Auction: May 13

Our curators picked their favorite items from our upcoming May 13 Modern & Contemporary Art Signature® Auction.
| Frank's Picks Frank Hettig | Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art
Alexander Calder The Black Dress, 1959
One of my favorite pieces by Alexander Calder is his standing mobile The Black Dress from 1953. To me, it really captures the more intimate, thoughtful side of his approach to form and movement. Calder didn't just use color for decoration—he saw it as an essential part of how a piece comes together. He once said, "I want things to be differentiated. Black and white are first – then red is next," which shows how deliberate and meaningful his color choices were. In The Black Dress, you can feel his creative brilliance at work, but it's not just about innovation but also his deep sense of balance and harmony. The piece feels like a perfect dance between motion and stillness, boldness and subtlety. That balance and thoughtful use of contrast makes Calder's work so compelling to me.
George Rickey Two Lines Leaning XI, 1980
Another piece that really stands out to me when thinking about movement in sculpture is Two Lines Leaning XI by George Rickey, created in 1980. When I first saw it, I was struck by how simple it looked—just two slender stainless steel arms delicately balanced, gently swaying with the wind. But the more I watched, the more hypnotizing it became. The movement feels almost like the hands of a clock, except instead of marking time, they seem to play with it—reversing it, speeding it up, or slowing it down in an unpredictable rhythm. What I find fascinating about Rickey's work is how he embraced randomness. He engineered his sculptures to respond freely to air currents, creating movement that's never quite the same twice. It's like the piece is alive, dancing to the environment around it. Rickey once talked about wanting his sculptures to "discover" their own motions, and Two Lines Leaning really feels like that—an artwork unfolding in both space and time. It reminds me that even something made of metal can feel poetic and full of quiet surprises.
| Holly's Picks Holly Sherratt | Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art, West Coast
Wayne Thiebaud Untitled (Beach Scene), 1960
Wayne Thiebaud Cigar, 1978
Wayne Thiebaud Three Burgers, 2000
As a Bay Area native, I've always had a soft spot for Wayne Thiebaud. His sense of place, light, and form feels unmistakably Californian-from the bright coastal skies to the structured geometry of city streets. This auction features three standout works that span his remarkable career and highlight his range across watercolor, printmaking, and pastel. The early 1960s Beach Scene bursts with bold color and energetic brushwork, capturing the rhythm and atmosphere of California's shoreline. The 1978 hand-painted monotype Cigar is a one-of-a-kind impression, layered with watercolor and China white to give it rich texture and presence. And Three Burgers , a 2000 pastel from Thiebaud's mature period, brings together his lifelong interests in color, form, and perception—with stacked composition, saturated hues, and shadows that give fast food an almost architectural presence. Together, they offer a fresh look at the depth, wit, and invention that defined Thiebaud's vision for over half a century.
Richard Diebenkorn Untitled, 1981
Richard Diebenkorn's Ocean Park studio, Santa Monica, California., 1982 © Richard Diebenkorn Foundation
Untitled (1981) is part of Richard Diebenkorn's Clubs and Spades series, a focused and experimental body of work he created between 1981 and 1982 while still immersed in the Ocean Park paintings. Made in his studio in Santa Monica, the drawing reflects a shift toward a more direct, hands-on process. In a well-known photograph of Diebenkorn's studio, several of these works are visible pinned to the wall—joined sheets of paper marked with gouache, crayon, and collage, their seams left exposed and compositionally active. In Untitled , the central form loosely recalls a playing card symbol—part club, part spade—floating within a field of softly layered color. What I find so striking is how immediate the surface feels. The drawing doesn't aim for polish; it invites you into the process. Each mark, adjustment, and edge contributes to a quiet conversation about space, balance, and visual rhythm—hallmarks of Diebenkorn's practice, distilled here into a personal format.
| Charlene's Pick Charlene Wang | Business Development – Luxury Categories
Shiy De-Jinn / Xi Dejin Portrait of Col. Charles W. Delanoy, 1960
On an ordinary day in 1960 in Taiwan, a U.S. Air Force officer, dressed in his formal military mess dress, sits in the studio of artist De-jinn Shiy (席德进), a cigarette in hand, growing visibly impatient as he waits for a portrait of himself and his wife to be completed. The officer is Colonel Charles Delanoy, stationed in Taiwan with his family—whether by choice or by duty remains unclear. Shiy, who had left his hometown in Sichuan, China twelve years earlier, came to Taiwan to pursue his passion for Western modernist art—and perhaps more importantly, to live in a place where he could openly express his identity as a gay man. Two men whose lives would never have otherwise intersected found themselves sharing this singular moment, now immortalized in oil. Col. Delanoy had been brought to Shiy's studio at the insistence of his wife, Evelyn, who was determined that their formal portraits be painted by this now-renowned and in-demand artist. Inspired by Picasso, Matisse, and Buffet, Shiy fused realism with abstraction to pursue something deeper: the intangible aura of a person. In this unlikely encounter, two worlds converged—military formality and artistic freedom—captured in a portrait that speaks not only to who they were, but to the quiet power of seeing and being seen.
