Music to my eyes at Phillips de Pury

"Music, along with smell, has the magic capacity of instantly transporting us back to the very moment we heard it first. Ever since I was a teenager a few light years ago, music, art and football have been the dominant passions (at least the ones I can admit to) in my life. I'm therefore particularly happy to launch the first of what will be an annual MUSIC theme sale. We gave it four components: art works by contemporary artists that have a reference to music; art works by contemporary musicians; portraits of contemporary musicians by top photographers; and musical memorabilia. Only the last category had hitherto been focused on by the art market" --Simon de Pury

Last night, Pat and I headed over to Phillips de Pury's amazing gallery space for the launch party of the auction house's upcoming MUSIC sale. For the opening, the cavernous labyrinth of a well lit space was taken over by a stylish assortment of models, art collectors and musicians who'd seen better days perusing musically inspired works from the likes of Martin Creed, Damien Hirst, and, of course, my tipsy wine-spilling friend, Rankin (on who's guest list we were included). But for a music and art lover, it would have been heaven--doodles by Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison's guitar, Bob Dylan's fringed leather jacket and collages, paintings and more lauding and playing with famous musicians, their music and image took over the whole of one's visual senses.

For my part, I had two encounters with the man who, this summer at the opening of his Ranked' exhibit, casually sloshed a glass of red wine on my dress. The first, a cheeky inquiry as to a photo with the man (to which the answer was of course yet), led to my lower torso getting quite the squeeze whence he snaked his arm around me for the shot. The second was when I was sniffing around the press handouts at the exit and Rankin appeared out of nowhere, reached around me and started helping himself. "Bet you're wondering why I'm taking my own postcards. I haven't seen these, I swear!" No, why would you have? You just created them. Then, upon asking Rankin to sign my auction catalogue, I succeeded in engaging him in yet another short round of banter. New besties.

All the works will be auctioned at a sale on November 21 and will be the first auction ever to feature a live soundtrack. "Ma ma ma ma...poker face" going once, going twice, SOLD!