Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled, 1996–97
HE JOHNSON Publishing Company of Chicago rose to fame as the publisher of two groundbreaking African-American magazines, and , launched in 1945 and 1951, respectively. While both still exist ( in digital form only), the company filed for liquidation in July 2019. Among the assets liquidated was a major art collection put together (1996–97), seven panels of framed chromogenic prints and sandblasted text on glass by Carrie Mae Weems, which at $305,000 was the second-highest-priced lot of the sale, right behind Henry Ossawa Tanner’s 1912 oil on canvas (Morocco), which went for $365,000 (not a record). For 22 artists, the sale was a first appearance at auction.
