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Warhol and Judd Soar in $143 Million Art Sale
[New York Times] From a Campbell's Soup can to a dissected lamb split and submerged in formaldehyde, postwar and contemporary images straight out of the art history books rose to ever-higher price levels in more than two and a half hours of tireless bidding at Christie's last night. But the most memorable part of the evening came when Minimalism went mainstream....
Among the Judd works, the biggest draw was "Untitled, 1993 (93-1 Ballantine)," a monumental wall piece made of plywood and plexiglass, which was expected to fetch $2 million to $3 million and sold to a telephone bidder for $2.7 million. Four bidders wanted "Untitled 1970 (DSS No. 230) (70-13 Bernstein)," a horizontal aluminum sculpture that had been on extended loan to Dia:Beacon in upstate New York. It sold for $2 million after a high estimate of $1.2 million...

Donald Judd Sculptures Fetch $24.5M at Christie's
[Bloomberg] Sculptures by the U.S. minimalist artist Donald Judd fetched $24.5 million in upbeat bidding that opened last evening's New York sale of postwar and contemporary art at Christie's International. After 26 lots were offered and 25 sold, and with 10 lower- priced pieces remaining for today's auction, the tally already topped the presale high estimate of $21.7 million, Christie's said. Proceeds from the sale will be used to create an endowment for the Judd Foundation. The artist died of cancer in 1994. ``It went very well,'' said Barbara Hunt McLanahan, the foundation's executive director. ``The work is strong. So far, so good.''
A handful of bidders competed for the sculptures in a room packed to capacity with dealers and collectors. Most works went to telephone bidders, and no single lot topped the largest presale high estimate of $3 million. Three tied for the highest sale price, each fetching $2.7 million. Most lots sold for more than their presale high estimates or fell within their estimated range. All prices include Christie's commission. The results dampen concerns that putting so many Judd works on the block would diminish their market value. The tally also vindicates Christie's unusual support of the artist. The auction house, owned by French billionaire Francois Pinault, mounted a separate, monthlong exhibition of Judd's work. It also guaranteed the foundation an undisclosed amount from the sale of $21 million to $25 million...

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The Collectors: Dallas' Stoffels
[WFAA] I'd love to say my parents took me to museums, but they didn't," says Gayle Stoffel, a Dallas collector keen on contemporary art. Her husband, Paul, is even more direct. "My parents collect? Are you kidding? They had no money and no interest," says the Dallas businessman who owns Triple S. Capital investments. Now listed among the Top 200 Collectors in the World by ARTnews magazine, the Stoffels have done it in 15 years. They're an inspiration to anyone who wants to learn about contemporary art. "We just kept going to shows at different museums and galleries and talking to people," says Ms. Stoffel, admitting that it took a...