KEY POINTS:
What makes a work modern? Post-1900? Post-World War I, the war which brought a huge social revolution? Post-World War II, into the atomic age?
To give clients what it describes as "a more engaging buying experience", Webb's has set the boundary at 1960.
The long-established auction house, now with Sophie Coupland back from baby leave as general manager and Emma Fox as head of the fine art department, has separated New Zealand and foreign works.
Next month, its first big sale of the year will offer only New Zealand works produced since 1960. That will include works by artists as diverse as Milan Mrkusich (born 1925) and Shane Cotton, who came into the world nearly 40 years later.
Traditional art, including foreign works, will be on sale later in the year.
This interesting move may suit many specialist buyers but quite where it leaves works by artists who straddle that year, such as Lois White (died 1984), remains to be seen. Will her works be split between two sales, depending on their date of production?
How about Toss Woollaston (1910-98)? Or Evelyn Page (1899-1988)? Or the greatest of them all, Colin McCahon (1919-87)?
All four, surely, fall into the "modern" category, no matter when the works were completed.
The International Art Centre and Cordy's will stick with their more varied art sales.
This month, the International Art Centre's first auction of fine art for the year will include works by Lois White (1903-84), Charles Blomfield (1848-1926), Margaret Stoddart (1865-1934), Ralph Hotere(1931-), Richard Killeen (1946-) and Jenny Dolezel (1964-), plus plenty more to fill in the gaps.
In February, two sales of affordable/collectable works, at Webb's and the International Art Centre, drew limited crowds - do Aucklanders have too much to do on hot summer nights? - but considerable interest through absentee bids and telephone buyers at Webb's in particular.
At some stages Webb's had three buyers competing on phones - good for vendors and prices, but tedious for those in the room.
Prices at both sales were generally within the range of the realistic estimates, although at Webb's, three Maori studies - plus a typical bare-breasted Tahitian belle, by Charles McPhee, on velvet - surprised by doing better than the upper estimate with a top price of $1875.
It's odd that more people do not attend these sales, since vendors are often keen to sell, and many works are knocked down at considerably less than retail prices. They give a chance to build a collection without breaking the bank.
Coming up:
March 13: Cordy's, antiques and art.
March 27: International Art Centre, fine art.
April 2-4: Webb's, modern and contemporary New Zealand art; 20th-century design; decorative arts and antiques.
May 1: Cordy's, art.
May 15: Webb's, traditional art.
