Stories

There are some obvious and not so obvious names on our list of artists with some of the most dynamic sales in the second quarter of 2022. For example, Anna Weyant’s name is no surprise to anyone who followed the May auction season in New York. Nor is Ernie Barnes, for that matter.

Inspired by Old Masters, a new crop of diverse and inclusive artists are conquering the art market.

Christie’s fifth Art & Tech Summit held this week at the auction house’s New York headquarters featured crypto-luminaries like ConsenSys CEO Joe Lubin and Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz, a sponsor of the conference.

There is one story in the history of Outsider art that is now so familiar and well covered that we often overlook its significance. Although it took as much as a century to unfold, the discovery and elevation of the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama to the level of Modern art now recognized and enshrined in museums is one of the undeniable success stories in the recognition of Outsider art.

Phillips released its mid-year sales figures today along with the announcement that it would be opening a Los Angeles location in West Hollywood. For the first half of 2022, Phillips had total sales of $746 million. According to the firm, that’s a 37% increase over the previous record year.  Auction sales rose to $590

Christie’s released its first half of 2022 results today. There were total sales of £3.3 billion or $4.1 billion in sales.

The Contemporary art world has been on a long-term collision course with the world of Outsider artists for decades. A fascination with artists who lack formal training may be a product of the art world’s interest in representation and authenticity.

If you want to see the power of a global gallery to establish demand and build stronger prices, even for an artist with a twenty-year track record, look no further than Katherine Bernhardt.

If you thought the Ernie Barnes wave had run its course, last week gave you a big surprise. During Christie's London sale, Main Street Pool Hall from 1978 made $1.8 million against an estimate under $100,000. That was the third highest price paid for a Barnes painting after the $15 million record Sugar Shack from 1976 and the $2.34 million paid for Storm Dance from 1977. Both of those sales took place in early May.

Young artists with persistent markets helped the house close the season with a £17.5 million sale. Phillips London Evening Sale totaled £17.5 million ($21.28 million) with 31 of the 33 lots offered finding buyers. That’s a 94% sell-through rate, helped along by the withdrawal of two lots—a Baselitz and a Grotjahn—before the sale.

Combined sales make $181 million from Bacon, Monet, Warhol, Richter and a range of women artists young and old.

A white-glove Chagall sale helped Christie's post strong results for Monet, Ernie Barnes, Barbara Hepworth and many more artists. Christie’s held three sales in one Evening to bring together more than the European market by bridging London-to-Paris.