Before Minimalism - An Early Robert Irwin

Robert Irwin "Boats" c. 1950 Oil/board

A reader discovered this painting of boats at a Santa Barbara garage sale two years back. After leaving the garage sale, she could not stop thinking about it – and returned to buy it for $150.

Upon seeing that the painting was signed ‘Irwin,’ I was eager to discover its worth. A very famous minimalist California artist is named Robert Irwin (1928-). Although the style is nothing like the works for which Irwin is known, the style and signature is almost identical to his early1950s work.

Robert Irwin is best known for his abstract canvases often depicting lines and dots. He experiments with visual perceptions of color and light. He is primarily a painter but also a sculptor using fluorescent installations.

The question is: does this painting have any value? I always tell my appraisal clients to remember that value is based on many factors. An official appraisal is based on market comparables and takes into account the artist, as well as condition, size, authenticity, provenance, and the current economy. An appraiser also has to consider the style for which an artist is best-known and collected

In consulting auction records, Irwin’s work has sold for as much as a million dollars with most works selling in the $50,000-$100-000 range. Strangely, after discussing the painting with multiple auction houses, they were hesitant to place a high estimate on the painting. 

One auction expert said, “This imagery is not typical of his work.  For this reason, I would worry that the market place might not respond well to this image.  As such, I would estimate this more as novelty paintingat $3,000-$5,000.

The lack of a strong market value is based on the fact that no direct comparables exist. Therefore, auction experts speculate that an atypical work would not be desireable to collectors of Irwin’s typically minimalist work. There are two abstract 1950s workscurrently going to auction that are estimated to sell between $30,000-$40,000. 

While “Boats” would sell for much lower, anumber ofgalleries also sell his work and a painting could be worth up to 30%-50% higher than auction value. Therefore, if this painting were to be appraised for Insurance* purposes, it would be expected to have a retail replacement value of alteast $6,000-$8,000. 

An art find indeed!

Retail Replacement Value is defined as the highest amount in terms of US dollars that would be required to replace a property with another of similar age, quality, origin, appearance, provenance, and condition with a reasonable length of time in an appropriate and relevant market. When applicable, sales and/or import tax, commissions and/or premiums are included in this amount..

Alissa Anderson Campbell is an art appraiser for Anderson Shea Art Appraisals. She specializes in appraising European and American art for insurance, resale value, estate, tax, and charitable donation.Campbellis a member ofthe Appraisers Association of America (USPAP-compliant). Ph. 805.616.2781/www.andersonshea-artappraisals.com

*This is not considered a formal appraisal. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-useand is intended for educational purposes only.

Andrew Block: A California Folk Artist

Andrew Block "Lions" Oil on cardboard

A reader submitted this unusual painting with an unusual story. He and his wife purchased it as a Christmas present to each other at Morley Byrant & Co., gallery in Los Alamos, California for $400. The folk-art style oil on cardboard by artist Andrew Block (1879-1969) depicts African lions.

After a bit of research, it seems Andrew “Old Man” Block emigrated from Denmark to Solvang in 1914. Block worked as a blacksmith until he abandoned it for painting at 70 years old. Completely self-taught, Block produced over 500 paintings – and painted primarily on cardboard. Influenced by the impressionists and Post-Impressionists, his works are boldly colored and often depict landscapes, seascapes, and small towns.

Block’s style falls into the genre of Primitive, Naïve, or Folk Art painting-- a style and period of painting often characterized by childlike simplicity in both subject matter and technique. It describes the work of an artist who did not receive formal education, such as Henri Rousseau or Grandma Moses.

Block’s paintings have sold at auction with estimates of $300-$1,200 depending on the medium, size, subject, and date. In the gallery market his paintings are currently listed for sale between $500-$3,000. “Lions” is unsigned, which decreases the value and places it on the lower end of Block’s values. It is in very good condition for being painted on cardboard, a porous and atypical medium for paintings

Although Andrew Block only has a few auction records, Block exhibited his work at a number of museums and galleries including the Monterey Penisula Museum, San Diego Art Museum, Oakland Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, Elverhoy Museum, amongst others. This is important when valuing a work as collectors like to see that major institutions have exhibited an artist’s work.

