RxArt

Mix the seriousness of Sotheby’s with the fun of an elementary school student’s candy-bar drive and you’ve got the RxArt Ball, a cocktail party and silent auction of custon-designed ornaments by artists, designers and celebrities.

Marc Bouwer, who created two ornaments--the first, made of fabric and beads and the second, of rhinestones--justified it witha simple explanation: “I love the Thoms Lannigan-Schmidt piece,” he sid of the item made of, among other things, plastic wrap, duct tape, Chinese brocade and velvet staples. “But I don’t think I’d hang that on my tree.”

Two rows down and four columns over, artist/photographer Chris Astley--husband of Teen Vogue editor in chief Amy Astley--said his ornament, the only one small enough  not to be hung from  string, was a manifestation creation, “It’s all concrete and Plexiglas,” he said, noting that the materials have a lot of similar characteristics. “And I’m starting the bidding war...now,” Amy added, as she put down the starting bid of $100. It seemed to work. Not two seconds later, Dr. Lisa Airan plunked down $150. But in the end, the ornament stayed in the family. Sort of. The winning bid of $200 went to Astley’s online editor at Teen Vogue, Kimball Hastings.

Downstirs, Hope Atherton, in Calvin Klein, admitted that she never checks to see how well her pieces are doing during auctions, “I just don’t like to jinx myself,” she said of her crushed metal ornaments, which she described as “a rested engine part” from her “things that have transformed their originial function” series. Her final bid $200.

Meanwhile, RxArt founder and president Diane Brown--mother of Vogue beauty director Sarah Brown--was busy racing up and down the steps of Emporio Armani’s two-story Madison Avenue store, where the auction/party was graciously held, “I’m really not deliberately trying to keep the fires burning,” she said of her multiple bids, “I just honestly want everything.”