Simon de Pury's themed auctions: Sex, Bric, Africa, Italia

Simon de Pury, director of Phillips de Pury & Company, has pioneered themed auctions to attract new collectors. Since March 19, 2010, he has held a 'Sex' sale in London, dispersing 217 works for €1.57 million, with an Allen Jones piece reaching £361,250. Subsequent themes include 'Bric' (Brazil, Russia, India, China), 'Africa', and 'Italia'. De Pury aims to draw local, non-traditional bidders. In 2004, he moved from Manhattan's posh quarters to a West 15th Street building near Chelsea's galleries, revitalizing the Meatpacking District. In November 2010, he opens a second location on Park Avenue at 57th Street, featuring a 'carte blanche' exhibition-sale by French broker Philippe Ségalot, who previously collaborated with De Pury on the Baroness Lambert photo collection. Ségalot, former head of contemporary art at Christie's, involved Bard College students in curating and secured separate catalogues for contemporary art. De Pury's catalogues are art-like, with 544 pages for the Bric sale, including articles and interviews. Upcoming sales in November and December 2010 include Photography, Design, Contemporary Art (parts 1 and 2), and Modern and Contemporary Editions.