The Michos' Franz Ackermann "Remembering Public Territories (Standing/Waiting)," 1998, digital prints mounted to Dibond, 102.5 x 141.75 inches (triptych) Estimate: $40,000-60,000. Image courtesy: Wright

By Mackie Healy, Art Market Views contributor

Chicago auctioneer Wright, best known as a slick purveyor of design and decorative arts, is holding a Postwar and contemporary auction on Sept. 14, expected to tally $1.9 million to $2.8 million.

One-third of the sale’s 409 lots come from San Francisco conceptual and installation collectors Themistocles and Dare Michos.  The Bay area buyers patronized art sellers Anton Kern, Neugerriemschneider, Andrea Rosen, Jack Hanley and David Zwirner, among others.  Works by Jorge Pardo,  Sean Landers and a model of a spartan brothel by Atelier Van Lieshout are up for grabs. The Michos lots are expected to sell for $603,900-895,500.

The rest of the wide-ranging sale includes names such as William King, Robert Goodnough, Charles LeDray and Pae White. The projected top lot is Cobra movement co-founder Karel Appel’s Woman’s Gypsy Head. The 1963 abstract oil painting of swirling blue and red forms is estimated to sell for $120,000 – $180,000.

Alberto Burri’s 1959 rugged untitled sculpture of a shot-up tin can, mounted on a block of basswood, is estimated at $50,000 – $70,000. Oval with Two Forms (1971), a cast bronze  bowl-like edition by Barbara Hepworth, is expected to sell for $100,000 – $150,000. The work is number 1 from an edition of 9.

In an unusual gambit, the auction catalog includes an essay by David A. Ross — ex-director Whitney and SF MoMA–  titled Don’t Buy These Works. Ross writes that the Michos collection should remain intact. “I hope no one buys any of the individual works and that some enlightened collector/patron buys the entire thing and gives it to a deserving public museum,” he writes.

Highlights include John Bock’s installation pieces 1 = 2 + Klienod (est. $12,000 – $18,000) and When I am Looking into the Goat Cheese Baiser suitcase lecture (est. $10,000 – $15,000). Remembering Public Territories is a large-scale collage of digital print photographs depicting lines of suicide bombers. The work, by Franz Ackermann, is estimated to sell for $40,000 – $60,000.

Wright’s first stand alone sale of postwar and contemporary fine art was held in February 2009. A sale in April totaled around $1.3 million. Erica Barrish, formerly of Christie’s, joined Wright to head the department in October of 2009.

The sale preview runs to Sept. 13 The auction will be held next Tuesday, Sept. 14 at noon.

The Michos' Cady Noland "Untitled," 1997-1998, rubber tire and aluminum pipe, 48 x 30 inches. Est: $30,000-50,000. Image courtesy: Wright

Karel Appel "Woman’s Gypsy Head," 1963. Est: $120,000-180,000. Image courtesy: Wright