KAWS (American, b. 1974), Running Chum, 2000. Silkscreen on Arches paper. 28 x 20 inches (71.1 x 50.8 cm) (sheet). Ed. 14/50.
Heritage Auctions becomes first auctioneer to offer luxury streetwear collectibles
DALLAS, Texas—The first major auction of streetwear by from brands like Supreme and BAPE, including artworks by KAWS, hit five-figure sale prices in Heritage Auctions' March 6 Urban Art & Supreme Featuring The Collection of Madchild Fine Art Online Auction in New York.
Popular contemporary artist KAWS produced 47 of the 111 lots (42.3 percent) offered, and every work offered in the sale sold.
"KAWS is extremely hot right now, with art critics, fans and collectors alike," Heritage Auctions Director of Modern & Contemporary Art Leon Benrimon said. "His popularity is international, and is reflected by the number of bidders who pursued his work in this sale."
The top lot of the night was by another major contemporary artist, as RETNA Eastern Realm (two works), 2014claimed the event's highest sale price when it went for $11,875. Recognized as an elite graffiti artist, RETNA is known for his signature style of letters and words that combines elements of Blackletter, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Arabic and Hebrew calligraphy. The works in this lot are color screenprints on paper; one is editioned "35/60," the other "58/60" (each had 10 artist's proofs).
The top two KAWS lots also yielded five-figure results when KAWS' 2000 Running Chum and KAWS' Companion (Grey), 2006, each of which realized $11,250. Running Chum is a 28-by-20-inch silkscreen on Arches paper that is editioned "14/50" and is signed, numbered and dated in pencil on the lower edge, while Companion (Grey) is a 20-by-20-inch silkscreen on paper. It is editioned "48/100" and is signed, numbered and dated in pencil along the lower edge.
KAWS' BWWT 400% Be@rbrick, 2005, a beautiful Karimoku wood incarnation of the artist's signature figure, brought $6,000. Incised on the reverse, it was produced by Tokyo-based Medicom Toy.
The run on KAWS lots was interrupted when OG Slick's 2014 Uzi Does It-Liberty or Death drew a winning bid of $5,250. The painted cast resin figure of Mickey Mouse, with a bandana around the lower part of his face and a submachine gun in his left hand, was published by Detroit-based 1XRun and stands 16-1/2 inches high.
The next 13 highest sale prices all came from KAWS creations:
- KAWS' 2013 Companion-Passing Through (Brown): $4,250
- KAWS Dissected Companion (Brown), 2006: $4,000
- KAWS' 2012 Astro Boy-Kaws Version: $4,000
- KAWS' 2013 Boba Fett: $3,875
- KAWS' Chomper BE@RBRICK 1000%, 2003: $3,500
- KAWS' 2002 Companion BE@RBRICK 1000%: $3,250
- KAWS' 2004 Companion-Five Years Later (Glow in the Dark): $3,250
- KAWS' 2013 Astro Boy-Kaws Version (Grey): $3,000
- KAWS' 2006 Dissected Companion (Grey): $2,750
- KAWS X Neighborhood Zooth (Black), 2007: $2,750
- KAWS X Peanuts Joe KAWS, 2011: $2,750
- Kaws' 2004 Companion-Five Years Later (Grey): $2,625
- KAWS' 2004 Companion-Five Years Later (Brown): $2,500
Among the auction's other highlights was a collection of more than two dozen items from streetwear brand Supreme, including:
- Supreme X Spalding's 2007 Basketball: $1,875
- Supreme Skateboard (Red), 2007: $1,625
- Supreme Gold Foil Skateboard, 2011: $1,625
- Supreme Rug: $1,625
- Supreme Hermes Ashtray (Red and White), c. 2012: $1,500
Top lots from other artists included, but were not limited to:
- Takashi Murakami's 2016 Mr. Dob (Gold) (Original Edition): $2,500
- Takashi Murakami's 2016 Mr. Dob (Red) (Original Edition): $2,437.50
- RETNA's 2012 Agua Sucia II: $2,125
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.
The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has over one million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of four million past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit.
