Almost 200 came to Doyle auction September 19 to listen to a panel discussion on the the evolution of Street Art. The talk preceded an auction of items in this inaugural category. Among the topics covered were the transition of Street Art into major galleries and museums and the globalization of Street Art.
Doyle’s Inaugural Street Art Auction October 16 showcased many of the most important artists in the history of Street Art and Graffiti, spanning the early 1980s to the present day. The sale totaled $129,179, with 70 percent sold by lot and value.
The top lot of the day was Natadora, a classic work by the late Margaret Kilgallen (1967-2001) that achieved a world auction record for the artist. Estimated at $5,000-7,000, the acrylic on wood panel sold to a buyer from California for a staggering $28,125. It almost tripled Kilgallen’s prior record of $9,560, which was set just last year. A tremendous talent, Kilgallen brought influences of Folk art into her work.
Also featured in the auction was a decoupaged Vespa scooter by Shepard Fairey (b. 1970) that more than doubled its estimate of $4,000-6,000 to fetch $12,500 from a New York buyer. Fairey came to global prominence with his Barack Obama “Hope” poster, which now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.
San Francisco native and Kilgallen’s husband Barry McGee (b. 1966), who evolved from Graffiti writer to respected contemporary artist, was represented by a late 1990s untitled mixed media work on metal that sold for $11,875 to a Brooklyn buyer, well over its estimate of $6,000-8,000.
Other artists whose works achieved auction records at the sale included Duster, Cody Hudson, David Choe, Todd James, Lamour Supreme & Mishka, and ASVP.
Urban Art & Antiques 