8 to see at Phillip’s New Now – Ahead of Phillip’s New Now IRL auction being held on 4th December which features over 170 lots including blue-chip artists like Keith Haring, Eddie Martinez, Gilbert & George, Tracey Emin, and Damien Hirst, as well as a selection of works by Marcel Broodthaers from the esteemed Herbig Collection.
Louise Simpson, Phillips’ Associate Specialist, Head of New Now picks her 8 works to see – maybe giving you an idea on what to bid.
Joseph Yaeger Unexpress the expressible
Joseph Yaeger is known for his ethereal and cinematic compositions, often rendered in delicate, semi-translucent layers of watercolour on gessoed linen. In October we offered Yaeger’s auction debut, Sphinx without a secret, in our Modern & Contemporary Art Evening sale, and it sold for over ten times the pre-sale estimate. We’re delighted to offer another work by Yaeger, Unexpress the expressible, in our New Now auction this December. The artist’s use of muted palettes and soft-focus techniques imbues this work with a sense of quiet intimacy, inviting reflection on the ways images shape personal and collective experiences.
Ariana Papademetropoulos Glass Slipper
Ariana Papademetropoulos, a Los Angeles-born multidisciplinary artist, is celebrated for her hyperreal and illusionistic large-scale scenes that reinterpret traditional iconography within contemporary narratives. Papademetropoulos draws from Los Angeles streetscapes to examine how architecture and visual representation shape identity. In Glass Slipper, she disrupts familiar domestic scenes with psychedelic hues and distorted water stains, highlighting the constructed nature of interiors and the identities they represent. Using spilled water on magazine images as a starting point, she reproduces their altered forms in oil, blending realism with artifice to question the boundaries between the tangible and the otherworldly.
Tracey Emin, I Dream of Sleep
Tracey Emin’s neon works are among her most iconic creations, blending raw emotion with bold, luminous form. Inspired by personal experiences, memories, and confessions, these pieces, as demonstrated with the present work I Dream of Sleep, feature hand-written phrases and sentences rendered in neon tubing, evoking the immediacy of handwritten notes. Often deeply autobiographical, the works explore themes of love, loss, vulnerability, and desire, inviting viewers into an intimate dialogue with the artist’s inner world. The glowing, vibrant medium contrasts with the poignant, sometimes melancholic messages, creating a tension that amplifies their emotional impact.
Keith Haring, Acrobats
Keith Haring’s Acrobats exemplifies his dynamic fusion of form, rhythm, and movement, translating his iconic, graffiti-inspired motifs into three dimensions. Created at a pivotal point in his career, this enamel-coated aluminium sculpture features two brightly coloured figures—blue and orange—stacked in a playful balance that emphasises harmony and energy. While their poses initially appear identical, subtle variations reveal a nuanced interplay of symmetry and individuality. Influenced by Matisse, Haring’s use of bold complementary colours and clean-cut forms reflects a sophisticated dialogue between flat imagery and sculptural depth, while nodding to the machine aesthetics of Léger and Judd. This work embodies Haring’s cultural sensitivity and his innovative approach to art-making.
Damien Hirst, Midas Asteroid
Damien Hirst’s Midas Asteroid encapsulates his enduring exploration of mortality, blending themes of life, death, mythology, and transformation. Inspired by his early experiments with butterflies, the work draws on the butterfly’s symbolic journey from life to the afterlife, embodying both beauty and fragility. The composition reflects the path of the ‘1981 Midas’ asteroid, evoking a sense of cosmic inevitability while referencing King Midas’s mythical curse of turning everything to gold. Set against a shimmering, reflective surface, the butterflies appear eternally suspended, a poignant metaphor for the transient yet transcendent nature of existence, offering a hopeful meditation on the human condition amidst the vast possibilities of the universe.
https://www.phillips.com/detail/sir-frank-bowling-ra/UK010724/16
Sir Frank Bowling, R.A., Shoreidol
Sir Frank Bowling is celebrated for his innovative approach to abstraction, blending vibrant colour, textured surfaces, and a deep engagement with personal and historical narratives. His work bridges diverse influences, from the formalist principles of Abstract Expressionism to the social and cultural themes of his Caribbean heritage. Bowling’s signature poured acrylic works, as demonstrated in Shoreidol, reflect his exploration of memory, geography, and identity, transforming the canvas into a dynamic space of fluid expression.
Julie Mehretu, Untitled
Julie Mehretu’s works on paper are intricate and dynamic explorations of space, memory, and social structures. These pieces, though smaller in scale compared to her monumental paintings, maintain the same complexity and energy, offering intimate reflections on the themes of movement and transformation. Her works on paper demonstrate a meticulous yet fluid process, capturing the tension between order and chaos while inviting viewers to navigate the layered histories and narratives embedded within.
Louise Bourgeois, Untitled
Louise Bourgeois was a seminal artist whose deeply personal and psychologically charged work spanned over seven decades. Her practice explored themes of memory, identity, trauma, and the complexities of human relationships, often drawing from her own experiences. Best known for her monumental Maman spider sculptures and intimate fabric works, Bourgeois worked across mediums, including sculpture, installation, and drawing, as shown in the present work Untitled. Her art is characterised by its emotional intensity and symbolic resonance, addressing universal human concerns while remaining profoundly introspective.
Philip’s New Now Auction December 4th 1pm GMT Philips 30 Berkeley Square, London, United Kingdom, W1J 6EX Register to BID
See works: HERE
