By Jane Black

April 28, 2008 3:14 AM | Link to this

I suppose I should have repeated my old speech, “you will only regret the ones you let get away” that nugget of truth I first uttered in 1999, the year I chaired the auction. It’s still true. I thought you all knew it by heart now. No offense, but you were crazy to pass up that Burroughs. You should have asked me, I wouldn’t have let you make that mistake. I have no results yet, so I don’t know for sure, but that is exactly the kind of piece that nearly always undersells - too subtle for a quick viewing in a big crowd in bad light. But it sure was sweet. You know she moved out of town this year, right? I hope you didn’t miss your chance. Virginia totally gets DVAC, so I don’t think she’ll disengage, but you know it’s hard to stay connected once you leave the fold. I’m still sorry I didn’t bid on the next-to-last Palli Davis we had, the briefcase full of rocks. It went for a song, and it has only become more apropos to my life. Isn�t it funny how art can be prescient? But I respond to Palli�s gentler, less ironic, work, so I let that one go. Mistake! Thought there’d be more … I�m still hoping this has been a lull and not an end. Glad I got a Joan Tallan when I did, even though it scares the bejeezus out of me every time I look at it. Ah, no need for me to revisit my own past mistakes, though, because I am still in the blissful state of having brought home two new treasures. As our lovely auctioneer, Carolyn Wise, says every year (unlike me, she’s smart enough to keep stating the obvious) - there are no friends at auction. Sorry Kelly & Jan - the Schanberger was mine the minute I saw it. I�m glad Francis is going to hook you up. And sorry, Christina, I had to have the Radtke. You may, of course, have visiting rights. p.s. did I mention that I have another Malogorski in my office? Stop by, 11-6 M-Sat, until 9 on Thursdays.