Going, Going, GONE!

Gallery District auction house sets price records with virtual bidding

WORDS BY ERIN SLOBODIAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY TATYANA SEMENOVA

It would appear that online art auctions are a thing of the future and one Edmonton couple is setting price records with their internet auction sales. In their off time, Brent Luebke and Marie Olah are a happily married couple. During business hours, they are equal business partners who operate Lando Gallery on 124th Street in Edmonton’s Gallery District.

Biotherm by Frank O’Hara, with an essay and glossary byBill Berksonand 42 lithographic prints by Jim Dine.

Lando Gallery represents works created by local artists and artists from all over the world. It is also the place where art and jewellery (among other items) have been bidded on by buyers waving paddles as they signal waged wars for coveted items.

Jason Carter 20th Century Ten Peaks acrylic on canvas 30 x 40 in. 2013

Lando Gallery has hosted Lando Auctions and its crowds of art lovers in the past but with the world pandemic and new social distancing rules came some changes that had to be made in order to comply with government restrictions. Earlier this year Lando Auctions went completely online but that change did not mean less heated bidding. Actually, quite the opposite happened. ▶

Marie Olah is the auctioneer for Lando Auctions. She explained that people are becoming more and more comfortable with purchasing art over the internet, “we’ve seen a huge increase in our online presence since May.” They’ve also seen a huge increase in prices paid for consignment items. “We set record prices in our most recent auction that was strictly online,” said Luebke. Lando Auction’s most recent sale in May 2020 saw bidders drive up the prices to double the estimated prices on many consignment items.

Allen Sapp RCA OC (1928 - 2015) Untitled (Sitting by the Fire) acrylic on canvas 14 x 11 in. ca. 2000

Johnny Papigatok b. 1923 Sugluk E9-1111 3 Faces soapstone 8 x 10.5 x 8.5 in. 1982

While the bidding takes place completely over the internet, Lando Auctions has its auction items on display at Lando Gallery for interested buyers to see before the actual online auction dates. www.landogallery.com