Milan Mrkusich Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Milan Mrkusich Art Value Price Guide

Aug. 09, 2021
MILAN MRKUSICH Dark Element
Est: $30,000 - $45,000
Milan Mrkusich Dark Element 1968 oil on canvas signed Mrkusich, dated '68 and inscribed MRKUSICH/DARK ELEMENT in brushpoint verso 1225 x 720mm PROVENANCE Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Petar James Gallery, Auckland c1979. Milan Mrkusich – Dark Element Essay by JULIAN MCKINNON Abstract painting can be esoteric. To its advocates, it sits at the apex of visual and intellectual sophistication. Yet, its detractors might argue that it is devoid of meaning. To summarise the history and philosophy of abstract painting is a complex a task, though at its roots, it is a consequence of the invention of the camera. As Belgian art theorist Thierry De Duve states, “[…] to cite but the most blatant specific impact of industrialization on painting, from the moment photography was invented, painters had lost their job as purveyors of resembling images. […] the product of their labor had to compete with a cheap ready-made substitute.”¹ In short, the invention of the camera created an existential crisis for painting. Painters needed to either fade away or reinvent themselves and their art form. In order to navigate such a challenge, some painters pursued painting about painting, wherein the frame of reference was no longer the external world, but rather the internal dimensions and material substance of the painting itself. Painting as ‘idea’; reductionist abstraction; what de Duve describes as the concept of painting as ‘pure visibility’.² Milan Mrkusich is one of the foremost pioneers of abstract painting in New Zealand. His artwork first started being exhibited in the late 1940s, a time when landscape still dominated New Zealand painting. Mrkusich, however, was not interested in such subject matter. The Arts Foundation credits him with this zinger, “You want a landscape? Take a drive in the country.” Instead, his interests were architecture and abstraction. He engaged with ideas of art and design arising from the European Bauhaus movement and Russian Constructivism; such interests applied to painting lead directly to ‘pure visibility’. Paint has great utility as a material for conjuring illusions or creating images, and it is still very much used to those ends, despite the provocation of the camera. In purist abstraction, however, paint is utilised for its own inherent characteristics: colour, texture, line, form, contrast. Unencumbered by the need to present an image of something, paint can become a means to explore formal relationships between art and architecture, a vehicle for aesthetic contemplation. In the case of Mrkusich’s Dark Element, a 1968 oil on canvas, the work is a beautifully restrained. It is elemental in its two-tone colour and geometric simplicity. The void-like black circle has an immersive quality, as if pulling the viewer’s eye inward. The contrasting dark ochre of the rectangular plane subtly draws the eye back to the panting’s surface. In this it activates the illusory quality of paint, though in the most understated of ways. In a book on Mrkusich’s work, Alan Wright and Edward Hanfling wrote, “In Mrkusich’s paintings small things matter. It is an art of subtlety and nuance, the careful edge, the faintest transition from one shade of a colour to another, the self-effacing touch – an art of things that are barely there, as if to suggest that experience itself is infinitely varied, shifting imperceptibly from one moment to the next: change, transformation, time.”³ Dark Element has an uncomplicated elegance, linked to modernist architectural principles. At the same time, it demonstrates the philosophical essence of abstract painting: pure visibility. 1 Thierry De Duve, Kant After Duchamp, 1996. page 148. 2 Ibid. Page 149. 3 Alan Wright and Edward Hanfling, Mrkusich: The Art of Transformation, Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2009, p.113.
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Nov. 23, 2020
MILAN MRKUSICH Three Part Painting (Alchemical) Version I
Est: $22,000 - $28,000
Milan Mrkusich Three Part Painting (Alchemical) Version I 1993 acrylic on canvas signed Mrkusich, dated '93 and inscribed THREE PART PAINTING (Alchemical) 1993 Version I/First Panel in graphite verso; inscribed THREE PART PAINTING (Alchemical) 1993/Version I/Centre Panel in graphite verso; inscribed THREE PART PAINTING (Alchemical) 1993/Version I/End Panel in ink verso 460 x 460mm (each panel) PROVENANCE Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland, 2002.
