RICHARD HAMBLETON (1952 - 2017) AND TOM WARREN (B. 1954) | Untitled, 'circa' 1984

acrylic on photograph

Private Collection, New York

This work is in very good condition overall. There is an undulation to the sheet, reflective of having been stored rolled. There are artist's pinholes to the corners of the sheet. There is minor wear with associated scattered pinpoint loss and paper loss to the edges of the sheet. There are two vertical abrasions to the upper left corner. Unframed.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

In the early 1980s, the photographer Tom Warren began the collaboration series in which he photographed an artist and invited them to paint on the surface to complete an artistic portrait. The idea was encouraged by James Poppitz, a director of legendary South Bronx Gallery Fashion Moda, where the graffiti and street art scene that had been flourishing was introduced to a larger audience. Richard Hambleton was a star of the Downtown art scene, spraying his haunting “Shadowman” on the walls of the dilapidated walls of the Lower East Side and East Village (see lots 54 and 59). In the current lot, Hambleton painted in a way starkly contrasting the Shadowman series, in a manner known as his “Beautiful Painting” style, where he uses vibrant colors to created tempestuous landscapes.