CHICAGO, Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Auctions have always been entertaining, but Rebecca and Michael Rivich, co-owners of Chicago’s Rivich Auction, hope to send the fun factor to a whole new level on February 21st with their “Shakedown 1979” sale. The 226-lot auction of affordable midcentury modern and postmodern design will take place online through LiveAuctioneers, with a live online feed and live bidding at Madame Zuzu’s Emporium in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. The ultra-cool indoor/outdoor tearoom and retail establishment is owned by Grammy Award-winning Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan and his wife, Chloe Mendel. The auction’s title – an homage to Corgan – is actually the opening line of the Smashing Pumpkins song “1979.”
Renowned for its rare and exclusive tea blends, scrumptious plant-based foods and abundant “good vibes,” Madame Zuzu’s, together with the Rivich Auction team, will welcome a limited number of masked, socially-distanced guests to the Art Deco tea salon on auction day. There, auction-goers will be able to enjoy their choice of teas and other menu options as they preview a sampling of auction items and bid.
The hand-picked selection of auction goods “runs the gamut, with a little bit of everything represented,” said Rebecca Rivich. Categories include sterling silver tea sets and wares from the 1920s luxury era – some of it consigned by a prominent Chicago family; gold jewelry, modern and folk art; midcentury furniture and decorative accessories; important autographed sports memorabilia, industrial objects, and lots of funky finds from Midwestern homes.
Among the cutting-edge artworks to be offered are a signed Joseph Burlini (American, b. 1937-) kinetic rainbow sculpture estimated at $1,000–$2,000; a large Merton E. Brown (American 1906-1996) abstract oil-on-canvas painting, $800–$1,200, and a Brian Overley painting titled “Olympia.” Estimate: $400–$500
Brandon Johnson, a young Chicago artist who was classically trained at that city’s prestigious American Academy of Art, created an oil-on-board painting titled “Wasn’t Real Anyways,” which has a $500–$1,000 estimate. Several significant pieces come from the collection of two Chicago-area psychiatrists who acquired self-taught art for 50+ years, including an out-of-this-world David Holmes robot-man folk-art chair, $800–$1,200.
A quintessential example of mid-century furniture style, a patterned sectional sofa designed by Jack Lenor Larsen (American, 1927-2020) for Directional is as deeply comfortable as it is colorful. Its overall pattern is predominantly sunset orange with black and burnished-gold accents. Estimate: $300–$500
The sale’s decidedly Midwestern flavor is capped with the addition of basketball memorabilia signed by hardcourt superstars from the Chicago Bulls franchise. A size 48 Chicago Bulls jersey made by Champion has been signed twice by the legendary Michael Jordan. Estimate: $1,000–$2,000. Another top prize is a Chicago Bulls 1992-’93 Championship basketball signed by the famed “Starting Six” – Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, BJ Armstrong and John Paxson. Estimate: $300–$500
As the lyrics of the Smashing Pumpkins’ song “1979” presciently suggested 25 years ago, “On a live wire right up off the street, you and I should meet.” That “live wire,” or real-time feed, will go directly from LiveAuctioneers to Madame Zuzu’s on Sunday, February 21. Auction start time is 10 a.m. local CT / 11 a.m. ET. Madame Zuzu’s Emporium is located at 1876 1st St. Highland Park, IL 60035. Bid absentee or live online via LiveAuctioneers. Visit Rivich online at www.rivichauction.com.
Contact:
Rebecca Rivich
229-765-8219,
291569@email4pr.com
SOURCE Rivich Auction
