Francis Upritchard's Sloth Creature up for auction

Tomorrow evening at Webb’s a crowd will gather to take part in the adrenaline filled fast paced world of live art auction.

When Lot 15 gets underway, all eyes will be on the large fantastical elongated Brown Sloth Creature estimated to reach between $25,000 - $35,000, and just as many curious eyes will be on the highest bidder when the hammer goes down.

This sculpture is the making of our very own New Zealand born Francis Upritchard, whose string of prestigious successes in the art world both here and abroad, have lead her to now reside in London among the best international emerging artists.

Francis Upritchard has exhibited extensively in New Zealand, Europe and America since graduating from Canterbury University's Ilam School of Fine Arts in 1997. In addition, she has held residences at; the Govett Brewster, New Plymouth, Artspace, Sydney, Camden Arts Centre, London; and Belem Contemporary Art Flux, Belem, Brazil. In 2006 Francis Upritchard was the winner of the Walters Prize, New Zealand's most prestigious contemporary art prize. In 2009, Upritchard was bestowed the further honour of being selected to represent New Zealand at the 2009 Venice Biennale.

Francis’ works are held in public collections including Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Auckland Art Gallery, Chartwell Collection, Christchurch Art Gallery, and various significant international public and private collections including The Saatchi gallery which among the many Upritchard works purchased by the Saatchi gallery, includes a Sloth – similar to the Brown Sloth Creature currently at Webb’s.

The sloth’s starved hollow from is made from real fur, laid over a sculptural material that allows it to remain malleable. Its hands are made from human gloves, over which the sloth wears rings made by contemporary jeweller Karl Fritsch, with whom Upritchard is a frequent collaborator and co-exhibiter.
The sloth’s dimensions, from the tip of the finger to the end of the toe are comparable with those of the human body.

Three Francis Upritchard works are included in tomorrow evenings Important Paintings & Contemporary Art Auction at Webb's; Untitled (Bat) est. $5,000 - $7,000 and Untitled (Baboon) est. $6,000 - $9000 alongside many other art works which are currently on view at Webb’s,18 Manukau Road, Newmarket until 6:00pm tomorrow when the auction gets underway.

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