Editor’s Note
This article previews Phillips’s upcoming Modern & Contemporary Art auction in London, headlined by a major work from Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Phillips has announced highlights for its Modern & Contemporary Art Evening & Day Sale to be held in London on June 26. This season’s auction will bring together a wide range of works, from 20th-century masters to innovative contemporary artists, featuring notable pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Elizabeth Peyton. A major highlight is the special feature titled “REVEALED: A Selection of Important Works by Christo & Jeanne-Claude.” This collection comprises over 30 works from a prominent Japanese private collection, offering a rare opportunity to trace the creative journey of the artistic duo. A preview for the sale will be open to the public from June 19 until the auction day at Phillips’ gallery at 30 Berkeley Square, London. The auction is scheduled for June 26 at 3:00 PM local time (11:00 PM Japan time on the same day).
A major highlight of the sale is “REVEALED: A Selection of Important Works by Christo & Jeanne-Claude.” This special feature consists of over 30 works from a prominent Japanese private collection, holding significant artistic and historical value. These works were collected over decades by a collector with deep knowledge of post-war art, selected through a unique aesthetic vision informed by personal acquaintance with Christo & Jeanne-Claude. Upon Christo’s passing in 2010, part of this collection was loaned for a memorial exhibition at Tokyo’s 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT. The collector is currently establishing a new foundation aimed at promoting contemporary art in Japan and, as part of this initiative, has decided to part with these internationally important works. The year 2025 marks the 90th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s birth (both born June 13, 1935), as well as the 40th anniversary of their iconic work *The Pont Neuf Wrapped* (Paris, 1985), the 30th anniversary of *Wrapped Reichstag* (Berlin, 1995), and the 20th anniversary of *The Gates* (New York, 2005). This feature, which includes numerous works related to these projects, serves as a deeply personal and timely homage to the duo’s legacy and presents a valuable record of long-term collecting activity.
Among the offerings by leading British artists, Damien Hirst’s *Invocation* commands attention. This work is part of his representative “Kaleidoscope” series, where a circular canvas meticulously arranged with jewel-like butterfly wings evokes Gothic stained glass and religious icons. It is a work that quietly confronts fundamental themes of beauty, death, and the passage of time.
Tracey Emin’s neon work *Its not me Thats Crying Its my Soul* is also featured. Spelled out in handwriting-like script, this piece candidly expresses feelings of loss and emotional fragility, symbolizing the spirit of self-disclosure that runs through her work. A version of this work was exhibited in the 2021-2022 exhibition “Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul” at the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Elizabeth Peyton’s *Spencer (Two Palms)* is a portrait of New York-based artist Spencer Sweeney, rendered with delicate color and soft brushwork to create an intimate work with psychological depth. Created as Peyton began shifting her focus to portraits of close friends and collaborators, it is a significant work symbolizing a turning point in her career, finding new possibilities in contemporary figurative painting within depictions reminiscent of Manet and Egon Schiele.
John Chamberlain’s *Etruscan Romance* is a large-scale sculpture approximately 3 meters high, made from compressed scrap steel. Through the fusion of industrial material and organic form, it exudes a powerful presence full of color, rhythm, and movement. Also featured in a 1986 retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), this work is a representative piece embodying Chamberlain’s philosophy of finding poetic potential in readymades.
Auction Date & Time: June 26, 2025, 3:00 PM (UK time) / 11:00 PM (Japan time)
Preview Period: June 19–26, 2025
Venue: Phillips Auction (30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX)
For more details: https://www.phillips.com/auction/UK010425
