Blackwell announces July 27 auction of two signed, exhibited artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Both paintings were featured in 2002 contemporary art exhibition at LA gallery IKON Ltd prior to joining a Miami private collection where they’ve remained for 20+ years

CLEARWATER, Fla. – On July 27, 2024, Florida’s Blackwell Auctions will present two signed, fresh-to-the-market paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988) as highlights of their Exceptional Estates Auction. Neither of the Basquiat artworks has been seen publicly since their display at a 2002 contemporary art exhibition held at the respected Santa Monica, California, gallery and private consultancy firm IKON Ltd. At that event, the Basquiats appeared alongside paintings by Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein and several other contemporary artists of great distinction.

The larger of the two Basquiat artworks to be auctioned is titled Chop Suey. Created in 1983, the vibrant marine-blue, black, yellow and white painting on illustration board measures 9¾ inches by 12 inches (sight). Chop Suey incorporates two familiar symbols that recur in Basquiat’s work: the tuxedo-clad penguin with a top hat, and the figure with an upraised arm and vertical body riddled with arrows. It has been suggested that Basquiat may have expanded the concept of this work into his mural-sized The dingoes that park their brains with their gum, as the two bear some thematic similarities. The painting is boldly artist-signed on verso. It will open for bidding at $50,000.

The second Basquiat featured in the July 27 auction is Untitled (Fig One), a 1982 oilstick on paper that measures 9 1/8 inches by 11 inches (sight). In addition to the depictions of two narrow apartment buildings and a morose dog figure, Basquiat included his most iconic symbol, the three-pointed crown. It is positioned atop one of the buildings, as though the artist wanted to add a regal touch to an otherwise pedestrian-looking urban edifice. The front of the artwork is signed with Basquiat’s full name. Opening bid: $35,000

Both Basquiat works were professionally framed in 2002 by Castelli Custom Picture Framing of Culver City, California, to achieve a size that would be most suitable for exhibition. Chop Suey has a framed size of 18 3/8 inches by 20¼ inches, while Untitled (Fig One) measures 20½in x 22in. To this day, Castelli continues to provide its bespoke framing services to noted artists, top-tier galleries and several major auction houses.

Edwin Bailey of Blackwell Auctions remarked, “It’s a tremendous honor for us to offer these two artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat, especially given the unimpeachable provenance of their having been exhibited at IKON.” After the IKON exhibition concluded, both of the Basquiats joined a private art collection in Miami, where they have remained for more than two decades.

The July Exceptional Estates Auction’s extensive selection of other fine-art pieces includes original works by Leroy Neiman, Michael Cartellone, Charles Hinman, Alan Davie, Louis Leopold Boilly, Richard Schmid, Peter Max and others. Additionally, there are signed lithographs by Picasso and Erte. 

In-person inspection of the Basquiat paintings is by appointment only. A public preview of all auction items, including the Basquiats, will be held at Blackwell’s gallery on July 26 from 10-4 ET, as well as on the morning of the July 27 sale from 10am until the auction starts at 12 noon. Blackwell Auctions is located at 5251 110th Avenue North, Suite 118, Clearwater, FL 33760. 

View a flipbook featuring the Basquiat art at https://publuu.com/flip-book/83345/1250434. For additional information, contact Edwin Bailey at +1 727-546-0200 or email [email protected]. Visit Blackwell online at www.blackwellauctions.com. Bidding will be available in person at the gallery, by phone, absentee, or online through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare, HiBid or through the Blackwell Auctions app (IOS and Android).

ABOUT JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT:

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. He first came to the public’s attention as part of the graffiti duo “SAMO.” Alongside his SAMO collaborator Al Diaz, Basquiat wrote enigmatic epigrams all over Manhattan, especially in the cultural hotbed of the city’s Lower East Side, where rap, punk and street art coalesced into early hip-hop culture. His work has always been known for its social commentary on racism and inequality, largely drawn from the artist’s own experiences in the Black community. In early 1980s, Basquiat’s paintings were already being exhibited in galleries and museums abroad. At 21, he became the youngest artist to ever take part in Documenta in Kassel, Germany, and one year later, he earned the distinction of being one of the youngest artists ever to exhibit at the Whitney Biennial. Since his death at age 27 in 1988, Basquiat’s work has steadily increased in value. In 2017, his 1982 painting Untitled, depicting a black skull with red and yellow rivulets, was auctioned for $110.5 million, making it the most expensive painting by an American artist to be purchased in a public sale.  

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