WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — While it would have been quite enough for co-owners Rico Baca and Wade Terwilliger to showcase their finest-ever selection of vetted art for ‘s (Palm Beach ModernPBMA) Feb. 4-5, 2017 auction, they didn’t stop there. To create an event that would spark interest worldwide, they also secured several spotlight collections that are headline-makers on their own.
There are 16 original T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings furnishings from a celebrated mid-century residence in California, an estate archive of uncensored Studio 54 gelatin silver prints taken by photographer Richard Manning, and eight exceptional pieces of Picasso pottery.
Saturday, Feb. 4: Modern Art, Sculptures, Picasso Ceramics .
A fascinating backstory accompanies 13 major Latin-American artworks in the sale. The paintings were consigned by a couple who fled Castro’s Cuba in 1962 after relinquishing all of their possessions to the Communist government with the exception of 30 pounds of clothing and two cigars. Once settled in Florida, they began their 55-year journey as avid art collectors.
The couple’s highly refined collection includes a 1946 Mario Carreno (Cuban/American, 1913-1999) Cubist oil-on-canvas titled Bird House. Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. Latin-American bronzes include two by Angel Botello (Puerto Rican, 1913-1986): La Lluvia (The Rain), $20,000-$30,000; and The Dancer, $25,000-$35,000.
The array of high-quality paintings is “by far the best selection we’ve ever had in one sale,” said PBMA co-owner and auctioneer Rico Baca. There are important works by Sam Gilliam, Fernand Leger, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
The rock star of modern ceramics, mid-century Pablo Picasso pottery “continues to rise in value,” said Baca. Eight examples of Picasso pottery will be auctioned. From a Florida private collection comes “Chouette,” a 9-inch-tall, hand-painted owl originally purchased at the Madoura Pottery Works in Vallauris, France, where all Picasso pottery was designed and created. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000. Enviable provenance accompanies a large avian-form vessel that was the actual artist’s proof for a 1953 edition of only 200. The piece was kept in the private collection of Picasso’s close friends Georges and Suzanne Ramie, owners of the Madoura studio. The Ramie Collection – including this piece – was 100% sold at Christie’s in 2012. Estimate: $15,000-$22,000.
New York’s fabled disco Studio 54 is back in the news, with its upcoming 40th anniversary, a planned documentary, and a book penned by co-owner Ian Schrager. “The timing was impeccable for an archive of Studio 54 photos to be consigned to us,” said Baca. “We have an absolutely unique grouping of gelatin silver prints taken at Studio 54 by the late Richard P. Manning, also known as ‘RPM.’ Mr. Manning had unique access to ‘after parties’ and photographed not just celebrities, but also the club’s other free-spirited guests.”
Celebrities captured in unguarded moments include: David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Roger Daltrey, Rod and Alana Stewart, Jerry Hall, John Travolta, Sylvester Stallone and Truman Capote. Dozens more photos are uncensored depictions of revelers who “parked their inhibitions at the door,” Baca said. One such photo is of Margaret Trudeau, then-wife of Canadian Prime Minister the late Pierre Trudeau, seated in a manner that revealed her lack of underwear. The photo appeared in the September 1979 issue of High Society magazine. Note: Photos are being sold without copyright.
Sunday, Feb. 5: T.H. Robsjohn Collection, Modern Design & Luxury
An unprecedented collection of 16 original T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings furnishings comes from White Shadows, a famed mid-century residence in Rancho Mirage, California. Renowned both for its palatial splendor and ultra-chic simplicity, White Shadows was featured in the November 1958 issue of House Beautiful magazine.
Start time on both days is 12:00 noon ET. Bid live online through LiveAuctioneers.