the art collectors

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Saturday @ Phillips Contemporary + Urban Art Auction Preview

Last night, Phillips de Pury presented an opening preview for this weekend’s Saturday@Phillips auction, their largest contemporary and urban art sale to date. Despite the less than ideal current market climate for this momentous occasion, it is significant to see the auction house standing behind the genre and broadening its scope of artists represented. The list is nothing short of impressive – Barry Mcgee, Os Gemeos, ESPO, KAWS, FAILE, Thomas Campbell, Ed Templeton, Jim Houser, Seen, Crash, Matt Leines, and Shepard Fairey are all here. Collectors should keep a watchful eye and be ready for some potential bargains. For example, McGee’s three lots are valued at half their primary market value, and the vast offering of Murakami prints are estimated far below what they were selling for just one year ago.

Read on for our photo recap of the evening and a shortlist of lot highlights.  

ESPO (Steve Powers) – Untitled (This Watch is Worth a Lot), 2002
. Enamel on aluminum, 24 1/4 x 48 1/2 in. Estimate: $4,000-6,000. 

ESPO (Steve Powers)

Andrew Jeffrey Wright – X-Wave 1, 2006. 
Oil, latex and gouache on Masonite, 26 x 23 in. Estimate: $2,500-3,500. 

Barry McGee – Ham Fats, ca. 1995. 
Oil on rusted paint can lid, 6 1/2 in. diameter.
Estimate: $3,000-4,000.

Os Gemeos – Untitled, .
 Mixed media, 7 x 9 x 4 1/4 in.
Estimate: $3,000-4,000.

Cheryl Dunn, Ed Templeton, Barry McGee, Os Gemeos

CRASH (John Matos) – Diptych: Looking In, Looking Out, 1993
. Spraypaint and acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60 in. each. Estimate: $10,000-15,000.

Eric Parker – In the Company of Monks, 2006
. Acrylic, oil pastel and foam paint on paper, 22 x 30 in. Estimate: $3,000-4,000.

FAILE – Agony and Ecstasy / MJ, 2007. 
Screenprint and acrylic on wood box.  20 x 11 7/8 x 2 in. Estimate: $15,000-20,000.

KAWS – Three works: Companion, 1999
. Painted cast vinyl. 8 in. each, Edition of 500.
Estimate: $3,000-4,000.

Keith Haring – Untitled, 1987. 
Ink on wooden skateboard deck, 30 7/8 x 9 5/8 x 4 1/4 in. Estimate: $8,000-12,000.

Matt Leines – Untitled , 2007. 
Ink and watercolor on paper, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.
Estimate: $1,500-$2,000.

Jim Houser – The Snare, 2008. Acrylic and gouache on collaged paper on canvas, 24 x 24 in. Estimate: $3,000-4,000  

Date Farmers, Matt Leines, Taylor McKimmens, Jim Houser, AJ Fosik

Seen (Richard Mirando) – Untitled (Skulls), 1998
. Spraypaint on canvas, 35 3/4 x 23 7/8 in. Estimate: $2,500-3,500.

KAWS – Three works: Running Chum, 2000
. Screenprint on paper. 28 x 22 in. each, Edition of 50. Estimate: $15,000-20,000.

KAWS, Dalek

Shepard Fairey – Untitled (Arab Woman), 2007. Stenciled spraypaint and screenprint on paper, 24 x 18 in. Estimate: 4,000-$6,000.

Shepard Fairey

 

Thomas Campbell – Paper Pillow, 2008-2009. Acrylic, gouache, spraypaint, India ink, graphite, thread and leaf on sewn paper, 16 x 9 1/2 in. Estimate: $1,800-$2,200.

Takashi Murakami – 727, 2004. Offset lithograph, 25 1/4 x 38 7/8 in. Edition of 300.
Estimate: $2,000-$3,000