From left to right: Andy Warhol, Ryuichi Sakamoto, est. $500/700,000; Wayne Thiebaud, Cherries #1,1981, est. $1.5/2 million
“The series really examines Warhol's life as an artist in a new way, unveiling the man behind the work through a queer sensibility, and exploring the man as his own work of art. For the first time, through the lens of Andrew Rossi, you see Andy's relationship with boyfriends and loves of his life, and how those men like Jed Johnson and John Gould and Jean-Michel Basquiat influenced his work and his art. I see a lot of myself in Andy Warhol, particularly in the idea of reinvention. In my career, I've gone through many different phases, which are very much influenced by the people I am surrounded by, just as Warhol was, and I hope this series sheds more light on how Andy's personal life influenced his body of work.”
Ryan Murphy, executive producer of The Andy Warhol Diaries

NEW YORK, 25 February 2022 – “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes” is one of the most oft-quoted phrases attributed to the iconic artist Andy Warhol, whose prescient prediction captured the popular ethos of “15 minutes of fame” that has become synonymous with the culture of stardom. This March, Warhol himself takes centerstage with the premiere of a new Netflix docuseries, The Andy Warhol Diaries, executive produced by celebrated writer, showrunner, Ryan Murphy, who also lends his curatorial eye to Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated auction on 11 March in New York with a selection of 13 standout works from the sale. Among Murphy’s picks from the auction is Warhol’s signature portrait of Japanese composer, pianist, and singer Ryuichi Sakamoto, along with two exceptional works by the late Wayne Thiebaud—marking the first paintings by the artist to come to auction since his death in December—as well outstanding examples by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cecily Brown, and John Baldessari, among others.

The original Netflix docuseries, The Andy Warhol Diaries, which will premiere on 9 March and is written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Andrew Rossi, takes a closer look at one of the most renowned and scrutinized artists of the 20th century through Warhol’s personal diaries and the revealing secrets behind his public persona that he chronicled within them. After he was shot in 1968, Warhol began documenting his life and feelings in his now famous diaries, and the docuseries features interviews with insiders like Bob Colacello and Jerry Hall to unwrap the man from the artist known to the world at large.

Ryan Murphy is a producer, writer, director, and showrunner known for his distinct and baroque filmmaking. Helming shows and movies such as Glee, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Eat, Pray, Love, Pose, and The Politician, among countless others, Murphy has helped define a new cinematic style that has rejuvenated television’s anthology format and championed inclusive storytelling.

Launched in 2013, Contemporary Curated is an editorialized version of Sotheby’s contemporary art auctions, and takes place twice a year in New York and London, with editions also in Hong Kong, Paris, and Milan. For each sale, Sotheby’s engages influential figures from the worlds of fashion, food, music, film, and culture to contribute their unique perspectives on works of art from a range of artists and styles, showcasing their individual tastes and interests and creating a dialogue between these figures and the art.

Past curators have included singer, songwriter, and art enthusiast Ellie Goulding; music mogul Swizz Beatz; philanthropists Oprah Winfrey and Agnes Gund; celebrated chef Massimo Bottura; fashion icons Kim Jones and Virgil Abloh; Mandopop megastar Jay Chou; DJ Steve Aoki; and actor and singer Cynthia Erivo, among others. These individuals—along with exceptional works of art from the post-war period—add a unique editorial point-of-view to each sale. CONTEMPORARY CURATED Live Auction in New York 11 March

In a nod to the upcoming docuseries, The Andy Warhol Diaries, premiering on Netflix 9 March, Murphy selected an exceptional work by the iconic 20th century artist to lead his curated picks from the sale; a portrait of Ryuichi Sakamoto, a Japanese composer, pianist and singer that rose to prominence in the late 1970s as a founding member of Yellow Magic Orchestra, a band that has been considered influential and innovative in the genre of popular electronic music since that time (estimate $500/700,000). Sakamoto partook in the artistic exchange that categorized the 1980s downtown New York scene in which Warhol had undoubtedly been a paramount figure for many years. With its flat planes of saturated color and dynamic line work, Ryuichi Sakamoto embodies Warhol’s signature style and ethos – a quality of Warhol’s work which Murphy credits as “timeless.”

Andy Warhol, Ryuichi Sakamoto, est. $500/700,000
“I love Jean-Michel’s printing and his word usage almost as much as his imagery. I think he's always sending a message about who he was and his place in time; what it was like to be a minority in this very white art world of the '80s, and how deep his struggle was.” – Ryan Murphy