Christie’s is set to launch a brand new sale showcasing masterpieces from the worlds of design and photography.
The auction takes place in London on October 3, as part of Christie’s Frieze Week season, and features important, innovative works in both fields from 1856 to the present day.
The leading design piece is Marc Newson’s iconic Lockheed Lounge chair, estimated at £1 – £1.5 million.
Newsome designed the groundbreaking chaise longue in the late 1980s, combining classical furniture form with his passion for post-war aviation.
The Lockheed Lounge comprises thin aluminium plates welded and riveted together, over a body made from fibreglass-reinforced plastic, to create a form which Newsome once described as "a globule of mercury".
Just fifteen examples exist, including a prototype and four artist’s proofs, with many now held in the permanent collections of major museums.
Those still in private hands rarely appear on the market, and when they do they make headlines; in 2015, the 10th chair in the series sold in London for £2,434,500, setting a new world record for a piece of contemporary design by a living maker.
Further notable design lots include Gerrit Thomas Rietveld’s 1919 ‘Elling’ sideboard, described as "one of the most articulate examples of furniture as art" and estimated at £60,000 – £90,000; and Carlo Mollino’s dining suite, circa 1954-55, the first example to appear at auction in over two decades, which comes with an estimate of £300,000 – £500,000.
Amongst the highlights of the 15 photographic works on offer are Gilbert & George’s Red Morning (Hell) from the landmark 1077 ‘Red Morning’ series, estimated at £800,000 – £1,200,000; Andreas Gursky’s five metre-wide May Day IV, estimated at £500,000 – £700,000; and Robert Mapplethorpe’s Self Portrait, one of just three examples and the only one in private hands, estimated at £300,000 – £500,000.
"I am delighted to present Masterpieces of Design and Photography: a new concept sale for Frieze Week 2017," said Francis Outred, Chairman & Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art.
"Coinciding with our Post-War and Contemporary Art auctions, it is the sheer breadth and depth of materials on display in these 39 objects which underlines the extraordinary expansion of creativity from 1875 to the present day.
"The way that these ‘artists’ have responded to technological evolution by inventing new ways and approaches to deal with their vision of the world is truly breathtaking."
