OF the 22 works by 18 Filipino artists (23 if we claim Indonesia’s Antonio Ma. Blanco who was born in the Philippines to Catalan parents in 1927) that went on the auction block last Nov. 30 at Christie’s Hongkong, the only exceptional piece was a recently recovered work, “Las Damas Romanas,” by the 19th-century painter and patriot Juan Luna. This painting was a standout in many ways, with its impressive size and the superb quality of its execution, even if it is considered a student or a pre-“Spoliarium” work. More importantly, it was the only old master painting in an auction dominated by contemporary art.
Christie’s took a risk by placing “Damas Romanas” on the block with a price estimate of US$1,025,600-US$1,282,000. Perhaps they wanted the auction to be a barometer of the troubled times and see what value high net-worth individuals with disposable incomes would place on contemporary art.
But as expected, the Luna did not sell on the floor because Winston Garcia of GSIS was not around to repatriate it. “Damas Romanas” was sold out of auction for HK$4.7M or US$606,354.56. This price includes buyer’s premium and other commissions and fees. That’s almost half the lower end of the estimate.
How work turned up
“Las Damas Romanas” has been known to scholars only from a faded black-and-white photograph in the files of pioneering pre-war art dealer and historian Alfonso T. Ongpin and to see the original is in itself an experience. The photograph in the catalogue did not do it justice. “Damas Romanas” turned up in an estate sale outside Paris last year and was put for auction in June 2007.
A group of expatriate Filipinos pitched in and bid on the phone thinking no one would notice and that their 100,000-euro kitty would suffice, but the price went up very fast and the Pinoys lost to a French dealer who won the bid at 324,000 euros (including premium). It is unfortunate that speculators prowl in auction rooms and the new owner of “Damas Romanas” was already thinking in terms of the one million-dollar record price for Luna’s “Parisian Life.” That’s how “Damas Romanas” ended up in Christie’s Hongkong Fall auction. Based on cost of money and the drop in the euro and other handling fees for “Damas Romanas,” that speculator didn’t come out with a big profit. If at all, he practically broke even.
“Damas Romanas” is not returning to the Philippines as it has reportedly been acquired by an Asian collector. Ideally, and as done in other countries like the UK, important works of art or antiquities considered part of English heritage are placed on auction and acquired using lottery earnings. Before the work is allowed to leave the UK, the government is given first option to acquire it. Only if it is beyond their lottery budget and public subscription will an important work of art be allowed to leave the country. I don’t know if UK auction money is also utilized at auctions to repatriate English works of art but our very own Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) should have acquired “Las Damas Romanas” and donated it to the National Museum for the enjoyment, education, and edification of the Filipino people.
Unfortunately, art is not considered as politically important as providing an ambulance for every town and barrio in the archipelago. It is also not well known that the Commission on Audit found the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) acquisition of the one million-dollar “Parisian Life” irregular and that only recently was Winston Garcia cleared by the Sandiganbayan for an auction shopping spree that brought home a Luna and a handful of Amorsolos.
Good investment
Art is traditionally seen as a good investment, more so in troubled financial and political times. An exceptional piece of art on a wall is definitely more rewarding than looking at its equivalent in cold cash or stock certificates hidden under a mattress.
If we go by the Nov. 30 Christie’s auction of Southeast Asian paintings in Hong Kong, it is obvious that the market has developed a taste for contemporary art created by those born after the war, many of them young artists born in the ’70s and ’80s. These works are huge, contemporary and enough to fill the requirements of condo living. Luna was not placed on the cover of the catalogue, not even the back cover; these prime locations were given to Indonesian artists now in demand.
In previous auctions, the Philippine section was dominated by the works of modern painters, many of their works done after the war, and the stellar cast included many National Artists: Edades, Ocampo, Botong Francisco, Manansala, Ang Kiukok, José Joya, Legaspi and Arturo Luz, whose early works are most desired by serious collectors. Non-National Artists such as Fernando Zobel and Anita Magsaysay-Ho also sold at record prices. It seemed that the taste for the old was waning, thus it was rare that a work by Luna, Hidalgo or Fabian de la Rosa would make it to auction. The only exception to the rule were the cheerful sunlit canvasses of the first Philippine National Artist, Fernando Amorsolo, that were always sold out. Often his pre-war work sold beyond the estimates. Amorsolo remains so popular that even something he repeated over and over again like figures “under the mango tree” always had takers. This is best described today as “auto-plagiarism.”