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Oct. 13, 2016
Milan Mrkusich (1925 - ) - Painting No.5, 1961 79 x 54cm
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Milan Mrkusich (1925 - ) Painting No.5, 1961 oil on canvas 79 x 54cm signed lower left, titled and dated on verso
Lawsons
Dec. 06, 2011
Milan Mrkusich Untitled signed Mrkusich and dated
Est: $6,000 - $10,000
Milan Mrkusich Untitled signed Mrkusich and dated '73 in brushpoint lower left 340mm x 420mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 06, 2011
Milan Mrkusich Painting 62-1 signed Mrkusich and
Est: $45,000 - $65,000
Milan Mrkusich Painting 62-1 signed Mrkusich and inscribed 1/62 in ink lower right; inscribed Painting 62-1 in pencil verso upper edge 830mm x 885mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 06, 2011
Milan Mrkusich Untitled Dark signed Mrkusich,
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
Milan Mrkusich Untitled Dark signed Mrkusich, dated 1985 and inscribed Untitled Dark in pencil verso upper edge 1600mm x 1600mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Jul. 14, 2011
Centre With Three Elements Milan Mrkusich
Est: -
Centre With Three Elements Milan Mrkusich
International Art Centre
Mar. 30, 2011
Achromatic Dark with Red Milan Mrkusich
Est: -
Achromatic Dark with Red Milan Mrkusich
International Art Centre
Mar. 29, 2011
Milan Mrkusich
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Milan Mrkusich, Abstract, signed and dated 1960
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Nov. 25, 2010
Milan Mrkusich Themes and Variations II title
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Milan Mrkusich Themes and Variations II title inscribed, signed and date...
ART+OBJECT
Nov. 25, 2010
Milan Mrkusich Painting with Blue Shape signed and
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Milan Mrkusich Painting with Blue Shape signed and dated '50
ART+OBJECT
Sep. 28, 2010
Milan Mrkusich Bullfighter signed 520mm x 400mm
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Milan Mrkusich Bullfighter signed 520mm x 400mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Jun. 24, 2010
Milan Mrkusich Gouache No. 11 gouache on paper
Est: $7,000 - $10,000
Milan Mrkusich Gouache No. 11 gouache on paper signed and dated '61 and inscribed 'No. 11' 375 x 275mm
ART+OBJECT
Mar. 30, 2010
Milan Mrkusich Head Study signed and dated 62 - 12
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Milan Mrkusich Head Study signed and dated 62 - 12 440mm x 255mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Mar. 30, 2010
Milan Mrkusich "Painting 1, '50" "title inscribed,
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Milan Mrkusich "Painting 1, '50" "title inscribed, signed and dated Oct '50 verso" 675mm x 920mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Mar. 30, 2009
Milan Mrkusich Untitled (From the Chinese Elements
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
Milan Mrkusich Untitled (From the Chinese Elements Series) signed and dated 1990 470mm x 435mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Sep. 22, 2008
Milan Mrkusich Monochrome Burnt Sienna acrylic on
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
Milan Mrkusich Monochrome Burnt Sienna acrylic on paper signed and dated '77 410mm x 330mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Sep. 22, 2008
Milan Mrkusich Untitled oil on board signed and
Est: $18,000 - $25,000
Milan Mrkusich Untitled oil on board signed and dated 1959 600mm x 475mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
May. 24, 2008
Milan Mrkusich Passive Element from the Barry Lett
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Milan Mrkusich Passive Element from the Barry Lett Multiple Series screenprint 555mm x 330mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 04, 2007
Milan Mrkusich Four Circles (Grey) acrylic on
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
Milan Mrkusich Four Circles (Grey) acrylic on board, four panels title inscribed, signed and dated 1977 verso Provenance: Private Collection, Wellington 600mm x 600mm per panel; 1200mm x 1200mm overall Four Circles (Grey) possesses Mrkusich's iconic form of the squared circle that first made its appearance in his paintings in 1963 with the Emblem paintings and then again in the Element paintings that followed. While his early use of the form is sometimes discussed in connection with Jungian symbolism, the artist considers he began painting it 'intuitively', that the initial references to be made were to the geometries of form alone. Mrkusich refined his earlier use of the squared circle in Four Circles (Grey), reworking it so that both the appearance of the painting and the title reveal his emphasis on the form itself. No longer does this painting refer to elements or emblems outside of the medium of painting, rather it is self contained, and as such can be considered more modernist in character. While this painting was made using four separate panels, Mrkusich worked specifically to provide his