New York, NY – May 12, 2011 — Last night, a four panel (40″X32″ collectively) self-portrait of Andy Warhol auctioned at Christie’s for $38.4 Million Dollars. This, of course, is an impressive sum for a piece of art. In fact, to put this in perspective, here is a Warholian chart outlining what you could get for this one painting (click image to enlarge):
That’s right. Own one Warhol portrait, or sit down for 153,600 steak dinners for two at Peter Luger’s; buy 2,560 Pro Sub-Zero Fridges; put 480 Porsche 911’s in the garage; or settle-down in an apartment nearly 8 times more grandiose than Jennifer Aniston’s West Village Penthouse.
Now, let’s look at this price in context with several new and emerging artists, including yours truly. An eventual multi-million dollar payday for a piece of art is about as likely as winning more than $100,000 in the lottery. You should always buy art like you would buy an apartment; choose it because you like it and want to live with/in it.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t bust out the Monty Burns finger-tenting in private, because hey, you never know who will blow-up (in the hip-hop, not explosive sense of the word).
I digress. Now, on to the work and juicy, juicy pricing details; all pieces listed below are currently available (except for Milroy’s portrait if Kianga).
JAKE NELSON, Brooklyn, NY
Title: Self Portrait | Size: 9″X12″ | Medium: India Ink on paper | Price: $300.00
JOSS PARKER, Columbus, OH
Title: Neon Stardust Triptych | Size: 45″x48″x2″ | Medium: Spray Paint on Canvas | Price: $1,250.00
PAUL ZEPEDA, New York, NY
Title: Solo | Size: 20″X30″ | Medium: Oil on Canvas | Price: $1,350.00
TOM HESSEL, Minneapolis, MN
Title: Portrait of the Artist | Size: 9″X12″ | Medium: Graphite on Paper | Price: $1,500.00
ARI LANKIN, New York, NY
Title: Self Portrait in the Studio | Size: 24″X36″ | Medium: Oil on Canvas | Price: $1,800.00
MARK MILROY, New York, NY
Title: Untitled (Portrait of Kianga) | Size: 24″X36″ | Price: $5,000-$8,000 in 2004
BORBAY, New York, NY
Title: Portrait of the Artist as a Not So Young Man | Size: 36″X48″ | Medium: Collage and Acrylic on Canvas | Price: $7,000.00
JEREMY PENN, New York, NY
Title: Bardot in Blue | Size: 47″X60″ | Medium: Oil on Panel | Price: $11,000.00
If you have any questions about this article or the artists featured herein, please contact me directly. Comments are always encouraged.
New Paintings. Works-in-Progress. Insider Art Market Information.
Another newsletter? You got that right. I'll honor and respect your inbox, as if it were my own. I endeavor to share everything happening at Borbay Studios & Gallery. No daily updates. No weekly updates. Simply a message, every month or two... updates on life, creativity, and the journey that began on July 2, 2009. Let's be in touch, as the first leg of my quest reaches completion in 2026. From a studio in my 600-foot Upper East Side apartment living room, to a museum collection. Oh, but friend, that is just the beginning. The road is long, and I am looking for cool, sophisticated company to navigate each challenging turn.
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