By Eileen Kinsella
The Abstract-Expressionist painter Lynne Drexler toiled in obscurity for decades, much of it on a remote island in Maine. In the 10 years after her death, in 1999, a few regional auction houses and mid-range dealers discovered the artist and developed a five-figure market for her work.
Then, just this year, the auction market for Drexler’s work exploded. At a Christie’s New York mid-season sale in March, Drexler’s painting Flowered Hundred (1962), estimated at $40,000 to $60,000, rocketed to $1.2 million. (It was reportedly acquired by Amy Cappellazzo’s newly formed advisory firm Art Intelligence Global on behalf of a client.) Another work, Keller Fair (ca. 1959), sold for $69,300 compared with a high estimate of $15,000.
Berry Campbell, which represents the Drexler estate, and Mnuchin Gallery, have organized a two-venue show titled “Lynne Drexler: The First Decade,” which marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in New York in 38 years. It features a curated selection of paintings and works on paper dating between 1959 and 1969, including works on loan from public and private collections, along with some never-before-seen works from the estate.
The show is organized in two chronological sections: Mnuchin Gallery will feature paintings from 1959 to 1964 and Berry Campbell will feature paintings from 1965 to 1969. Both are open from October 27 through December 17.