Resale
Circular 01
Abstract Art
Published:
Date
Abstract Art
Introduction
This is an idea that I have had for quite some time, and it is actually very simple. I’m thinking of this much in the same way as one might think of a newsletter or circular that arrives in your mailbox. Except, rather than advertising school shoes, groceries, or fireworks for sale, this includes just artworks, all listed with a price. When they are sold, they are sold. The idea is to present a selection of artworks that is small but meaningful.
These are all works from private collections that are being offered for resale and, obviously, there is a play on words at work here. The word 'circular' speaks to the idea of circularity, and the idea that, over time, artworks can pass through many hands, with each pair being ultimately only a temporary custodian. Something that I’ve always loved about dealing in the resale of artworks is that you can create new meaning without having to literally create anything new. In some sense, it is the ultimate form of equilibrium—a model for how an ideal material world might operate. I’ve also thought about the idea of circularity with how I’ve displayed the works, with some presented on shelving laser-cut from recyclable materials.
There is an interesting sense of circularity about the abstract painting, too. Given that it isn’t concerned with representation and is just the sum of its parts, it makes for an interesting mirror of the world around it. Throughout human history, abstract images and the thinking around them have been reinvented over and over again. To look at a group of abstract paintings made across a broad spectrum of time is to look at the way in which certain ideas emerge, submerge, and then reappear.
Overview
Contents
Published by the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, in partnership with German art publisher and printer Nemela & Lenzen GmbH, Mönchengladbach.
Published on the occasion of the exhibition Agnes Martin: Paintings and Drawings 1974–1990, held at the Stedelijk Museum in 1991.
Private collection, Auckland
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris congue justo sed neque ultrices congue. Etiam efficitur lorem massa, a viverra ex malesuada at. Sed eget sem turpis. Ut semper lobortis justo. Nam congue nisl eget leo vehicula, vitae imperdiet ligula finibus. Etiam egestas pellentesque ante, ut placerat magna facilisis luctus. Nullam neque augue, consequat quis volutpat vitae, gravida consectetur quam. Cras commodo vitae felis ornare feugiat. Donec nec sapien sem. Ut quis accumsan arcu. Sed venenatis vestibulum erat, id finibus erat interdum commodo. Vivamus at orci risus. Sed id justo nulla. Duis sed finibus ante, at gravida velit. Suspendisse faucibus neque elit, eu fringilla augue pretium vitae. Ut non ligula eu magna pulvinar condimentum id in nisl.
Nam lobortis, tortor ut varius sagittis, odio diam tempor purus, vel viverra urna est id diam. Morbi sit amet ligula eu augue porttitor laoreet. Maecenas porta velit sed tempor fringilla. Mauris at turpis semper dui ultrices pulvinar eu ut odio. Aliquam iaculis dui at tellus elementum, in faucibus velit condimentum. Nam non dapibus nisl. Vestibulum sodales tincidunt arcu, in luctus neque auctor nec. Etiam magna libero, elementum eu ligula a, auctor consequat enim. Curabitur vitae feugiat ante. Sed non dignissim turpis. Maecenas lobortis quis purus a venenatis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Suspendisse dignissim leo quis ipsum sagittis auctor. Maecenas nunc metus, hendrerit eget enim sit amet, viverra dapibus velit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Etiam mattis libero eu est lacinia, sed cursus purus venenatis. Nam dictum imperdiet dignissim. Nullam purus est, congue egestas laoreet consequat, luctus vitae velit. Duis vitae eros convallis, ultricies neque eget, ullamcorper dolor.
Cras nec nisl eget purus ultrices egestas. Donec varius nisi ligula, vitae imperdiet augue varius nec. Cras ut metus maximus, ullamcorper ante vel, facilisis purus. Quisque viverra sed dui sed sodales. Phasellus ultrices hendrerit eros, sit amet ornare arcu interdum vel. Etiam condimentum lacus sapien, eget pharetra dolor rutrum in. Etiam maximus erat quis pulvinar ornare. Donec id tortor non urna tristique suscipit eget vel massa. Fusce nec eros nisl. Donec sollicitudin elementum.
Agnes Martin
untitled
1991
Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland, c2005.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris congue justo sed neque ultrices congue. Etiam efficitur lorem massa, a viverra ex malesuada at. Sed eget sem turpis. Ut semper lobortis justo. Nam congue nisl eget leo vehicula, vitae imperdiet ligula finibus. Etiam egestas pellentesque ante, ut placerat magna facilisis luctus. Nullam neque augue, consequat quis volutpat vitae, gravida consectetur quam. Cras commodo vitae felis ornare feugiat. Donec nec sapien sem. Ut quis accumsan arcu. Sed venenatis vestibulum erat, id finibus erat interdum commodo. Vivamus at orci risus. Sed id justo nulla. Duis sed finibus ante, at gravida velit. Suspendisse faucibus neque elit, eu fringilla augue pretium vitae. Ut non ligula eu magna pulvinar condimentum id in nisl.
