FACT: Live auctions are more difficult that eBay auctions

My quest after two and a half years to get something on my walls has still come up empty.  In that time, I've found two Australian artists that I'm trying to find affordable works by, but am not having much luck.  Both of the artists I'm trying to find originals (not prints) by I've come across at art auctions.  It's been an interesting experience so far.  I've attended three to date, but have come up empty each time.  After last night's auction though, I'm starting to get the hang of it and starting to see how others are getting bargains.  While not necessarily pieces that are true investment pieces because most won't be known outside of Australia, I can hopefully find some pieces to hang on my walls that represent Australian art (aboriginal and contemporary).

The one artist that seems to be a bit more available is Anthony Lister.  The problem I'm finding here is that he's starting to take off on the global scene.  Which would be good if I found out about him a year or two ago, but I'm getting to the party after the prices have started to rise.  Most of his shows seem to be in the US or in Europe which is making original works by him more difficult to find in Australia.  It doesn't seem like he's done a show in Australia in 2012, so I'm still hoping that there's a chance for that.  We'll just have to see.

The other artist that I've been searching for and want to find a piece by is Adam Cullen.  I came across him about a year ago at an auction preview and have been hooked since.  There is a chain of hotels in Melbourne who have built hotels around the works of three different Australian artists and Adam Cullen was the first project.  I stayed there back in March when I was there for a weekend for a concert.  That trip probably gave me the most hope that I might be able to find an original work by him.  I stopped by the local gallery to see if they had anything in the stockroom and was told that they were going to be having a show in July with new works.  I continued to look around in the primary and secondary markets and while I found some pieces, there weren't anything I really liked.

So fast forward to a few weeks ago, I got the email about the latest auction that had a work by Adam at a very reasonable price considering what I'd seen both currently on the market and recent sold prices.  And, I liked the work.  He's done two different subjects that I like and this was the first one that was in the right price range.  Then about a week after getting the auction catalog I got news that he had passed away.  I had been talking with a local art dealer trying to find works and knew he wasn't well, but it never came across as life threatening.  There was a huge outpouring in the local art community, even for people who didn't really like his works.  And as a result, the market for available works went out of control.

Adam Cullen - untitled (feral pig)

The expected price on the particular lot went up by 50%.  I figured I'd still go for it, but with an even smaller chance of winning.  The one lesson I learned in attending an art auction is to not drink.  If you do, sometimes you end up with something that looks like this (appropriately named "The Crash"):

Despite having top shelf booze at this event, I stayed away.  I had to wait through 250 some odd lots (including a few Anthony Lister works) until the lot I wanted.  And then the adrenaline started flowing.  There was some interest from absentee ballots so the starting bid was higher than I hoped.  I wanted everyone else to bid and drop out before I started, but no one else was bidding.  For fear that they'd drop the hammer, I jumped in only to be outbid by another absentee bid.  So I flashed my number and was again outbid.  With little room left before my time to drop out (thankful I'm sober at this point), I'm sitting alone with the current bid.  And then there's silence.  My heart is going a mile a minute while my brain is yelling at the auctioneer to drop the damn hammer already.  This would be a good price so drop the hammer already and declare me the winner.

And then, the plan unravels.  Someone on a phone throws up a bid.  I sit for a minute as the auctioneer throws the bid back to me if I want it.  And at this point I know that my eBay experience has completely failed me.  I feel like I've jumped in too soon.  I can feel everyone around staring at me, the amateur.  I sit tight for what was probably 10 seconds, but felt longer and I threw up my bid card as two others in the room did as well.  The auctioneer gave the bid to me as an active bidder previously.  Neither of the other two people seemed keen to go higher so I was feeling better, but still not confident.  Then, the phone bidder sent the dagger.  Upped me one past my max bid.  The auctioneer threw it back to me but I had to tap out.  Maybe if I went through a few bottles of champagne waiting I would have continued, but thankfully didn't.  There were a few smaller bids between the phone duo and when the hammer dropped, I was again without anything to hang on my walls.  Bummer.

I haven't given up yet, but it's not looking good.  I'm just hoping that his estate has a stock pile of works that he had been working on and hopefully they make it into some galleries at some point.  His estate is going through with a previously committed show up in Singapore, but the only piece I liked from that show is already sold. To an Australian collector no less.

I'll just have to hone my live auction skills in hopes I come across another original.  Until then, I'll just have to continue with the minimalist white wall theme in my apartment.