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At New Orleans Auction Gallery this Sunday 11/14 - Call 800-501-0277 and leave a Bid by 5PM Friday.
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#1303 Metaphysical Chamber |
Lot #1303 "Metaphysical Chamber 1", 1981, tempera and oil on masonite, signed and dated lower right "Rockmore '81", titled, dated and signed on board verso, 16" x 12". Handsomely framed. In overall very good original condition. Light surface dirt. Colors are good and bold. Additional signature in black marker on frame verso "Rockmore '81".
Provenance: Collection of Mrs. Shirley Marvin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
ESTIMATE 1200 - 1800
Facts: This is one of a series of four known works from the Sandra Zahn Oreck Gallery show on 1981. This show was documented by John Lawrence now of the HNOC and his photographs are in their library. There is one with steam machines and another with unusual part people/part other things like watermelons. You can spend a lot of time looking at all of the unusual details in this work. The last Tub series at auction sold for $2400, well above the estimate.
Thoughts: This Tub series captures Rockmore's creativity and humor at its finest. He was a very funny original guy and the things that came out of his head are sometimes genius. You have to love the cane on the wall, the gray floors, the yellow wall, the black door. These are all departures from Rockmore styles and colors.
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#1305 Sister Gertrude Morgan
Self Portrait by Sister Gertrude Morgan |
Lot #1305 Sister Gertrude Morgan (American/Louisiana, 1900-1980) "Let Him Come In, Open the Door, Open it Wide, Let Him Come In, Revelation 3:20", mixed media on board, signed along the upper edge "Sister Gertrude Morgan", titled around the figure, 5-1/2" x 4-1/4". Glazed, matted and framed.
Provenance: Collection of Mrs. Shirley Marvin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Estimate $1500-$2500
Facts: This is not a Rockmore but Sister Gertrude was a good friend of Rockmore and this is a part of the Shirley Marvin Collection. It is a beautiful little self portrait and has an inscription and signature. You have to go back to 2008 to fins a Sister Gertrude sold in new Orleans and then to 2006 to find one of these miniature self portraits.
Thoughts: This is a really special and spiritual work on many counts. It obviously connects you to sister Gertrude Morgan but also to Larry Borenstien, her patron, Shirley Marvin, the collector and Noel Rockmore, her friend. Most of the Sister Gertrude works that come to auction go through the Slotkin Folk Art auction house so this is a rare chance for someone to walk home with a piece of local NOLA history. It made the back cover of the Brochure - you know it's special.
 | | #1306 Clementine Hunter |
Lot#1306"Clementine Hunter - Melrose", mixed media on artist's sketch paper, titled and signed "Rockmore" lower right, sight 13-1/2" x 10-1/2". Glazed and framed. In overall very good condition. A few minor specks of foxing scattered throughout. Superficial surface dirt visible under glass. Not removed from the frame for examination.
Provenance: Collection of Mrs. Shirley Marvin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Estimate $1200-$1800
Facts: Clementine Hunter is a famous Louisiana Folk Artist and this portrait of her by Rockmore is probably one of the Best and most rare of this reclusive artist known for her primatives. Rockmore had a fascination and relationship with three of the top Folk Artist in the New Orlaens area, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Clementine Hunter and Bruce Brice. Melrose was her plantation and this includes that in the title as well.
Thoughts: Just suppose Rockmore achieves the greatness and recognition that most of us thinks he deserves. This work by a master artist of an already recognized top primitive folk artist will be a treasure for any Louisiana home.
 | | #1308 Alice Mae |
Lot#1308 Alice Mae - Gospel Tent", mixed media on artist's sketch paper, titled and signed "Rockmore" lower right, sight 10-1/2" x 13-1/2". Glazed and framed.
Provenance: Collection of Mrs. Shirley Marvin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Estimate $1000-$1500
Facts: Noel Rockmore was commissioned by George Wein to do the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival poster in 1970. He also had permission to capture that 1st Jazzfest as the artist on the grounds and he did. This is a watercolor of a lady in the Gospel tent known as Alice Mae. Not much comes up when you research Alice Mae so perhaps some Jazz & Heritage aficionados will be able to give us an idea of who she was.
Thoughts: The nice thing about this watercolor is that it is easy, already framed, was a part of the 1st Exhibition of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation and it is much less expensive than buying an entire sketchbook which is where many of the Jazz & Heritage watercolors live. It would certainly make the perfect holiday gift and it is a part of Louisianan history as well.