In the current market, folk art is highly desirable to collectors. The highest auction record for a Folk artist is for Grandma Moses -- arguably the most famous artist of this art movement. One of her paintings sold for $1,360,000 (11/30/2006). Moses’ style and period is similar to "Lions", but Moses’ notoriety sets her values above all other Folk painters. A painting like “Lions” would be desirable on the market -- but sell for much less than considering Block is still a relatively unknown artist.

For Insurance purposes, this painting would have a Retail Replacement Value of approximately $1,000. Retail Replacement Value is defined as the highest amount in terms of US dollars that would be required to replace a property with another of similar age, quality, origin, appearance, provenance, and condition with a reasonable length of time in an appropriate and relevant market. When applicable, sales and/or import tax, commissions and/or premiums are included in this amount.

* This is not a formal appraisal. It is for informational purposes only. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-use and is intended for educational purposes only.

California modernist Bentley Schaad up for auction

One of the most interesting California modernist painters working during the mid-century was Bentley Schaad. His work rarely comes up for auction - so I was surprised to see an interesting piece up for sale at Bonhams and Butterfields.

Bentley Schaad "Untitled "Forms" Oil on canvas 24" x 36"

Robert Bentley Schaad was born in Los Angeles, California in 1925.  As a student he went to the Art Center in Pasadena and also attended the Jepson Art Institute and Claremont College.  From his mentor Henry Lee McFee, Schaad learned the principles of painting including line, color, and form.  Schaad was a talented artist and his technical ability enabled him to teach for the majority of his career at Otis. He eventually becoming the Dean of Fine Arts at Otis, teaching many of Los Angeles's best contemporary artists.

Schaad wrote the influential book, The Realm of Contemporary Still Life Painting (New York: Reinhold Publishing, 1962), which served as an instructional text that demonstrates the techniques of line, form, and color theory.  Schaad was known as an aloof and private person but adored by his pupils as a master teacher. 

Schaad is considered a principal figure in the Los Angeles modernist art movement of the mid-century. From his early still life paintings to his geometric constructions, Schaad’s compositions were complex and always had a recognizable aesthetic sensibility. 

For more information on Schaad, go to our website, Anderson Shea Art Appraisals.

Lopez Baylon "Untitled (Seascape)" Oil/canvas

If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, this month’s ART FIND is certainly a treasure to one lucky bargain hunter.

Our reader bought this painting by Lopez Baylon during a white elephant sale at Girls Inc. in Carpinteria, California several years ago. She paid $5 for “Untitled (Impressionist Seascape)” and said, “I wasn't sure if it would fit in my dining room but I figured for $5 why not take a chance. I love anything blue and with boats in it.” This time her chance paid off!

Lisandro Lopez Baylon was an artist born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1951. He studied at the Pan American School of Art and at the Buenos Aires School of Fine Arts. Baylon he has lived and exhibited in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. In the 1970s he traveled to the United States where he was influenced by the landscape of the West. He is often known for his depictions of Western scenes of Native Americans and cowboys.

Baylon also painted many coastal scenes such as this one. Baylon painted in an Impressionist style, using muted, pastel colors and loose brushstrokes. He often paints with a palette knife to achieve a soft Impressionist technique.

In my appraisal research, I found that multiple galleries sell Baylon’s work, which indicates a demand for the artist’s paintings. Comparable paintings currently for sale are listed between $1,500-$2,000. At auction, Baylon's work has sold for up to $900 with one estimated to sell between $800-$1,200 for a Western scene of a horse and cowboy.

In order to assess the most current Fair Market Value, appraisers look at paintings comparable in size, subject, condition, and date for sale at galleries and at auction. As auction pricing is typically less than retail gallery pricing, appraisers find a value somewhere in between when attributing a Fair Market Value.

