San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
THE ART OF FAMILY TIES AT S.F. EVENTS
A family thread weaved through two recent art events — a Christie’s sales preview and a Berggruen Gallery photography exhibition opener — despite the fact that Alexander Berggruen, the skein between these events, wasn’t even in town. The EssEffnative-turned-Christie’s specialist was in New York, where the actual Christie’s sale, called 20th Century Week, will take place.
Down in Dogpatch at Minnesota Street Project, Ellanor Notides (Christie’s Americas deputy chairman) hosted potential highrollers at a preview-dinner to survey a sampling of these magnificent artworks prior to the Nov. 11-16 sale. Among the artistic offerings are some 200 works (including David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Alexander Calder) from the Collection of Harry and Mary Margaret Anderson. This collection will be offered as one of Christie’s highlight sales on Nov. 15-16.
Prior to his February death in his Peninsula home at age 95, Harry “Hunk” Anderson (founder of Saga food corporation) and his wife, “Moo,” had already gifted major donations from their world-class collection of American postwar art to institutions such as SFMOMA, the Fine Arts Museums and Stanford University, which received such a lion’s share that a new museum was built on campus to house the Anderson Collection.
Eye-popping artworks aside, Notides also upped her preview ante by pairing a delish Alta Restaurant-catered, family-style supper with precious Promontory vino presented by vintner Will Harlan.
It was the first such partnership for this newish St. Helena winery devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends. And that’s thanks to Alexander Berggreun, whose father, gallerist John Berggruen, is Harlan’s godfather.
“The Berggruens are old family friends and I grew up with Alex,” Harlan said. “He is preparing for Christie’s big sale so, unfortunately, he couldn’t be here.”
Unlike Harlan Estate (founded by his dad, cult cab king Bill Harlan), which is not open to the public, Promontory is available to visit by appointment.
Notides shared her dazzlement for the Andersons: “Their collection is one of our most exciting presentations from a down-toearth couple, devoted to each other, their philanthropy and exemplary taste in contemporary art.”
Guests also swooned over Promotory’s inaugural 2008 vintage and current 2012 release, the price-points (around $1,595 and $700, respectively) of which, considering their size and volume, are almost equal to the multimillion canvases hanging upstairs on the walls.
“Working in a different medium, our family aspires to create something that may fit within the realm of fine art. We see our role as identifying profound pieces of land and understanding what the property requires. Then we translate that land’s inherent character into a communicable language,” said Harlan. “We think of wine as the art of man and nature.”
Giddyup: At the opening of two Berggruen Gallery exhibitions (“Inherited Landscape” by painter Isca Greenfield-Sanders and “The White Horse” by photographer Mary McCartney), we’re mortified to admit our first reaction came from our inner philistine.
“A show devoted to a horse?” Miss Bigelow wondered.
It turns out, McCartney is a lauded British photographer, whose family is equally renowned: She is sister to fashion designer Stella McCartney, and her late mother was photographer-animal rights activist Linda Eastman McCartney, the spouse of beloved Beatle Sir Paul McCartney.
And once again, we turn to Alexander Berggruen, who, with his parents, John and Gretchen Berggruen, took his first steps in the N.Y. apartment of Linda’s brother, John Eastman.
“John is an artists’ attorney and a dear friend, who I knew from Stanford,” pere Berggruen said. “For a recent trip to London, he suggested I meet Mary at her studio, with my son Alex (naturellement). We’re thrilled to host Mary’s inaugural San Francisco exhibition.”
The Berggruens (sans Alexander) later trotted their VIP guests up to Bush Street for a Del Popolo dinner.
Yet McCartney is no newbie: She was over-the-moon honored when the Victoria & Albert Museum in London recently acquired her “Off Pointe” Royal Ballet study for its permanent collection in the museum’s new V&A Photography Centre.
And now her horse, Alejandro — a majestic Andalusian stallion — gets the same dreamy treatment in McCartney’s year-long study capturing the mighty steed galloping through the seasons, with some photos almost surrealistic in style.
The horse, a gift from her dad, resides on her family farm in Sussex, England, where McCartney reconnected with riding.
“My artwork is about relationships or forming relationships. But usually it’s people; this was my first time working with a horse,” says the artist, with a laugh. “But it’s a similar theory about trust and collaboration.”
She credits her mother for their similar eye and photographic style: observing life and waiting to capture authentic, intimate moments.
And though her dad’s music doesn’t, per se, inform her artwork, she’s equally proud of his talents.
“His music is a big part of my life,” enthuses McCartney. “He also really connects with his audience, and that’s always inspired part of my creativity.”
Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicle’s society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com Instagram: @missbigelow