Dispute halts Hotere auction

A dispute over the ownership of some of the 60 works by Careys Bay artist Ralph Hotere, which were to have been auctioned last night in Auckland, forced the cancellation of the sale, auctioneer Ben Plumbly says.

The 58 works on paper and two on canvas were being offered for sale by Maori art adviser Annette Ferguson.

Mr Plumbly, of Art + Object, believed them to be the largest private collection of Hotere's works.

It is understood court action is pending over the dispute, between Hotere and Ms Ferguson, but the status of this could not be established late yesterday.

Mr Plumbly said the auction house was a "little bit like a house of horrors" yesterday afternoon, with a room full of works and the auction not going ahead as planned at 6.30pm.

"We're still in a state of shock," he said.

The auctioneers had been marketing the auction for six or seven weeks.

Hotere Foundation Trust chairwoman Judith Ablett-Kerr said yesterday it was a matter between Hotere, the auction house and the vendor and did not involve the trust.

She could not comment any further because the matter was before the court, she said.

The works to have been auctioned date from the 1960s and have been described by Dunedin curator and art historian Peter Entwisle as representing "an early phase of the artist's mature career".

elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz