There is no denying the current swell of interest in and around urban, or street, art. On September 6, Phillips de Pury will present a sale of some of the biggest names in the growing movement at their Saturdays @ Phillips sale. Lots featuring jewelry and Japanese toys are also included, but street art is the main draw. The preview will run from September 2 to 6, and offers a great opportunity to see, contrast and compare a number of street artists in one easy stop.
Arguments abound that street art is about context as much as about aesthetic. Placement on the street. A sense of discovery. We can question if sale of street art destroys the integrity of the material, or minimizes IMPACT. However, it is important to note that the interest in street art from the art world and the academy has merit. With it, we are able to view street art more fully as a global phenomenon and sense the breadth and variation, never mind the creative impulse, of a loosely connected group of artists.
Among those presented at the sale are Kaws, Shepard Fairey and Invader. Three artists whose vision differs drastically, and indicate (again) that breadth and variation.
Phillips de Pury is located at Horwick Place, London, SW1P. For those of you in the States, a similar sale comes to the New York sale room in October.
Further highlights of the sale after the jump.
