New York, 27 January 2025 - Phillips has announced highlights from its forthcoming Editions & Works on Paper sale, taking place at 11AM ET on 12 February at its New York headquarters. Comprised of nearly 200 lots, the sale includes more than a dozen artists' flags from the 1988 Gran Pavese Flag Project, a selection of prints from the private collection of master printer Hitoshi Kido, and a diverse range of works by important Black artists, among other Modern, Postwar, Pop, and Contemporary highlights.
Cary Leibowitz and Kelly Troester, Worldwide Co-Heads of Editions and Deputy Chairpersons, Americas, said, "Our February Editions & Works on Paper auction is the first sale of the year at Phillips New York, and we're thrilled to kick off the season with a large selection that ranges widely in medium, scale, historical period, and artistic intent. From the massive flags of the Gran Pavese Flag Project to Willie Cole's multi-media assemblages, the works included illustrate not only the category's diversity but its infinite potential."
The Gran Pavese flags
The February auction will feature 13 of the 50 original Gran Pavese flags, including those designed by Keith Haring, Bridget Riley, Kenny Scharf, and Vito Acconci. In 1988, a small manmade island off the Dutch coast was animated with an outdoor contemporary art exhibition of monumental screen-printed flags. The project was envisioned by the Gran Pavese Foundation, which invited 50 internationally recognized artists to design their own interpretation of a flag. With no prescribed theme, each artist executed his or her own design, propelled by unique artistic visions, socio-political convictions, and conceptual frameworks. The installation drew throngs of international visitors to the Dutch coast and eventually traveled the world, from Frankfurt to Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China, and beyond. Keith Haring's contribution, Untitled, from Gran Pavese: The Flag Project (1988), carries an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000, while Bridget Riley's flag of the same title and year is estimated at $6,000 to $9,000.
The Hitoshi Kido collection and Black artists
Twenty printer's proofs from the collection of master printer Hitoshi Kido are included in the sale, all of which were printed during his time at Universal Limited Art Editions, where he spent nearly a decade working alongside artists such as Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist, Carroll Dunham, and Kiki Smith. Among the editions represented, Kido personally highlighted Robert Rauschenberg's Street Sounds (1992), estimated at $4,000 to $6,000, for its technical precision, which required printing four color-separated photogravures onto a large sheet of paper.
Black artists and printmakers working across a variety of mediums feature prominently in the sale. Three works by Willie Cole showcase the multi-media artist's use of everyday objects and assemblage techniques to recall his African American heritage, among them Domestic Shield I (1992), estimated at $8,000 to $12,000. Monotypes by Stanley Whitney, Betye Saar, and Emma Amos illustrate the range of the medium and its painterly effect. Tschabalala Self's textile applique Out of Body, Kehinde Wiley's 18th century inspired jacquard woven tapestry The Gypsy Fortune-Teller (2007, estimated at $30,000 to $50,000), and Kara Walker's dark yet playful pop-up book Freedom: A Fable are strong examples of artists working in three dimensions. Other artists represented include Mickalene Thomas, Bisa Butler, Robert Colescott, Rashid Johnson, and Howardena Pindell.
Pop and figurative highlights
Featured Pop selections include Andy Warhol's Brooklyn Bridge (1983), made in commemoration of the iconic landmark's 100th anniversary, with each print in the series carrying its own unique color combination, estimated at $25,000 to $35,000. Roy Lichtenstein's Red Lamp offers a vignette of Post-War America at home, expanding on the imagery of his renowned Interiors Series, and is estimated at $18,000 to $25,000. Keith Haring's 1987 Pop Shop I, rendered in the artist's characteristic bold colors and dynamic figures, was intended to promote unity and social harmony; this impression is intimately dedicated to Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, the important 1980s choreographers who collaborated with Haring on a number of projects and maintained strong friendships with the artist during their lifetimes.
Yayoi Kusama's Shoes (1984) uses her infinity net motif as a backdrop for high-heeled shoes that hearken back to her 1960s soft sculptures, and is estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. Two monotypes by Lois Dodd, White Truck and Two Nudes and Laundry, represent a rare opportunity for collectors, as the Maine-based artist seldom works in the print medium. Other figurative highlights include seven prints by Henri Matisse showcasing his expert rendering of the human form, from lithography to aquatints and drypoints; his Nu assis dans un fauteuil, une jambe repliee (1922) is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000. The pioneer printmaker Louise Bourgeois is represented by her commanding and quiet aquatint The Ladders and the complete set of drypoints Homely Girl, A Life, while nine works by Mona Hatoum challenge surrealism and minimalism, using materials like marble, stoneware, and silicone.
Additional highlights
Brice Marden's Han Shan Exit, from the mid-1980s, illustrates the artist's then blossoming interest in Chinese literature, as the series' title pays homage to the Tang dynasty poet and Buddhist monk Han Shan. Jasper Johns' Corpse and Mirror (1976) features crosshatched lines and patterns inspired by the Surrealist drawing game "exquisite corpse." The auction also features several works by Robert Rauschenberg spanning his career from the 1960s to the 1990s, including one lot of seven prints from his 1972 to 1973 Made in Tampa series, which highlights the artist's love of utilizing found objects, specifically cardboard. This in-depth exploration was undertaken in Central Florida, which served as a creative retreat for the remainder of his artistic career.
Selected lots and estimates
The sale will be on view from 4 to 11 February 2025 at Phillips New York, 432 Park Avenue, ahead of the auction on 12 February.
Estimates do not include buyer's premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium.
(Press Release)