It is always important to have a Fair Market Value appraisal completed on an artwork you are considering selling. Values are always changing and an appraisal report will give you the most current market analysis of an individual artist’s work. It is important to have values reassessed every 2-4 years so you can be certain a gallery or auction house is offering a fair price.

This Lopez Baylon painting entitled, “Untitled (Impressionist Seascape)” would have a current Fair Market Value of $1,000-$2,000.
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Alissa Anderson Campbell is an art appraiser for Anderson Shea Art Appraisals. She specializes in appraising European and American art for insurance, resale value, estate, tax, and charitable donation. Campbell is a member of the Appraisers Association of America (USPAP-compliant). Ph. 805.616.2781/www.andersonshea-artappraisals.com

* This is not considered a formal appraisal. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-use and is intended for educational purposes only.

Jack Martin Smith - Gaviota Beach

As an art appraiser I often come upon great paintings with no auction records and no galleries selling the artist’s work – making it hard to value them. This month’s artwork is a lovely painting by Jack Martin Smith -- and was submitted by a Carpinteria, CA resident. Our reader purchased “Gaviota Beach” in the 1990s for $175 (and also got a tour of the artist’s house!) This 29" x 23" painting was also included in a 1993 exhibition of Smith’s work put on by the Carpinteria Valley Art League at our local post office.

Smith (1911-1993) was an art director, perhaps best known for his work on The Wizard of Oz, Cleopatra, and many other major films. Jack Martin Smith was born in California. As a young man, he attended USC. During the 1930s, he lived in Los Angeles and was hired as a set designer for the movie studios.

Smith also painted in both watercolor and oils -- but in the fine art world very few auction records exist and no galleries sell his work. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for appraisers to assess values. The value of an artist’s work is based on comparable sales records that have occurred in the public art market (both gallery and auction). A paper trail of pricing must exist in order to substantiate value.

In my appraisal research, I found that a gouache painting by Smith’s entitled, “The Emerald City, from the Wizard of Oz” sold for $4,000. The only other painting I could find was a seascape that sold at auction in 2005 for $225. Pricing for “Gaviota Beach” would not be estimated to sell as high as Wizard of Oz painting, a very famous subject and therefore most desirable to buyers.

The technique and subject of Smith’s “Gaviota Beach” would appeal to a number of collectors – but the lack of auction records would make auction houses hesitant to place a high estimate on selling price. An auction estimate for this painting would likely be estimated between $300-$500 based on it’s large size, quality, subject, and condition. If this type of painting were by an artist with stronger auction records and/or galleries, it would be expected to sell for much more.

Many of my art appraisal clients ask how to be sure the art they buy will increase in value. My suggestions is that you buy what you love and not worry about it rising in value. If you do want to invest in art, do some research before purchasing. Buying art by a listed artist with auction records means that the artist’s work already has demand on the market and will likely continue to rise in value.

Alissa Anderson Campbell is an art appraiser for Anderson Shea Art Appraisals. She specializes in appraising European and American art for insurance, resale value, estate, tax, and charitable donation. Campbell is a member of the Appraisers Association of America (USPAP-compliant). Ph. 805.616.2781/www.andersonshea-artappraisals.com

* This is not considered a formal appraisal. An appraisal is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert who has examined the artwork in-person and is paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object. This article is restricted-use and is intended for educational purposes only.

Morris Graves "Untitled (Trees and Houses)" 1934

This month’s ART FIND by the California modernist artist Morris Graves (1910-2001) is entitled “Untitled (Tree and Houses).” Our blog reader inherited two of the artist’s paintings from her aunt, who was a potter at UCLA and knew the artist.

Morris Graves was born in Fox Valley, Oregon. A primarily self-taught artist, he dropped out of high school and began working on a boat during the late 1920s. This enabled him to travel to Japan and China, an influence that would permeate his art throughout his life.

