Photographs from Bruce Berman's Collection to Sell at Bonhams Los Angeles

Los Angeles - Bonhams will offer a noteworthy selection of photographs from the collection of film industry executive Bruce Berman on December 14 and 15 in its saleroom in Los Angeles. The sale, titled The Producer’s Pix: Photographs from the Bruce Berman Collection, features works by blue-chip artists as well as emerging talent that have been carefully curated by Berman. The photographs capture views of America that are in danger of vanishing.

“This sale offers all collectors—whether new or more seasoned—a unique opportunity to acquire something extraordinary and affordable from Berman’s legendary collection of photographs,” said Laura Paterson, Head of Photographs.

Of the collection, Berman said he was drawn to images of structures, buildings, and places on the verge of disappearing. “I think that images of these places can be beautiful. It memorializes something that’s not always going to be around,” he said. 

Mostly in color, and largely consisting of landscapes, architectural studies, and portraiture, the collection includes works by well-known names like Manuel Alvarez Bravo, William Christenberry, William Eggleston, Dorothea Lange, Stephen Shore and Joel Sternfeld, as well as a host of works by highly talented, emerging artists. Despite the wide variety of contributors, the focus remains on a gritty as well as vibrant look at America. Attractively estimated to make collecting accessible to a new generation of photography lovers, Berman hopes to pass on his love for the art form and inspire people to start their own collections.

Berman is CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures and has overseen more than 100 Hollywood movies, from the Ocean’s series and The Matrix trilogy, to children’s hits such as The LEGO Movie and Happy Feet. Having nurtured a passion for photography from his youth, Berman soon began his own collection by buying at galleries and auctions. During the course of his collecting, he also worked with emerging artists by directly commissioning works from them.

Looking forward to a new phase of his collector’s journey, Berman says he no longer feels sad when he sells or donates his work. The long-time collector said, “As I get older, I don’t feel the compulsion to hold onto photographs that just sit in storage. I love gifting to museums and sharing the opportunity for people to see them.”

The collection will preview to the public at Bonhams Los Angeles December 9-14 with the sale to be held on December 14 at 6:00 p.m. PST and December 15 at 10:00 a.m. PST.

An interview with Bruce can be read here: https://www.bonhams.com/magazine/24757/ and the full catalog is available at http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24783/

Image: William Christenberry, Red Trailer, Livingston, Alabama, 1976 (estimate: $2,500-3,500)