Palm Beach Modern Auctions Secures Premier Sculptures by Botero, Bertoia and Soto for Nov. 1 Modern Art & Decorative Arts Sale

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the most sought-after names in 20th-century art and design are represented in the lineup of modern and decorative art to be sold Nov. 1 at Palm Beach Modern Auctions (PBMA). They include Frank Stella, David Hockney, Robert Motherwell and Willem de Kooning, among many other art luminaries.

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Throughout, the imagination factor goes far beyond what one might expect to see at auction. For example, there's an amusing Barbini "Aquarium" blown-glass lamp base with faux fish, and an actual US $1 bill boldly signed in black marker by Andy Warhol.

Headlining the sale is a Fernando Botero (Colombian, b. 1932-) original bronze titled "Venus." The 30-inch-tall female nude is artist-signed and was cast in 1977-1978. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Galeria El Museo of Bogota, it carries a presale estimate of $400,000-$600,000.

An important original 1970 wall sculpture by acclaimed op/kinetic artist Jesus Rafael Soto (Venezuelan, 1923-2005) – whose work was exhibited at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and Centre Georges Pompidou – is estimated at $75,000-$150,000.

A trifecta of incomparable Harry Bertoia (1915-1978) sculptures showcases the inventive American artist's boundless creativity. The first of the three sculptures, titled "Bush," is a complex 12- by 12-inch copper and bronze sculpture that comes with a Bertoia-signed photo of the work in an envelope from the artist. Most recently, it was included in a Sotheby's cataloged exhibition (Feb. 11-March 9, 2014), "Bertoia: A Celebration of Sound and Motion." Estimate: $60,000-$80,000. Bertoia's organic-shape bronze replicating a coral formation is estimated at $40,000-$60,000, while a bronze gong created for the 1976 Norwegian exhibition "Harry Bertoia: Musikk A Sepa" is estimated at $60,000-$80,000. 

The Nov. 1 auction also includes superior examples of midcentury modern glass, led by a Fulvio Bianconi for Venini "Fasce Orizzontali" vase. "It is the largest Bianconi vase we have ever seen," noted PBMA's auctioneer and co-owner Rico Baca. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000.

A large and varied offering of Danish pottery includes a collection of Arne Bang (1901-1983) glazed stoneware vessels. Additionally, the auction offers a 14-piece grouping of distinctive stoneware and metal works by Gunnar Nyland for Rorstrand and Numolle.

Other highlights include a massive 98- by 93-inch Red Grooms (American, b. 1937-) painting, an original 1966 Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994) acrylic on paper, three Motherwell signed editions, and drawings by Warhol and Picasso.

The sale also includes photos by Diane Arbus, Jan Groover, Frank Worth and Dennis Stock. An iconic, Stock-signed 1955 gelatin silver print of James Dean smoking a cigarette and walking along a rainy street at New York's Times Square could sell for as much as $6,000.

All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet. View the fully illustrated auction catalog online at www.modernauctions.com.

Contact: Wade Terwilliger, 561-586-5500; Email

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SOURCE Palm Beach Modern Auctions

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