My favorite ebay listing of all time for a George Nelson item, first appearing several years ago, has returned. Apparently the seller received no takers at his $10,000 asking price several years ago for the following listing:
"Original Artwork from the legendary Designer George Nelson, Collage with hand drawing, Hand Signed and dated, Verso inscription To Charles, Authenticated and Appraised ($15,000.00), archival gallery display, List Price marked on rear $19,500.00, archival framing $570.00 included."
I love the $570 frame. Honestly, what are the chances Nelson did anything other than sign some other guy's drawing for the cover of Interiors? Even if Nelson did draw it, I'd like the guy who appraised this to appraise my Nelson collection. I'd probably be a millionaire by now, at least on paper. I know Barry gets worked up over some of the clock prices, but this takes the cake for overreaching in my opinion.
Why not?
It quite possibly is by Nelson. Nelson was educated as an architect and was a pretty good draftsman. None of his drawings that I've seen, though, are in this sort of cliched mid-century Miro-cum-Picasso pastiche style, but I wouldn't rule it out given the milieu. Also, Nelson was a lifelong photographer, so it wouldn't surprise me that he kept dabbling in other forms of visual art throughout his lifetime.
As for value, well, ...
Great piece, but yes the 500...
Great piece, but yes the 500 something dollar frame looks like ass. I would rather buy a simple cheap frame then have that expensive aesthetic nightmare. If I bought it I would make them keep the frame a deduct the value of it, just for being stupid.
According to the paperwork, the $10,000- $15,000 figure
is the estimated "replacement-value", which is not the same as market-value.
I once asked an appraiser what this term actually means-- she explained that it's the amount at which the item could be readily/ easily be "replaced" were it lost/ stolen/ destroyed. (Nevermind that this item is unique-- how could it even BE replaced?)
(Then there's "insurance value", which I don't pretend to understand... Market value is the only meaningful value, to my mind.)
It's creative to call an old camera-ready paste up & mechanical a "collage". Prior to computer graphics, just about all commercial artwork intended for print was composed of bits & pieces, glued together.
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Where does the $19,500 figure come from? I bet the frame's "replacement value" is $4,500...
Owner
I am now the owner of this and I can say to see it in real life is a pleasure, even if not penned by Nelson (but I hope it is). When you consider he presented it to an owner of the magazine proclaiming it his own work, one would be making suggestions about his integrity and honesty, if you were to say it were not.
Many of you seem very critical, but at at the price I paid I think it was an absolute bargain. I agree that $10,000 was a bit rich.
The frame is irrevalant, you buy the art for the art, not the frame. I personally would not consider the frame in the price, unless I liked it.
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