Los Angeles – Bonhams Los Angeles is delighted to announce its inaugural Urban Art auction which will be held on October 29, 2012. The sale in Los Angeles follows the success of “Art in the Streets” exhibition at the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA).
This auction, the first of its type to be held in America, features historical works by pioneering graffiti artists, as well as pieces by contemporary artists who have redefined the genre. Since 2008, when the first sale was held in our London galleries, Bonhams has consistently proven itself to be the market leader, achieving a number of world-record prices and a significant following. Our London auctions regularly include the work of some of the biggest names in the field, including Banksy, Blek le Rat, Shepard Fairey, JR, Futura 2000 and Os Gemeos, while also introducing a number of emerging artists.
Highlights from the Los Angeles auction include Banksy's iconic “Lenin on Rollerblades (Who Put the Revolution on Ice?)” (est. $30,000-50,000) and “Winnie the Pooh” (est. $50,000-80,000).
Urban Art continues to be one of the most exciting and rapidly developing sectors of the art market. Bonhams is excited to be hosting the next auction in LA and entries are still being invited. Urban Art specialist, Gareth Williams, who first launched the highly successful format in London, comments, "We are bringing the sale to Los Angeles because of the huge level of interest we have received from Californian collectors. Last year’s critically acclaimed “Art in the Streets” exhibition at MoCA and the numerous sell-out shows by leading Urban artists, seems to have captured the public imagination here.
The success of street art also lies in its universal accessibility. It is freely available for the public to view and carries none of the exclusive connotations often associated with the fine art world. It is also an ephemeral art form, disappearing as quickly as it appears and in an attempt to address this many artists have created permanent artworks which remain true to their street roots. DIY techniques, such as stencil spray painting, wheat pasting, and the incorporation of street furniture/ found objects are integrated with re-appropriated street imagery. The works are often politicized and champion the underdog.”
William’s own fascination with DIY culture has inspired him to write his new book Cut and Shut on the phenomenon of Creative Salvage in design and art. The book examines the early careers of a number of pioneering furniture makers / artists such as Joe Rush, Tom Dixon, Ron Arad and Mark Brazier-Jones – all of whom operated in London in the early 1980s. With no professional training, these creators defied convention by producing work from materials as diverse as concrete, scaffolding, scrap metal, broken glass, military vehicles and found objects.
The Bonhams illustrated auction catalog will be available online in the weeks preceding the sale at www.bonhams.com/urbanart
Preview: October 26-29, Los Angeles
Auction: October 29, Los Angeles
