Phillips has announced highlights of their London New Now auction on 6th December. Comprising 180 lots, the sale features a selection of 20th century works alongside cutting-edge contemporary pieces.
Led by Andy Warhol and Robert Colescott, the auction includes other celebrated blue-chip artists such as Ed Ruscha, George Condo, Peter Halley, and Banksy. The strong contemporary and emerging art section of the sale includes Xie Lei, Alfie Caine, Salvo, Louise Giovanelli, Emma Webster, Lynette Yiadom-
Boakye, and Jenna Gribbon, among others. A number of works by German speaking artists feature in the sale, led by Günther Förg, with pieces by Martin Kippenberger and A.R. Penck also included.
You can see all the works in the auction online now and the preview/ viewing is on in London now until the auction on 6th December.
We managed to get some time with Charlotte Gibbs the Head of New Now, in between the hanging of the viewing to get her 5 to definitely keep an eye on in the auction – see below ( We cant believe they’ve got a Lynette Yiadom-Boakye for sale !)
Estimate £20,000 – £30,000.
I love this work by Louise Giovanelli – the Manchester-based artist. Often depicting cinematic moments and drawing upon cult references, this painting is inspired by Michael Powell’s 1960 horror film Peeping Tom. Giovanelli references the iconic moment in the film where the main protagonist, played by Anna Massey, is locked in a tense yet defiant moment with the killer. Giovanelli’s expertise lies in distorting meaning and shifting perspectives to create a composition redolent of analogue film, while conveying a lustrous materiality through her adept handling of paint. Represented by White Cube and GRIMM, her work is internationally acclaimed, featured in institutions like Tate and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Recently, the artist has had solo exhibitions in New York and Manchester, with an exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield scheduled for 2024.
American artist Peter Halley is a key figure in the Neo-Conceptualist movement of the 1980s. Renowned for his vibrant Day-Glo geometric paintings, he is also a writer and the former publisher of index Magazine. The present work, Soul Control painted in 1991, is an excellent example of one of Halley’s Day-Glo geometric works. The canvas is divided into vibrantly painted isolated cells, suggestive of the regimented control society has over individual movement, activity, and perception. Based in New York City, Halley has been actively involved in education, notably serving as the director of graduate studies in painting and printmaking at the Yale University School of Art from 2002 to 2011.
Estimate £5,000 – £7,000
Sarah Cunningham’s work focuses on the natural world, and in particular plant life. Banana Plant is an excellent example of Cunningham’s vibrant and expressive forestscapes, featuring a kaleidoscopic environment formed by layers of radiant light, line, and colour. Employing expressive brushstrokes to create imaginary wildernesses, Cunningham’s work was celebrated in her first solo exhibition titled The Crystal Forest at Lisson Gallery earlier this summer in London. Using gestural marks, Cunningham constructs intricate spatial structures through continual obliteration and overpainting, revealing hidden worlds and clearings.
Estimate £60,000 – £80,000
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is one of the most celebrated contemporary painters working today. The subjects of her portraits are typically depicted with energetic brushwork, positioned in liminal and ambiguous backgrounds that create a sense of timelessness. The present work, Radiowave, is emblematic of Yiadom-Boakye’s portraiture practice. In 2013, Yiadom-Boakye was a finalist for the Turner Prize and she was selected for participation in the 55th Venice Biennale. In 2018, the artist won the Carnegie Prize for painting and her work was celebrated most recently at her Tate retrospective. Her work can be found in the permanent collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Studio Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others.
Estimate £50,000 – £70,000
Per Kirkeby’s Untitled (Frankfurt) exemplifies the artist’s characteristic oil paintings that skilfully balance landscape and abstraction. This work, typical of his output in the 1980s, showcases a broad gestural application and a rich palette of earthy tones. Inspired by various sources, including Fluxus conceptualism and a nostalgic connection to Danish landscapes, Kirkeby’s foundational influence was geology, a subject he studied in university. His emphasis on structure, drawn from topography and visual compositions, is evident in works like Untitled (Frankfurt), allowing them to maintain compositional integrity despite their unconventional presentation.
New Now, London Auction 6th December 2023 Phillips, 30 Berkeley Square, London,
Viewing 30th November – 6th December
