Category: International

  • Introducing the Cowley Abbott Team: Perry Tung, Senior Canadian and International Art Specialist 

    Perry pictured here with resident evaluator Katherine Gray and host Nick Uhas on the set of the Netflix show Blown Away, Season One. Photo courtesy of Marble Media.

    Cowley Abbott has rapidly grown to be a leader in the competitive Canadian auction industry since its foundation. Our expansion into the international art market with a dedicated department and the offer of a rare painting by the enigmatic superstar David Bowie in our first International Art Auction in June 2021 led to notable exposure for both the artwork and the firm, selling for $108,120 (a new global auction record). We invite you to become acquainted with our specialists in our new blog series and learn more about Cowley Abbott’s pivotal role in the auction industry.

    Perry Tung, Senior Canadian and International Art Specialist

    Perry is a fine art specialist and auctioneer with over 20 years of experience in both the primary and secondary art markets, with knowledge of both Canadian and International Art. Perry joined Cowley Abbott in December of 2020 and began building the International Art Department, a very exciting venture for the auction house. Did you know that Perry has volunteered his time for countless charity auctions over the years and also was a guest judge on a hit tv television show?

    Perry, you have been a regular commentator and lecturer on Canadian art and the auction market in Canada during your years in the industry. As a guest judge on an episode of the acclaimed Netflix show, Blown Away, you had the opportunity to work directly with artists and witness glassblowers creating artworks in real time. Tell us more about this experience and how you came to be involved. Any memorable moments from Pop Art Blowup?

    One of the show’s creators saw a tv interview I had done and contacted me. We met, they pitched the show and a couple of months later we were filming the episode. The most memorable thing was learning about glass blowing, the terminology and techniques. It was amazing to be in the hotshop with these talented artists and watch them create something inspired by Pop Art.

    Also, readers should note that “Blown Away” is still available to watch on Netflix! Tune in and watch Perry evaluate the talented contestants!

    Each year you volunteer your time as an auctioneer for various charity events across Toronto, including Art with Heart’s Contemporary Fine Art Auction benefiting Casey House and Snap! A Contemporary Canadian Photography Auction for the Aids Committee of Toronto. These are fantastic causes! How long have you been volunteering as an auctioneer for these charity auctions? When do Art with Heart and Snap! take place this year? We are excited!

    I’ve been involved with Art with Heart for eighteen years and with Snap! for about fifteen years. This year is the Twentieth Anniversary of Snap! and we are excited to host the live broadcast from Cowley Abbot on March 24th. Art with Heart will be in October this year and we are delighted to host the previews again at our galleries.

    Perry Tung can be reached directly by e-mail at [email protected]. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Introducing the Cowley Abbott Team” in a week!

  • Art Collecting Tips with Katherine

    Starting an Art Collection & Why You Should Look to Auctions

    Lot 14: Peter Deutsch, High Fidelity
    vinyl copolymer on canvas
    estimate $1,000-2,000

    Collecting art can be fulfilling and add personality to your home. As a thirty-something-year-old art specialist, I have quite a few friends and family members buying their first homes and asking me where they can buy art to put on their walls. For many reasons (admittedly including the fact that I work at an auction house), I recommend online auctions as a way to start and build an art collection. Cowley Abbott’s January online auctions offer great examples of accessible art in a range of styles, subjects, and media. I am happy to share some general art collecting advice and my affordable art picks from the current sale.

    Lot 39: Robert Montgomery
    The People you Meet Become Ghosts Inside of You and Like This You Keep Them Alive
    colour photograph
    estimate $1,200-1,500

    Browse Indefinitely

    It is important to spend time surrounded by art in order to create a context for yourself. Find ways to look at art on a regular basis, through museum and gallery visits, Instagram accounts, the Google Arts & Culture app, and scrolling through online auction listings. Every time you see a work of art, let yourself react to it. Ask, “do I like this? Why or why not?” These experiences will help you develop your personal taste.

    Lot 73: Rita Letendre, Northern Legend
    serigraph
    estimate $300-500

    Learn (some of) the Lingo

    Art comes in many forms and materials, and it is worth learning their differences, for the purposes of both aesthetics and value. The general categories include painting, drawing, prints (of which there are many types – etchings, silkscreens, lithographs, etc), photography, sculpture and mixed media. An oil painting is a one-of-a-kind work of art, but also more expensive due to its rarity. Prints, which are duplicate images from a limited edition, are often more readily available and affordable than original paintings. For example, lot 73 is Northern Legend, a 1967 print by Rita Letendre. The estimate is $300-500, far below the typical prices in the tens of thousands for her oil paintings.

