She is wearing a teal shift dress, and her energetic demeanor, more cheerleader than art expert, makes her fellow Christie’s employees seem muted. A jokey fist-pump, an approving grin from his friend and it’s on to the next piece, an untitled Ray Johnson cardboard creation that depicts a large spoon with the Lucky Strike logo slapped across it.Īs the bid enters the ledger, one of the several attractive young women manning the telephones smiles to herself. So warned, the man in jeans ponies up the $65,000 (not including buyer’s premium), and the Rauschenberg is his. “Not 6-3 and not 6-4,” the auctioneer laughs again, and begins scanning the rest of the crowd, the staff working the telephones and her colleague manning the Christie’s LIVE Internet bidders. “6-3?” The young man asks, as a scruffily bearded cohort smiles into his paper cup of coffee. “We don’t take IOUs either,” the auctioneer jokes, before explaining, “We’ll take 6-5.” She pauses, looking directly at him. This is not an offer-what-you-feel-like establishment. This is the 245-year-old grand dame of the auction world, and they have set the bid increase on this piece at $5,000. “6-1-5? Wrong house, sir…” The auctioneer’s laugh is gentle, but not kind. He is clad in jeans and a leather jacket, and is bidding on a solvent transfer and fabric collage by Robert Rauschenberg. “$61,500!” offers a young man standing toward the back of the room.
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