PHILLIPS New York | Hong Kong : ‘Basquiat’s World : Works Formerly from the Collection of Francesco Pellizzi’
Basquiat’s World: Works Formerly from the Collection of Francesco Pellizzi, Phillips’ spring season highlights from around the world
Three paintings to be sold in New York and Hong Kong
The centrepiece is a monumental 1982 masterpiece estimated at $40-60 million
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NEW YORK/HONG KONG – APRIL 2, 2024 – Demonstrating the auction house’s unwavering commitment to the legacy of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Phillips will present three magnificent paintings by the artist this spring, all of which previously belonged to the original collection of Francesco Pellizzi and the Pellizzi Family.
Pellizzi was co-founder and editor of the journal Res, Anthropology and Aesthetics, published by the Peabody Museum of Harvard University and Chicago University Press. Each of the works was purchased by Pellizzi from Annina Nosei in the early 1980s, a pivotal period in the artist’s career, and has remained in her collection for decades.
These major works will be offered publicly for the first time at the Phillips Evening Sales in New York and Hong Kong.
Untitled (ELMAR), 1982, and Untitled (Portrait of a Famous Ballplayer), 1981, will be sold in New York on May 14th, and Native Carrying some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, 1982, will be sold two weeks later in Hong Kong on May 31rst. Prior to the sale, the three works will be shown in an exhibition in New York from 8 to 14 April, followed by a touring exhibition in Los Angeles from 23 to 25 April, the last time the three works will be exhibited together.
These major works will be offered publicly for the first time at the Phillips Evening Sales in New York and Hong Kong.
Untitled (ELMAR), 1982, and Untitled (Portrait of a Famous Ballplayer), 1981, will be sold in New York on 14 May, and Native Carrying some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, 1982, will be sold two weeks later in Hong Kong on 31 May.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Untitled (ELMAR), 1982
68 x 93 1/8 in. (172.7 x 236.5 cm)
Estimation : 40-60 millions $
Mise aux enchères le 14 mai à New York
Prior to the sale, the three works will be shown in New York in an exhibition from April 8-14, followed by a touring exhibition in Los Angeles from April 23-25, the last time the three works will be exhibited together.
Robert Manley, Vice President and Worldwide Co-Director of the department, said, “Phillips is proud to have become the house associated with the Basquiat name over the past decade. From the $45 million sale of the artist’s estate Flexible, to the $85 million sale of Untitled, 1982 from the Maezawa Collection, to our role as lead sponsor of the Basquiat family’s King Pleasure exhibition, Phillips’ celebration of the artist’s genius extends beyond the auction house. Today we are honoured to announce this formidable group of works, bringing together some of Basquiat’s most iconic images with equally impressive provenance and history. An astute collector, Mr. Pellizzi has acquired timeless works that underscore Basquiat’s artistic vision and lifelong significance as they continue to inspire and resonate forty years later.”
The centrepiece of the group, Untitled (ELMAR) was created in 1982 and acquired by the Pellizzi family just two years later [illustrated on page one]. Over two metres wide, this monumental work is the cornerstone of Basquiat’s momentous year, in which he moved from street art to gallery success.
Characteristic of Basquiat’s greatest works, Untitled (ELMAR) is rich in iconography and self-referential imagery. On the left, a bird-like “fallen angel” wearing the recurring motif of the crown of thorns – which also serves as a halo – overlooks a luminous blue sea with scrawled waves and the text “ELMAR”, suggesting a modern-day Icarus on the verge of falling.
To the right, a radiant archer, also crowned, shoots two arrows in his direction. Untitled (ELMAR) ultimately reflects Basquiat’s exploration of the duality of his own identity, and embodies the essence of the artist at the height of his creative powers. Untitled (ELMAR) has an important history; the work was included in an exhibition devoted to the Francesco Pellizzi Collection at the Hofstra Museum in New York in 1989, and was subsequently shown at the Gagosian Los Angeles in 1998 as part of an exhibition commemorating the tenth anniversary of Basquiat’s death. The work was featured on the cover of the exhibition catalogue. More recently, it featured prominently in the artist’s landmark 2018 retrospective at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
Basquiat’s revolutionary transition from street art to canvas reached a decisive stage in 1981, as shown in Untitled (Portrait of a Famous Ballplayer). This landmark work, produced at a pivotal period in Basquiat’s career, demonstrates his exploration of ethnicity, identity and American culture, which would endure throughout his career. It has been shown in landmark exhibitions such as the Jean-Michel Basquiat Memorial Exhibition by Annina Nosei, which opened in December 1988, just a few months after the artist’s death and coinciding with his 28th birthday. In Untitled (Portrait of a Famous Ballplayer), Basquiat juxtaposes typically American symbols of sport by depicting a central black figure dressed in a baseball uniform, with his signature motifs of text and crown. Basquiat challenges societal norms and confronts stereotypes, inviting viewers into a complex dialogue about inclusion and exclusion within American culture. His use of the phrase “FAMOUS NEGRO ATHLETES” (with the words “NEGRO ATHLETES” visibly crossed out) is a powerful commentary on ethnicity, identity and representation.
It also reflects Basquiat’s experience as a black artist living and working in a predominantly white art world.
A major player in Asia since 2015, Phillips has focused on bringing the best Western works to collectors and enthusiasts across the continent. The company’s significant growth in Asia highlights the activity of Asian collectors acquiring works by the most important international artists. Jean-Michel Basquiat is a prime example; collectors in Asia are drawn to the artist’s work, which resonates deeply with the region’s rich artistic traditions. In 2022, Phillips sold Untitled, 1982, from the collection of Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, the buyer also being a private collector from Asia. Considering Basquiat’s enduring appeal and resonance in Asia, Phillips is pleased to offer Native Carrying Some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, 1982, for sale at Phillips Hong Kong on May 31st.
In this work, a black figure dominates the canvas, arms raised in the face of a colonial poacher. The work fuses intricate drawing with street art gestures and tackles such important subjects as slavery and empire. Through frontal portraiture and the incorporation of text, Basquiat critiques the colonial trade, encapsulating his broader themes of colonisation, commercialisation and African-American history. Reduced to caricatures, the characters embody the ‘native’ and the ‘coloniser’, evoking an explicit critique of white imperialism. Native Carrying Some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari reflects Basquiat’s acute awareness of societal issues and is an emblematic representation of his work, capturing the intensity of his artistic vision.
SALES DATES:
New York | 14 May | Untitled (ELMAR), 1982, and Untitled (Portrait of a Famous Ballplayer), 1981
Hong Kong | 31 May | Native Carrying Some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, 1982
EXHIBITION DATES:
New York | 8-14 April | All three works
Los Angeles 23-25 April | All three works
Taipei | 4-5 May | Native Carrying Some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, 1982
New York | 4-14 May | Untitled (ELMAR), 1982, and Untitled (Portrai
* Francesco Pellizzi, in 1979-1989 AMERICAN, ITALIAN, MEXICAN ART, from the Francesco Pellizzi Collection
PHOTO CREDIT FOR IMAGES TAKEN BY FRANCESCO PELLIZZI: © Francesco Pellizzit of a Famous Ballplayer), 1981 Hong Kong | 22 May – 1 June | Native Carrying Some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, 1982
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