconic works during Heritage Auctions’ $2.9 million USD Modern and Contemporary Art Signature® Auction, May 22 in Dallas.

The auction sold 90% by value and 78% by lot.

Close up of one of the ten screenprints up for auction by ANDY WARHOL (American, 1928-1987)
Ads, 1985
Portfolio of ten screenprints on Lenox Museum Board
38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm)
Ed. 50/190
Each signed and numbered in pencil
Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York
Published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York
PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Texas
LITERATURE:
Feldman & Schellmann, II.350-359
Warhol, Andy:. American painter, photographer, filmaker and publisher, 1928-1987

ANDY WARHOL (American, 1928-1987)

Ads, 1985

Portfolio of ten screenprints on Lenox Museum Board

38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm)

Ed. 50/190

Each signed and numbered in pencil

Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York

Published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Texas

LITERATURE:

Feldman & Schellmann, II.350-359

Warhol, Andy: American painter, photographer, filmaker and publisher, 1928-1987

Condition Report*:

With original Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc. cardboard portfolio box and index print. All screenprints unframed and in good condition with specifics listed below. Mobil: Minor rubbing 3/8″ in due to former frame. A few incidental surface scratches and rubs. One 5/8″ abrasion, resulting in very minor loss. Paramount: Minor rubbing 3/8′ to 1/2″ due to former frame. Very minor bumping to bottom right corner. Chanel: 1/2″ to 1″ light rubbing due to former frame. Slate purple backgrund has hazy toning, beginning about 1/4″ in. Apple: Very minor incidental rubbing to edge. Rebel Without A Cause (James Dean); Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan); Blackglama (Judy Garland): All have only very minor edgewear. Volkswagen; Life Savers: Very minor surface rubbing and edgewear. Donald Duck: Very minor edgewear. Top corners have minor wear. Light handling creases. Some wrinkling and an indentation at end of signature. Left side center shows some moderate wrinkling and creases with some minor loss, beginning at 11″ from the bottom up to 24″, and affecting 3″ into the work. The face and body of Donald Duck is affected somewhat, as well as the background near edge. Light wear in top left corner and a small abrasion on middle right side. Unframed

Two works by Ed Ruscha responded well among buyers as his gunpowder on paper titled Rustic Pines, 1967, realized $290,500 USD and a color screenprint, Double Standard, 1969, sold for $182,500 USD , setting a record for the work. Mel Ramos’ Georgia Peach, 1964, fresh from a Texas collection, sold for $158,500 USD.

“The market for good contemporary art doesn’t seem to have hit any ceiling,” said Frank Hettig, Director of Modern and Contemporary Art at Heritage. “Our focus is presenting fantastic, fresh-to-market discoveries and bidders certainly responded in kind. It gives us high expectations for our November 2 Modern and Contemporary auction in Dallas.”

Among the modern masterpieces in the auction, the magnificent, 7-foot Cobalt Chandelier, 2003, by Dale Chihuly reached $158,500 USD. It is the largest Chihuly chandelier to appear on the secondary market and was offered through a federal court-appointed receivership overseeing the sale of assets previously owned by R. Allen Stanford of Stanford Financial Group.

Forms in Space by Lichtenstein earned $53,125.

Roy Lichtenstein’s Forms in Space, 1985, a screenprint published by the artist for the Institute of Contemporary Art’s Rally round the Flag benefit, achieved $53,125 USD and Georges Rouault’s Chemineau, 1937, realized $40,625 USD.

Here’s a look at what some Lichtenstein’s other pieces sold for.

Sculptural art performed well as Étienne Hajdu’s La Mer, 1964, sold for $35,000 USD and Pablo Picasso’s Vase deux anses hautes, 1953, sold for $30,000 USD while Robert Graham’s Frieze Figure I-G, 1989/1990, brought $21,250 USD.

So what is that Volkswagen Warhol worth today in 2021? It’s hard to pen the value but in Spring 2019 one single print ad brought 30,000 UK Pounds ( 52,000 $ CAD) in a Christie’s auction.