Report on Rockmore works at Neal Auction next weekend.
 | | #1084 Mime with Polichinelle |
#1084 "Mime with Polichinelle", oil on canvas, signed, dated "'81" and inscribed "New Orleans" lower left, with "Sandra Zahn Oreck Gallery" and "Artist's Showroom / New Orleans, LA" labels en verso, 30 1/8 in. x 24 in., in a giltwood frame; together with a handwritten note reading: A Polichinelle - the word comes from the Neapolitan Polecenalla[sic] - has roots in the Italian Commedia dell'Arte".
Estimate $1000/2000
Facts: Two of Rockmore's favorite characters from his 1st show with Sandra Zahn Oreck. The mime actually has a series that contains several works but none quite as cartoonish as this one. The others are much more realistic and actually kind of scary. The other character, Polichinelle, appears in several Rockmore works throughout his lifetime. This piece is as bright and colorful and festive as Rockmore gets. There are lots of interesting little extras in this work including the monkey.
Thoughts: Legend has it that everyone knew that mime had served time for murder. There was a party at Sandra Zahn Oreck's where all of Noel's favorite characters including the mime came in costume. This is a great piece and at this estimate, certainly the steal of the week.
 | | #1094 Mardi Gras No. 1 |
#1094 "Mardi Gras No. 1", pastel on paper, signed, titled, and dated "Aug. 73" upper right, with "Brown's, Jackson, MS" backing paper, 18 in. x 23 7/8 in., matted and framed.
Estimate $1000/1500
Facts: This was the Mardi Gras series from 1973 where the Mardi Gras was almost rained out completely. Rockmore chose that year to do his Mardi Gras series, of course. There seems to be a heavy French theme with the flags and there are some traditional Mardi Gras like float images. Then again, there are lots of images that we are just not sure what they are like the nude with a cat head.
Thoughts: This is the first in the series and it has much more of a feel like one of his Homages or even the tour de France bike race works. The characters all seem non related to each other and some are more outrageous than others. The next year upon his return to New York he would do a block party series that resembles this but the characters are much more decadent.
#385 "Jazz Festival Sketchbook #2 - Description below
 
 
  
#385 "Jazz Festival Sketchbook #2", a highly important archive of 11 watercolor and ink drawings, each on paper, all from the Inaugural Jazz and Heritage Festival April 24-26, 1970 featuring Sister Gertrude Morgan (American/New Orleans, 1900-1980); remaining in the Strathmore drawing pad and including: "Festival Notes-Gospel Tent The Throne of God", signed and dated "1970" lower right, titled upper center and right; "Sister Gertrude Morgan in the Gospel Tent", signed and dated "1970" lower right, titled upper left, and mid-right; "The Gospel Tent", signed lower right, titled upper left; "The Throne of God Sister Gertrude", signed and dated "1970" lower right, titled lower right; "Sister Gertrude Addressing the Bible", signed, titled and dated "1970" upper right; "At the Festival", signed, titled and dated "1970" lower right; "The Gospel Singer-Festival", signed and dated "April 24, 1970" lower right, titled lower left; "In the Gospel Tent", signed and dated "April 24, 1970" mid-right and lower left, titled lower right; "Teaching Gospel Tent Sister Gertrude", signed and dated "1970" lower left, titled lower right; "Marching Band at Festival", signed, dated "April 24" and titled lower right; "Platform at Festival April 24", signed lower right and titled lower left, each 11 in. x 14 in.
Estimate $7000/10000
Facts: Noel Rockmore was commissioned by George Wein to do the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival poster in 1970. He also had permission to capture that 1st Jazzfest as the artist on the grounds and he did. This is one of at least 6 sketchbooks that we know of that came from that Festival. Several were in the possession of Larry Borenstien at one time. One ended up sold as separate watercolor works to Shirley Marvin and this would be then 3rd book that we have seen intact. You do get 11 Jazzfest watercolors of varying degrees which would be ~ $700 a work at the low estimate.
Thoughts: There are several schools of thought on Rockmore sketchbooks or any artist sketchbooks. One is that the sketchbook itself is a personal treasure from the artist to you and you can be a part of the artist history if you own his sketchbook. Another thought is that a sketchbook with individual signed watercolors really only have value if/when they can be seen or owned as standalone separated pieces. Rockmore himself was outraged when Bryant Galleries separated one of his sketchbooks from Haiti for this reason. Then again, Rockmore did not hesitate to separate another of these Jazzfest sketchbooks himself so he could sell individual watercolors to Shirley Marvin. Final thought, these are tough times and a tough market to try and sell anything starting at 7K. | 
