Crocker Art Museum
216 O Street
Sacramento, CA, USA
916) 808-7000
BIG NAMES, SMALL ART 2024 Auction
Start: May 10, 2024, 04:00PM EDT
End: Jun 02, 2024 04:00PM EDT
Art Auction Season Preview Party
Thursday, May 16, 2024, 5:00 PM
Join us for the fun and festive Preview Party, the only opportunity to see all art available for bidding in person! Explore hundreds of works from Big Names, Small Art, Silent Auctions, and Live Auctions. Mingle with the artists and your fellow bidders while enjoying music in the Museum’s courtyard.
This year’s Big Names, Small Art (BNSA) auction at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, was a resounding success, and we’re excited to share that international artist Allan Linder was a part of this vibrant event. His stunning piece, Solar Vessel, from the Ancient Alchemy series, was successfully auctioned to a passionate art collector who appreciated its unique artistic depth. Not only was Solar Vessel sold, but the collector was so captivated by Linder’s work that they also acquired an additional piece from his personal studio collection!
About the Event: Big Names, Small Art
The Big Names, Small Art auction is an annual fundraising event at the Crocker Art Museum that brings together small works from renowned artists across the globe. Each piece, no larger than 12 inches in any dimension, starts with a minimum bid of just $25. It’s a fantastic opportunity for collectors and art enthusiasts to discover significant pieces of art at a wide range of price points.
Linder’s Solar Vessel, a small yet powerful 6 x 4 inch mixed media piece, was one of the most sought-after items. The BNSA auction ran from May 10 to June 2, 2024, and featured hundreds of works, culminating in a fun and festive auction atmosphere. The only in-person opportunity to view all the artwork was the Preview Party on May 16, where attendees could mingle with artists and fellow bidders while enjoying live music in the museum’s beautiful courtyard.
Linder’s Solar Vessel: A Mystical Journey into Alchemy
Linder’s Solar Vessel is part of his Ancient Alchemy series, a collection that explores the symbolic origins of alchemical practices. Drawing inspiration from the mystics, artisans, and philosophers of ancient civilizations, Linder has masterfully incorporated the use of cryptic symbols, ciphers, noble metals, and the elements into his art.
Created in 2022, Solar Vessel is a 6 x 4 inch mixed media piece combining acrylic paint, collage, and metallic ink on canvas. Its small size belies its artistic and philosophical depth, symbolizing the esoteric traditions of ancient alchemy. This mystical exploration makes Solar Vessel more than just a work of art—it’s a vessel of deep historical and philosophical meaning.
A Special Thank You
We are beyond thrilled that Solar Vessel was sold at the Crocker Art Museum’s auction to a collector who not only loved this piece but also purchased another artwork from Linder’s studio collection. It’s always an honor when art resonates so deeply with collectors, and this event was no exception.
A special thank you goes out to the sponsors of the Big Names, Small Art event, the Crocker Art Museum, and, most importantly, the collectors and attendees who made this event so memorable. Your support continues to foster a thriving art community and provides artists like Allan Linder the opportunity to share their unique visions with the world.
Reflecting on BNSA
The Crocker Art Museum’s Big Names, Small Art auction is a vital platform that brings together art lovers, collectors, and artists. It offers a democratic approach to art collecting, allowing individuals to acquire significant works of art at accessible prices while supporting the museum’s programming.
For Linder, this event has been an exciting way to connect with a new audience and showcase his ongoing work in the Ancient Alchemy series. The sale of Solar Vessel is a testament to how small artworks can hold immense value and meaning.
We are incredibly grateful for this experience and for everyone who participated in this memorable event. The love and enthusiasm shown by the collectors, museum staff, and attendees have been remarkable. Thank you all!
SOLAR VESSEL
6 x 4 in.
2022
Acrylic paint, mixed media collage, metallic ink on canvas.
Buy the NFT (Coming Soon)
ANCIENT ALCHEMY
Ancient Alchemy elucidates the symbolic origins of Medieval Subculture. The alchemists were mystics, artisans, and sectarians adopting apocalyptic visions of the underground.
Linder spent countless hours researching the esoteric practice of alchemy, an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and proto-scientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe.
Utilizing cryptic symbolism, pictograms, and pseudepigraphic texts written in Greco-Roman Egypt during the first few centuries AD, the artist incorporates a range of imagery and symbolic icons combined with ciphers, noble metals, and the four elements to create a powerful new take on Ancient Alchemy.
