Two of the biggest names in the contemporary street scene, Banksy and Kaws, are the stars of Phillips' first exhibition of 2020 in New York, entitled "Ten Monkeys and a Dolphin: Banksy & KAWS". The exhibition brings together 20 important works by the two artists, including paintings, sculptures and prints. The works can be purchased directly from the exhibition, through February 10 in New York.
Last year, both Banksy and Kaws dominated the market and achieved several record prices. Banksy's "Devolved Parliament" seemed to have explicit references to the "Brexit" situation and sold for $12.2 million (above a high estimate of $2.4 million) at Sotheby's London last October, after 13 intense minutes of bidding. With dimensions of 8 x 13 feet, it is considered Banksy's largest known oil painting.
Kaws' "The Kaws Album" also sold for $14.7 million (15 times its high estimate) at Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2019. The artwork was commissioned in 2005 by Nigo and inspired by Simpson's "The Yellow Album", a collection of songs released in 1998 (whose cover is in turn a parody of the Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band").
All the works on display come from the same collector, who wants to remain anonymous but who already collaborated with the auction house last year. "The market is very lively for both, but they have not yet reached the Warhol or Basquiat price levels and that is why the works are still accessible for different types of collectors," said Phillips' private sales manager Miety Heiden to Artnet.
The prices of the works for sale range from $25,000 to $4 million. Highlights of the exhibit by Banksy include the now famous "Girl with Balloon", "Love is in the air" and a spray on canvas that depicts the Mona Lisa on a pink background. Top Kaws' works, on the other hand, include the Companion 4FT, one of the "toys" that have become the trademark of the American artist, and the colorful abstract acrylic on canvas "Untitled", made in 2013.
The works will be on sale and exhibited at the Phillips headquarters in New York until February 10.
