Lyon & Turnbull's The Art Edit | 793
Delighted to have been asked by Lyon and Turnbull to select my Top Picks for the upcoming Art Edit 793 Auction.
Aimed at making the art market more accessible, The Art Edit series of auctions enables people to begin or grow their art collection, with estimates starting at £200. Recent lots have included works by Victoria Crowe, Dame Ethel Walker and Dame Laura Knight, and here I'll be highlighting my top 3 picks for the next auction, opening on Wednesday 26th June 2024.
TOP PICK: LOT 17 - Little Still Life by Barbara Balmer (SCOTTISH 1929-2017)
Watercolour, 23cm x 28.5cm
Estimate £300 - £500 + fees
I first wrote about Barbara Balmer's work for the publication A–L/M–Z: The Art Collection of Mrs Jay and W. Gordon Smith in 2021. Balmer was one of some 160 artists in the W. Gordon Smith Collection and I really enjoyed analysing her work. This Little Still Life holds the same distinctive quality and assured energy of her larger landscapes, with areas of flat space and chalky colour balanced with precise drawing skill. I love the mist-like veil covering Balmer's nuanced palette, and the powdered, ephemeral reflection of the jug on the table. There is a feeling of Hilma af Klint's work here, that magic mixed with the power of Georgia O'Keeffe flowers and the tonal subtlety of Morandi. There's a strength and a brightness in this little still life that draws me in, and that's why it's my top pick!
More info on the work on Lyon & Turnbull's website here
2nd PICK: LOT 129 - UNTITLED OG.4287 by Alan Davie (SCOTTISH 1920-2014)
Mixed media on printed paper, 20cm x 24cm, 2013
Estimate £300 - £500 + fees
This Alan Davie piece is an interesting one, painted over a works list or label sheet perhaps– something he did often towards the end of his life, drawing over names on old address book pages. I've been interested in Davie's work for a while, and curated an exhibition at Dovecot Studios to celebrate his centenary (2020, pandemic postponed until 2022). Alan Davie: Beginning of a far-off World brought together works from from each decade of his practice, from his graduation from Edinburgh College of Art in 1940 to drawings made just prior to his death. This mixed media piece, made in 2013, is a great demonstration of an artist in his 8th decade of making still compelled to make. At age 93, his work still evoked dynamic energy and creativity. The abstract marks are suggestive of symbols in previous works but the main energy of this painting has its roots in the spontaneity and openness of his early works. Beginning with dabs of paint and dry brushwork, only after the painting was finished, did Davie evaluate what he had produced.
More info on the work on Lyon & Turnbull's website here
3rd PICK: LOT 185- An Evening River Scene with Horses and Figure by David Murray (SCOTTISH 1849-1933)
Oil on canvas, 29.25cm x 44.5cm, 1883
Estimate £400 - £600 + fees
I have to admit, I wasn't aware of David Murray's work– he was a Royal Academician, a President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and in 1884 his work was purchased by the Tate Gallery. His work is praised for his beautiful drawing skills and delicate detail, but what has drawn me to this piece is the colour palette and the light. The reflection of sky on water, bouncing light across the landscape. Those gorgeous mauves and lavender-browns with flashes of the coral pink and orange of the setting sun, fighting the serene pale blues of the evening peace. The palette is captivating, evoking an evenings work and the passage of time yet also making us stand still, to gasp at the colour of the land. I just can't get over this vivid yet subdued colour palette. And with that, I'm off to the studio to paint!
More info on the work on Lyon & Turnbull's website here
