Featuring Shara Hughes, Sam Gilliam, and Damien Hirst Alongside Ten Auction Debuts, Including February James
Phillips has announced works from their upcoming New Now auction on 12 March in New York. The sale will include over 220 lots, from blue-chip names to those debuting on the secondary market for the very first time, appealing to both new and seasoned collectors alike. Highlights include works by auction newcomers February James and Maja Ruznic, alongside established figures such as Shara Hughes, Sam Gilliam, Salvador Dalí, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, and more. Prior to the auction, the exhibition at 432 Park Avenue will be open to the public from 4 – 12 March.
Avery Semjen, Associate Specialist, Head of New Now, New York, said, “We are proud to present the first New Now sale of 2024 in New York with such a compelling mix of 20th Century and Contemporary artists. Emblematic of the spirit of our New Now sales, this auction reflects the depth and diversity of the middle market, showcasing the very best of the category. We look forward to welcoming collectors and art enthusiasts to the gallery this March as we present such an exceptional group of artworks.”
Lillypad Palace, 2016
Estimate: $200,000 – 300,000
Standing out as a top lot in the sale, Shara Hughes’ Lillypad Palace, 2016, bridges the gap between both interior and exterior, and reality and fantasy, while reexamining landscape painting traditions. Lilypad Palace combines a setting that is at once familiar and foreign, utilizing vibrant colors and expressive brushwork to infuse the genre with a fresh, contemporary perspective. Turning to landscape painting just two years before creating the present work, Hughes’ use of energetic brushstrokes and vivid hues is central to and defines her unique pictorial style.
New Orleans, 1979
Estimate $150,000 – 200,000
In Sam Gilliam’s New Orleans, 1979, bursts of purples, pinks, blues, and chartreuse collide in a vibrant display, crafting a rugged texture with impasto paint smeared and splattered across the canvas. Parallel linear lines create a map of “raked furrows,” often seen from the artist’s use of a rake dragged through the paint. Gilliam’s innovative use of collage further enhances the painting’s texture, revealing the canvas as a patchwork of strips and blurring the lines between painting and sculpture, adding depth and dimensionality to the captivating display of colors.
Sem titulo, 2019
Estimate $80,000 – 120,000
The sale will also feature Brazilian-born-and-raised artist Marina Perez Simão, who has become one of the most compelling contemporary painters working today. Known for her colorful semi-abstract paintings inspired by the landscapes of her home country, Untitled, 2019, is a prime example of Simão’s delightful painterly style. The Brazilian artist joins other young female painters such as Pam Evelyn and Jadé Fadojutimi in her use of gestural abstraction to create dynamic and playful works. Simão’s work is held in the public collections of renowned institutions such as the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne in France, The Ekard Collection in the Netherlands, and the Dallas Museum of Art in the United States.
Shining on the Inside, 2021
Estimate $18,000 – 25,000
Making her auction debut, Phillips is proud to offer February James and her work Shining on the Inside, 2021. Based in Washington D.C., James draws on her background as a makeup artist to infuse her paintings with transformative energy. Inspired by her makeovers, she imbues her portraits with new personas, exploring the interplay between memory and the dichotomy of internal and external selves. Utilizing vibrant colors reminiscent of Fauvist painters, she creates vivid portrayals of unidentified figures. Notably featured in the Rubell Museum’s Singular Views: 25 Artists exhibition in Washington D.C. last year, her works can now be found in prestigious collections including the Rubell Museum and Studio Museum in Harlem.
Find out more information about the sale and artists such as Maja Ruznic, Damien Hirst, Chico da Silva, Andy Warhol, Richard Mayhew, and many others.
Auction: 12 March 2024 11am EDT
Auction viewing: 4 – 12 March
Location: 432 Park Avenue, New York, NY, United States, 10022
Click here for more information: https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/NY010124