It is significant that this auction did not carry a single Amorsolo. While one Amorsolo was displayed in the Christie’s preview in Singapore, this was withdrawn by the seller before the catalogue went to press.
National Artists
The National Artists represented in the last auction were Kiukok, Joya and Bencab. All of them sold. Kiukok’s “Fish,” dated 1963 sold slightly above the estimate at $9,721 and Joya’s 1960 abstract work sold for $6,805 (all prices quoted here included premium). These are bargains because the same vintage works cannot be had in Manila at the same price. If proof be required that Bencab is the most sought-after artist in the Philippines today—both paintings sold beyond estimates. Both are recent and, sad to say, middling work. Yet the 2005 work sold for $16,202 and the recent 2008 work, perhaps still wet when sent to Christie’s, fetched $67,919—well-beyond the high estimate of $48,700. Bencab’s work is the hardest to source and thus command astronomical prices. Even rarer and much prized are his reflections on 19th-century images or “Larawan.” These recent auction results only make those holding on to Bencabs happy to be holding blue-chip stocks.
Shift
This shift in taste from Old Masters to Moderns to Contemporary Art perhaps reflects the demographics of current collectors who are young and hip. If they have old money, they will inherit old masters and moderns acquired by their parents, thus they can break their own collecting paths. Christie’s has to be credited for placing Philippine contemporary art on the map. Two years ago, following the explosive prices made on contemporary Chinese art, Christie’s placed contemporary Filipino art on the block and were surprised by the results. Some of the prices realized by young artists like Ronald Ventura and Geraldine Javier hit the roof and overtook the current prices of more established artists. Perhaps these well-crafted works by Filipinos gave buyers the same modern and expensive feel of Chinese art at a fraction of the cost. An even bigger surprise was that the buyers for these Filipino paintings were not Filipino.
Lots unsold were: photographs by Cobangbang; a drawing of a lamb chop on a page of a Bible by Orara; a skeletonized metal sculpture by Salvador, which was sleeker and more industrial than the two scary moving fantasy sculptures of Barredo, both sold, one beyond estimate. Wire Tuazon did not sell and neither did Lao Lian Ben who has a solid and loyal group of collectors in Manila. If it’s any consolation to these artists who did not sell on the auction floor, Luna did not sell too but was later sold outside auction.
Aside from Bencab, only five Filipino artists went well-beyond the estimates: Kawayan de Guia’s mixed-media work sold at $19,442, more than twice the high estimate of $7,700. Kawayan’s work is reminiscent of the paintings of the late Santiago Bose, only these are cleaner, better executed and composed. Tapaya’s painting resembles children’s book illustrations and this canvas with a recycled figure of Jabba the Hut of “Star Wars” sold at $17,822, twice the high estimate of $7,700. Yasmin Sison strangely sold at exactly the same price as Tapaya’s and also within the same estimate. The hottest young painters in the Philippines today, Javier, sold at $21,063, beyond the high estimate of $15,400; while Ventura sold at $17,822, well-beyond the high estimate of $10,300.
Ventura is the most gifted among all the young artists. He can actually draw! He is the painter to watch and only needs more reading, exposure and reflection to keep from falling into the Amorsolo trap and repeating himself as in auto-plagiarism.
The rest of the works that sold within the estimates, like Orlina’s glass sculptures, need no further comment. None of the works on sale were of exceptional quality compared to previous auctions. None of the works in this sale were truly outstanding and worthy of hanging in a museum except the Luna. We cannot take this auction as a barometer of art trends and have to wait for the spring auctions to see where art and investment are headed in the next few years.
The good news is that contemporary Philippine art is alive and well, and the bubble does not appear like it will burst just yet.
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