Rago/Wright Presents Unbound: The Dina & Jerry Wind Collection At Auction

Rago/Wright Presents Unbound: The Dina & Jerry Wind Collection At Auction

Visionary collection includes major works from 20th century masters including Miro, Stella and di Suvero

Rago/Wright is honored to present The Dina & Jerry Wind Collection as a centerpiece auction of the Spring 2024 season. This April 23rd event offers a bold selection of major works from giants of 20th century art, with a particular emphasis on monumental sculpture and abstraction. Among the leading lots are works from Tony Cragg, Mark di Suvero, Joan Miró, Louise Nevelson, Frank Stella, Bernar Venet, Peter Voulkos, and Betty Woodman.

As central figures of Philadelphia’s cultural milieu, Dina and Jerry Wind began collecting early in their partnership. Theirs was a marriage of art and commerce—Dina was a sculptor and impassioned supporter of the arts, while Jerry is a world-renowned marketing expert who, among many other accomplishments, led the creation of the Wharton Executive MBA Program and was a founding director of The Joseph H. Lauder Institute.

As the Winds’ son John describes, his mother’s own creative work “set the stage” for his parents’ collecting. Beginning with Philadelphia-based artists, the Winds soon expanded to acquire works by national and international artists who were personal heroes to Ms. Wind, including Louise Nevelson, Anthony Caro, and Mark di Suvero. Indeed, Louise Nevelson’s 1985 wall-mounted sculpture Mirror-Shadow V (est. $300,000-500,000) reflects Ms. Wind’s own passion for energetic compositions of disparate elements, and both Anthony Caro’s 1989 freestanding Medusa(est. $150,000-200,000) and Mark di Suvero’s Le noeud de la fortune (The Knot of Fortune) (est. $50,000-70,000) echo her choice of metal as her primary sculptural medium.

Together, the Winds maintained two guidelines for making purchases: they both had to love the work, and they strived to support Philadelphia-based artists even as their collecting radius grew far beyond the city limits. They welcomed the opportunity to meet the artists who they collected, and visited the studios of Arnaldo Pomodoro, Peter Voulkos, and Bernar Venet, among others. All three of these artists are represented in Unbound: Arnaldo Pomodoro with the captivating bronze Sfera con sfera (est. $350,000-450,000), Peter Voulkos with the Montoya (est. $80,000-120,000) and Mimbres (est. $75,000-100,000) stack forms, and Bernar Venet with the monumental 1993 sculpture Three Indeterminate Lines (est. $250,000-350,000).

The Winds were drawn toward works that revel in materiality, acquiring pieces not only of steel but glass and clay as well. Major glass works featured include William Morris’s Medicine Jar: Crow with Ear of Corn (est. $20,000-30,000) and Dale Chihuly’s Red Persian Set with Black Lip Wraps (est. $15,000-20,000). In addition to works by Voulkos, ceramic highlights include Jun Kaneko’s Untitled (Dango) (est. $50,000-70,000) and Betty Woodman’s De Stijl Pillow Pitcher (est. $30,000-40,000). Broadly speaking, many of Unbound’s works have an exuberant quality conjured by explosive motion, such as Frank Stella’s colorful 1984 mixed media work, Untitled (est. $80,000-120,000) and Elizabeth Murray’s Truth, Justice and the Comics #2 (est. $50,000-70,000).

Several of Ms. Wind’s own works will also be offered, including a brooch and the sculptures Cyclist with Chain (est. $3,000-5,000) and Virtual Kitchen #2 (est. $1,500-2,000). In keeping with Ms. Wind’s legacy as an artist and passionate supporter of the arts, a portion of the auction’s proceeds will benefit The Dina Wind Art Foundation. The foundation works to support living artists and arts education, and to share the story of Dina Wind and her sculpture. A woman working in a predominantly male world, Ms. Wind was an early advocate of art with an environmental message and was outspoken about her belief in art as a force of social and ecological justice.

“We are proud to have the opportunity to bring this truly special collection to the market,” says David Rago, President of Rago. “The Winds were a visionary powerhouse whose collection was driven by an unwavering commitment to their own tastes and the pursuit of artistic excellence.”

The live auction for Unbound: The Dina & Jerry Wind Collection will begin at 12 pm Eastern on Tuesday, April 23rd, accommodating advanced bids, telephone bidding, and live online bidding. For further information, please reach out to press@ragoarts.com.

About Rago/Wright

Rago/Wright is a network of independently owned art and design brands in the auction industry. Rago and Wright joined forces in 2019, followed by the addition of LAMA in the fall of 2021 and in 2022 Toomey & Co. joined the firm. Together, the company brings $100+ million in annual sales, has a team of 100, and more than a century of combined business experience. With a national coast-to-coast presence, shared clientele, technology, innovation, and creativity, alongside expertise and shared passion, Rago/Wright is uniquely positioned to serve a global audience while maintaining a strong independent voice in the world of art and design.

Sydney Portigal
wright@milkandhoneypr.com

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