    Lot 110: Ted Harrison, Ice Moon, Hockey Game
    two serigraphs
    estimate $600-800

    Be Patient and Enjoy the Journey

    Please take your time in this process. When someone asks me for advice on how to find a work of art for their home, I often have to tell them that they should not expect to find something in a day or even a week. Don’t just buy something quickly to fill a blank wall. That being said, if a particular work really grabs you for whatever reason, then go for it! It is better to buy something you love even if you have no idea where it will find a place in your home. Art collecting is a lifelong journey that is never complete – it is always evolving and it reflects how your personality and tastes have changed. Looking at every piece in your collection is like an old journal or photo album–every piece you collect along the way will remind you of a particular moment in your life.

    Lot 111: Raphael Montpetit, Dégel
    oil on board
    estimate $500-700

  • Trucs et astuces pour la collection d’art

    Comment commencer une collection d’art & pourquoi vous devriez vous tourner vers les enchères

    Lot 14: Peter Deutsch, High Fidelity
    copolymère de vinyl sur toile
    estimation  1 000 – 2 000 $

    La collection d’œuvres d’art peut être épanouissante et ajouter de la personnalité à votre maison. En tant que spécialiste de l’art dans la trentaine, j’ai pas mal d’amis et de membres de ma famille qui achètent leur première maison et me demandent où ils peuvent acheter de l’art pour mettre sur leurs murs. Pour de nombreuses raisons (y compris le fait que je travaille dans une maison de vente aux enchères), je recommande les ventes aux enchères en ligne comme moyen de démarrer et de constituer une collection d’art. Les ventes en ligne de Cowley Abbott de janvier offrent d’excellents exemples d’art accessible dans une gamme de styles, de sujets et de médias. Je suis heureuse de partager quelques conseils généraux sur la collection d’art ainsi que mes choix d’art abordables de la présente vente.

    Lot 39: Robert Montgomery,
    The People you Meet Become Ghosts Inside of You and Like This You Keep Them Alive
    photographie en couleurs
    estimation 1 200 – 1 500 $

    Parcourez indéfiniment

    Il est important de passer du temps entouré d’art afin de se créer un contexte.Trouvez des façons de voir de l’art régulièrement, par le biais de visites de musées et de galeries, de comptes Instagram, de l’application Google Arts & Culture et en parcourant les listes d’enchères en ligne. ​​À chaque fois que vous voyez une œuvre d’art, laissez-vous réagir. Demandez, “est-ce que j’aime ça? Pourquoi ou pourquoi pas?” Ces expériences vous aideront à développer votre goût personnel.
    Lot 73: Rita Letendre, Northern Legend
    sérigraphie
    estimation 300 – 500 $

    Apprenez le jargon

    L’art se présente sous de nombreuses formes et matériaux, et il vaut la peine d’apprendre leurs différences, à des fins esthétiques et de valeur. Les catégories générales comprennent la peinture, le dessin, les gravures (dont il existe de nombreux types – eaux-fortes, sérigraphies, lithographies, etc.), la photographie, la sculpture et les techniques mixtes. Une peinture à l’huile est une œuvre d’art unique, mais elle est aussi plus chère en raison de sa rareté. Les tirages, qui sont des images en double d’une édition limitée, sont souvent plus facilement disponibles et abordables que les peintures originales. Par exemple, le lot 73 est Northern Legend, une sérigraphie de 1967 de Rita Letendre. L’estimation est de 300 à 500 $, bien inférieure aux prix typiques de plusieurs dizaines de milliers de ses peintures à l’huile.
    Lot 110: Ted Harrison, Ice Moon, Hockey Game
    lot de deux sérigraphies
    estimation 600 – 800 $

    Soyez patient et profitez du voyage

    Veuillez prendre votre temps dans ce processus. Quand quelqu’un me demande des conseils pour trouver une œuvre d’art pour sa maison, je dois souvent lui dire qu’il ne faut pas s’attendre à trouver quelque chose en un jour ou même une semaine. Ne vous contentez pas d’acheter quelque chose rapidement pour remplir un mur vide. Cela étant dit, si un article en particulier vous attrape vraiment pour une raison quelconque, alors allez-y ! Il est préférable d’acheter quelque chose que vous aimez même si vous ne savez pas où il trouvera sa place dans votre maison. Collectionner des œuvres d’art est un processus qui dure toute la vie et qui n’est jamais complet – il évolue constamment et reflète l’évolution de votre personnalité et vos goûts. Regarder chaque pièce de votre collection est comme un vieux journal ou un album photo – chaque article que vous collectionnez en cours de route vous rappellera un moment particulier de votre vie.

