Adviser to auction art gifted by Hotere

Ralph Hotere as seen in this portrait by Martin Ball. 60 of Hotere's works will go on sale this week. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

A recipient of artist Ralph Hotere's generosity 41 years ago could be in for a $500,000 windfall on Thursday night.

Maori art adviser Annette Ferguson, of Wellington, plans to sell a collection of 60 of Hotere's works painted between 1957 and1968.

Auctioneer Ben Plumbly, from Auckland, yesterday said Ms Ferguson was gifted the 58 works on paper - and two on canvas - by Hotere in 1968, the year he returned from Europe and the year before he became a Frances Hodgkins Fellow at the University of Otago.

"This is probably the largest private collection of works of Ralph's that certainly I've ever been aware of and the fact that no one's ever kind of known it exists until now is pretty fascinating," Mr Plumbly said.

Ms Ferguson stored, rather than displayed, the unframed and unmounted works and Mr Plumbly, in the sale catalogue, said "there is no precedence" for such collections becoming available for sale.

He compared the auction, in Auckland on Thursday, with that of a 1993 Sotheby's auction of 88 Picassos from a New York collection.

Mr Plumbly said Ms Ferguson did not want to be contacted by the media.

He believed she and the Careys Bay, Dunedin, artist had a close friendship and she "always knew" the collection was very important.

"She's basically guarded it with her life and I think ... as the works have become more valuable it's become more of a burden for her. There's a massive kind of responsibility there; a custodial responsibility, and I think that's taken its toll."

Mr Plumbly said one work was inscribed with the words A gentle painting for Annette and many others were also inscribed with her name.

He believed she did not become aware of the monetary value of the collection until about 10 years ago when the market for Hotere's work began to "mature".

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES