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#SelfTaughtArt #OutsiderArt #SouthernFolkPottery #ContemporaryArt #InternationalArt #NewDiscoveries #ArtAuction #ArtCollectors #ArtMarket #ArtHistory #ArtLovers #ArtInvestment #ArtSales #ArtWorld #ArtGallery
Slotin Auction’s two-day sale, titled Self-Taught Masterpieces, held at the end of April, featured 736 lots of self-taught, outsider, folk, and international art, achieving a total of $1,547,606. The auction was a white-glove event, meaning every lot sold, and saw strong participation from a global audience, with 70% of sales conducted online and bidders from 15 countries, including the US, France, Switzerland, Canada, and the UK.
The top lot of the sale was Mario Sanchez’s (1908-2005) carved and painted wood-relief plaque, Mi Favorita Cigar Factory, which sold for $45,000, well above its $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Sanchez, a Cuban-American folk artist from Key West, Fla., depicted scenes from the cigar-making neighborhood of “Gato’s Village.” The piece was purchased by a Key West collector, reflecting the local enthusiasm for the artist’s work.
Day one of the auction also featured notable works by other self-taught and outsider artists. Charles Eugene Shannon’s (1914-1996) Bayou Boats, an oil on canvas panel, soared to $31,250, far exceeding its $3,000-$5,000 estimate. Mexican artist Martín Ramírez’s Caballero fetched $28,125, while Bill Traylor’s (1854-1949) Bird In Flight, a circa 1939 graphite on found cardboard work, landed at $24,375. Interestingly, Shannon and Traylor shared a historical connection, as Shannon was instrumental in discovering and promoting Traylor’s work. Both pieces were purchased by the same collector from Alabama, preserving their historical significance.
William Hawkins (1895-1990) was another standout artist, with his Woman Work House (circa 1979-80) selling for $23,750 after 25 bids. Earlier exhibited at institutions like the Figge Art Museum and the Columbus Museum of Art, this enamel on found panel attracted a New York collector. Another Hawkins work, Alligators And Lovers (1956), sold for $3,125.
Minnie Evans (1892-1987) was represented by four works, with Face With Blue Birds (1978) leading the group at $22,500. This piece had been exhibited at prominent museums, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the High Museum of Art. Two other Evans works, Floral Design (1970) and Portraits And Love Birds, sold for $17,500 and $6,875, respectively.
Joseph Yoakum’s (1891-1972) A View Of Ash Grove Lime and Portland Cement Co. of Fulton Missouri fetched $21,250, purchased by a longtime Illinois collector. Yoakum’s other landscapes in the sale, including Prairie Mountains and Foot Bridge Passing Royal George Pass, also performed well, selling for $10,000 and $4,250, respectively.
Edgar Tolson’s (1904-1984) wooden sculptures were another highlight, with Adam And Eve In The Garden selling for $20,625. Other Tolson works, such as Native American Woman and Green Snake Cane, found new homes for $5,250 and $1,250, respectively.
Day two of the auction featured a mix of anonymous and contemporary works. The top lot of the day was a large gilded griffin weathervane, which fetched $4,375. Other notable anonymous works included a Southern hunt board ($5,000) and a mahogany sugar chest ($2,625). A collection of late 19th-century altered fractional currency notes, painted with designs over William M. Meredith engravings, sold for $4,000 to a UK buyer.
Purvis Young’s (1943-2010) Portraits In A Frame, a mixed media work on found board, led a group of his paintings at $4,625. Young’s equine-themed works, such as Warrior On Black Horse and Six Horses, also found buyers, selling for $1,063 and $938, respectively.
Collaborative wood carvings by Jonathan Kendall and John Kreyche’s, The Holy Family and Mary and Jesus, sold for $4,375 and $3,750, respectively. Both pieces were purchased by a Massachusetts collector.
Howard Finster’s (1916-2001) works were also well-represented, with They Went Too Far, #3 (1983) selling for $3,375. Other Finster pieces, including Coke Bottle, #14,329 and Elvis At Three, #7,502, fetched $3,000 and $1,625, respectively.
Slotin Auction’s next Self-Taught Masterpieces sale is scheduled for November. The firm continues to attract a dedicated base of collectors, thanks to its 30-year specialization in self-taught and outsider art. Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For more information, visit www.slotinfolkart.com or call 770-532-1115.
