London, 27 March 2025 - Phillips has unveiled highlights of its New Now: Modern & Contemporary Art auction, to be held in London on 10 April. The sale is led by the Turner Prize winner Tony Cragg's 2009 bronze sculpture Runner, estimated at £180,000 to £250,000, and it gathers a broad cross section of postwar and contemporary work, with further highlights by Joseph Yaeger, Jennifer Guidi, Katharina Grosse, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Sherrie Levine, Rudolf Stingel, and Andy Warhol. For the first time, the New Now sale will feature ULTIMATE, an exclusive section for unique artworks and photographs available for sale only at Phillips, with works by Peter Beard, Herb Ritts, Prince Gyasi, Neeltje de Vries, Sangbin IM, and Rala Choi.
Louise Simpson, Associate Specialist, Head of New Now, London, said "We are thrilled to unveil highlights from our New Now sale. Leading the sale is a Tony Cragg sculpture, which we are excited to present ahead of his next show Sculptures and Drawings opening at Buchmann Galerie in Berlin this May. This season, we're also excited to debut ULTIMATE within New Now, a platform for exclusive, one-of-a-kind works available only at Phillips. Each piece is truly unique, offering collectors something they won't find anywhere else. We look forward to welcoming art enthusiasts when our Spring sale preview opens on 4 April." The sale exhibition will be on view from 4 April at the Phillips London Galleries on Berkeley Square, ahead of the auction on 10 April.
The leading lots
Michelangelo Pistoletto's Lavoro: Autocisterna, dated 2008 to 2011 and estimated at £100,000 to £150,000, is a striking example of his Quadri specchianti, which merge mirror, painting, and sculpture to explore the relationship between the viewer, the artwork, and the surrounding world. Part of a series addressing industrial labor, the work prompts the viewer to reflect on their place within contemporary society. The artist currently has two shows on view: To Step Beyond at Lévy Gorvy Dayan in New York, and Mirroring: Lucio Fontana and Michelangelo Pistoletto at Prada Rong Zhai in Shanghai.
Cast in bronze, Sherrie Levine's Horned Steer Skull, dated 2002 and estimated at £90,000 to £150,000, evokes associations of luxury, consumerism, and natural history while questioning authenticity and originality. Recalling Georgia O'Keeffe's skull paintings, the skull is transformed from a symbol of nature into a multifaceted cultural commentary, offering a critique on decay and identity. Rudolf Stingel's Untitled of 1989, estimated at £80,000 to £120,000, is a masterful example of his Silver Paintings series, its vertical stripes of soft silver, gunmetal blue, and metallic grey shot through with glimpses of red beneath. The painting exemplifies Stingel's exploration of painting as a process rather than a depiction, subverting traditional notions of authorship and originality.
Andy Warhol's Shadow of 1979, estimated at £60,000 to £80,000, marks an important yet enigmatic shift in his practice, embodying his exploration of abstraction and mortality. Originating from staged Polaroids taken by the studio assistant Ronnie Cutrone, the work presents a mysterious, objectless shadow that challenges the viewer's perception of presence and absence. As part of his broader Shadows series, it engages with abstraction while retaining the artist's signature cultural references.
The debut of ULTIMATE
Making its debut in the New Now sale this Spring, ULTIMATE is a platform dedicated to showcasing and selling exceptional works of art with a special focus on photographs, each work exclusive and available only at Phillips. Since its launch in 2014, ULTIMATE has set world auction records for over 70 artists and introduced more than 60 artists to auction, and it now becomes an integral offering within the New Now category. The 21st edition features masterworks by Peter Beard and Herb Ritts, alongside sold-out pieces by Prince Gyasi and the rising star Neeltje de Vries, with further highlights by the celebrated Korean artists Sangbin IM and Rala Choi.
Selected highlights and estimates
The New Now: Modern & Contemporary Art auction takes place on 10 April 2025 at 30 Berkeley Square, London, with viewing from 4 to 10 April 2025. Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century works, offering dedicated expertise in Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels, with auctions and exhibitions held primarily in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong.
Estimates do not include buyer's premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium.
(Press Release)
