It’s Spring in New York and to me that means art auction time. I have always loved the excitement and theater of auctions and no one does it better than the great art auction houses. On 2 and 3 May Christie’s will hold one of their spectacular contemporary art auctions and I am hoping to add a couple of pieces to my collection. Like many people who have a passion for art, I don’t trust myself to bid personally. Although we all like to think that our purchase decisions are rational, it has been proved too many times to ignore that most of them are in fact inspired by emotion. Nowhere is this more true than in the auction room. Jane Sutherland, who looks after my collection, will bid on my behalf. What am I interested in? I think I’ll keep that under wraps for now, but the artists who have stars next to their names are Andy Warhol and Dan Flavin. The great thing about New York is that you can get access, through these art auctions, to the heart of much contemporary work from the 1960s and 1970s onwards. While there are not many bargains to be had in the current white-hot art market, great things do become available. If you can remain emotionally relaxed and focused on the art and its price, you can do well for yourself. The trick is not to get lost in the competitive battle to win a bidding war. On the other hand, I really do want the Flavin.
