Phillips Unveils Highlights from the September 2024 Editions Auctions Amidst Strong Market for the Category

Editions & Selected Works from the Lower East Side Printshop Archives Online Auction to Launch the Season in New York from 4 to 11 September

David Hockney and Evening & Day Editions Auctions Live in London on 19 & 20 September

LONDON – 20 AUGUST 2024 – Phillips is pleased to announce the September schedule for upcoming online and live Editions sales. The season will kick off in New York with the Editions & Selected Works from the Lower East Side Printshop Archives online auction starting on 4 September. The third annual, dedicated David Hockney live auction in London on 19 September will celebrate one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, showcasing a diverse selection of rare-to-market works across various mediums and price points. The Evening & Day Editions live auction in London on 19 and 20 September will feature works by iconic modern and contemporary artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Julie Mehretu and Henry Moore, among others. The preview for the live auctions in London will take place in Phillips’ Galleries on Berkeley Square from 12 to 19 September.

Rebecca Tooby-Desmond, Specialist, Head of Sale, Editions, and Auctioneer, said, “We are excited to kickstart the fall season by celebrating the rich diversity and artistry of Editions across live and online auctions in London and New York. Following white glove David Hockney auctions in 2022 and 2023, we are thrilled to present highlights from our third annual dedicated auction, showcasing the artist’s extraordinary breadth and virtuosic talent. From the youthful vigour of his first etching portfolio, A Rake’s Progress, to the charming etchings of his beloved dachshunds created thirty years later, our auction is a celebration of Hockney’s skill and innovation. The Evening & Day Editions auctions feature a robust array of unique trial proofs from Andy Warhol alongside an inspiring variety of modern and contemporary works by Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Julie Mehretu and Nam June Paik. Our three auctions this September are full of opportunities for collectors to acquire exceptional works at all price points. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our Berkeley Square galleries starting 12 September for a preview of the David Hockney and Evening & Day Editions auctions."

David Hockney Auction | 19 SEPTEMBER 2024 | LONDON
Leading the David Hockney auction are three works (March, April and May) from Hockney’s celebrated Arrival of Spring series, a captivating series of 61 iPad drawings that document the transformation of winter into spring. Created in preparation for the artist’s 2012 Royal Academy retrospective, A Bigger Picture, Hockney returned to his late mother's Bridlington home in 2006 to observe and record five Yorkshire springs. A further rare to market highlight of the sale includes Hockney’s first foray into etching with his portfolio A Rake's Progress, previously exhibited at Dulwich Picture Gallery in 2014. Created soon after the artist left the Royal College of Art, this series was inspired by Hogarth’s historic eponymous series and documents Hockney’s first visit to New York.

Bookending Hockney’s first etching, A Rake’s Progress, is Hockney’s last major foray into etching with Dog Wall. Created in 1998, Dog Wall is a large-scale homage to the artist’s two beloved dachshunds: Stanley and Little Boodgie. Portraying the two dachshunds lounging in various positions, both together, and individually, Dog Wall attests to Hockney’s adoration of Stanley and Little Boodgie while simultaneously illustrating the brilliance of his draftsmanship.

Hotel Acatlán: Second Day showcases the Cubist influence on Hockney’s work and his own innovative approach to perspective, merging multiple viewpoints into a single composition. In February 1984, Hockney travelled from California to Mexico City for the opening of his solo exhibition Hockney Paints the Stage at the Museo Rufino Tamayo. Upon his return, his car broke down and the artist decided to make a stop at the nearby Hotel Romano Angeles. Captivated by the hotel’s tropical courtyard, he sketched its dynamic angles and movement from various positions. Hockney was so inspired, he returned in September with his close friend the master printmaker Kenneth Tyler and, during their week-long stay, he created six lithographs of the courtyard for his 1984 Moving Focus series, including Hotel Acatlán: Second Day. Other sale highlights from the Moving Focus series include Celia with Green Hat.

Further auction highlights include The Faces of My Friends, a unique book containing a charming hand drawn self-portrait by David Hockney, and additional self-portraits drawn by the artist’s family and close friends. Additionally, the auction includes Snow and Mist from Hockney’s 1973 Weather series. The series was inspired by his 1971 trip to Japan, following a separation from his partner Peter Schlesinger. During this time, Japan's scenery, rich history, and distinctive artistic traditions, particularly ukiyo-e woodcut prints, provided Hockney with a new perspective on his work.