Gursky Print Nets $1.375 Million For Charity

A 2007 print of Andreas Gursky's photo "Pyongyang IV" sold for $1,375,000 at Sotheby's in New York last night. Gursky's huge, richly detailed, distorted-perspective prints are favorites among contemporary art collectors, and several of his works have sold for seven figures in recent years.

The sale came yesterday at the (Red) Auction, a special Valentine's Day auction to support the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Much of the artwork was red in color. Damien Hurst donated seven works to the auction, and Bono made an appearance to sing "All You Need Is Love." They raised over $40 million. Hey, whatever works.

"Pyongyang IV" is Gursky-normous, standing ten feet tall (it measures 119 7/8 inches by 81 1/2 inches). Viewing it online is kind of pointless, but you can try: Click here for an online version on the Sotheby's Web site that lets you zoom in and out.

(Related PDNOnline story: March 7, 2007: $3.3M: Gursky Print Sets Another Record.)