Photographer Mario Testino is famous for his glamorous shots of models and fashion spreads in magazines around the world. Now, the world will get further insight into his fine art connoissership when Sotheby’s offers more than 400 works from his collection at auction this fall. The sale, slated for September 13-14 in London, will benefit the Museo Mate (Museo Mario Testino) in Lima, Peru, a nonprofit that aims to bring Peruvian artists to world attention. It will feature more than 400 works and is expected to raise in excess of £8 million ($10 millon).
Testino, who has been collecting for three decades, clearly has honed his eye. According to a statement from Sotheby’s, Testino explained, “People always say you have to buy what you like and I’m not so sure of that phrase—I think you almost have to buy what puzzles you and what attracts you and at the same time confuses you. You need to shake it up!”
He adds that the art world “is where I feed” and said it opens his eyes to new things and shifts my consciousness.”
From September 8-13, Testino will take over Sotheby’s London galleries to curate an exhibition that will also feature a series of talks by friends and collaborators from the worlds of fashion, art, and photography.
The collection represents artists of 45 nationalities, including Richard Prince, Georg Baselitz, Wolfgang TIllmans, Rudolf Stingel, Sterling Ruby, Gilbert & George, and Cindy Sherman. Below, a selection of highlights from the upcoming sale:
Elizabeth Peyton’s Pink (Spencer) (Three) (2002). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Richard Prince’s Untitled (Girlfriend) (1993). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Thomas Ruff’s Nudes Er21 (2000). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Sterling Ruby’s SP114 (2010). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Wolfgang Tillman’s ECLIPSE 2-3 (1998). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Jacqueline Humphries’s Pile (2008). Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.