Pat Hanly prices soar at auction

Art + Object
Important Paintings and Contemporary Art
November 26

Prices for Pat Hanly’s work at auction have been sluggish over the past few years. Although some have achieved reasonable prices, they have not reflected the importance of the artist.

However, the publication of a major monograph on Hanly last year may have helped increase awareness of the artist and his work. This has been reflected in the latest auction of major New Zealand art at the Art + Object November auction.

One of the Hanly works on offer, Golden Age, sold for $229,810, substantially more than the reserve price of between $120,000 and $160,000. This also set a new record price for the artist's work.

A smaller work, Still Life of 1973, sold for $64,485 (estimate $60,000-80,000) and one of his major works of the 1960s, where he dealt with issues of nuclear war, Escape to Paradise, went for $114,900 ($80,000-120,000).

A large lettered work by Peter Robinson, Open Every Day But Sunday, sold for $2,520 ($18,000-26,000) and one of Stephen Bambury's abstract works, And By Exteriorization, went for $26,965 ($22,000-30,000).

A work from 1976, Pen Beau by Richard Killeen, which marked a major shift by the artist, featuring grids, went for $43,380 ($30,000-40,000) and one of Edward Bullmore’s works, which combined canvas and constructed elements, Astroform, sold for $36,350 ($18,000-26,000).

A large photographic work, Boulogne, by  Michael Parekowhai, featuring floral arrangements and commemorating World War I went for $24,035  ($15000-20,000).

An 1943 landscape Haycocks, Wainui by Rita Angus, went for $69,175 ($55,000-75,000) and a 1960 landscape by Toss Woollaston went for $21,105  ($18,000-26,000).

Three major works by Colin McCahon sold including South Canterbury Landscape from 1968, a simple semi-abstract work that sold for 105,525  ($90,000-140,000), while a small Tau cross work went for $90,280  ($55,000-75,000).

Michael Illingworth’s portrait, A Gent, featuring one of his iconic quirky figurers ,sold for  $51, 590 ($35,000-50,000), Peter Stichbury’s portrait of Nestle Bettencourt went for $35,175 ($25,000-35,000) and one of Michael Smither’s domestic scenes, Harry and Sarah at Breakfast with Jam Pot, went for  $93,800 ($65,000-125,000).

Art + Object’s New Collectors sale  is scheduled for December 10.

Among the works for sale are five gouache portraits by Dick Frizzell that were commissioned by the New Zealand Herald to commemorate its 150th birthday. The five portraits are of All Black captain Richie McCaw, Sir Edmund Hillary, Dame Whina Cooper, Kate Sheppard and Ernest Rutherford.

All of the sale proceeds will be donated to the Starship National Air Ambulance service. The five works are expected to sell for $1500-3000 each.

Also on offer is the Don Binney print Pacific Frigate Bird ($1800–3000) Fiona Pardington’s Anthrum ($2000-3000), several Bill Hammond prints (around $3000) and Jeff Thomson's Corrugated Iron NZ ($4000-6000).