Instead of the usual£1140.00 Christmas gifts gallery or selection of winter themed works, this December we wanted to do something a little bit different. So, following the success of ourXXX October online auction, we thought we’d host a Dutch auction in the run up to the festive break.
XXX A Dutch auction works in the opposite way to a regular auction in that instead of the prices starting low and getting higher as the bids come in, the prices start at the highest amount and descend each day until every piece is bought (or until the reserve is reached).
The strategy for participating in a Dutch Auction is simple: How long are you willing to wait to buy a piece and can you risk someone else buying it before you in the process?. Every piece in our Dutch auction is either a unique work, or the only piece available from an otherwise sold-out edition, therefore if you wait too long to buy it, you risk someone else getting in before you. So it’s quite exciting really, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what happens.
The highest price stated for each of the works in our Dutch auction is the amount the works would be priced at if we were selling them in the normal way. Therefore if you do see something you like on the first day and want to buy it there and then, you wouldn’t be paying over the odds, you’d just be paying the price normally displayed.
We’re excited to have a couple of brand new original pieces by two of our most popular artists who have offered the works especially. First up is a rare unique abstract by
Carne Griffiths made with ink and tea on paper. A new departure for the artist, we hope Mindscape #1 will attract the attention of collectors and become a pioneering piece by Griffiths. Fairly large in scale at 72 x 52cm, this framed work starts at a price common for his original works, and that’s the highest you’ll pay; if it lasts until the end there’s a chance it could be snapped up for a mere £800.
Another unique drawing that I for one am rather excited about is
Delphine Lebourgeois’ Untitled 3. Taking inspiration from
Army, one of her most popular prints that has now almost sold in its entirety, Delphine takes one of her women warriors and lets her stand alone with her sword; a pink jewel above her head and her skirt filled with a reoccurring pattern of her army. An original made with ink and watercolour pencils on paper, this framed piece starts off at its asking price of £2,880 and will finish at £1,800 if you’re brave enough to wait until the last day.
Other pieces in terms of primary works include
Henrik Simonsen’s Glowing Red, a canvas from 2010 which acknowledges the beginning of the road for the paintings and prints we’ve seen by the artist since then; the last remaining print of the ever-popular Midnight Garden, also by Simonsen, which was released in 2009; an artist’s proof of Stephen Walter’s Municipality Island, a print published by Eyestorm in 2007 which is nearing the end of the edition; an original canvas by
Kate Allen;
Jacky Tsai’s Life-size Floral Skullpture #1 - a silver version of his unique sculptures from the series of 10, and
David Bray’s unique drawing that was used by Absolut vodka in their current advertising campaign.
Secondary pieces include highly sought-after works by
Jeff Koons,
Peter Blake,
Damien Hirst and
Lucie Bennett alongside the rarely seen Eyestorm-published print Separates by Jenny Saville. Again, if you can wait until towards the end, you may get a key piece at a huge bargain.
To see all the works in the auction, click
Eyestorm Dutch Auction here The auction ends on Thursday, December 20th 8:00pm (GMT)