characteristic sense of wholeness in Four Circles (Grey). Our perception of the separation of the panels is muted: in the way the division between them is controlled, in the consistency of the colour of the stippled ground and in the repeated motif of the inscribed circle. Each tactic serves to provide a sense of unity that is emphasised by the small bevelled edge frame. The close mounting of each panel within the slight frame provides a cohesive element, in the form of a centrally articulated cross, one that ensures our perception of unity through the symmetry created from the interrelationship between each of the inscribed panels. This is emphasised by the soft shadowy nature of the 'gap', as unlike a hard-edged inscribed line, the soft effect works to bind rather than separate the panels. The rigorously controlled surface of the panels, each articulated with the same meticulously fine stippled colour and flawlessly inscribed pale circle, also acts to draw the panels together. The eye perceives the stippled ground of each panel as a single coherent ground, while the inscribed circles provide an interest that encourages a sense of comparison and association between the placement and perfect nature of each. It is Mrkusich's remarkable painting ability that enables him to maintain the consistency of colour and form in each of the separate panels that in turn provides the perception of wholeness in Four Circles (Grey). It is this ability and assuredness with the painted surface, his outstanding skill as an artist, that earned him the well-deserved award from the Arts Foundation in 2003, identifying and celebrating him as one of New Zealand's inaugural Living Icon Artists. Chrissie Craig
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 04, 2007
Milan Mrkusich Four Circles - Blue graphite and
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Milan Mrkusich Four Circles - Blue graphite and acrylic on paper signed and dated '77 580mm x 410mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2007
Milan Mrkusich Passive Element screenprint from
Est: -
Milan Mrkusich Passive Element screenprint from the Barry Lett Multiple Series 43 (set of 3 posters) 555 x 330mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Mar. 27, 2007
Grey Ark Milan Mrkusich
Est: -
Grey Ark Milan Mrkusich
International Art Centre
Aug. 29, 2006
Passive Element 1968 - from the Barry Lett Multiples Milan Mrkusich
Est: -
Passive Element 1968 - from the Barry Lett Multiples Milan Mrkusich
International Art Centre
Apr. 06, 2005
MILAN MRKUSICH Progression, Achromatic acrylic on canvas title inscribed, signed and dated 94 verso 905 x 1690mm E55,000.00-65,000. 00
Est: -
MILAN MRKUSICH Progression, Achromatic acrylic on canvas title inscribed, signed and dated 94 verso 905 x 1690mm E55,000.00-65,000. 00
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 07, 2004
Full set of Barry Lett Gallery 'Multiples' set of 12 screenprints Don Binney Pacific Frigate Bird 560 x 460mm Robert Ellis Motorways 560 x 460mm Pat Hanly Inside the Garden 430 x 510mm Ralph Hotere Red on Black 560 x 460mm Michael Illingworth Tawera
Est: -
Full set of Barry Lett Gallery 'Multiples' set of 12 screenprints Don Binney Pacific Frigate Bird 560 x 460mm Robert Ellis Motorways 560 x 460mm Pat Hanly Inside the Garden 430 x 510mm Ralph Hotere Red on Black 560 x 460mm Michael Illingworth Tawera 440 x 460mm Colin McCahon North Otago Landscape 560 x 460mm Milan Mrkusich Passive Element 560 x 330mm Ross Ritchie Three 430mm diameter Michael Smither Wave Invading Rock Pool 560 x 460mm Gordon Walters Tawa 535 x 650mm MT Woollaston Patrick Lucas 460 x 560mm E8000.00-12000.00
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 07, 2004
MILAN MRKUSICH Passive Element #1 acrylic on jute canvas title inscribed signed and dated 1969 verso 710 x 710mm E30000.00-40000.00
Est: -
MILAN MRKUSICH Passive Element #1 acrylic on jute canvas title inscribed signed and dated 1969 verso 710 x 710mm E30000.00-40000.00
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 07, 2004
MILAN MRKUSICH Untitled acrylic on paper signed and dated 1977 420 x 335mm Provenance: Purchased from Artis Gallery c. 1980 E10000.00- 15000.00
Est: -
MILAN MRKUSICH Untitled acrylic on paper signed and dated 1977 420 x 335mm Provenance: Purchased from Artis Gallery c. 1980 E10000.00- 15000.00
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Dec. 07, 2004
MILAN MRKUSICH Chromatic Suite II mixed media on paper title inscribed signed and dated 1968 verso 325 x 390mm E10000.00-15000.00
Est: -
MILAN MRKUSICH Chromatic Suite II mixed media on paper title inscribed signed and dated 1968 verso 325 x 390mm E10000.00-15000.00
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Sep. 21, 2004
MILAN MRKUSICH Achromatic with Red and Orange: Linear Series acrylic and crayon on board title inscribed, signed and dated 1981 verso 1210 x 2030mm E45000.00-65000.00
Est: -
MILAN MRKUSICH Achromatic with Red and Orange: Linear Series acrylic and crayon on board title inscribed, signed and dated 1981 verso 1210 x 2030mm E45000.00-65000.00
