About Ben Mahmoud Expertise Questions regarding "the business of the arts (ie.artist/dealer relations).
Questions regarding the collecting of contemporary art.
Please keep in mind that I am not a professional appraiser, however, I can direct interested parties to sources of information.
Experience 40 years as professor of art, Northern Illinois University
Curator of University Art Collection (responsible for purchase and care).
Member of the board of directors, Illinois Arts Council.
Juror of many competitions.
See vitae: http://benmahmoud.com/resume.html
Publications Many conference proceedings.
"Advice to Young Artists in a Postmodern Era" with William Dunning, Syracuse University Press, 2000.
Education/Credentials MFA, Ohio University, 1960
Awards and Honors See vitae: http://http://benmahmoud.com/resume.html
Question A friend of mine has a piece of his. It's a smallish watercolor (she thinks) of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hiro together. She believes it is titled best buddies and is signed by the artist. I know this isn't nearly enough for an appraisal but do you have any idea what a piece like this would be worth and where to look at selling it?
Answer You may have something on your hands that might be worth a good sum of money.
I have found one watercolor that is 1" x 3" and it is priced at $9,000. And another watercolor that is 18" x 16" priced at $32,950! Even his prints (of which there are multiple copies--but always a limited edition) range in price from $2,000 to $10,000. One serigraph of his is priced at $9,750 AND it is from an edition of 295!!!
You did not give me the size of the work, but I suspect that having a watercolor of Schwarzenegger would be attractive to some of the collectors of Yamagata's work.
So, the next question is where do you put this on the market and expect an honest appraisal? You might approach the Martin-Lawrence Galleries. They do handle Yamagata's work. There have 12 galleries in the U.S..
There are 6 galleries in California. One in Hawaii. One in Illinois. One in New Orleans. One in Boston. One in New York. One in Dallas. And one in Washington, D.C..
I must tell you that this is not a top line gallery, and the work they handle is not the kind of work that might end up in a museum. I have no idea of their honesty, and I would be cautious. However, you surely can approach them with the work, ask what they might be able to sell it for, and what there commission will be. Of course, they could sell it for more than they might tell you, and retain their commission plus the difference in price from that which was quoted to you.
I suggest you go to their web site, and see the list of galleries, and their phone numbers. Give them a call and see what they have to say.
Then you might give this establishment a call: Ask Art. They have records of auctions and sales. They also have professional appraisers that can give you a pretty good idea of what the work is worth. However, you must subscribe in order to get these services. One hour of access to their records will cost $13.50. A month's registration would be $29.50.
It is my impression that this site does not help you sell the work. They simply provide you with auction results, and since they have no stake in the work, you surely can trust their information.
You will see in the upper right-hand corner a logo of Ask/Art, and just below that is the link to sign up for their services. I would recommend the monthly rate, since there may be more questions that you might put to them.
There is another outfit that might work very well for you. It is DIVA Art Group. It is an art brokerage house. It seems that they do their commerce on the web. You might contact them to see what they have to say.
You will see that they have an 800 phone number, so the call will not cost you anything.
So, if you contact these sources, and pay the monthly fee to Ask/Art, you will have a great deal of information. You should have a very concise idea of the price range that the work will sell for, and you will have a good idea of what the commissions are. Then, you can proceed to place the work on the market. Oh, I must tell you that you can list the work with only one place. No gallery or art broker will want the work listed in another place.
Now, if, as things develop, you want to get back to me, please do. You can do a follow up via ALLExperts, or you can simply e-mail me to my address. It is bmahmoud@niu.edu.
Good luck, and I hope your friend strikes it rich.
