Edited by Michelle Ho
The Phillips and Poly Auction sales feature well-known artists, including Ewa Juszkiewicz, Mickalene Thomas, and Billie Zangewa. These artworks will “go under the hammer” at the organisation’s 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Auctions from 29 October to 30 November (Ocula News, 2021).
The head of the 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Auctions, Isaure de Viel Castel, had expressed the public’s interest and desire for international modern and contemporary art (Ocula News, 2021). This represents the public’s growing interest in the transformation of the meaning of visual arts, as well as the public’s desire for the involvement of contemporary and modern art in their everyday lives. Isaure de Viel Castel had also stated that the growing interest in contemporary and modern visual art is one of the reasons he decided to “present a diverse, strong, and vibrant works” in the auctions (Ocula News, 2021).
Contemporary and modern art is mostly produced in the later 20th century to current times (About Contemporary, n.d.). Contemporary art includes a variety of mediums, concepts, and subjects. Art mediums in contemporary art include acrylic paintings, photography, lino printing, and video art (Mullennix, n.d.). Contemporary artists usually create culturally diverse, and globally influenced art that focuses on a global issue (About Contemporary, n.d.). Contemporary art is made by artists who are living in the modern world. Examples of contemporary artworks include The Mellow Pad by Stuart Davis (1940s-1950s) and Wirbelwerk by Olafur Eliasson (2012-2013).
Artworks that were exhibited during the auction include Julie Curtiss’s Escargot (2018), Salman Toor’s East Village Iqbal Bano (2018), and Gerhard Richter’s Kerzenschein/Candlelight (1984). The artworks could be sold for up to 75 million HKD, such as Gerhard Richter’s Kerzenschein/Candlelight (Ocula News, 2021). All of the artists were also born after 1980, which suggests the auction’s message of promoting the works of younger artists; this in turn would generate inspiration for the younger generation to follow art-related aspirations and dreams (Ocula News, 2021).
References
About Contemporary Art. (n.d.). Getty.
https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/
curricula/contemporary_art/background1.html
Mullennix, B. (n.d.). What Kind of Art is Popular Today? (Styles & Mediums). Artistry Found.
https://artistryfound.com/what-kind-of-art-is-popular-today-styles-mediums/
Ocula News. (2021, November 17). Phillips and Poly Auction Put Rising Artists Under the
Hammer in Asia. Ocula. https://ocula.com/magazine/art-news/phillips-fall-hong-kong-
auctions-highlights-2021/
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