Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Works by some of the most recognized names in Latin American art and several acclaimed women artists will headline the Larsen Fall Art Auction on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale.
The auction will feature 440 lots with a combined estimated value ranging from $580,000 to $930,000, according to a press release. The sale is the 21st installment of the biannual Larsen Art Auction and is considered Arizona’s largest contemporary art auction.
Among the featured works are pieces by three major Latin American artists: Venezuelan masters Jesús Rafael Soto and Oswaldo Vigas, along with Chilean artist Roberto Matta.
One of the auction’s most valuable offerings is Vigas’ 1976 oil-on-canvas painting, “Grupo Azul,” which carries an estimated sale price of $130,000 to $180,000. The auction will also feature Vigas’ 1985 oil-on-canvas work, “Duende Azul.”
Mr. Vigas, whose artistic career spanned more than six decades, initially trained as a physician before turning to art. His work drew influence from both pre-Columbian imagery and European modernism, according to a press release.
Mr, Soto’s three-dimensional work “Variantes Vertical,” created in 1998, is expected to sell for between $100,000 and $200,000. Constructed from painted wood and metal mounting hardware, the piece reflects the artist’s longtime exploration of movement, perception and space. Soto moved to Paris in 1950 and became associated with the city’s avant-garde art movement.
Also featured is Matta’s 1995 oil-on-canvas painting, “Untitled,” which is estimated at $70,000 to $100,000. Matta’s work often incorporated surrealist influences and themes related to the subconscious mind.
“This is one of those auctions where the strength really becomes apparent when you start looking closely at the individual works,” said Mary Holford of Larsen Gallery. “We have major figures in Latin American art represented alongside women whose work has earned serious attention from collectors, and the works themselves are all very different from one another. That range is part of what makes this fall auction so interesting and the works so appealing.”
Women artists will also have a prominent presence in the sale.
French artist Françoise Gilot’s 1992 oil-on-canvas painting, “Springtime in the Hills,” will be offered alongside works by American abstract painter Emily Mason and contemporary sculptor Beth Cavener.
Ms. Mason’s 2008 oil-on-canvas painting, “Starboard,” highlights the artist’s approach to abstract expression, while Cavener’s large-scale sculpture, “Untitled (Barrel with Kid),” stands more than 10 feet tall and combines stoneware with acrylic, cloth, rope, iron, metal and wood.
Cavener is known for using life-sized animal forms and expressive poses to explore themes related to human emotion and behavior.
The auction will include contemporary, modern, Southwestern, Native American and Latin American artwork, as well as limited-edition prints and sculptures. Individual works range in value from several hundred dollars to well into six figures, according to a press release.
The event reflects Larsen Gallery’s continued growth as a destination for collectors nationwide. The Scottsdale gallery has generated more than $25 million in lifetime auction sales during its 35-year history. Its most recent auction, held in April 2026, attracted buyers from more than 40 states and 20 countries.
Over the years, Larsen has also attracted notable consignors, including rock musician Alice Cooper, who previously consigned a work by Andy Warhol through the gallery.
Collectors may preview auction lots during the month leading up to the sale. Larsen Gallery will also host a preview party on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Live, telephone, absentee and online bidding options will be available during the auction on Saturday, Oct. 17.
