Dave’s Faves: The Quirky, Unusual or the Just Downright Bargain

There is nothing (well, not much) that David enjoys more than going through auction catalogues and swooning over good art – especially on a wet and windy winter’s day.

So he had the perfect excuse to spend some quality time this afternoon checking out the works in the Bay East Auctions catalogue.

These secondary tier art sales can slip under the radar for many collectors – but just because the art is not featured in a big glossy catalogue doesn’t mean that the art is secondary. Of course the wonderful thing about these sales is that you can find interesting works by well-known Australian artists for literally just a few hundred dollars.

There may be some condition issues that need attention or that a re-frame is in order. But the art has still gone through the same methodical vetting process as the top-flight art in the first tier sales. And the guarantees are there too with reputable Australian auctioneers. (image: Bruce Goold, lot 137)

Goold.jpg

Here are David’s 20 picks of the Bay East offering:

Lot 69 – Norman Lindsay – the other Jack Johnson – $ 1,200 – 1,800
Lot 71 – Frank Medworth – Look’s just like you, Sir – $ 300 – 500
Lot 72 – Frank Medworth – love this – $ 150 – 250
Lot 73 – John Olsen – untypical triumph – $6,000 – 10,000
Lot 75 – Alan Sumner – unsung hero at his best – $ 15,000 – 18,000
Lot 81 – Brett Whiteley – Rare this one, edition of 50 – $ 3,000 – 5,000
Lot 111 – John Coburn – for the connoisseur 1958 – $ 1,800 – 2,500
Lot 121 – Neville Cayley – For our Manly penguin colony – $ 400 – 600
Lot 126 – John Coburn – Is that connoisseur still in the room? – $ 1,200 – 1,800
Lot 127 – John Coburn – for the beginner – $ 500 – 800
Lot 137 – Bruce Goold – one of Australia’s great modern printmakers – $ 300 – 500
Lot 138 – Margaret Woodward – When she’s good, she’s brilliant – $ 1,200 – $ 1,800
Lot 140 – Percy Lindsay – ‘I will sell it, make no mistake’ – $ 400 – 600
Lot 143 – Pro Hart – a little pot of gold – $ 400 – 600
Lot 151 – Aida Tomescu – these four prints are just too cheap – $ 600 – 800
Lot 155 – Margaret Olley – pretty as a picture – $ 5,000 – $ 8,000
Lot 176 – Joshua Ebatarinja – Don’t leave without at least buying something! – $ 200 – 400
Lot 178 – John Allcot – Where’s the Opera House? – $ 5,000 – $ 8,000
Lot 190 – Harriett Scott – Save the Tassie Tiger – $ 300 – 500
Lot 208 – Norman Lindsay – a marvelous print – $ 100 – 200