A rare 2000 KAWS painting has resurfaced onto the auction block. UNTITLED (STORMTROOPERS) is an early seminal work of the famed contemporary artist, featuring some of his most recognizable techniques. The piece is part of a larger auction hosted by Phillips for their 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design sale.
Since the late 1990s, KAWS reimagined iconic characters from pop culture, especially that of the Stormtroopers from the Star Wars franchise. He often adds his own witty amalgamations, transforming classic figures on canvas, sculptures and toys. His mashups have soon formed the basis of his artistic style and a hallmark in modern-day art.
UNTITLED (STORMTROOPERS) sees KAWS cover one of the Stormtrooper’s face with the artist’s distinctive, skull and crossed bones cartoon-like mas. The other two Stormtroopers are portrayed wrapped in the embrace of a coiled snake-like creature, adorning an interpreted version of KAWS’ signature mask. The piece draws inspiration of Andy Warhol‘s Do-It-Yourself series of half-completed and handmade canvases. KAWS combines mixed media and brash imagery to playfully re-envision his trademark aesthetic.
The piece arrives at Phillips as an important early piece for the multi-layered artist. KAWS has undeniably been one of the most important artists in the world today and is currently honored at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
UNTITLED (STORMTROOPERS) goes on sale on June 7. The work is expected to go for upwards of $205,000 USD. Those looking to place a bid can visit Phillips.
Following the recent auction of CryptoPunks NFT Portraits, Christie’s links up with The Andy Warhol Foundation for another monumental sale of five unique NFTs from the ‘Andy Warhol: Machine Made’ collection that garnered a total of $3,377,500 USD.
Andy Warhol not only dominated the physical art world but is now riding the digital wave. The Andy Warhol Foundation minted five distinct NFTs from restored and preserved files of his 1985 artworks, such as the “Amiga”, which were restored from floppy disks in 2014. No other NFTs will be minted from these files.
Net proceeds will be used to support the annual funding of The Andy Warhol Museum as well as the foundation’s efforts in supporting artists throughout America.
Starting the bid at $10,000 USD per artwork, each NFT sale was extended multiple times to serve over 200 bids in the last 24 hours of the bidding. The auction captivated a global audience with three successful bidders in the U.S., one in Europe and one in Asia.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to work with Christie’s on making a significant contribution to the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to support artists,” commented Michael Dayton Hermann, Director of Licensing, Marketing, and Sales at The Andy Warhol Foundation. “Warhol’s innovative vision and practice continues to enable the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to artists by supporting small, community-oriented spaces, major museums, and everything in between.”
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