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Sep. 23, 2003
Milan Mrkusich Gouache No. 12gouache on paper signed and dated 1961 and inscribed No. 12375 x 268mm
Est: $1,200,000 - $1,600,000
Milan Mrkusich Gouache No. 12gouache on paper signed and dated 1961 and inscribed No. 12375 x 268mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Sep. 23, 2003
Milan Mrkusich Blue Achromatic acrylic on custom wood title inscribed signed and dated 1980 verso 1600 x 1220mm By 1980 Mrkusich had long assimilated his models and sources into a refined, consistent and meticulous practice all his own. The presence
Est: $4,500,000 - $6,500,000
Milan Mrkusich Blue Achromatic acrylic on custom wood title inscribed signed and dated 1980 verso 1600 x 1220mm By 1980 Mrkusich had long assimilated his models and sources into a refined, consistent and meticulous practice all his own. The presence of the term 'achromatic' in Mrkusich's titles refers to the presence of black, white or grey in a painting. Though not colours themselves, black, white in combination with primary colours (red, yellow and blue) or secondary colours (orange, green and purple) made from mixing two primaries, make possible an infinity of shades of colour. In Blue: Acromatic, a superb specimen of Mrkusich's mature work (painted in his mid-fifties) it is the relationship between areas of pure colour and the simple geometry of vertical and horizontal lines by which the rectangular plane of the painting is divided up which creates the aesthetic effect. Colour, line and surface are all the elements Mrkusich needs to create such serene and authoritative objects for sensory contemplation and mental reflection.Mrkusich is an artist who generally lets his pictures speak for themselves without need of explanation or commentary. Nevertheless, his statement of 1972 (quoted in Milan Mrkusich: a decade further on 1974-1983 Auckland City Art Gallery, 1985) affords a helpful insight into this and many other of his works: 'A painting shows the facts of its own particular condition My way is to begin with an unambiguous form... The rightness of truth is self evident in the form itself. In the end, words fail to say what intuitional factors bring about the changes in this tautological condition which result in a work of art. Painting comes from an intuitional process of work, the purpose of which is to show a TRUTH' p. 11). Mrkusich's radiant geometry, as in this awesomely accomplished example, marks out a pure limit for one end of the spectrum in the art of painting in this country.Peter Simpson
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Sep. 23, 2003
Milan Mrkusich Painting No. 1 (1950-53) oil on hardboard signed verso title inscribed and dated 1950/53 in artist's hand on label affixed verso 500 x 385mmMilan Mrkusich, whose remarkable sixty year career continues unabated into the twenty first
Est: $2,000,000 - $3,000,000
Milan Mrkusich Painting No. 1 (1950-53) oil on hardboard signed verso title inscribed and dated 1950/53 in artist's hand on label affixed verso 500 x 385mmMilan Mrkusich, whose remarkable sixty year career continues unabated into the twenty first century, was the first New Zealand artist to pursue abstraction continuously, undertaking his first experiments in 1946 and holding his first one person show in Auckland in 1949. He was still in his twenties when this work was painted during a period when much of his energy was going into the establishment of the design firm Bremner and Associates. Nevertheless it manifests many characteristics which marked his career prior to his becoming a full-time artist in 1958. There was little in New Zealand art at that time which offered Mrkusich examples he could relate to his own practice. He derived his knowledge and models mostly from books and reproductions from Europe. Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and other artists of the Bauhaus, Juan Miro, Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth were among the artists who helped to define his direction as a painter, traces of their example being evident here in the patches of primary colour, the presence of geometric forms such as the circle and the triangle, the use of freely drawn lines to articulate the picture plane, and the use of expressive textures. Whether separately or in combination, many of these elements remained part of Mrkusich's practice in the decades ahead. This work retains considerable interest as an attractive and well-designed painting which is both an historic example of early New Zealand abstraction and an indication of directions which Mrkusich would take up and develop throughout his distinguished career.Peter Simpson
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers
Jul. 01, 2003
Milan Mrkusich Four Elements Aboveoil on board signed and dated 1965 640 x 460mm
Est: $45,000 - $65,000
Milan Mrkusich Four Elements Aboveoil on board signed and dated 1965 640 x 460mm
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers