20th Century and Contemporary Auction Preview

The 20th Century and Contemporary Auction has something to suit all tastes and all pockets and includes work by David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, Fred Yates, Mary Fedden, John Piper, John Maltby, Elaine Goodwin, Emma Rodgers and Georg Jensen.

Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017) - Swimming, 2011 (CC3/38), which is being offered in our 20th Century and Contemporary Sale starting on 3rd December 2019 at our salerooms in Exeter, Devon.

The forthcoming Contemporary Sale has something to suit all tastes and all pockets and at the affordable end there is a collection of colourful art exhibition posters, a step above those that adorned my bedroom walls. They include a 'Bilderlust' poster (CC03/2) advertising the 1991 Cologne Museum exhibition of erotic photographs, which could be yours for under £50.

BilderLust August 1991, Museum Ludwig Koln, Erotische Photographie Exhibition Poster (CC3/2).

However, you might prefer a David Hockney 1980 New York University exhibition poster (CC03/4), but if you're a fan of his then why not buy one of three David Hockney etchings from his Grimm's fairy tales series, which includes 'The boy hidden in a fish' (CC03/19).

A 1980 David Hockney Exhibition Poster (CC3/4).

David Hockney (b 1937) - The Boy Hidden in A Fish (CC3/19).

Another striking image that will certainly make a splash is the Howard Hodgkin screen print 'Swimming 2011' (CC03/38), which was commissioned for the 2012 London Olympics, signed and numbered 315/350. It carries pre-sale expectations of £3,000-£5,000.

Flying the flag for the home team is one time Cornish artist Fred Yates who was a prolific landscape artist who favoured scenes of West Country village and coastal life often in a rather subdued palette. Latterly, he moved to the south of France and included in the sale is a bright and vibrantly coloured view of the Cote d 'Azure (CC03/165).

Fred Yates (1922-2008) - Cotes D'Azure (CC3/165).

He seems to have surpassed Mary Fedden at her own game – the latter being well known for her bold and contrasting palette and who favoured flower compositions and blocky still lives such as her 'Black Teapot' (CC03/166) that is estimated at £4,000-£6,000.

Mary Fedden (1915-2012) - The Black Teapot (CC3/166).

Finally, amongst the pictures are several John Piper screen prints and an original pen, ink, water colour and gouache somewhat confusingly titled on the reverse 'Variation on a mid-19th century engraving' (CC03/170).

John Piper (1903-1992) - Variation on A Mid-19th Century Engraving, 1982 (CC3/170).

Of course, the sale doesn't only include pictures. There is a useful offering of studio ceramics that includes a work by local potter John Maltby 'Two figures and a wall' (CC03/77) and also a marble, stone and glass mosaic by one time Exeter resident Elaine Goodwin entitled 'Atlantic Sea Poem 1' (CC03/83a). She has produced a number of civic works including in 1991 a 5x15m 'Pigeon' mosaic for the St Thomas Railway Arches adjacent to our salerooms.

John Maltby (b 1936) - A Stoneware Sculpture (CC3/77).

Elaine M Goodwin (b 1951) - Atlantic Sea Poem 1 (CC3/83a).

Emma Rodgers was a rather less well known until she was recently commissioned to produce a bronze of Cilla Black to stand outside the Cavern Club in Liverpool. The sale has three of her sculptures: a rather visceral slab built stoneware 'Raging Bull' (CC03/257); a haunting small bronze 'Leaping Hare' (CC03/265) and a group of three bronze 'Beach Dancers' (CC03/258).

Emma Rodgers (b 1974) - A Porcelain Sculpture Raging Bull (CC3/257).

Emma Rodgers (b 1974) - Bronze Study of A 'Leaping Hare' (CC3/265).

Emma Rodgers (b 1974) - Three Bronze 'Beach Dancers' (From Her Series in 2006) (CC3/258).

There are also a number of contemporary jewellery pieces in the sale including a Georg Jensen large open work silver necklace (CC03/255) that certainly has a groovy 1970s appeal to it.