| Taylor's Pick Taylor Curry | Director, Modern & Contemporary Art
Banksy 3D Rat, 2010
One of my favorite lots in this sale is Banksy's 3D Rat — a standout example of the artist's signature blend of wit, rebellion, and razor-sharp social commentary. Among Banksy's most iconic recurring figures, the rat has long symbolized resistance and subversion — themes perfectly embodied here. Wearing anaglyph 3D glasses and reaching toward a buzzing fly, the rat feels suspended between illusion and reality. Created in 2010 and editioned in just six examples, 3D Rat is a rare and sharply humorous gem that showcases Banksy's ability to make the mundane feel monumental. Whether read as a commentary on media, surveillance, or simply the absurdity of modern life, this piece hits all the right notes — with a wink and a bite.
| Desiree's Pick Desiree Pakravan | Consignment Director, Modern & Contemporary Art
Henry Moore Two Tall Forms, 1983
One of my favorite works in this auction is Henry Moore's Two Tall Forms. It is a striking example of his monumental bronze works, emphasizing organic abstraction and the human figure's relationship to landscape. Created in the 1960s, the forms are tall, curving, and a bit mysterious—almost like ancient figures or natural rock formations shaped by time. Moore was really interested in how sculpture interacts with space, and this piece invites people to move around and between the forms, making the experience feel personal and immersive. It is a great example of how Moore blended nature, the human figure, and abstract form.
| Rebecca's Picks Rebecca Lax | Consignment Director, Prints & Multiples
Ron Gorchov Untitled, 1978
This painting by Ron Gorchov (1930-2020) stands as both a striking work of art and a historical marker within the abstract painting community of the late 1970s. It recalls Brice Marden's sensitivity to the edges of the canvas—where Marden's works from that era often reveal traces of underpainting, Gorchov intentionally leaves the raw canvas exposed, emphasizing the foundation and materiality of the piece. The composition belongs to Gorchov's acclaimed "saddle" series, named for the distinctive curved surface of the canvas—a structural innovation he began exploring as early as 1967. This particular work was created just a year after Gorchov's participation in two consecutive Whitney Biennial exhibitions (1975 and 1977), a period that marked a significant rise in his recognition. Formally, the painting also resonates with the abstraction of Myron Stout. However, while Stout's work is defined by sharp edges and precisely rendered floating shapes, Gorchov emphasizes texture and gesture. The two blue forms in this painting are nearly, but not entirely, symmetrical — engaged in a subtle and ongoing visual dialogue. Of note is the painting's provenance: it was a gift from the artist to fellow contemporary painters—and close friends—Michael Goldberg and Lynn Umlauf. Both are themselves highly regarded figures in the canon of abstract painting. Together, Gorchov, Goldberg, and Umlauf represent a powerful triumvirate of creative expression within the genre.
Saul Steinberg Chrysler Building, circa 1985-90
Saul Steinberg (born in Romania, 1914 – died in New York City, 1999) was the quintessential New Yorker. After emigrating to New York in 1942, he gave the city a vividly personal identity through his illustrations. His signature ink-on-paper drawings are fascinating, funny, and sincere. Steinberg's work dominated the covers of The New Yorker starting in 1941, and he also contributed to other major periodicals throughout his lifetime, including Fortune, Vogue, Mademoiselle, and Harper's Bazaar. As a pre-teen in New York—without social media, cell phones, or Instagram—I spent hours staring at his work. His art shaped my own visual aesthetic growing up, influencing a unique understanding of this incredible metropolis. This Steinberg architectural wood sculpture is a beautiful interpretation of the Chrysler Building—an iconic 3D homage to New York City's stunning Art Deco skyscraper. The Chrysler Building remains the tallest brick building in the world (with a steel framework) and held the title of the tallest building overall for 11 months after its completion in 1930. This unique piece is wonderfully nostalgic, combining two towering figures: an architectural muse interpreted by a multifaceted creative genius.
| Ezriel's Pick Ezriel Wilson | Cataloguer, Fine Art
Jennifer Bartlett Seasons: 4 Fall from Seasons series, 1990
Jennifer Bartlett's Seasons: 4 Fall from Seasons series stood out to me in this auction with its remarkable depth and rich symbolism. Bartlett's original work in pastel embodies both her Neo-Expressionistic style and her abilities as a storyteller in exploring a symbolic tale as old as time, the changing of the seasons. Bartlett gives the viewer the fading of summer in a freeze frame moment seamlessly blending vibrant pastels against a rich blue background. Objects are surrounded by rapid strokes of overgrown grass, repeated shapes, and recognizable patterns, giving the viewer a glimpse of the hollow space between the transition of summer into fall —showcasing her signature blend of expressive style with symbolic storytelling.
Sincerely,
|  | Frank Hettig Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art FrankH@HA.com (214) 409-1157
|  | Holly Sherratt Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art, West Coast HollyS@HA.com (415) 548-5921
|  | Charlene Wang Business Development – Luxury Categories CharleneW@HA.com (212) 486-3731
|  | Taylor Curry Director, Modern & Contemporary Art TaylorC@HA.com (212) 486-3503
|  | Desiree Pakravan Consignment Director, Modern & Contemporary Art DesireeP@HA.com (310) 492-8621
|  | Rebecca Lax Consignment Director, Prints & Multiples RebeccaL@HA.com (212) 486-3736
|  | Ezriel Wilson Cataloguer, Fine Art EzrielW@HA.com (214) 409-1112