10 In-Demand Works on Artsy This Week

In this weekly series, Artsy’s Curatorial team offers a look at the artworks that are currently gaining traction among collectors on Artsy. Looking at our internal data, we offer a selection of works that Artsy members are engaging with through inquiries, bids, page views, and saves. Ranging from large paintings by rising young talents to works on paper by established artists, the following pieces are culled from recent online auctions and art fairs hosted on Artsy, as well as exhibitions and works added by our gallery partners.

Alex Gardner, Listened and Remembered (2020)

This work by Alex Gardner was a star piece at The Hole’s Black Lives Matter fundraiser, hosted exclusively on Artsy. The fundraiser raised $95,000, and all of the proceeds will benefit three charities—VOCALNY (Voices of Community Activists and Leaders), Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, and The Emergency Release Fund—focused on getting LGBTQ+ and medically vulnerable people out of Rikers Island prison and ICE detention centers. Gardner is best known for his large-scale paintings of faceless and androgynous Black bodies.

Tala Madani, Shit Mom (Remodel) (2019)

Shit Mom (Remodel) by Iranian-American artist Tala Madani is currently featured in London gallery Pilar Corrias’s show “7 Up,” which brings together works by seven female artists that the gallery represents, including Tschabalala Self and Elizabeth Neel in addition to Madani. Earlier this year, Madani’s work was featured in the highly acclaimed exhibition “Radical Figures | Painting in the New Millennium” at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. And this past spring, two of her works exceeded their high estimates at both Christie’s and Phillips.

Various artists, XL Portfolio (2019) / Rashid Johnson, Untitled (Anxious Men) (2019)

This portfolio of works by eight artists—including Rashid Johnson, Mickalene Thomas, and Adam Pendleton—is on view from printmaking studio and publisher Brand X Editions. The portfolio commemorates the studio’s 40th anniversary and was exhibited in the online-only edition of IFPDA, hosted exclusively on Artsy. Of the works in the portfolio, Johnson’s Untitled (Anxious Men) was the subject of particular attention on Artsy this past week, receiving a high volume of inquiries from collectors. Johnson’s popularity has steadily risen over the years. Case in point: Hauser & Wirth’s recent online-only show of his revered “Untitled Anxious Red Drawings,” which sold out.

Genieve Figgis, Pink Sky (2015)

This piece is part of a limited-edition set by rising star Genieve Figgis that was recently uploaded to Artsy by Kunzt Gallery. The Irish artist—whose works have sold above estimate at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips—has rapidly gained traction this year. Figgis mainly works in oil or acrylic, creating intimate pieces that initially draw up ideas of luxury and leisure throughout history. But upon closer inspection, her faceless figures and loose forms reveal a certain vulnerability as they blend with their lush backgrounds.

Adam Parker Smith, Shibari Heart (gold) (2020)

Another star work at The Hole’s Black Lives Matter fundraiser, this sculpture by Adam Parker Smith received a high level of collector interest. To promote the fundraiser, the artist posted the work on his Instagram profile as the show opened, and it eventually sold. Parker Smith’s works, which appear humorous and playful, often draw inspiration from the artist’s fears, obsessions, and sources of jealousy.

Eddie Martinez, No Title 2 (2015)

This Eddie Martinez lot in the now-closed sale Artsy x Capsule Auctions: Collection Refresh was very popular with Artsy collectors last week, accumulating both a high number of bids and page views. The lot ultimately sold for two times its high estimate. This editioned lithograph perfectly encapsulates Martinez’s iconic style: semi-abstract shapes, coarse brushstrokes, bold lines, and plenty of color. The artist was recently featured in Architectural Digest, wherein he described creating work in his Brooklyn studio during quarantine. Martinez is also coming off a spring auction season that saw his work sell at each of the “big three” auction houses.

Kara Joslyn, Midnight in a Perfect World (2019)

Kara Joslyn pushes the boundaries of figuration by incorporating uncommon materials such as car paint and polymer into her work. This painting was another standout in The Hole’s Black Lives Matter fundraiser on Artsy. As Alina Cohen wrote in Artsy Editorial last year, Joslyn’s work “creates dimensionality while referencing sculpture, photography, craft and art history—all on a single canvas.” The artist is represented by M+B gallery in Los Angeles.

Lee Ufan, Untitled (2002)

This limited-edition print by Lee Ufan, pioneer of the Mono-ha movement, is listed in the upcoming sale Seoul Auction: Summer Breeze, exclusively on Artsy. The work has been saved by a number of Artsy collectors, indicating interest ahead of the sale. The South Korean artist’s breadth of work spans from large-scale sculptures using everyday materials to his iconic brushstroke paintings. This print’s accessible starting bid gives collectors an opportunity to own a work by this iconic master.

Tom Blackwell, Coach Store, Soho (2005)

This Tom Blackwell work was among the star lots at the sale Van Ham: Post War & Contemporary, which took place on Artsy on June 10th. The lot sold for nearly 10 times its high estimate of €5,000. The artist began his career as an Abstract Expressionist, but was influenced by the Pop movement in the 1960s. As that decade progressed, his work moved increasingly towards photorealism. Blackwell passed away due to COVID-19 in April of this year; he was 82 years old.

Monica Kim Garza, The Entertainer Study (2019)