LONDON.- Phillips has announced their highlights from the upcoming New Now auction in London. Taking place on 13 July at 30 Berkeley Square the sale will offer over 190 lots, combining works from established blue chip masters alongside emerging names. Blue chip and contemporary artists in the sale include works by Arthur Jafa, George Condo, and Antoni Tàpies, and ultra contemporary names include Francesca Mollett, Sarah Miska, and Vojtěch Kovařík, among others. A group of key works from the Collection of Jimmy and Leonora Belilty will feature in the sale including works by Allan McCollum, Jenny Holzer, and Mira Schendel. The New Now preview is now online and on view in Phillips’ galleries on Berkeley Square from 7 to 13 July ahead of the auction on 13 July at 1pm.
Charlotte Gibbs, Associate Specialist, Head of New Now, said “We are delighted to present our New Now auction this July. Our New Now sales showcase Phillips’ distinct approach of juxtaposing established blue-chip artists with emerging contemporary talent. Featuring an impressive spectrum of works from George Condo to Francesca Mollett, our July sale offers a comprehensive and diverse presentation of the 20th and 21st century art category. We take immense pride in highlighting works from the collection of Jimmy and Leonora Belilty. We look forward to welcoming visitors to view the auction highlights and experience the exhibition in person when Phillips' Berkeley Square galleries open.“
George Condo's unique and instantly recognizable approach to painting showcases his remarkable vision, particularly in relation to the historical tradition of portraiture at the turn of the century. His portraiture encapsulates the layers of recent history, encompassing the physical toll of industrialization and subsequent psychological damage. Executed in 2000, Untitled exemplifies Condo's artificial realism style, depicting a captivatingly familiar yet strange tragi-comic character within his sublimely surreal pictorial spaces. These figures, known as ‘Antipodal Beings’, inhabit the deepest, darkest corners of our emotional selves, characterized by bulging eyes, rounded ears, and an overbite. Four more works by Condo feature in this sale.
Arthur Jafa is a renowned contemporary artist whose diverse practice encompasses film, photography, and installation. His work explores racism, challenging preconceptions about the Black experience and African- American cultural identity. Jafa's video The White Album earned him the prestigious Golden Lion at the 2019 Venice Biennale for its exploration of whiteness and white visual culture. His powerful artworks, including video montages, collages, and installations, are internationally recognized for their emotional impact. Through his art, and exemplified in the present work Bloods (2019), Jafa defies stereotypes surrounding black males and establishes himself as a significant and influential voice in the realm of contemporary art.
A further highlight of the sale is a work by Helen Frankenthaler which comes to auction this July from the Kim Lim and William Turnbull Collection. Notable contemporary names in this sale include Ben Sledsens and Rashid Johnson, and a selection of blue-chip works by artists including Robert Longo and Hugh Steers.
This sale features a selection of cutting-edge up-and-coming artists, among them Francesca Mollett. Mollett's artistic style leans towards abstraction, enabling her to transcend boundaries between various artistic forms. Her creative process draws inspiration from the dynamic and ever-evolving elements of weather and water, resulting in mesmerizing and influential artworks. Further ultra contemporary artists in the sale include Vojtěch Kovařík, and Sarah Miska, whose latest show opens at Night Gallery in LA this weekend.
Antoni Tàpies' 1988 painting, Crani de vernís, showcases his signature textured, large-scale canvases. His expansive artworks incorporate fragments of debris, earth, and stone, evoking a sense of solidity and mass. In 1993, Tàpies represented Spain at the Venice Biennale, earning the prestigious Golden Lion for his installation. The artist has been featured in major retrospectives at renowned institutions such as Jeu de Paume (1994), Guggenheim Museum (1995), Museo nacional centro de arte Reina Sofía (2000), and Museu d’art contemporani de Barcelona (2004-2005). Further highlights include a comprehensive selection of works from other spanish speaking artists including a painting by Oscar Murillo and a work on paper by Cristina Banban, among others.
23 key works from the Collection of Jimmy and Leonora Belilty will feature in the sale. This group encompasses a broad and international variety of sculptures, photographs, paintings, and objects by artists including Allan McCollum, Jenny Holzer, and Mira Schendel. Acquired throughout a lifetime of collecting, curating, and living with these works, each piece in this group speaks to an expertly researched and intentional cultural dialogue between collector, artist, and subject matter.
Phillips
Auction: 13 July 2023, 1pm
Auction viewing: 7 – 13 July 2023
