When we first started covering Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s Black Friday online sale, we often told collectors that, prior to the show’s opening, they should restart their computers or devices, close unused tabs in their browsers and shut off any streaming happening on the Wi-Fi connection. The tone of these suggestions was always playful, but now those tips aren’t just fun suggestions but real strategies. Collectors be warned: every second matters in this sale.
Charles Cashwell, A Quiet Dance, acrylic on board, 16 x 20 in.
This year’s Black Friday sale, the 13th hosted by the gallery, will take place on November 28, with the entirety of the sale happening on the gallery’s website. The online store opens at 9 a.m. Pacific. Buyers are encouraged to refresh their browsers at 9 a.m. because once the store is open, the works go fast. Last year, 100 pieces sold within the first 10 minutes. Most of the gallery’s artists participate, with this year totaling more than 150 pieces from 50 artists. All the work is priced at $3,500 or less.
Gregory Mortenson, Trailblazer, oil, 10 x 14 in.
Nathanael Volckening will be showing his painting Rain Rift. “Working at a smaller scale with pieces like Rain Rift allows me to explore ideas and compositions that are meaningful on their own, while also informing larger paintings down the road. Rain Rift is inspired by the high desert of Northern New Mexico, a landscape I have been connected to since childhood,” he says. “I was drawn to the sight of the Rio Grande gorge cutting through the land with rain clouds gathering in the distance. There is a tension in that image, a sense of both division and renewal. With Rain Rift I wanted to carry some of that feeling onto the canvas, where land and weather meet and become something larger and more abstract than either by itself.”
Nathanael Volckening, Rain Rift, oil on panel
Charles Cashwell will be offering A Quiet Dance, featuring his exquisite brushwork. “In 2021, Jerry Jordan, my wife Rebecca and I had a chance to photograph about six guys from the pueblo in Taos. It was a wonderful experience and the reference for this piece came from that shoot,” the artist says. “My work is about movement or gesture, and line. In Quiet Dance, the middle horse and figure really lent itself to those qualities. I was also drawn to the white of the horse against the red robe. It seems like that horse and figure, compared to the two that are flanking it, are just starting to jump and pick up the pace. It seems to be doing a little dance after a time of stillness.”
Painter Gregory Mortenson will have Trailblazer for buyers, showing a child on a horse. “I grew up on a small ranch, first in Idaho and then in Utah. Horseback riding was a constant activity that brought my family together, whether we were trail riding in the mountains or going on hunting trips with my dad. We often found ourselves looking down over the valley from a mountainside. When my parents were at work, my brother and I would ride on our own. He would saddle the horses, and because I was too small to reach the stirrups, he would get on his hands and knees to create a footstool with his back so I could climb onto my horse,” Mortenson says. “This painting represents that special time in my life. I painted my son wearing my old cowboy hat and belt buckle that I wore when I was his age. Although we currently live in New York City, we spend three to four months back on the ranch each year. During these visits, I try to recreate my childhood experiences for my kids, while also vicariously reliving them myself.”
The sale is only live for 24 hours. —
Maxwell Alexander Gallery 1300 N. Lake Avenue » Pasadena, CA 91104 » (213) 275-1060 » www.maxwellalexandergallery.com
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