    Lot 111: Raphael Montpetit, Dégel
    huile sur bois
    estimation 500 – 700 $

  • Cowley Abbott Closes Out 2021 with Three Exciting Online Auctions of Eclectic Works

    The final auctions of 2021 have come to a close. Cowley Abbott rounded out a successful year with three concurrent Online Auctions: Coast to Coast, Holiday Charm and Works on Paper, Books & Tapestries. Each of these auctions featured an impressive array of genres, styles and mediums of artwork, from across Canada and beyond. 

    Celebrated Canadian artists Doris McCarthy, Alan Collier, John Little, Maud Lewis and many, many more were included in our most recent Online Auctions. Works of art ranging from historical to modern to contemporary were presented for discerning collectors and spontaneous buyers alike.

    Shuvinai Ashoona, Walrus
    Price Realized: $5,040.00

    Among the notable works on paper were a set of lithographs by contemporary Inuk artist Shuvinai Ashoona. Teeming with colour, detail and imaginative forms, the dazzling lithographs sold above their estimate for $5,040.

    Kim Dorland, Camp
    Price Realized: $26,400.00

    Camp, a 2006 canvas by Kim Dorland also generated excitement among visitors. Rendered in fluorescent paints, a tent glows dramatically in the dark night. The detritus of wild times is strewn about in the foreground. Both quiet and exuberant, the distinctive painting sold well over the estimate for $26,400.

    Frederick Loveroff, Evening, Algonquin
    Price Realized: $38,520.00

    One of the stand-out results of the December auctions was Evening, Algonquin by Frederick Nicholas Loveroff. Reminiscent of the Algonquin Park sketches of the iconic Tom Thomson, the small oil sketch captures a dramatic sunset with confident brushwork and glowing colours. The appealing landscape caught the eye of a number of collectors and bids poured in for the painting. Evening, Algonquin soared to a price realized of $38,520.

    Maud Lewis, Covered Bridge in Winter
    Price Realized: $43,200.00

    Covered Bridge in Winter by beloved Canadian artist Maud Lewis was a wonderfully apt addition to Cowley Abbott’s “Holiday Charm” auction. Featuring snowy pines, horse-drawn sleighs and colourful east coast buildings, the painting exudes heart-warming appeal. The wintry scene demonstrated Maud Lewis’ enduring popularity with a strong result of $43,200. 

    The team at Cowley Abbott extend our gratitude to all the collectors, bidders and buyers who ensured 2021 was a year of growth and success. We very much look forward to the many new opportunities and experiences to come in the year ahead. 

  • Andy Warhol: Father of the Pop Art Movement

    Cowley Abbott’s Fall International Art Auction Features Multiple Important Works by the Twentieth Century Icon

    Andy Warhol, Howdy Doody
    Auction Estimate: $55,000-75,000

    “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art”.

    -Andy Warhol

    The candid Press Release from Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in 1981 for the exhibition of Warhol’s Myths Series, invites the public to the opening on Saturday, September 12th.  It goes onto state which characters are included in the series and that they were derived from original photographs Warhol took of actors he hired or acquaintances portraying each character. 

    The Press Release goes onto say “They represent fantasies, dreams, hopes and fears.”

    It is interesting that Warhol choose these characters and included himself as “The Shadow”, the last print in the series. The Myth Series is now one of the most discussed and written about collection of prints by Andy Warhol.

    Perry Tung discussing Howdy Doody

    Cowley Abbot is pleased to offer two works from this iconic series, both consigned from an Important Private Collection. Howdy Doody was one of the first television shows to be shown in colour and apparently the show was used to sell color television sets in the 1950s. Like the other characters from the series the image of Howdy Doody was not appropriated from the media but was based on a photograph that Warhol took of the puppet.

    Andy Warhol, Mammy
    Auction Estimate: $35,000-50,000

    The second work we are offering from Myths is Mammy. Not a character from a specific story, but she is a character that can be seen in various forms of popular culture. Warhol photographed Sylvia Williams, who was the former director of the National Museum of African American Art at the Smithsonian, in the role of the maternal figure.

    Perry Tung discussing Mammy
    Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe I Love Your Kiss Forever (1964)
    Auction Estimate: $1,000-1,500
    Perry Tung discussing Marilyn Monroe I Love Your Kiss Forever Forever 1964

    Also included in the auction are a further two works by Andy Warhol, both inspired by women he adored. Marilyn Monroe I Love Your Kiss Forever Forever 1964 is from the unsigned edition of 2000 issued in an unbound book entitled “1cent Life”. The book was compiled by Walasse Ting and Sam Francis. This work was adapted from a painting Warhol did of Marilyn Monroe’s lips in 1962 and incorporates the poem “Jade White Butterfly” by Walasse Ting.

    Cowley Abbott is pleased to have been entrusted with these renowned works for auction. The entire Fall Auction of International Art can be viewed by following this link.

    Literature: “Press Release for Andy Warhol’s ‘Myths’”, Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York, September 1st, 1981 [online publication]