Works of Art - Spring 2025 - Foreword
It is a great pleasure to present our spring Works of Art auction catalogue. It has been a busy and vibrant few months in the cultural sector, and this spring catalogue reflects these trends, offering a stellar lineup from the movers and shakers both past and present, who are influencing the artworld.
Left to Right. Lot 17. Louise Henderson, untitled, 1975, acrylic on paper, 420 x 420mm. EST. $15,000—$25,000
Lot 35. Peter Siddell, Rapunzel, 1975, oil on board, 350 x 250mm. EST. $10,000—$15,000
Webb’s continues its longstanding support of our local and national institutions. We partnered with Te Uru Contemporary Gallery in Titirangi to support their New Winds Auction Fundraiser, raising c.$40,000 towards their annual programmes. Next month we will help realise their upcoming survey Bill Hammond: Serenading Imagined Worlds. Webb’s was also the major partner of the Te Papa Foundation annual Gala, raising over $160,000 for the museum.
Emily Gardener, Director of Art
We were thrilled to see artists from Aotearoa take centre stage at this year’s Sydney Contemporary art fair, many of whom have featured recently at Webb’s.
Curated by José Da Silva, Director of UNSW Galleries, Lisa Reihana CNZM’s shimmering ANZAC (2025), adorned the exterior of Carriageworks; Zac Langdon-Pole’s marble sculptures Memory Garden (2024) lined the main entrance hall; while Helen Calder’s Stacks, (2025) popped with colour in the exhibitor atrium, as part of Da Silva’s 2025 Installations programme.
Meanwhile, Julia Morison ONZM’s immersive installation, Arcana was selected as one of the top five highlights of the Fair, and Mike Hewson offered audiences the opportunity to walk away with one of his Geopets, to coincide with his major installation at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Equally, the rise in leading Australian artists at auction in New Zealand: Sally Gabori, Tracey Moffatt, Esther Stewart, reflects the growing market interest in artworks from across the Tasman
Ralph Hotere, Painting '77 – Koputai, 1977, acrylic and lacquer on board, 2400 x 1200mm. EST. $130,000—$180,000
This year, Webb’s also extended its support further south, and we were proud to present the opening celebrations for Karl Maughan: A Clear Day at the Suter Art Gallery, the first in a three-year partnership with one of our country’s longest running public institutions. Maughan’s early paintings draw inspiration from the romantic gardens where he grew up, heralding the iconic works that have become synonymous with his later practice. Three majestic examples of which are featured in this catalogue.
Artist Karl Maughan at work
Lot 53. Richmond Road, 2017, oil on canvas, 1420 x 2140mm. EST. $80,000—100,000
Webb’s joined the Aotearoa arts community in celebrating the achievements of this year’s Arts Foundation Laureates. Artists Cheryl Lucas, Kate Newby, Reuben Paterson, Séraphine Pick and Shona Rapira-Davies were recognised for their services to the visual arts. The panel noted the influence of Séraphine Pick’s atmospheric and imaginative practice spanning 30 years, on generations of art students that followed. Did You Hear Something (1999) and Untitled (1987) reveal the artist’s signature layered and fluid figuration, which oscillates between the external and internal self.
Lot 29. Brett Graham, Plot, 2008, Carrera marble, 2/2, 180 x 420 x 200mm. EST. $12,000—$16,000
Lot 16. Séraphine Pick, untitled, 1987, oil on canvas, 1020 x 730mm. EST. $28,000—$38,000
As we honour the heroes who shape our cultural landscape, it seems difficult to comprehend a world, or local curriculum that fails to invest in our art history and the inherent universal human need to create through symbolic artistic expression, which continues to inspire, bring meaning, context, and understanding to the world we inhabit.
Lot 57. Michael Smither, Back Beach, 1976, oil on canvas, 1210 x 1730mm. EST. $180,000—$220,000
Our November Works of Art auction gives living expression to the enduring relevance of art history and its contemporary and past masters. The rising demand for works by mid-century painters such as Don Binney, Ralph Hotere, Milan Mrkusich, Michael Smither and Robin White emphasises the intrinsic value and timelessness of their practice. The cultural currency of the artworld is further underpinned by artists such as Sandy Adsett, Bill Culbert, Brett Graham, Dane Mitchell, Michael Parekōwhai, Fiona Pardington, Lisa Reihana, who have been celebrated on the world stage at Venice for their ability to express and create cross-cultural dialogue and understanding of the urgent issues of our time.
We hope you enjoy delving into this catalogue and we look forward to welcoming you to our spring festivities ahead of the live auction.
Highlights
Lot 54. Don Binney, Two Aspects of Tokatoka, 1980,oil on board, 1200 x 920mm. EST. $350,000—$500,000
Lot 1. Ian Scott, Small Lattice, No. 44, 1981, acrylic on canvas, 760 x 760mm. EST. $15,000—$25,000
Works of Art
Auction Details
Live Auction, Auckland
Monday 24 November, 6.30pm
—
Christchurch
Launch: Thurs 6 Nov, 5.30—7.30pm
Viewing: 6—9 Nov
54 Hawdon Street, Sydenham
Wellington
Launch: Wed 12 Nov, 5.30—7.30pm
Viewing: 13—15 Nov
23 Marion Street, Te Aro
Auckland
Launch: Tue 18 Nov, 6—8pm
Viewing: 19—23 Nov
Live Auction: Mon 24 Nov, 6.30pm
33a Normanby Rd, Mt Eden