Metals Luxury: 10 Years of Luxury at Leonard Joel

Luxury

Luxury Auction Tues 27 July, 6pm MELBOURNE

LEFT: An Exotic Birkin 30 Handbag By Hermès Sold for $62,500

BOTTOM: A Birkin Handbag by Hermès, sold at Leonard Joel's first Luxury auction in 2011. Sold for $13,420

10 Years of Luxury at Leonard Joel —

It is hard to believe that our Luxury department is in its tenth year. A lot has changed since we first began with a large collection of designer items that were presented to us by a single vendor.

The department has grown immensely since that first auction in April 2011. What a varied auction it was. We were in the experimental phase and I recall a sea of designer bags, clothing, and accessories (mainly scarves). There were, however, hero lots in the auction which set us up for the future of Luxury at Leonard Joel. We sold our first Hermès Birkin in that auction; a 35cm in classic gold Togo leather with silver tone metal hardware, I recall. What a price! It sold for $13,250, more than retail at the time in 2011. Everyone was blown away. An orange Epsom Kelly Sellier 28 sold for $6,600 and a never to be seen again ladies diamond Kelly wristwatch by Hermès, with a special order matte Havane alligator strap, was fiercely fought over and sold for $12,000. Well, we knew on that day that a new category had been created, and there was no turning back.

The auctions have changed and demand for quality designer goods has increased over the years. We are now the biggest seller of Luxury items in Australia at auction. COVID brought its challenges to the auction world in 2020. As always, Leonard Joel looked to the future. In November 2020, ‘Virtual Luxury’ was created; an opportunity to offer multiple Luxury items from various locations around Europe in the one auction in Australia. It was an instant success with the lure of being able to buy a fantastic variety of luxury items otherwise not available for purchase here.

Alongside Modern Design and Prints & Multiples, the other ‘Design Icons’, our auctions continue to grow. In these ten years, terrific relationships have been built with both buyer and vendor. As the secondary market for luxury goods continues to grow, we are in good stead for the years to come.

JOHN D'AGATA / Head of Luxury

Prints & Multiples

Prints & Multiples Auction Wed 28 July, 6pm MELBOURNE

Exploring Methods Of Printmaking —

There are many printmaking methods available to artists, and as a collector, it helps to know a little about how your piece was created. Each process uses specific printing techniques that artists make their own, depending on the desired effect. The most popular methods of printmaking today are screen printing, lithography, etching, and linocut printing.

Screen printing

A stencil-based technique in which the first step is to stretch and attach woven fabric tightly over a wooden frame to create a screen. Areas of the screen that are not part of the image are blocked out with a stencil. A squeegie is then used to press ink through the unblocked areas of the screen and directly onto the paper. These prints typically feature bold and hardedged areas.

Lithography

The desired image is applied to a grained surface (traditionally stone, though now aluminium is most commonly used) using a grease-based medium such as ink, crayon, pencil or synthetic material. A solution of gum arabic and nitric acid is then applied over the surface, producing water receptive and non-printing areas. The aluminium surface is kept wet so that the roller with oil-based ink can be passed over the surface. The ink will only stick to the grease receptive image area. Paper is then placed against the surface and the plate is run through a press. After the print passes through the machine, the paper is removed to reveal a mirrored image to the design on the stone. Etching

The plate is prepared with an acid resistant ground. The artist then draws directly onto the ground, exposing the metal. Once done, the plate is then immersed in acid and the exposed metal is ‘bitten’, producing incised lines. The plate is then removed, and ink is applied to the sunken lines, with the remaining ink wiped from the surface. The plate is then placed against paper and passed through a printing press with pressure to transfer the ink. This is one of the oldest and most used printing techniques.

Linocut

A similar variant of a woodcut print, in which a sheet of lino is used as the relief surface. The artist carves a design into the lino surface using a V-shaped chisel with the raised areas representing the design that will be printed. The lino sheet is then inked with a roller and pressed onto paper.

TOP: DEAN BOWEN The Strange Cloud lithograph 1/6 Sold for $687

ABOVE: BARBARA BRASH (Bird and Plant) 1953 linocut Sold for $3,000