Banksy, Keep it Real, 2002. Estimate HK$700,000–1,000,000 (US$90,500–129,000).
The present work features one of Banksy’s most iconic and popular images, the chimpanzee, appearing here in one of its many incarnations as the loveable underdog with a sandwich board, underestimated and yet subversive, with the power to illicit social transformation.
George Condo,Late Night in St. Moritz, 1990. Estimate HK$1,000,000–2,000,000 (US$129,000–258,000).
Late Night in St. Moritz is an immaculate example of George Condo’s highly iconic and stylized paintings about modern society and the contemporary psyche. The multitude of figures, abstract forms, spatial and dimensional incongruity result in a fictional realm that is much like the raucous, disorienting atmosphere one would experience in the late hours during a night out.
Pablo Picasso Profil de Jacqueline, 1956-1967. Estimate HK$300,000–400,000 (US$38,700–52,000).
The master’s remarkable sense of freedom and innovation are evident in the prominent design of the silver plate, whose motif is inspired by his second wife and muse – Jacqueline Roque.
Damien Hirst,Theo-24 300mg WHITBY 2852, 2014. Estimate HK$50,000–70,000 (US$6,500–9,100).
The present sculpture is based upon the minimalist aesthetic of the medicinal pill and in Hirst’s own words “Pills are a brilliant little form, better than any minimalist art. They’re all designed to make you buy them… they come out of flowers, plants, things from the ground, and they make you feel good, you know, to just have a pill, to feel beauty.”
KAWS X HAJIME SORAYAMA, No Future Companion (Silver Chrome) , 2008, Estimate HK$30,000–50,000 (US$3,900–6,500).
From limited-edition toys to sculptures, paintings and apparel, Brooklyn graffiti artist KAWS’ works are instantly recognisable through their playful, cartoon imagery – a global hit amongst collectors of all kinds.
Guy De Rougemont, Red Cloud Table, 1970.
This season’s sale marks the Asia auction debut of French artist Guy de Rougemont. Among a total of nine works presented in this sale is his signature Red Cloud Table, created in 1970, which achieved prices over US$200,000 at auction in 2011 and 2013.
(Left) Guy De Rougemont, Pop (Blue), 2012, Estimate HK$30,000–40,000 (US$3,900–5,200). (Right) Guy De Rougemont, Pop (Crimson), 2012, Estimate HK$30,000–40,000 (US$3,900–5,200).
French artist Guy de Rougemont is amongst the finest contemporary artists of our generation coming out of Paris. A synthesis of Minimalism and Pop Art, Rougemont’s works are characterized by the use of bold, joyful colours combined with fluid, organic forms composed of cylinders, ellipses, totems and serpentine lines. The artist’s polychromatic sensibility is unique and instantly recognizable, elevating him to icon-status in both the world of fine art and furniture design.
(Left) Guy De Rougemont, Untitled (vide-poche), 2015, Estimate HK$4,000–6,000 (US$550–800). (Right) Guy De Rougemont, Untitled (vide-poche), 2015, Estimate HK$4,000–6,000 (US$550–800).
Through the artist's relentless curiosity and desire to surpass boundaries between painting, sculpture and design, Rougemont has become a member of the prestigious French Académie des Beaux-Arts and his works are housed in several public and private collections all over the world.
Edward Weston, Nude (Charis Wilson, Santa Monica), 1936, Estimate HK$70,000–90,000 (US$9,100–11,700).
Edward Weston’s nude photograph of Charis Wilson, his muse, assistant, and later his wife, was produced in 1936, in the middle period of the artist’s 40 year career. While hundreds of portraits of Charis Wilson – clothed and unclothed – can be found in the archives of the photographer’s oeuvre, this photograph is celebrated as one of the most aesthetically perfect nude creations of the 20th century.
Barbara Kruger Untitled (Specific), 1979, Estimate HK$400,000–500,000 (US$52,000–64,000).
In the present work, words including “reason,” “power,” “progress,” “alignment” and “bias” are laid over an image of military figures, prompting the viewer to question the propagandistic nature of the imagery and the politics of both the image and the political power shown within. Such mimicry of ad-speak invokes a powerful disjunction between image and meaning, thereby exposing the inescapable conditions involved in contemporary production.
On 19 January, Sotheby’s Hong Kong will again mount its lifestyle-oriented auction, Boundless: Contemporary Art, now in its fifth year. This pioneering series of sales featuring both Western and Asian works in a variety of genres and disciplines has set the standard in Hong Kong, where, over the years, its lifestyle focus has attracted a dedicated following of new collectors. The new edition of Boundless: Contemporary Art will continue to delight enthusiasts with exceptional works from across the globe, most notably the iconic furniture of Guy de Rougemont making its auction debut in Asia.
Hong Kong｜19 January