The Chicago-based Wright Auction house, known for its premier taste in art and design, opens up bidding for its current show, A Private Paris Collection, tomorrow. The collection, which has been transplanted from its Parisian home in Saint Germain Des Pres, is a brilliantly curated assemblage of 20th century design and contemporary art.
Richard Wright, owner and CEO, and Michael Jefferson, senior specialist, gave us some insight about Wright Auction house and the current collection.
ASVOF: The auction opens on the 24th, can you tell me a little bit about how you began preparing for this auction? How did you arrive at this particular auction project?
RICHARD WRIGHT: Building an auction always involves quite a bit of strategic planning, vision and a bit of luck. We curate our sales and seek out property that fits our current interests, but we are always on the lookout for elegant, cohesive collections that are fresh to the market; the Parisian collection was such a sale. This sale comes from the private collection of a single consignor. This collector has taste and vision that we identified with immediately and we very quickly greenlighted the sale.
MICHAEL JEFFERSON: We arrived at this auction project in a similar way we do all of our auctions, that is by having our eyes and ears wide open and being open to creative projects that exist out there. With the auction Living Contemporary: A private Paris Collection, I had a strong contact with an advisor in Paris who introduced me to the idea of selling an entire interior which includes contemporary artworks and the furnishings that surround those artworks. Our ability to be nimble and to immediately hit the ground running with such a collection is the key to our brand and our approach in the market.
ASVOF: What does it mean for Wright Auction House to realize an auction project?
RICHARD WRIGHT: The collection has a strong presence and great existing photographs of the original interior installation – these drove the design direction of the print catalog. We added studio shots that further defined the scale of the work and followed the natural cues of the material in our color palette choices.
MICHAEL JEFFERSON: In envisioning future projects, we have shifted lately to specific themes in addition to our curated and vetted sales that are a survey of 20th century design. For instance, this season we celebrated the work of Charles and Ray Eames in a stand-alone catalog and had a strong auction focusing on Scandinavian Design. Both auctions were met with critical and financial success. We continue to be quite open to and aware of changes in the market and we simultaneously meet and direct market demands.
ASVOF: I'm especially interested in Wright Auction House's unique approach to auctioneering. How are objects are curated for each collection?
RICHARD WRIGHT: Our cataloging and presentation have always defined our brand. Our central concerns are to communicate the possibilities of how design and art can complement each other. It has served us well in the past and is all the more important in the tight market conditions of the past year.
MICHAEL JEFFERSON: In terms of curation, we absolutely make decisions through an aesthetic point of view, coupled with a direct knowledge of the market. As tastemakers, we are often introducing new styles, designers and concepts of collecting to the market and for this to be successful, we have to present the works in a proper context. Our catalogs serve as that creative tool that reinforces our aesthetic choices and makes possible the thoughtful discovery of art and objects by our clients. It is an absolutely unique approach to the market.
ASVOF: I know that you put a strong emphasis on color in your design strategy. Can you tell me about the focus on color in your auctions?
MICHAEL JEFFERSON: Color is a subjective concern, but we do emphasize and highlight color when appropriate. For instance, in Living Contemporary, color was a central theme with which to conceive the catalog and the collection. A unique palette of grey to blue, silver to green and white helps to harmonize each work, art or design, into a thoughtful ensemble. Material choices, too, dictate both our approach to the collection as well as the owner