During the Great Depression, Graves worked as an artist for the Federal Arts Project. Upon returning to the northwest, Graves and fellow artists Mark Tobey, Guy Anderson, and Kenneth Callahan founded a school of artists known as "Mystic Painters of the Northwest.” Their artistic philosophy was influenced by the natural world and Eastern religions.

One of the key moments in the Graves’ career was when his artwork was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York’s "Americans 1942: 18 Artists from 9 States" exhibition

“Untitled (Tree and Houses)” is characteristic of Graves’ style and palette. While Graves worked primarily as an oil painter he also explored tempera, gouache, watercolor, and ink and wax on thin paper in a technique used in Oriental scroll painting.

This painting is signed and dated on the back of the canvas. The artist’s neutral, earth-toned palette incorporates loose brushwork and a thick application of paint. During this period, Graves often painted images of the nature, trees, and animals. “Untitled (Tree and Houses)” was painted during the height of the Depression in 1934. An image of barren tree surrounded by an austere landscape of houses appears to reflect the bleak mood of American history during this period.

In the art market, Graves’ work is highly sought after by collectors and dealers. At auction, his oils have sold for as much as $68,500. His works on paper appear to demand higher prices, with a current mixed media on paper listed for sale at $75,000.

The provenance, defined as the history of ownership for a work of art, is strong in the case of this painting. It came directly from the artist to the current owner’s aunt, thereby increasing the painting’s desirability collectors. In the art market, appraisers always evaluate the provenance of an artwork as it can dramatically effect the value of artworks when the history of it lineage are unknown.

At auction, “Untitled (Tree and Houses)” would likely be estimated between $15,000-$20,000 but could sell for much more depending on the auction house, location, bidders in the room, and other factors. If this painting were appraised for insurance purposes, the retail replacement value would be much higher.

Lloyd Moylan "Untitled (Sycamores)"/Photo courtesy of private collector

This month’s ART FIND by Western artist Lloyd Moylan is one of my favorite entries yet. When our Santa Barbara, CA reader submitted the painting, it was interesting to discover that she is related to the artist. McMichael has had the painting in her family for many years. She inherited it from her mother who acquired it from her aunt -- who happened to be Moylan’s sister-in-law. The artist likely gave her the painting around the time of his death in 1963. She has never had it appraised.

Lloyd Moylan (1893 - 1963) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a young man, he studied at the Minneapolis Art Institute and the Broadmore Art Academy in Colorado Springs. Eventually made his way to New York where he attended the Art Students League. From 1929 to 1931, Moylan taught at the Broadmore Academy and later became a curator for the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work is held in the collections of the Museum of New Mexico and the Penrose Public Library.

This untitled painting of horses and riders is representative of Moylan’s style and subject-matter. The artist is best known for his depictions of Southwestern desert scenes, landscapes, and images of Native American subjects. Moylan traveled throughout Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Colorado.

Moylan’s signature use of saturated color and his expressive, loose brushstrokes appear to be informed by the European post-Impressionists and Fauvists. In some of Moylan’s other work he explored modernist techniques such a cubism -- breaking objects into rudimentary planes of space.

The art market for Moylan’s work has a wide range of pricing which, like in every art appraisal, is based on age, condition, rarity, artistic merit, technical workmanship, current trends and rarity of an artist’s work. Moylan’s paintings have sold for up to $5,750 at auction. In the gallery market his paintings are currently for sale between $5,000-$10,000 depending on the medium, size, subject, and date.

This painting appears in good condition and at 30” x 20” in size -- is quite large for Moylan’s work. Painted in the artist’s signature style, subject, and palette, this painting would be desirable to many collectors of his work. An art appraiser would also factor in that the painting has not been on the market for many years, thereby increasing its appeal to art collectors. These are all factors art appraisers evaluate when valuing an artwork.

If this painting was to be sold in at a gallery in the California area, it would be estimated to have an appraised retail value between $7,000-$9,000. A treasure indeed!