A new record has been set for contemporary artist, Jo Brocklehurst, at Cheffins’ largest Art & Design Sale to date, hosted on the 27th October.
The work, titled ‘Obedience is Slavery – a Punk Couple,’ was signed and dated Brocklehurst/1982, and was sold for £7,000, smashing its presale estimate of £400 - £600. This was closely followed by ‘Lipstick’ again by Brocklehurst, which achieved £5,500, against an estimate of £300 - £500. These were amongst eight works by the artist, which were bought by two private UK-based collectors. The previous record for a work by Jo Brocklehurst was £1,800 in February 2019.
Gabrielle Downie, auctioneer at Cheffins says: “Jo Brocklehurst was a key figure of London’s countercultural scene and could often be found sketching ferociously from the dimly lit corners of squats or nightclubs throughout the 1980s and 1990s. At a time when the new romantic, punk and fetish subcultures were still considered to be hugely transgressive, Brocklehurst’s drawings are a valuable and fascinating archive of lives that were otherwise ignored. The prices paid for her work at this sale go to show her growing popularity within the market, with previous prices paid for her works usually standing at around the £500 level.”
‘Obedience is Slavery – a Punk Couple,' by Jo Brocklehurst.
Other highlights of the picture section include £22,000 paid for a picture by Sir Kyffin Williams; £18,000 for a Jack Vettriano painting and £9,000 for a painting of a cockerel by Mary Fedden, against an estimate of £4,000 - £6,000. Meanwhile, a collection of five paintings by Maggi Hambling all sold for a total of £21,500, with each selling to a separate buyer.
A collection of eleven pieces of Martinware also saw strong prices paid, with a ‘Wally Bird’ by Robert Wallace Martin achieving £28,000 and £24,000 for a Robert Wallace Martin ‘monk’ bird jar and cover, amongst the highlights.
Within the furniture section, many of the pieces saw stiff competition, particularly those from some of the biggest names in Danish design. For example, a teak and beech dining table and six chairs by Hans Wegner for Fritz Hansen sold to a Dutch buyer for £3,200. Similarly, an Alvar Aalto for Artek dining table and six chairs made £1,700, whilst a circular dining table, also by Alvar Aalto made £1,100, against a presale estimate of £150 - £250. Another example from a Danish designer was a two-seat sofa by Preben Fabricius & Jørgen Kastholm, which sold for £1,600, against an estimate of £400 - £600.
Alvar Aalto for Artek dining table and six chairs, pictured here as part of The Jermaine Gallacher Edit
Brett Tryner, Director, Cheffins, says: “This auction saw robust prices across all sections and a ton of buyers, 50% of whom were new to Cheffins. As the demand for contemporary art and design continues to dominate the market, the auction saw our largest consignment to date for an Art & Design sale and grossed over £616,00 (including buyer’s premium). There is clearly an appetite for the best in Danish design in terms of furniture, whilst the picture section saw the strongest demand for a combination of the traditional favourites from the mod brit school, such as Kyffin Williams and Mary Fedden, but also a new interest in some lesser-known artists, such as Jo Brocklehurst. This sale also saw Cheffins working with Jermaine Gallacher, one of London’s leading designers, to create the Jermaine Gallacher Edit. This brought with it a significant number of new buyers to Cheffins, all on the hunt for the best in contemporary art and design. We saw a sale rate in excess of 90% and we will be eagerly anticipating the next Art & Design Sale which will take place in February 2023.”
The prices reported are hammer prices, not inclusive of buyers’ premium at 24.5 per cent and VAT where applicable.
Auction: The Art & Design Sale, 27th October 2022
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA
For further information contact the Fine Art Department on 01223 213343, fine.art@cheffins.co.uk