Bonhams is to feature works from the Betty and Monte Factor Family single owner section during its “Made in California: Contemporary Art” auction on October 3. The Collection features a strong selection of paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by Josef Albers, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, William Nelson Copley, Llyn Foulkes, Ynez Johnston, Ed Kienholz, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Nathan Oliveira, Pablo Picasso, Hassel Smith and Ed Ruscha, among others. The Factors were well known patrons of postwar Los Angeles artists and galleries. Their collection represents a remarkable commitment to art which questioned and satirized the status quo. The Factors were inspired by and in turn supported artists who investigated the social and cultural conflicts of the time.
Highlights from this single owner section include a mixed media assemblage titled “Sleepy’s Hollow with Handle and Wheels” from 1962 by Ed Kienholz (est. $50,000 – 70,000); an untitled mirrored glass, formica and chrome cube by by Larry Bell (est. $40,000-60,000) from 1962-63; an untitled steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero (est. $15,000-25,000) from 1970 and an oil on canvas painting entitled “Bloke with the Bowler” from 1962 by William Nelson Copley (est. $25,000-35,000).
In addition to the Factor Family section of the auction, Bonhams is thrilled to offer a 1961 masterpiece by Nathan Oliveira (Est. $100,000-150,000). Entitled, “Seated Woman with Fur Collar,” this painting comes from the personal collection of famed Bay Area gallerist Charles Campbell. Unusually charming when viewed in light of the artist’s overall body of work, this oil on canvas was acquired by the Campbells directly from the artist in 1965. The companion piece to this rare and remarkable painting is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American Art.
Additional highlights from the October 3 auction include “Children at the beach,” a watercolor, gouache and charcoal on paper by Wayne Thiebaud from 1959 (est. $20,000-30,000); “#10,” an oil on canvas by Karl Stanley Benjamin from 1986 (est. $20,000-30,000); “Point View,” an oil on canvas by John McCracken (est. $30,000-40,000); “O,” a bleach painting by Ed Ruscha on a 1968 edition of a cloth-bound book (est. $10,000-15,000); a 25 ¾ inche tall sculpture titled “Gabrielle” by Robert Graham from 1993 (est. $40,000-60,000); an acrylic on canvas on panel work titled “Fortune” by Charles A. Arnoldi from 2000 (est. $15,000-20,000) and an acrylic on canvas work by Richard Pettibone entitled Roy Lichtenstein’s Hopeless, 1963 and Drowning Girl, 1963, 1965 (est. $25,000-35,000).
The illustrated auction catalog for this sale is available online for review and purchase at www.bonhams.com/us.
