What is art? It is the artist’s attempt to capture light, to translate the elusive energy of shape and color which our eyes perceive, into a physical form. Light has obsessed humans throughout the millennia, and while scientists discovered the wave and particle nature of light, artists, like magicians, have always demonstrated the effects of light. In the mid-20th century art and science came together emerging in the work of Light and Space artists like Julio Le Parc (Argentinian, b. 1928). Le Parc connects light with space and movement creating elegant structures of kinetic art.

None is more so than his Colonne-lumineuse from 1963, which is the top lot at Gray’s March 9th Modern and Contemporary Art Auction, estimated at $80,000 – 120,000. Le Parc’s seemingly innocuous honeycomb of lucite comes alive when the power is switched on, creating multicolored spheres that twirl and dance in a joyful, mesmerizing rhythm. Colonne-luminuese is no stranger to Cleveland. It was exhibited twice at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and was in the personal collection of Henry Hawley III, the eminent Curator of Decorative Art at The CMA from 1960 – 2002.

All art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The viewer is the final part of the creative act. Art must be seen and Gray’s is proud to partner with The Cleveland Foundation in the auction of 29 works from the Foundation’s collection. Another highlight of the March 9th auction is Tony Smith’s (American, 1912 – 1980) bright orange Plexiglas maquette for Last, his last monumental steel sculpture which he created for the Ohio State Building in downtown Cleveland. The bright orange of Smith’s sculpture stands out against the dark greys of architect Fred Toguchi’s ‘bizzarely shaped building’. The final example of Smith’s architectonic sculpture, Last was built with funds which included a grant from the Cleveland Foundation. Last captures the vibrant energy of the city, a feeling the maquette successfully emulates, itself mounted on a custom made triangular, black, shelf-like plinth.

With 50 lots of Modern and Contemporary Art in the auction Gray’s draws attention to the broad democracy of Cleveland’s artistic community. From the ‘Free to All’ Cleveland Museum of Art to The Cleveland Foundation’s championing of local, national and international art, Gray’s is proud to be part of the continuation of Cleveland’s reputation for excellence in the industry. Excellence which is rooted in delegating the ultimate creative act to the people who view it, or in this case, who purchase it. While some of the artists are coming to auction for the first time, others like Le Parc, Smith and the female Modernist painter Dorothy Hood (American, 1919 – 2000) whose Untitled oil on canvas, are expected to soar.

Gray’s is open for in-person preview where all the lots will be on exhibition, between now and March 9 by appointment; Please contact the auction house for details. The auction starts on March 9 at 10am EST with live bidding available at GraysAuctioneers.com. Bidding is also accepted by telephone and by absentee. The fully illustrated catalog is now online at GraysAuctioneers.com.

ABOUT GRAY’S AUCTIONEERS

Founded in 2006 by Deborah J. Gray and Serena Harragin, Gray’s Auctioneers are Northern Ohio’s leading licensed auctioneers of fine art, antiques, decorative art, fine jewelry and antique rugs. A boutique auction house with over three decades of experience, the specialists at Gray’s have worked with museums, educational institutions, corporations and private collectors to achieve the full value of their collections at auction. Gray’s auctioneers are licensed and insured. Learn more at www.graysauctioneers.com

Media Contact

Serena Harragin | Gray’s Auctioneers – sharragin@graysauctioneers.com

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