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SEPTEMBER | PAGE 56 | 2 014 Your trajectory in the art world, and the path from Germany to Dallas. I was born in Germany at the border of Switzerland, then moved to Amsterdam and studied art history at the University of Amsterdam. During my study, I worked as director in various galleries in Amsterdam and organized exhibitions. During the same time, I also wrote for various magazines like Artforum, Kunstforum and many more and published in museum catalogs. Then in 1998, I moved to Los Angeles, but there were no curatorial jobs in the museums. So I worked first for the Dutch consulate for the cultural affairs in L.A. and then at the Goethe-Institut, but I was still writing for European magazines. During a gallery opening in L.A., I was introduced to a former CEO of Bonhams, and he asked me if I wanted to work for them. I had no idea about the auction world. Maybe that's also a little bit of a snobbish attitude, but I didn't follow auctions. To put a price tag on art — how? Also, in Europe, museums are not allowed to sell from their collection. But Bonhams was also a member of the International Auction Group and needed a German-speaking person, so I agreed first to do research for two days because I missed working directly with artworks. Then it was three days, and then I was the director of the modern and contemporary art department. Most exciting single work of art ever auctioned. It was at an appraisal event last year. Each person comes in with big dollar signs in their eyes because they saw Antiques Roadshow, but to 99 percent you have to say, "No." Even if people say it's been in their family for 100 years, I always say: "If you buy now something at IKEA, and if it survives 100 years, it still would be IKEA!" So, after hours of saying no, I suddenly spotted a great painting, and it looked like a painting by Leon Gaspard. The owner told me that her uncle was a maintenance man, and he admired this work. When the owners moved, they gave him this painting as a present. His wife didn't like it and refused to display it in their home. The niece inherited the painting, and even her son tried to convince her to throw it away, but she refused. This painting, done in 1922 and hidden for 50 years and almost in the garbage bin, sold November 2013 for $118,750. Back story about how two drawings bartered for a VW Beetle came to the block. In the spring, a charming couple came in with a work from 1974 by the African-American artist David Hammons. She had inherited a Volkswagen Beetle from her uncle in L.A., and the car had a stick shift, which she couldn't operate, so the couple exchanged the car for two drawings from their neighbor, artist David Hammons. I thought it would sell between $120,000 to 180,000, and it sold for $1.2 million. But if you have an artist as your neighbor, I still wouldn't recommend exchanging your car for artwork. High points from your Modern and Contemporary Art sale in May, which set a bevy of records. Was it truly a frenzy? Yes, we even needed 26 phone bidders for all the national and international bidders. Numerous clients were bidding live on ha.com, because they can watch the auction in real time and can bid on their iPhone, iPad and other devices. How do you prepare? Even after all the years, before the auction, I am a nervous wreck because I care for each work. Even if the H E R I T A G E A U C T I O N ' S W I T T Y A N D E R U D I T E F R A N K H E T T I G W E I G H S I N . [TRUE TALES FROM] THE AUCTION WORLD A R T D I R E C T I O N M I C H E L L E A V I Ñ A . P H O T O G R A P H Y S H A Y N A F O N T A N A . "BUY WHAT YOU LIKE. I DON'T BELIEVE IN ART AS A SOLEMN INVESTMENT." — FRANK HETTIG CATHERINE D. ANSPON HAS A SIT-DOWN WITH HERITAGE AUCTION'S MAN AT THE TOP OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, WHO DIVULGES SECRETS FROM THE BACK ROOMS OF THE WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST AUCTION HOUSE. A VW BARTERED FOR A RECORD-SETTING SEVEN-FIGURE DRAWING? THE MYSTERIOUS REAPPEARANCE OF A LEON GASPARD PAINTING? PLUS A PEEK INSIDE THE WELL-EDITED HOME AND CUTTING-EDGE COLLECTION HETTIG SHARES WITH HIS PARTNER OF 14 YEARS, HERITAGE AUCTION VP AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FINE & DECORATIVE ARTS, ED BEARDSLEY. A box of photos, No problem, brother! by Dutch artist Roy Villevoye, 1995, was collected during Hettig's European years. Frank Hettig