Art Auction

I’ve never been to an art auction before last night. What an incredible experience. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer and think of myself as an artist…or maybe it’s because I’m a competitor and the scene was about competition. Gabe and Abby got into the bidding (the silent auction part)…patrolling the art pieces on which we had bid and telling us whenever someone had bid above us. In the last two minutes of the silent auction, potential buyers hovered like vultures around their chosen pieces, watching to see who would outbid them and ready to engage with their parties to see if offering a higher price was a wise decision. We won our painting of choice… a piece called Peces (fish), oil on canvas, by Esteban Urbieta, a young up-and-coming artist. The painting is wonderful. I hope you can see it sometime when you visit us in Berkeley.

We were invited to this auction because of our connection with Abby’s art teacher. She and her boyfriend, a contemporary artist here in Oaxaca, had two pieces for sale at this particular event.

The auction, put on by the expatriate community in Oaxaca (retired wealthy Americans and Canadians), turned out to be a fantastic night of art indulgence for the four of us. Oaxacan artists are gifted and wonderfully fresh. Moreover, their pieces are sold for little money in comparison to their American and European compatriots. We paid about $200 for Peces. We love it. We love it today. Will we love it tomorrow and for many months and years to come. Abby’s art teacher was thrilled we had gotten such a deal. It’s enough to make one addicted to art.

I wish I had Sharon with me or Rick Shaw…friends who are regularly looking at art and what is new and cutting edge. But alas…we were left with our own thoughts and feeling about the art pieces, which in the end is probably a good thing.