In a World of Big-Time Auctions, Life More Than Intimates Art

Ask John Marion to highlight his career as an auctioneer for Sotheby’s and his eyes dance when he says: “The sale of Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Irises’ last year for $53.9 million.”

“It was a magic moment in the history of the art market,” he added, chatting at the Newport Harbor Art Museum before hammering down $198,000 gross for the museum at its Art Auction ’88 on Saturday night.

Some would say the Newport Harbor Art Museum had one of its most magical moments when Marion strode through its doors. Part of the second generation of Marions to head Sotheby’s--his father preceded him as director--Marion’s arrival infused the occasion with a jet-set sort of glamour.

After all, here was the man who helped negotiate the purchase of the rock that Richard Burton bought La Liz in 1969. “For $4.05 million,” Marion noted, smiling. “Actually, Burton didn’t buy it at sale--his representative dropped out at $1 million. Cartier bought it. But we arranged the private sale to Burton the next day.”

And here was the man who orchestrated the sale of Andy Warhol’s estate.

And here was the man who, for the past 20 years, has presided over the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art’s annual art auction. “That’s the original one,” Marion said. “The one museums use for their model.”

“Many museums of contemporary art are turning to the idea of an auction,” Marion explained. “It’s a unifying thing and a good social event.”

The secret to a successful auction? “Well, the (art) objects create the excitement. It’s the chemistry of the objects with the audience and the ambiance of all of that with the auctioneer that makes for success. Hopefully, the first two are there . . . and then it just happens.”

Certainly the objects and the audience were there Saturday night: Some of the contemporary art world’s best known artists--Richard Diebenkorn, Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg--were represented. And many of the auction’s 350 guests were so thrilled with the collection--81 works for the silent auction and 65 for the auction conducted by Marion--they had paid $100 each to also attend Monday night’s preview party.

And, of course, the art auctioneer was there. There was no need to shush the crowd when Marion, tall and together, took the stage. Guests, Sotheby’s auction paddles in hand, hung to his every word: “Now, this process is very simple,” he told them. “We have only 60 some-odd things to distribute among hundreds of people. And that’s going to entail some competition on your part. I want you to all go home friends, and this is a friendly game we’re going to play.

“You have a paddle. If you want to use it to fan yourself, that could become very expensive. So just wave it at me and I’ll take care of the rest.”

At the end of the first hour, Marion had already hammered down 38 items, among them an untitled acrylic sculpture by Fred Eversley, purchased for $20,000 by Leon S. Wyler, board president of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Gross proceeds from the silent auction were $148,000. Net proceeds from both the silent and live auctions and donations from underwriters are expected to be in the neighborhood of $200,000.

On the scene: museum director Kevin Consey with his wife, Susan; Barbara and Jim Glabman (“We bid, but we didn’t win,” Barbara said woefully); Charles Diamond and his wife Beverly, event chairwoman; logistics chairwoman Jacquelyn Schmitt (“the trick was getting all of the art into the museum and using as few walls as possible so guests would have a place to sit!”); advisers Judy Slutzky and Louise Newsquist and acquisitions chairwomen Doreen Alstrom, Mary Carrington, Roberta Dauderman, Linda Giannini, Deborah Polonsky, Susan Porter and Kathleen Schaefer.

Repertory Revue: The Guilds of South Coast Repertory staged their annual act--a groaning board of food and auction items--at “Repertory Revue” on Saturday night and took bows over proceeds of $70,000.

Almost 600 guests were on hand to bid on silent auction items and wine and dine al fresco on specialties from, among other establishments, the Four Seasons hotel, the Wine Cellar at the Newporter Resort, Gulliver’s, Pennington, Royal Thai, Cafe Casino and Forty Carrots.

Furs, glamour gowns and furniture were up for bid at the live auction conducted by Melvin Giller.

And when the live auction was over, guests took the SCR spotlight to play Theatre Challenge, a charades-on-stage where teams acted out suggestions from the audience.

The finale was held al fresco, when guests reconvened at the front of the theater for coffee, liqueur and dancing to Gary Matsurra and Friends.

Proceeds from the event will go into SCR’s Annual Fund, which helps bridge the gap between the theater’s earned income and expenses.

Carole Ford and Susan Shusko were co-chairwomen. Serving on the committee: Barbara Lilak; Patti Nicholes; Patricia Roth; Pauline Tiffany; Lynda Hankin; Doris Prendergast; Nancy Weinstein; Noddie Weltner; Kay McDonald; Lorene Silby; Karen Rosenthal; Kathy Steisel; Nancy Carlson; Susan Babel-Whitten; Irene Iverson; Patti Nichols; Shirley Gilbert; Rose D’Esposito and Tana Sherwood, All Guild chairwoman.