Nam lobortis, tortor ut varius sagittis, odio diam tempor purus, vel viverra urna est id diam. Morbi sit amet ligula eu augue porttitor laoreet. Maecenas porta velit sed tempor fringilla. Mauris at turpis semper dui ultrices pulvinar eu ut odio. Aliquam iaculis dui at tellus elementum, in faucibus velit condimentum. Nam non dapibus nisl. Vestibulum sodales tincidunt arcu, in luctus neque auctor nec. Etiam magna libero, elementum eu ligula a, auctor consequat enim. Curabitur vitae feugiat ante. Sed non dignissim turpis. Maecenas lobortis quis purus a venenatis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Suspendisse dignissim leo quis ipsum sagittis auctor. Maecenas nunc metus, hendrerit eget enim sit amet, viverra dapibus velit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Etiam mattis libero eu est lacinia, sed cursus purus venenatis. Nam dictum imperdiet dignissim. Nullam purus est, congue egestas laoreet consequat, luctus vitae velit. Duis vitae eros convallis, ultricies neque eget, ullamcorper dolor.
Cras nec nisl eget purus ultrices egestas. Donec varius nisi ligula, vitae imperdiet augue varius nec. Cras ut metus maximus, ullamcorper ante vel, facilisis purus. Quisque viverra sed dui sed sodales. Phasellus ultrices hendrerit eros, sit amet ornare arcu interdum vel. Etiam condimentum lacus sapien, eget pharetra dolor rutrum in. Etiam maximus erat quis pulvinar ornare. Donec id tortor non urna tristique suscipit eget vel massa. Fusce nec eros nisl. Donec sollicitudin elementum.
Martin Thompson
untitled
c2005
Making-Image, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, 6 January–10 February 2018.
signed AM and André Hemer, dated 2017 and inscribed Deep Surfacing NYC #17 and New York in graphite verso
Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from exhibition cited.
André Hemer is a New Zealand painter who first emerged as an exhibiting artist in the mid to late 2000s. The first part of his production was actually quite different from this. He made these splashy-looking abstract paintings which looked like they were composed of the type of digital paint strokes you might see on a computer screen. Think, for example, of the type of mark that the paintbrush tool in Photoshop would make. He stencilled them onto the canvas with vinyl-cut decals.
Hemer completed a PhD in Fine Arts in 2015, and his research brought about a major change in his practice. His exhibition New Representation at Sydney’s Chalk Horse gallery saw him combine his familiar digital paint strokes with inkjet-printed imagery and thickly textured ‘3D’ elements. It was this smashing together of the ‘real’ and depictions thereof.
It’s fair to say that these caused quite a sensation, and from what I remember, he had a succession of sell-out shows at the time across an impressive roster of dealer galleries around the world. This work, for instance, was bought from a gallery in Los Angeles. It was very hard to get hold of these.
What these works make me think of are the early days of blockchain technology gaining widespread awareness in the public consciousness. Blockchain technology is the basis for cryptocurrency and NFTs. Basically, a blockchain tracks ownership of things using something called a distributed ledger. It consists of many little digital ledgers all over the place that update each other when ownership of something changes. It allows for decentralised financial instruments that aren’t controlled by anyone.
Looking at this work here, you see all of these daubs of paint flying around. There’s something about a daub of paint that speaks to potential and being part of a greater whole. The way they glisten also makes them feel jewel-like. There is something very optimistic about the whole composition; it speaks to the potential of this brave new world. It is an interesting thing to look at now, too, a few years later with the spectre of AI on the horizon. Blockchain is quite unique in that it took a very long time for venture capitalists to jump onto it.
André Hemer
Deep Surfacing NYC #17
2017
signed Gordon Walters, dated 1983 and inscribed "Kura" and 66/150 in graphite lower edge
Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from International Art Centre, Auckland.
Like many of Walters’ prints, Kura was produced in collaboration with Mervyn Williams. Williams was an accomplished abstract painter and a master screen printer. Their professional relationship began with Walters’ contribution to Barry Lett Multiples, a portfolio of prints by leading New Zealand artists which aimed to make artworks available at a democratic price point. The project forged a fruitful partnership that lasted for years. Reflecting on their dynamic, Williams noted: ‘I knew exactly what he wanted and he knew I knew.’
