This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Curator Malia Schramm stands in a sea of fantastic imagery. Staying late at Jackson Fine Art in Buckhead, Schramm, who works as the internationally renowned gallery’s Director of Secondary Markets, has a puzzle in front of her: how to display nearly 100 photographs spanning more than a century — from classic Americana, such as Ansel Adams landscapes, to very modern conceptual photography, such as work by Matthew Brandt. It’s all for Jackson Fine Art’s signature “Private Collections Salon and Sale,” which opened Saturday. And this year marks the 10th anniversary of Atlanta’s biggest combination exhibition/sale of photographs from private collections.
“It’s always a challenge and sort of a puzzle to figure out a way to present all this in only three rooms, where everything flows and makes sense curatorially,” said Schramm, who’s worked on the Salon and Sale since its inception in 2014 and for Jackson Fine Art since 1999. “For this exhibition, we have at least 30 consignors from across the country, including some people we’ve been working with since the beginning.”
Running through Sept. 21, the entire gallery will be transformed into a photophile’s paradise, comprising 138 images (too many to display at once) by 68 of the world’s most celebrated photographers. This includes sought-after, classic titans like Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans, as well as contemporary masters such as Nan Goldin, Alex Prager and Sally Mann. And there’s even an ultrarare platinum palladium print of Richard Avedon’s legendary “Dovima with Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior.” (This striking picture originally appeared in a 1955 issue of Harper’s Bazaar about Parisian fashion.)
Credit: Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Credit: Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Schramm is also excited about the Nan Goldins, which she rarely sees. The American photographer is famous for her revealing portraits of subcultures and countercultures, particularly in the LGBTQ community. Schramm has already sold one Goldin, and two more are available: a snapshot of a vulnerable “Jimmy Paulette after the parade, NYC, 1991,” and the very intimate and epicurean “Bruce and Philippe on the beach, Truro, MA, 1975.”
Another highlight of the 10th-anniversary celebration is a room dedicated to a specially curated selection of 30 works from St. Louis photographer and collector David Capes. This exhibition of Capes’ collection, which he began in the 1990s, includes tantalizing images by such icons as Man Ray, Annie Leibovitz, Alfred Stieglitz and August Sander.
Credit: Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Credit: Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Less than a week before the exhibition, Schramm leans different images against the walls, trying out their combinations and flow. Although it will only take about a week to completely remove what was hanging in the gallery and replace it with these pictures, Schramm began planning the Salon and Sale months ago.
“I typically try to start as early as January,” she said. “It involves the whole gallery: We have to get the artwork in — if it’s framed, it has to be unframed, then conditioned fully and then photographed to put it all online.” Jackson Fine Art procures so many iconic and coveted artworks thanks to its long-standing relationships with many collectors, some of which have spanned decades.
It was collectors who originally spurred the idea for the Salon and Sale. “We had collectors coming to us over the years, and we would sell secondary market work,” Schramm said. “We just decided in 2014 to take these consignments and craft an event around it.” According to Schramm, during the one-month sale, the gallery will sell about 60% of the consignments. Within six months, generally, everything exhibited will find a home.
Credit: Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Credit: Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
It’s the blue hour now outside in the busy, late summer Atlanta streets, and Schramm still has dozens more photos to hang before she can call it a night. “It started small,” she said about the Salon and Sale. “It’s a ton of work, but it’s a way for us to create something fun and educational and bring in a history of photography.”
VISUAL ARTS PREVIEW
Private Collections Salon and Sale
Aug. 17-Sept. 14. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 3122 E. Shadowlawn Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-233-3739, jacksonfineart.com.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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