eBay Goes Live with Andy Warhol, Rob Pruitt, and Sol Lewitt

The same way you'd traditionally scour eBay for a 1999 N*SYNC tour t-shirt or expired Polaroid film, you can now browse for Sol Lewitt paintings, Andy Warhol illustrations, and Arman sculptures. For their new live-auction series that mimics the rewarding search of eBay's endless product pages and in turn, eBay teamed up with Sotheby’s to make art buying as streamlined as online shopping. The Contemporary Curated auction, which opens tomorrow, was curated by Chief Curator and Editorial Director of eBay Michael Moskowitz, New York contemporary artist Dustin Yellin, independent curator Roya Sachs, and fashion designer Katie Ermilio.

To put this all into perspective, last year was the biggest year for art sales in history. With traditional auction houses pairing up with social media platforms for the first digital auction and the growing number online auction houses, the landscape for art collecting is as fruitful and promising as ever.

Recently an avid art collector himself, Michael Moskowitz hopes to create a more fertile ground for new and young collectors. In the interview that follows, he talks about buying works by contemporary artist Rob Pruitt, like an excited kid would a candy store: “must-see, must-share, must-shop.” With eBay's more than 157 million active buyers and the current art market boom, these live-auctions set a foundation for beginning art collectors by providing a platform for a more democratic (but still expensive) art buying experience.

In anticipation of Contemporary Curated, The Creators Project got a chance to talk with Moskowitz about how one goes about buying art on eBay, his favorite pieces in the auction, and the advice he has for young collectors:

The Creators Project: Do you think this auction takes away the exclusiveness of traditional art buying?

Michael Moskowitz: Yes—and that’s a good thing. The live-auction experience enables anyone to participate in a Sotheby’s auction without having to brandish a signet ring or boast a Park Avenue address. Collectors can bid without friction—anytime, anywhere—with the same access and confidence enjoyed by those physically present in the room. This is the first experience that really extends Sotheby's brick-and-mortar headquarters to the world, and provides unprecedented access (centered around more affordable art and collectibles) to eBay’s audience of more than 157 million active buyers.

What are the mechanics behind purchasing art on eBay?

Those wishing to bid can preregister for the online sale. Simple. Standard. Auction houses require users to register for each event individually so they can be issued a paddle number. For registered eBay users, this is a quick and easy process. Once the sale begins, online bidders watch a live-streaming video of the saleroom and can bid live. Payments are handled between the buyer and Sotheby’s directly, and typically in the form of a wire transfer.

Are the pieces hand-delivered with a formal art handler?

Shipping and delivery details are determined after the sale and are handled by Sotheby’s with the buyer.

When did you start collecting contemporary art yourself?

I’ve always been an enthusiast and an observer from afar, but I only started to actively, passionately (and at times addictively) collect in 2014. These days, my focus is primarily on deeply human, soulful, figurative work by emerging contemporaries. I still appreciate smart abstraction, but we’re in the infant stages of a pendular swing away from purely procedural painting and provocative conceptualism toward the human figure, the landscape, and deeper primordial leanings or yearnings. Keep in mind that there are also some uncategorizable gems available for sale on eBay by established contemporaries like Rob Pruitt, who I love and can’t stop buying. His two eBay stores are a must-see, must-share, must-shop.

Do you see eBay as an opportunity for young collectors?

Yes, and for all types of new collectors. Particularly autodidacts—for those inclined to learn by wandering, there’s hardly a better place to browse, dive, and make serendipitous discoveries. eBay was, is, and shall always be something of a shoppable human history. Our partnership with Sotheby's simply extends the depth and breadth of our collectible and cherish-able inventory.

Video credit: eBay’s Behind the Collector

What were you, along with Dustin Yellin, Roya Sachs, and Katie Ermilio, thinking about when selecting pieces for this auction?

I can’t speak for the other curators, but I chose items that were story-worthy, vibrant, and capable of ennobling or animating a home, office, or fortress.

Any advice for new collectors?

To be clear, I myself am a new collector. Nevermind my title, which is more befitting of someone smarter, taller, and far more handsome. All I can tell you as an art enthusiast, devotee, student, and supporter, is that it’s important to surround yourself with things that you love. That tickle you. That make you wonder. We all have to develop a recognizable visual grammar that richly expresses who we are, what we love, what we value, and what we want more of in the world.

What’s your favorite piece in the auction?

That’s a bit like asking me which of my fingers is my favorite. Mmm….all of them? (I need them.) But I do love Cecily Brown’s Untitled (Study No. 16) from 1999 (Lot 299). You can detect in her work a bit of Goya and Guston, and doubtless more than a trace of de Kooning, without having to take out a reverse mortgage on your organs to someday afford one.

Do you plan on making any bids?

Naturally. (And by naturally, I mean using smoke signals and telepathy.)

eBay and Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated auction goes live on June 10th at 10 AM EST.

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