The two men travelled to Sydney together to see a Bridget Riley exhibition in 1975. Riley was a leading proponent of the Op Art (optical art) movement of the 1960s, producing screenprints with geometric shapes and flat colour. In an article marking Williams’ 70th birthday, published in Art New Zealand 136 (Summer 2010–2011), Michael Dunn noted that Williams had encouraged Walters to take his screenprinting beyond editioned works on paper. Dunn quoted Williams as saying the koru form was ‘immensely screen-printable.’ To that end, Williams proposed that Walters make large screen-printed works on aluminium in editions of six. This was a progressive idea; it reads like something a contemporary artist would make today, in 2026. That Williams would present such an idea speaks to the seriousness with which Walters pursued the medium. Considering this ‘what if’ scenario is almost like imagining an alternate history for abstract painting in New Zealand.
Walters was fastidious about the technical aspects of producing screenprints. To create the final screens, he would supply colour samples, a half-size version of the image painted in full colour, and a full-scale version in black ink for the photographic transfer process. The preparatory studies for Kura, held in the collection of Te Papa Tongarewa, provide valuable insight into the work's conception. They show Walters working through various shades of grey before arriving at the final palette. In handwritten notes supplied to Williams, he explained that he greyed the colours of Kura to stop the work ‘jumping around too much’.
Gordon Walters
Kura
1982
Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Bowerbank Ninow, Auckland, 2015.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris congue justo sed neque ultrices congue. Etiam efficitur lorem massa, a viverra ex malesuada at. Sed eget sem turpis. Ut semper lobortis justo. Nam congue nisl eget leo vehicula, vitae imperdiet ligula finibus. Etiam egestas pellentesque ante, ut placerat magna facilisis luctus. Nullam neque augue, consequat quis volutpat vitae, gravida consectetur quam. Cras commodo vitae felis ornare feugiat. Donec nec sapien sem. Ut quis accumsan arcu. Sed venenatis vestibulum erat, id finibus erat interdum commodo. Vivamus at orci risus. Sed id justo nulla. Duis sed finibus ante, at gravida velit. Suspendisse faucibus neque elit, eu fringilla augue pretium vitae. Ut non ligula eu magna pulvinar condimentum id in nisl.
Nam lobortis, tortor ut varius sagittis, odio diam tempor purus, vel viverra urna est id diam. Morbi sit amet ligula eu augue porttitor laoreet. Maecenas porta velit sed tempor fringilla. Mauris at turpis semper dui ultrices pulvinar eu ut odio. Aliquam iaculis dui at tellus elementum, in faucibus velit condimentum. Nam non dapibus nisl. Vestibulum sodales tincidunt arcu, in luctus neque auctor nec. Etiam magna libero, elementum eu ligula a, auctor consequat enim. Curabitur vitae feugiat ante. Sed non dignissim turpis. Maecenas lobortis quis purus a venenatis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Suspendisse dignissim leo quis ipsum sagittis auctor. Maecenas nunc metus, hendrerit eget enim sit amet, viverra dapibus velit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Etiam mattis libero eu est lacinia, sed cursus purus venenatis. Nam dictum imperdiet dignissim. Nullam purus est, congue egestas laoreet consequat, luctus vitae velit. Duis vitae eros convallis, ultricies neque eget, ullamcorper dolor.
Cras nec nisl eget purus ultrices egestas. Donec varius nisi ligula, vitae imperdiet augue varius nec. Cras ut metus maximus, ullamcorper ante vel, facilisis purus. Quisque viverra sed dui sed sodales. Phasellus ultrices hendrerit eros, sit amet ornare arcu interdum vel. Etiam condimentum lacus sapien, eget pharetra dolor rutrum in. Etiam maximus erat quis pulvinar ornare. Donec id tortor non urna tristique suscipit eget vel massa. Fusce nec eros nisl. Donec sollicitudin elementum.
Eddie Clemens
The End of the Waterfall
2008
Published by the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, in partnership with German art publisher and printer Nemela & Lenzen GmbH, Mönchengladbach.
Published on the occasion of the exhibition Agnes Martin: Paintings and Drawings 1974–1990, held at the Stedelijk Museum in 1991.
Private collection, Auckland
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris congue justo sed neque ultrices congue. Etiam efficitur lorem massa, a viverra ex malesuada at. Sed eget sem turpis. Ut semper lobortis justo. Nam congue nisl eget leo vehicula, vitae imperdiet ligula finibus. Etiam egestas pellentesque ante, ut placerat magna facilisis luctus. Nullam neque augue, consequat quis volutpat vitae, gravida consectetur quam. Cras commodo vitae felis ornare feugiat. Donec nec sapien sem. Ut quis accumsan arcu. Sed venenatis vestibulum erat, id finibus erat interdum commodo. Vivamus at orci risus. Sed id justo nulla. Duis sed finibus ante, at gravida velit. Suspendisse faucibus neque elit, eu fringilla augue pretium vitae. Ut non ligula eu magna pulvinar condimentum id in nisl.
Nam lobortis, tortor ut varius sagittis, odio diam tempor purus, vel viverra urna est id diam. Morbi sit amet ligula eu augue porttitor laoreet. Maecenas porta velit sed tempor fringilla. Mauris at turpis semper dui ultrices pulvinar eu ut odio. Aliquam iaculis dui at tellus elementum, in faucibus velit condimentum. Nam non dapibus nisl. Vestibulum sodales tincidunt arcu, in luctus neque auctor nec. Etiam magna libero, elementum eu ligula a, auctor consequat enim. Curabitur vitae feugiat ante. Sed non dignissim turpis. Maecenas lobortis quis purus a venenatis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Suspendisse dignissim leo quis ipsum sagittis auctor. Maecenas nunc metus, hendrerit eget enim sit amet, viverra dapibus velit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Etiam mattis libero eu est lacinia, sed cursus purus venenatis. Nam dictum imperdiet dignissim. Nullam purus est, congue egestas laoreet consequat, luctus vitae velit. Duis vitae eros convallis, ultricies neque eget, ullamcorper dolor.
Cras nec nisl eget purus ultrices egestas. Donec varius nisi ligula, vitae imperdiet augue varius nec. Cras ut metus maximus, ullamcorper ante vel, facilisis purus. Quisque viverra sed dui sed sodales. Phasellus ultrices hendrerit eros, sit amet ornare arcu interdum vel. Etiam condimentum lacus sapien, eget pharetra dolor rutrum in. Etiam maximus erat quis pulvinar ornare. Donec id tortor non urna tristique suscipit eget vel massa. Fusce nec eros nisl. Donec sollicitudin elementum.
Agnes Martin
untitled
1991
inscriptions
all fees and GST.
Provenance
Exhibition history
Publisher
Notes
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris congue justo sed neque ultrices congue. Etiam efficitur lorem massa, a viverra ex malesuada at. Sed eget sem turpis. Ut semper lobortis justo. Nam congue nisl eget leo vehicula, vitae imperdiet ligula finibus. Etiam egestas pellentesque ante, ut placerat magna facilisis luctus. Nullam neque augue, consequat quis volutpat vitae, gravida consectetur quam. Cras commodo vitae felis ornare feugiat. Donec nec sapien sem. Ut quis accumsan arcu. Sed venenatis vestibulum erat, id finibus erat interdum commodo. Vivamus at orci risus. Sed id justo nulla. Duis sed finibus ante, at gravida velit. Suspendisse faucibus neque elit, eu fringilla augue pretium vitae. Ut non ligula eu magna pulvinar condimentum id in nisl.
Nam lobortis, tortor ut varius sagittis, odio diam tempor purus, vel viverra urna est id diam. Morbi sit amet ligula eu augue porttitor laoreet. Maecenas porta velit sed tempor fringilla. Mauris at turpis semper dui ultrices pulvinar eu ut odio. Aliquam iaculis dui at tellus elementum, in faucibus velit condimentum. Nam non dapibus nisl. Vestibulum sodales tincidunt arcu, in luctus neque auctor nec. Etiam magna libero, elementum eu ligula a, auctor consequat enim. Curabitur vitae feugiat ante. Sed non dignissim turpis. Maecenas lobortis quis purus a venenatis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Suspendisse dignissim leo quis ipsum sagittis auctor. Maecenas nunc metus, hendrerit eget enim sit amet, viverra dapibus velit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Etiam mattis libero eu est lacinia, sed cursus purus venenatis. Nam dictum imperdiet dignissim. Nullam purus est, congue egestas laoreet consequat, luctus vitae velit. Duis vitae eros convallis, ultricies neque eget, ullamcorper dolor.
Cras nec nisl eget purus ultrices egestas. Donec varius nisi ligula, vitae imperdiet augue varius nec. Cras ut metus maximus, ullamcorper ante vel, facilisis purus. Quisque viverra sed dui sed sodales. Phasellus ultrices hendrerit eros, sit amet ornare arcu interdum vel. Etiam condimentum lacus sapien, eget pharetra dolor rutrum in. Etiam maximus erat quis pulvinar ornare. Donec id tortor non urna tristique suscipit eget vel massa. Fusce nec eros nisl. Donec sollicitudin elementum.