Auctionata's Modern & Contemporary Art Sale Generates a Sell-Through Rate of 62.4%

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2014 — (PRNewswire) —  Auctionata successfully completed its first Modern and Contemporary art auction Sunday evening, from 7:00 PM to 10:45 PM EST. The auction, which is the first of its kind hosted from Auctionata's New York studios, attracted over 500 registered bidders from 31 countries, including France, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Russia, Slovakia, United Arab Emirates, Japan and India, in conjunction with partner bidding sites. Eighty-three out of 133 total lots sold, with active bidding surrounding Andy Warhol's 'John Wayne' Trial Proof screenprint which fetched a world record of $96,000. Other world records were achieved by four prints from Keith Haring's brilliantly colored "Growing" series. A painting on black velvet by Mel Bochner entitled "Blah Blah Blah" made its auction debut, with numerous bidders demonstrating an appetite for the artist's text paintings, recently on view at The Jewish Museum.

Deborah Ripley, Director of the Modern and Contemporary Print Department, was enthusiastic about the strong prices achieved for the Keith Haring "Growing" prints. "Several of these prints had not been at auction since 2006 and were fiercely fought over by many bidders," she noted.

Led by auctioneers Amy Papola and Steve Brezzo, and accompanied by Auctionata's Prints and Contemporary Art specialists Deborah Ripley and Brittney Ingarra, the auction was live streamed from Auctionata's midtown broadcast studio, which features a 6,000 square foot sound stage. Viewers also interacted directly with the auctioneer and specialists to ask questions and bid in real-time, while learning about the New York Modern art scene through Contemporary artist Ed Baynard.  

Strong bidding online, over the phone and through partner sites, with many of the participants being from the U.S., took place within seconds for the following lots:

Modern & Contemporary Art, Including Prints Auction (Pre-Sale Estimates)       Results*       
40. Andy Warhol, 'John Wayne,' screenprint, 1986 ($5,000)                                           $96,000
The previous record for a 'John Wayne' Type Print by Andy Warhol was set at $75,000 including buyer's premium, at Sotheby's on October 31, 2013. 

50. Roy Lichtenstein, 'Sweet Dreams, Baby!', 1965 ($95,000)                                       $84,000
This work was one of Lichtenstein's first Pop art prints, typifying his comic book style.

24. Alexander Calder, 'The Attack,' 1964 ($50,000)                                                      $60,000
This gouache is accompanied by paperwork from the Calder Foundation, with a dedication to Nicholas Guppy, a great friend of the artist.

49. Roy Lichtenstein, 'Still Life with Lobster,' screenprint, 1974                                     $33,600
This New England-themed work set a new auction record for this piece, previously set at $31,250 by Sotheby's New York on May 1, 2014.

82. Mel Bochner, 'Blah Blah Blah,' oil on velvet, 2009 ($11,000)                                    $22,800
Following the Mel Bochner: Strong Language retrospective at the Jewish Museum in New York City, this piece is the first 'Blah Blah Blah' to ever come to auction and is a rare find as the artist created very few small pieces.             

84. Keith Haring, 'Growing I,' screenprint, 1988 ($8,000)                                                 $33,600
Recently profiled by TIME Magazine, Keith Haring's signature style uses simple lines to create images filled with spirit and movement. Four pieces from the "Growing" series were available in this auction, all exceeding their estimates.  

86. Keith Haring, 'Growing IV,' screenprint, 1988 ($16,000)                                            $26,400
This is a new record for this piece, which previously sold at $16,658 at the Market Auction in Japan on February 21, 2008.

87. Keith Haring, 'Growing V,' screenprint, 1988 ($14,000)                                             $31,200
This is a new record price, breaking the previously set record of $12,880 sold at Christie's on March 28, 2012.

Total: $838,800

"The artists presented in this auction wanted to share their vision with the world, often using their works to critique political and social ideologies of the time. We were able to convey these stories and re-present them with an Auctionata voice, through the narration of our specialists and friends like artist Ed Baynard," says Ben Hartley, Auctionata's International Managing Director. "This auction provided viewers around the world access to some of the great modern artists through our digital platform. We continue to look forward to bringing more Auctionata stories to the world. "

The next New York auction, Chrono24: Modern & Vintage Timepieces, will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 7 PM EST. For more information on the auction and its lots, visit Auctionata.com.

About Auctionata:
Auctionata provides the world access to live auctions anywhere and is the global leader in online sales of fine art, antiques and luxury collectibles. Through its patented technology, Auctionata has transferred the classical backdrop of the auction room to the internet, providing bidders with live stream auctions, real-time information on the bidding activities of the participants and the ability to place bids globally. With over 250 specialists around the world, Auctionata has the largest network of renowned experts who value, authenticate, and curate art objects for customers. Since its founding in 2012, Auctionata has processed more than 70,000 valuation requests. Auctionata also offers an online shop curated by experts, ranging from paintings, jewelry, Asian art, porcelain, design and antiques. The fast-growing shop offers more than 15,000 items with prices ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars, making Auctionata the online destination to share the love for unique objects.

Additional information may be found at http://auctionata.com/| Facebook: facebook.com/auctionata | Twitter: @auctionata #AuctionataLive | YouTube: youtube.com/AUCTIONATA | Instagram: @auctionata

*Estimates do not include buyer's premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium.

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