Warhol's Liz And Artworks By Brasilier And Bailey Will Headline Ahlers & Ogletree's Feb. 23 Auction

By Author: Natalie Ahlers
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A 1965 offset lithograph in colors of Andy Warhol’s (American, 1928-1987) iconic image of Liz (Taylor); a large 1988 oil on canvas painting by the French artist Andre Brasilier (b. 1929); and a large and important early mixed media assemblage by Radcliffe Bailey (Ga., 1968-2023) are a few expected highlights in Ahlers & Ogletree’s next auction, planned for Friday, February 23rd.

The 458-lot Art Deco to Post-Modern Art & Design auction, starting promptly at 10 am Eastern time, will feature contemporary and modern art and furniture, as well as the Atlanta collection of noted interior designer Bill Stewart. It’s being held live in the Ahlers & Ogletree gallery located at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard Northwest, as well as online. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted.

Few artworks by Andy Warhol are as instantly recognizable as Liz. The offset lithograph in colors from 1965 depicts a close-up portrait of actress Elizabeth Taylor on a bright red ground. It’s signed and dated ‘65’ in ballpoint pen to the lower right margin, and is one from an edition of 300 printed by Total Color (N.Y.). ...
... The sheet size, less frame, is 23 inches by 23 inches. The estimate is $25,000-$35,000.

The oil on canvas by Andre Brasilier, titled Chant du Soir (Evening Song), is artist signed to the lower right, titled and initialed en verso. The canvas is impressive, at 38 ½ inches by 51 ¼ inches, and the frame measures 48 ¼ inches by 61 inches. The painting should bring $25,000-$35,000. Brasilier’s work is typified by a breezy lyricism, where real-life subjects are transposed into dreamlike settings.

The mixed media assemblage by the iconic Southern African American artist Radcliffe Bailey, titled The Magic City (1994,) was pulled from the outstanding private collection of Bill Stewart. It was made from a wild combination of door, carpet, beeswax, dried flowers, iron brands, collage, tar and photos. The monumental work – 80 inches tall by 131 ¾ inches wide – is expected to bring $20,000-$30,000.

An untitled Abstract Totem sculpture, made from carved and painted wood by the Cuban-French artist Augustin Cardenas (1927-2001), stands 61 ½ inches tall and is monogrammed to the lower edge “AC”. It is accompanied with graphite renderings of the sculpture, signed “A. Car” (est. $20,000-$30,000).

A mixed media on canvas modern polychrome still life by Ida Kohlmeyer (American, 1912-1997), an Abstract from the Duolith Series (circa 1979), is signed in graphite lower right and framed. The collage is 30 ¾ inches tall. The frame measures 47 ½ inches tall by 34 inches wide (est. $15,000-$20,000).

A pair of Rena Dumas (French, 1937-2009) and Peter Coles (French, 1955-1985) reclining outdoor pear adjustable lounge chairs for Hermes ‘Pippa’, designed in 1983, with cowhide Clemence bullcalf leather, on canted legs and with stamped marks to both, will be sold as one lot (est. $10,000-$20,000).

A sheet copper and wire Hinged Poem Dress #3 by Lesley Dill (American, b. 1950), 62 inches tall by 22 inches wide, is embedded with a quote from Catalan poet Salvador Espriu (1913-1985). It reads: “I have given my whole life to words / Chewed this dog hunger into a long meal” (est. $8,000-$16,000).

A mixed media artwork by Todd Murphy (Ga., 1962-2020), titled Woman with Microphone (1995), is 96 ½ inches by 72 ¼ inches (est. $8,000-$12,000). It’s ink signed, dated and inscribed. Murphy’s large-scale paintings, digital prints and sculptures explored images of flora, fauna and bodily forms.

A circa 1937 painted wood and hide upholstered bench by Serge Roche (French, 1898-1988), features three hide upholstered cushions and is raised on front lion paw feet. The 74-inch-wide bench has an estimate of $10,000-$15,000. Many of Roche’s creations reflect a fascination with mirrors and frames.

An untitled paint on wood and foam core rendering of a Red Shack by Beverly Buchanan (American, 1940-2015), created in 1988, is 15 ¾ inches tall (est. $8,000-$12,000). It’s signed and dated underside of the roof overhang and was acquired directly from the artist at a 1988 National Black Arts Festival.

A mixed media on panel painting by George Bauer Dunbar (American, b. 1927), titled Three Graces, depicts three female nude torsos and is signed to the lower left and framed. The panel is 19 inches tall by 31 inches wide; the frame is 20 inches in height by 31 ½ inches in width (est. $8,000-$12,000).

An oil on canvas floral rendering of Three Gold Iris (1976) by Lowell Blair Nesbitt (Md., 1933-1993), depicting dark yellow flowers on a stem, is signed, titled and dated. The canvas is large, at 85 inches tall by 45 inches wide; the frame is 85 ½ inches in height by 46 ¼ inches wide (est. $5,000-$10,000).

What would an art auction be without Pablo Picasso? A 1960 collotype with color stencil on Arches paper by the Cubist-Surrealist master (1881-1973), titled L’Etreinte, is pencil signed to the lower right and numbered (“122/125”) lower left. A Paris stamp shows the edition number (est. $5,000-$10,000).

A Phoenix Glass Company Vaseline glass Ruba Rombic fish bowl designed by Rubin Haley and executed circa 1930 is estimated to hit $7,000-$10,000. The bowl is resting on a cast iron tripod stand with a raised geometric decoration. The bowl is 14 ¼ inches in diameter; the stand is 25 inches tall.

A glazed ceramic vessel by Claude Conover (American, 1907-1994), titled Octli, 19 inches tall and 15 ¾ inches in diameter, signed and titled to the underside, should finish at $7,000-$10,000. Conover’s large pots were his best work but he also made other forms, such as bowls, lamps and ceramic animals.

Internet bidding will be available on Ahlers & Ogletree’s platform -- bid.AandOAuctions.com -- plus LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Previews will be held from February 19th thru 22nd, from 10 am to 5 pm Eastern time, in the Ahlers & Ogletree gallery. An evening preview reception will be held on Wednesday, February 22nd, from 5-7 pm. The public is invited; no appointment is necessary.

To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree and the Art Deco to Post-Modern Art & Design auction, online and live in the Atlanta gallery on February 23rd, visit www.aandoauctions.com. Updates are posted often. You can follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.