Buying Artwork | Interview with Lauren Sanford of Leland Little Auctions (Hillsborough, North Carolina)

Lauren Sanford is the Director of Prints, Multiples, and Photographs at Leland Little Auctions.

I was thrilled to go behind the scenes with Lauren Sanford, Director of Prints, Multiples, and Photographs at Leland Little Auctions in Hillsborough, North Carolina. This growing department at Leland Little has set several international auction records for works by artists such as Romare Bearden, Marc Chagall, Alfred Stieglitz, Alexander Calder, and others.

Lauren holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she focused her research on 18th- and 19th-century European Art. In addition to her work at Leland Little, she is a visiting lecturer for Art History at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University. 

Read on to discover Lauren’s great tips for identifying a great print to add to your art collection and home, as well as some pointers for navigating auctions with purpose and a vision!

CLG: Lauren––thank you so much for meeting with me today! You’ve got the Prints and Multiples Auction coming up on February 2nd at Leland Little Auctions. Can you share a few pieces that you are particularly excited about in the auction and what makes them special?

Sanford: Thank you for having me, Tara! Our Prints and Multiples Auction is a beautiful sale and I invite everyone to take a look at the online catalogue. There are so many great works, particularly by well-known artists from the Post-War American Period. A few of my favorites are Andy Warhol’s Ylang-Ylang, which is a lovely floral silkscreen and acrylic, as well as Roy Lichtenstein’s bright and fun silkscreen titled Composition IV. Another favorite that’s a contemporary artwork is Laughing Boy by the musician and artist Scott Avett (of the Avett Brothers!).

Sanford looks over Keith Haring’s Luna, Luna Karussell: A Poetic Extravaganza! Don’t miss this art highlight tour led by Sanford to learn more about the history of Haring’s piece and why it’s special.

CLG: We’d love to hear a little bit about your background and what made you decide to pursue art history. How long have you been at Leland Little and what brought you there?

Sanford: I wanted to make sure I chose the right path, so when I graduated from college I was open to and excited about trying anything art-related. I had a wonderful entry-level position with Sotheby’s in Palm Beach and then the New York office right after graduation. I went on to work at Visions West Contemporary in Bozeman, Montana, Pismo Fine Art Glass in Aspen, Colorado, and I learned about curatorial work at the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill. I completed my Ph.D. in Art History right before starting a job with Leland Little Auctions, which is where I’ve been for ten years. I’m lucky because I enjoyed each of these experiences and learned so much.

Working at an auction house is exciting because you never know what’s going to walk through the door.

It involves research on artists and keeping up with the ever-changing art market. People often pick either an art market or academic career, but I love having the chance to work at the auction house full-time and teach an art history class at UNC or Duke when the opportunity arises.

CLG: I’m sure it’s nearly impossible to choose, but what is your favorite part of your job?

Sanford: My favorite part of working at Leland Little Auctions is the wonderful colleagues (we have a terrific team!). Each day is also a bit different, and I love it when an unexpected treasure comes in.

It’s rewarding to shepherd a special object through the auction process, doing the best job you can to watch over

it and bringing it to market before it goes out into the world and to a new home.

CLG: What advice can you share with those who are interested in adding a print or multiple to their art collection? Specifically, are there certain signs we should look for to determine how valuable one print is compared to another? 

Sanford: First and foremost, buy what you love! If looking at a work of art makes you smile and is within your budget, go for it. Good auction houses like Leland Little do a great job vetting material, so if it appears at auction, the buyer can be confident that it’s a strong and authentic work of art. 

CLG: Are there certain ways that a print or multiple can also be an original work of art?

Sanford: That’s such a good question, and I find that prints and multiples are sometimes a mystery to people. There’s a misconception that the word print means reproduction. A print can be a reproduction that has little monetary value, but there are also fine prints, such as Rembrandt etchings or Andy Warhol silkscreen prints, that are original works of art and are very valuable. 

CLG: The auction process can feel a bit intimidating to a new collector. What are some tips that can help someone feel more comfortable and confident with the process?

Sanford: Buying at auction can feel daunting, but the more an art collector is educated about what they’re buying, the better.

Don’t be afraid to ask an auction house specialist questions if you don’t understand something,

or ask advice on how much is appropriate to bid.

Lots of information is also available through online auction platforms (ie: Artnet, LiveAuctioneers, etc.) so that you can follow trends in the art market. 

CLG: Art and design go hand in hand and CLG’s clients often focus on both aspects simultaneously. What advice do you have for someone who wants to add art to a specific spot in their home?

Sanford:

I don’t suggest filling a space just to have something up on the wall. I like to wait until finding the right work of art that speaks

to you and fits in the spot. I had a blank wall in my living room (that actually looked fine!) for about a year after I bought my

house until I found a really special vintage French advertising poster from the 1930s that was perfect for the space.

Sanford and I discussed Royal Curtain by Gene Davis. This beautiful print is featured in the auction closing on February 2nd at Leland Little Auctions.

CLG: Works on paper require a certain amount of care to ensure that they don’t get damaged. Would you be so kind as to share a few guidelines on where we should hang and/or display works on paper?

Sanford: This depends on the work on paper and how careful you want to be. It’s ideal not to hang them near a bright window, and it’s also good to rotate them off the wall so they’re not constantly on view. However, I’m of the mind that . . .

[P]eople should enjoy their art, so I’d find a happy medium so that you can safely view it while still

being a responsible collector. Framing with archival materials is also important.

CLG: Lauren, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on prints/multiples and the auction process with us! We wish you luck on the February 2nd sale –– and maybe some of us will be lucky enough to snag something special?!

Sanford: It’s my pleasure! I hope to see you and others soon at the auction house. A note to readers: please feel free to email lauren@lelandlittle.com if you have questions about artwork in our current auction, or about artwork you’re interested in selling at auction.