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)

Forms in Space, 1985

Screenprint in colors on Rives BFK paper

31 x 47-1/2 inches (78.7 x 120.7 cm)

Ed. 35/125

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil

LITERATURE:

Corlett, 217

NOTE:

Published by the artist for the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Forms in Space has been created especially in honor of ICA’s benefit, Rally round the Flag (label on frame verso) .

Lichtenstein, Roy:. American painter, printmaker; born 1923 in New York City, died 1997 in New York City

Condition Report*:

Sheet: 35.75 x 51.5 A crease in upper center at extreme sheet edge; small pressure mark at lower right corner; lower right corner lightly bumped; paper lightly undulates; framed. Framed Dimensions 36.25 X 52.5 Inches

Supplemental- Apple logo designer dishes on history http://www.macworld.com/article/1142322/logo_design.html

The very first handcrafted mock-up of GI Joe, the original 12″ tall Real American Hero and simply the most prized collectible there could be for generations of men, crossed the block at Heritage Auctions on Aug. 10, 2013 as the centerpiece of the company’s Entertainment and Music Memorabilia event. It carried a starting bid of $125,000+ usd.

“There are few more hallowed pop culture artifacts that could come up for auction than this,” said Ed Jaster, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. “Ten years ago when we sold this piece at Heritage it realized slightly over $200,000, which we believe it may bring or exceed again. To help make sure that it finds a new steward, however, we’ve joined with the consignor and placed what we feel is a conservative $125,000+ estimate on it.”

Also being offered in the auction are the prototype for the first G.I. Joe dressed in an Air Force uniform (Palitoy/Hasbro, 1964) and an early production model G.I. Joe Navy Talking Action Figurine (Hasbro Circa 1967), both formerly from the collection of G.I. Joe creator Don Levine, and both estimated at $12,500+.

Early production model G.I. Joe Navy Talking Action Figurine (Hasbro Circa 1967)

G.I. Joe First Dressed Air Force Prototype Action Figure”The two rare Joes, while not as historically important as the prototype, both mark important evolutions in the toy,” said Jaster. “Not only do you have GI Joe branching out into the other U.S. Military branches, these also represent the broadening of the character that would lead to the entire world of G.I. Joe characters that exists today.”

The prototype, carefully constructed of hand-shaped and shaved plastic, hand-crafted metal, and hand-sewn fabric, was the brainchild of Don Levine, Creative Director at Hasbro in the mid-1960s, who developed an idea first proffered by licensing guru Stan Weston, that little boys would play with a doll as much as little girls would — it simply had to be the right doll, and it had to be called an “action figure.”

“In 1964, Hasbro’s proposed 12″ GI Joe toy line flew in the face of conventional wisdom,” said GI Joe expert Mark Bellomo. “The company defied a nation of traditionally-minded consumers who considered poseable dolls a product expressly made for girls. Hasbro saw an opening and invented their GI Joe line, marketing him as a ‘Moveable Fighting Man.’ The rest is history.”

G.I. Joe Navy Original Talking Action Figurine Adopting the roles of Action Marine, Action Pilot, Action Sailor, and Action Soldier, GI Joe became the central figure in countless backyard adventures. Thanks to Hasbro, boys could now commandeer a strike force of realistic, 12″ tall, fully-articulated GI Joe action figures, all of them descendent from this single example.

The prototype is crafted and consists of a plastic body with wire-spring joints, a hand-painted plastic head that was created by pulling a temporary mold from a carved wooden original and a completely hand-sewn uniform of olive-drab fatigues and requisite four-pocketed field jacket with a set of hand-stitched, superbly-detailed three-tiered chevrons worn on each shoulder, reflecting the rank of E-5 [sergeant].

The GI Joe brand has rightly been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame (ca. 2004), and this irreplaceable iconic artifact exists as one of the most important cultural touchstones on the planet. The toy is about to celebrate its’ 50th anniversary and has seen an upsurge of popularity in recent years with a variety of licensed toy properties, television programs and movies. CP

Supplemental- National Toy Hall of Fame http://www.toyhalloffame.org/

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