Summer Exhibition at Manly and Dave’s Faves from Menzies

Today, it’s about two very different ‘Dave’s Faves’: the 6 December auction at Menzies in Sydney and the James R Jackson exhibition that David and I curated for Manly Art Gallery & Museum.

The inspiration for Early Impressions – James R. Jackson (1882 – 1975) was the painting that launched the collection of the Manly Art Gallery & Museum in 1923: ‘Middle Harbour from Manly Heights’ (image below).

manly_heights_copy Our show presents for the first time together the artist’s luminous early works so reminiscent of Australia’s great impressionist painters.

They are drawn from the country’s finest state and regional galleries as well as private collections, revealing a rarely seen side of the artist.

The exhibition opens on Friday, 7 December, 6 pm, with renowned art historian and author Lou Klepac.

You are also welcome to join us for the curator’s talk on Sunday, 9 December, 3 pm. Or you can take the exhibition tour on 20 January 2013, 3 pm.

This is another great reason to visit Manly this summer. The exhibition is exclusive to Manly and MUST end on 27 January 2013.

The spring art auction season 2012 is drawing to a close. The Menzies sale on Thursday, 6 December will be the last of the ‘Big 4’ for the year.

David has scoured the 124 lots for you and has found some gems. Here are his faves:
Lot 9 – Eric Wilson, Roland Street, Belfast, est. $8,000-12,000. “Connoisseurs Only”
Lot 11 – Francis Bacon, Figure at a Basin, 1978, est. $14,000-18,000. I admit to not being a Bacon fan, and yet this etching is spectacular
Lot 25 – Garry Shead, The Travellers, est. $40,000-50,000. 4 excellent examples of Shead’s work in this sale
Lot 26 – Aida Tomescu, Crimson 2003, est. $18,000-25,000. Luscious
Lot 29 – Arthur Boyd, The Billabong 1958-59, est. $38,000-45,000. Early, dark Boyd at his best
Lot 57 – Ben Quilty, Lloydy 2010, est. $35,000-45,000. Grab it now before it’s $135,000-145,000
Lot 69 – Lloyd Rees, The Ancient Abbeywall, Vezelay 1973, est. $8,000-12,000. Sublime Seventies Work
Lot 70 – Fred Williams, Australian Landscape VI, 1969, est. $9,000-12,000. “Right said Fred”
Lot 81 – Max Dupain, Nude on Dune, 1930s, printed 1970s, est. $2,500-3,500. This is the bottom of the market for Dupain’s photos (sorry)
Lots 86-95 – Torii Kotondo, estimates ranging from $1,000 to $ 6,000. Expect some competitive bidding for these large and absolutely divine 1930s woodblock prints
Lot 97 – Max Dupain, Silos through Windscreen 1935, est. $3,000-4,000. The master at work
Lot 99 – Tracey Moffatt, Self Portrait 1999, est. $10,000-15,000. The mistress at work
Lot 102 – Sam Leach, The Platform 2007, est. $8,000-12,000. Celebrate the Day of the Dead in Style
Lot 110 – Henry Burn, A Social Occasion while Boating on the Yarra, 1868, est. $10,000-15,000. Take a punt

Viewing online is at www.menziesartbrands.com and in person at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington, until 5 December from 11am to 6pm. The auction is on Thursday, 6 December, 6.30.

Interested in any of the lots? Ring us or email so we can assist you with bidding and buying or any other advice you may need on art.