From: Philip St. George, thenorthbaybay.ca staff
NORTH BAY — A sketch made during one of Fanny’s new “draw nights” has sold for just over 1.2 million dollars.
Created by international artist Otmar von Spanksie, the piece is of three Fanny’s models.
“It was a pleasure to have von Spanksie in Fanny’s,” says manager JP Cormier. “They were professional, courteous, and one hell of a tipper.”
Otmar von Spanksie rose to prominence as an avant-garde artist first in 2016 with their work “Sketch of a Burning Shape,” before later gaining notoriety for a string of experimental performance pieces such as “The Demoralized Toreador,” “Thinning Distance in Development,” and “Steve.”
“I still can’t watch ‘Steve’ and not cry,” says Fanny’s model Lexus. “The sweeping score, circumspect-turned-headlong movements, and raw emotional gravitas always draws me in. Especially that part with the banana.”
More North Bay Art
Spanksie’s sketch sold to an anonymous bidder Sunday afternoon at an auction in Paris for $1.21 million.
“It’s the first of many success stories to come out of Fanny’s,” smiles Cormier. “Since we’re no longer permitted to be open as a strip club, we’ve adapted. We’re still open during the evening from Thursday to Saturday, and now we’ve got Sketch Nights, Trivia Nights, and Guess That Tune Contests.”
“I’m not kidding, come on in and try to Guess That Tune! It’s really tough, and there’s a lot less Guns ‘n Roses than you expect.”
After drawing the million-dollar piece, von Spanksie spent a few days in the city before returning home.
Other von Spanksie pieces created during their stay in North Bay include “Marcus on Horseback,” “Invisible CAO,” and “Steve II.”