Here’s a few of my favorite images from the upcoming Los Angeles Modern Art & Design Auction.  The images that I’ve chosen to feature here on my Design Diary are primarily prints, however, this isn’t the full breadth of the upcoming auction.

To quote Los Angeles Modern Auctions: The March 1, 2015 Modern Art & Design Auction will feature an important and monumental Harry Bertoia sculpture, paintings by School of Paris masters Massimo Campigli and Antoni Clave, sculptures by De Wain Valentine, George Rickey, and Peter Alexander, in addition to works by George Condo, Billy Al Bengston, Roy Lichtenstein, Oskar Fischinger, and Bruce Conner.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing major exhibitions by nearly all of the artists shown above,  which is why I can relate to their work. That’s not to say that just because I’ve seen their works, I automatically love and resonate with everything that artist does. On the contrary. What it does do, is give me perspective on their work and a point of reference. That is why I’m such a huge advocate of seeing as much art as you have available to you, regardless of the venue. Auctions, Museums Shows, Gallery Exhibitions… and even flea markets or thrift stores. An educated eye can find the needle in a hay stack, which is an amazing thrill. Case in point, a decade ago I was driving by a garage sale when something caught my eye. I circled, parked, and found an amazing piece of art for about 20 bucks. I later had it appraised for $1800, and ultimately  sold it at auction for a few hundred when I needed a little extra cash.

Karl Benjamin, #44, Oil on Canvas. Estimate $20,000 – $30,000.   I first became aware of his work at the Birth of the Cool exhibit in Orange County Museum of Art, 2007. Since then I’ve seen his work for sale at several Southern California venues.

Takashi Murakami,  And Then, And Then And Then and Then (4), Offset Color Lithograph on Paper From the edition of 300, Estimate $4,000 – $5,000.   The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA Los Angeles had a massive exhibit of Murakami’s works in 2007. I was both spellbound and speechless at the scale and depth of his work. You might say he’s the Japanese equivalent of Jeff Koons, working in multiple mediums, blurring the line between high and low art.

Wayne Thiebaud, Eight Lipsticks, 1 of 7 unnumbered Trial Proofs, Estimate $25,000 – $35,000.   The Palm Springs Art Museum had a recent retrospective of his work in 2009, covering 70 years of the artist works. I loved his more recent abstract landscapes, as well as his famous Cake and Dessert still life paintings. At nearly 95  years of age, he’s still making art.

Julian Schnabel, Color Screenprint on Arches paper, #125 of 250,  Estimate $1,500 – $2,000.   Sadly I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing a major exhibition of his work. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s also an award winning filmmaker. Think Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 

Damien Hirst, Silkscreen with bronze glitter on Somerset Tub-Sized 410-gram paper, #101 of 150. Estimate $6,000 – $8,000.   I’ve seen his work at several venues, including the recent Los Angeles Art Fair. If you’ve seen my  Butterfly Mural DIY video, I make reference to him and his famous Butterfly piece I Am Become Death, Shatterer of Worlds. 

John Baldessari, Photogravure, aquatint, and sanding on torn Rives BFK paper, #3 of 35, Estimate $4,000 – $6,000.   In 2010 LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) had a retrospective of his work titled Pure Beauty. I was quite surprised to see his 1977 series Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line, which reminded me of my own Red Ball oil paintings.

Josef Albers, Encircled, Woodcut on Paper, Estimate $5,000 – $7,000.   I love this piece because it’s so not what Albers is famous for. Homage to the Square is a massive series of mid-century works, with yep, you guessed it, variations of squares set into bigger squares and even bigger squares. I recently bought one of these pieces at an Estate Sale, Homage to the Square in Black.

Lari Pittman, Untitled #27, Acrylic on paper, Estimate $5,000 – $7,000.   Nearly 20 years ago in 1996 I saw a Survey of Lari Pittman’s work at LACMA. It was so bold and inventive that I never forgot it. The show was referred to as a Defining Moment in his career.

Joan Miro, Untitled, Etching and aquatint on Rives paper, #23 of 50, Estimate $2,000 – $3,000.   Miro is a name that’s synonymous with Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike… It makes me think of a re-occuring nightmare I had as a child that featured an inner tube,  a needle and thread, and floating sensations. I still have no clue what the dream was really about.

Jun Dobashi, La Priere au Balcon, Oil on canvas laid down on board, Estimate $2,000 – $3,000.   I’ve never seen the work of this artist before, but I love the composition of this piece and his use of black. Divided into 4 regions, light on one side, dark on the other, it feels religious, as if someone is in a state of prayer.

Pablo Picasso, Femme regardant par la Fenetre, Color linocut print on Arches paper, #43 of 50, Estimate $18,000 – $25,000.    Nearly every major museum in the United States has some form of Picasso’s work, so it’s hard not to have seen something from the epic career of one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. I love how the subject of this piece leans forward to open the drape, letting the light into the room. The use of off white is so effective and powerful.

Sign up to bid at LOS ANGELES MODERN AUCTIONS