Joyner™ Canadian Fine Art — The Auctioneer of Choice

The career of Geoffrey Joyner parallels, in many ways, the history of Canadian Art at auction. The reason for this is simple: Geoffrey Joyner has been present and directly involved since 1968 in many of the most significant moments in the Auction Market for Canadian Art.

Born in Sunderland, England, Geoffrey Joyner immigrated to Canada in 1951. Prior to graduating with an honours degree in Art History from the University of Toronto, during his high school years Joyner attended advanced classes at the Ontario College of Art where he studied under such well-known instructors as Aba Bayefsky and Fred Hagan.

Geoffrey Joyner began his love affair with the Canadian Art market in the spring of 1968. An employee in the Canadiana Department of the Royal Ontario Museum, where he was assigned to archeological excavations in rural Ontario, he learned that Sotheby's, at that time the world's leading fine art auction house, had opened a permanent office in Toronto and were looking for recruits. Joyner jumped at the opportunity and immediately began building the foundation upon which today's multi-million dollar Canadian Art auction market is based.

From a small office in the Park Plaza Hotel, Joyner quickly took the helm of the new Sotheby venture, the company's first office outside the United Kingdom, and implemented the spring and fall Canadian Art auctions that the company still continues today.

In 1975, he edited the first major price guide entitled Canadian Art at Auction, 1968-1975 which was published in hardcover. The eminent art historian and consultant, Paul Duval, wrote in the foreword that Joyner had "produced a reference work of genuine substance and lasting value."

The 1970's saw the Canadian Art market experience growth, unlike any which had been seen in the past. By the spring of 1980, Sotheby's Canada had grown from a three-person operation to a staff of over 20 and an office exceeding 20,000 square feet, and Joyner had been promoted to President.

"Geoff was the first to put out regular catalogues devoted solely to Canadian Art. His knowledge is considered amazing..." (Jack Kerr-Wilson, Canadian Art Magazine, Fall, 1984). Another article in the same issue stated that "The auction market for Canadian Art has been to a large extent the creation of Geoffrey Joyner."

In the early years, the sales totaled in the thousands of dollars. By the time Joyner left Sotheby's to form his own company in 1985, the individual sales were up in the many millions.

"I remember when Geoff decided to go out on his own back in 1985," says Art Market Report publisher, Anthony Westbridge. "He told me that he would be delighted if his first sale took in $300,000. That he could make a go of it at that figure. Most of us knew, if he didn't himself, that his first sale would far exceed these modest expectations. And, of course, it did, and so has every other one since."

By the following year, Joyner Fine Art was handling major consignments such as the Estate of Margaret E. Galbreaith, the Estate of Dr. John A. Palmer and the Estate of H.W. Patterson of Kansas and in the fall of 1986, Joyner offered selected works from the Collection of the late Mrs. Ward C. Pitfield of Montreal. A separate catalogue featured only works from the Pitfield Collection and was the cause of major interest and anticipation by not only Canadian collectors but also international buyers. Not since the Reford Sale in 1968 had such a significant group of early 19th century topographical works appeared at auction in Canada. Continuing this remarkable success, the fall sale of 1986 alone saw over $2.5 million in Canadian Art sold by Joyner, a substantial value in those days.

The following fall saw two significant records set. The consignment of the Estate of Lawrence T. Porter marked an impressive coup. The Porter Collection was considered the most significant ever to be offered at auction and Joyner Fine Art, an operation of three specialists had secured it from the other giants in the industry. The offering of the Porter Collection on the auction block in November of 1987 helped Joyner Fine Art realize just over $5 million in the fall season, a staggering new record for any auction of Canadian Art. Most importantly, Joyner Fine Art had become the leading firm of Canadian Art auctioneers within two years of its formation.

In the fall of 1989, Joyner sold The Ice Harvest by Clarence Gagnon for $495,000. The price was not only a record for the master French Canadian artist, but also the highest amount ever paid at auction for a Canadian Work of Art.

In 1993 Geoffrey Joyner celebrated 25 years in the auction business. Joyner's brisk podium style, seasoned with flashes of humour, had garnered him nation-wide respect and recognition. His continued success and popularity had made Joyner the most sought after auctioneer, selling some of Canada's finest collections.

Joyner continued to ensure that customer service was the first and foremost trait of his auction house. Outside of his records in the market, Joyner cherished the feedback he received from satisfied vendors and buyers. One letter, in particular, made Joyner especially proud. The delighted client wrote, "I commend you on your expertise and guidance...it's truly rare that I find an altruistic individual such as you who is prepared to work so industriously and unselfishly on behalf of a client. You are indeed a rare breed and it has been our good fortune to meet you".

Spring 1995 brought another major coup for Joyner. The Bull Ring, Marseilles, a monumental canvas by James Wilson Morrice, sold for $572,000, setting a record for the internationally-recognized master and breaking the industry's record for the highest priced work ever sold on the market (surpassing Joyner's previous record). The price also marked the first time a Canadian painting had sold for more than half a million dollars.

The late 1990s saw the continued growth of the Canadian Art market at auction with prices for major works reaching new levels. With his company maintaining the lead, Geoffrey Joyner again reached a new milestone in his career during the spring 1999 auction. On June 1st, Joyner hammered down Lake Superior III, a canvas by Lawren Harris for $1.06 million. The result left the Canadian Art world buzzing and many wondered when the million-dollar mark would be exceeded again.

The wait would last only a little over a year. The Joyner auction in May 2001 saw Baffin Island, a 40 ins x 50 ins work by Lawren Harris sell for $2.42 million, more than twice the previous Harris record! This industry- shattering price was a new high for the artist, as well as for a Canadian work of art at auction and helped to bring the Joyner spring auction to a total sale record result of $6.25 million.

A year later, Geoffrey Joyner entered a new chapter in his storied career. On the 4th of July, 2002, Joyner Fine Art and Waddington's Auctioneers and Appraisers announced their partnership and the creation of Joyner Waddington's Canadian Fine Art. Joyner assumed the position of President of the new division and the combination of the two wholly independent Canadian companies created Canada's most prestigious auction company. Joyner, bringing his then-35 years of experience in the Canadian fine art auction business and combined with Waddington's 150 years as Canada's oldest auction house, remarked of the partnership, "My staff and I have aligned with a respected name that has the infrastructure to provide service to Canadian and International buyers. The fit of the two organizations in terms of our expertise, business strategies and goals is ideal."

The new merger saw no change in operations which had made Joyner a trusted name and the inaugural Joyner auction in December 2002 fetched $6.4 million, once again first among all houses.

As Geoffrey Joyner celebrates his 40th year, he has brought single Canadian Art sales totals from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. Graham Gordon wrote in Antiques Journal that "More than any other auctioneer in Canada, he has developed among collectors, an important awareness of the value of Canadian Art" citing that Joyner could very well be "the Man with the Golden Gavel".

Joyner has spent his entire career representing not only Canada's most important Collectors and Collections at auction, but also has spent many years as a member of the Official Residences Collections Advisory Committee of the Canadiana Fund in Ottawa, serving four Governors General of Canada. He has also devoted his time to help his favourite charities with fund raising events, assisting such organizations as the Hospital for Sick Kids, Sunnybrook Medical Centre, Toronto Opera Company, Ontario Society of Artists, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, the Vancouver Art Gallery, as well as many other organizations across Canada.

As Geoffrey Joyner enters his next decade, he will continue his commitment to lead the firm in the role of President and Executive Director and relishes the opportunities which await him and his colleagues.