Never-Before-Seen Michael Jackson Portraits Offered at Artfact.com

Boston, MA, December 12, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Music aficionados, collectors of industry memorabilia and Michael Jackson fans around the world will have the opportunity December 13 to bid live online at Artfact.com on a collection of photographic portraits of the “King of Pop.” These never-before-seen-photographs, taken by world-renowned photographer Arno Bani, are being offered by French auction house Pierre Bergé & Associés. The 90 lots included in the sale feature numerous full-size portraits, many of which are one-of-a-kind, as well as the contact sheets from their respective photo sessions. For additional information, or to register for the auction, visit www.Artfact.com.

Twelve full-size portraits highlight the auction’s offerings. Jackson commissioned the noted Parisian photographer Arno Bani to capture his image in a series of portraits in 1999. These bold and colorful images were taken for an as-yet unanswered purpose, but some speculate that the photographs were intended for use as cover art for Jackson’s 2001 album Invincible. One such image, titled “Michael Jackson’s Blue Eye,” features the singer in front of a black background, his left eye wreathed in a circle of sparkling blue glitter. The “Blue Eye” image is one of the most striking in the series, and is predicted to be the top lot of the sale.

Jackson originally discovered Arno Bani’s work while browsing the fashion pages of the Sunday Times. Having gained some renown in the field of fashion photography, a then 23-year old Bani jumped at the chance to collaborate with the music industry titan. The project sealed Bani’s reputation as one of the most talented photographers of his generation, drawing attention from such fashion and luxury-item names as Lacroix, Givenchy and Cartier. He has also photographed notable industry subjects such as Monica Bellucci, Mélanie Thierry, Romane Bohringer and Noémie Lenoir.

With live online bidding provided by Artfact.com, individuals across the globe will have the chance to bid on these rare and valuable photographs. These timeless artworks will entice fans of Michael Jackson’s illustrious career and collectors of fine art photography alike. With many of these fine portraits printed in original editions of only 1 each, the auction is expected to receive international recognition. Registration for the live online auction is free of charge, and additional information on this and a host of additional fine art and antique auctions is available at Artfact.com.

Artfact.com is the largest global marketplace of fine and decorative arts, antiques, collectibles, and estate auctions. In 2009, Artfact launched two live online bidding platforms, Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live! In the UK, allowing users to bid in real-time on auctions held around the world reaching a community of more than 10 million knowledgeable collectors and dealers worldwide. In 2010, Artfact merged with AuctionZip.com, increasing the reach of their platforms to include thousands of auction houses around the country. Artfact's industry leading database includes more than 57 million complete auction results totaling more than $204 billion in value, including information on more than 500,000 international artists.

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