In our 100th year as an auction house, it excites me how diverse and adventurous our marketplace, for both buyers and sellers, has become. The preserve of formal furniture and decorative arts such as silver and porcelain, as well as the traditional notions of how a collection should be formed or an interior decorated, no longer restrict or define us. Auction Houses are now browsing and buying destinations where traditional collecting ‘categories’ are being either replaced or expanded by a new thinking and attitude, free of constraint. This is mostly driven by decorators, who move away from accumulating a cabinet of curiosities or creating a carefully curated interior, and instead, decorate the person or the home as an expression of themselves. At the beginning of April, these themes come together during Leonard Joel’s Design Week when we simultaneously showcase three of our hottest new auction ‘categories’: Modern Design, Prints & Multiples and Luxury. In our South Yarra gallery spaces you will be able to wear a Hermès handbag over your wrist, recline on a day bed by Australian master craftsman Krimper, or ponder the subject matter of a print by British street artist, Banksy. This, for me, is what is splendid about auctions in the 21st century; less about collecting, and more about shopping, the auction room is now more accessible and is more fun for it!
JOHN ALBRECHT
Managing Director / National Head of Collections