Artnet Auctions
5 Captivating Prints From Artnet’s Contemporary Editions Sale, Including Warhol’s Kaleidoscopic Gertrude Stein
Contemporary Editions features a dynamic range of works on paper, showcasing the expressive power of printmaking.
![Yayoi Kusama print of her iconic slightly melted pumpkin composed of numerous variously sized black dots on a green ground, featured in Artnet Auctions summer Contemporary Editions sale. Yayoi Kusama print of her iconic slightly melted pumpkin composed of numerous variously sized black dots on a green ground, featured in Artnet Auctions summer Contemporary Editions sale.](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2024/08/yayoi-kusama-pumpkin-2000-green-1024x778.jpg)
Contemporary Editions features a dynamic range of works on paper, showcasing the expressive power of printmaking.
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Returning for another iteration, Artnet’s Contemporary Editions sale brings together a dynamic range of prints and multiples by major artists ranging from Alex Katz and Andy Warhol to Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Featuring iconic motifs, such as in Kusama’s Pumpkin 2000 (Green) (2000), and experimental forms, the selection of works across Contemporary Editions highlights the medium’s many possibilities.
Now live for bidding through August 28, we’ve rounded up six incredible lots below, which is just a small example of the breadth of works you can explore within the Contemporary Editions sale.
Alex Katz, White Visor (2003). Est. $20,000–$30,000.
Alex Katz (b. 1927) has maintained a singularly recognizable style for decades marked by flat planes of vibrant color and distinctive figuration. The subject of hundreds of solo and group exhibitions worldwide, he is considered one of the most important living painters today. In White Visor (2003), Katz’s signature style is heightened through the printing process, as the swath of blue sky, skin tones, and brilliantly white visor gain an element of depth and saturation through the quality of inks and paper used.
Banksy, Donuts (Strawberry) (2009)
Banksy, Donuts (Strawberry) (2009). Est. $25,000–$35,000.
The anonymous street artist known as Banksy has made headlines recently with his zoological artworks that have cropped up across the city of London. Long known for his politically, culturally, and socially engaged works, Banksy taps the visual lexicon of contemporary life to confront pervasive issues that face humanity today. Quietly irreverent, Banksy’s work is prized for its playful approach to significant themes around power and society, offering new perspectives on the status quo.
Andy Warhol, Gertrude Stein (from “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century”)(1980)
Andy Warhol, Gertrude Stein (from “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century”)(1980). Est. $10,000–$15,000.
In 1980, Pop art icon Andy Warhol (1928–1987) created a series of ten silk-screen canvases that captured the likeness of influential figures within the Jewish community. The project was begun the year prior in collaboration with art dealer Ronald Feldman, who ultimately chose the subjects alongside Ruth Levine, then the art school director of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, and Susan Morgenstein, the center’s gallery director. While reception of Warhol’s work at the time was in a period of abatement, the series has become recognized as an important historical testament to Warhol’s ongoing thematic approach to ideas around fame and celebrity.
Bridget Riley, Magenta and Green (2002)
Bridget Riley, Magenta and Green (2002). Est. $8,000–$12,000.
English artist Bridget Riley (b. 1931) is considered a pioneer of the 20th-century Op art movement and a cornerstone of hard-edge painting. Riley’s optically challenging and boldly colorful compositions gain a sense of immediacy in her works on paper, presenting both completed compositions as well as studies of color juxtaposition and linear experimentation. As in the present Magenta and Green (2002), recognition of repeating patterns remains elusive, and the unexpected color contrast speaks to greater considerations around color theory.
Lee Ufan, Sans Titre (III) (2022)
Lee Ufan, Sans Titre (III) (2022). Est. $8,000–$12,000.
Korean artist Lee Ufan is best known for his continuous emphasis on the elements of process and material in his work, made manifest in his practice of painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Rather than focus on precision or meticulous rendering, Ufan creates works where the work’s execution becomes the primary focus. In Sans Titre (III) (2022), the application of inks is left uneven, reflecting the hand of the artist and drawing attention not only to the unique choice of color combination but the event of its creation itself.
Shepard Fairey, War By Numbers (2019)
Shepard Fairey, War By Numbers (2019). Est. $10,000–$15,000.
Starting out within the alternative skateboarding scene of the 1980s, contemporary artist and activist Shepard Fairey has been behind some of the most iconic images of the late 20th century, including his 2008 Hope portrait of Barack Obama and “We the People” series. Tapping the current zeitgeist and pressing socio-political issues, Fairey transforms abstract ideals and hopes for the future into visually resonant compositions understandable by all. The founder of OBEY, a clothing company that operates as an extension of his practice, Fairey’s work reflects a wholistic approach to art and activism.
Contemporary Editions is live for bidding now through August 28, 2024.