Warhol and Basquiat Collaborations, from the collection of Tommy Hilfiger
Two ground-breaking paintings, bringing together two of the most influential artistic voices of the second half of the 20th-Century, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, both sold above estimate in tonight’s sale. From the collection of Tommy Hilfiger, Sweet Pungent, 1984-85 (£1.4-1.8m) and New Flame, 1985 (£1.7-2.2m) sold for £4.4 million/ $5.7 million and £2.4 million/$3 million respectively. They capture a rare instance in the history of art when two of the greatest creative minds of an era came together to produce a unified body of work.
For a long time, Jean-Michel Basquiat lived with a photo of Andy Warhol on the wall above his bed. Finally, in 1982 he plucked up the courage to approach his idol at a restaurant in SoHo and offered the Pop artist one of his Xeroxed photo collages. Over the coming years, Warhol began to recognize the young painter as a serious artistic force, culminating in a series of collaborations created between 1983-5. Although teaming up with the legendary Warhol was certainly a coup for the 23-year-old Basquiat, the reciprocity of the collaboration should not be underestimated. Basquiat’s powerful imagery, poetic symbolism, and youthful frenzy reinvigorated Warhol, who was inspired to paint by hand for the first time in 20 years.