Matt Gondek Deconstructed Sponge, 2019. Estimate: HK$10,000 - 20,000.
20th Century & Contemporary Art 24/7: Online Auction, Hong Kong.
There’s no shortage when it comes to up-and-coming creatives. But from the pool of talent out there, we shortlisted the budding artists in the world of auction that you should turn your attention to.
David Shrigley
Known for his wit, British visual artist David Shrigley has become increasingly popular in the contemporary art world. It’s hard not to chuckle at his drawings for they portray the obviously relatable daily struggles and disappointments. He is able to tell stories through his visual representation using satirical humor relating to topics ranging from random musings to personal perspectives towards life and the world.
His distinctive drawings are generally composed of dense and uneven lines, scribbles and disproportions, making Shrigley an easily recognizable artist. On the other hand, his paintings make use of loud hues and bold graphics. This is apparent in Art Will Save The World, 2019 – a minimalistic rendition of a painter’s palette accompanied by the title of the piece.
While Shrigley is best known for his drawings and paintings, he also explores different mediums, working on sculptures, installments, animations, photography, videography, music and literature.
David Shrigley Art Will Save The World, 2019. Estimate: HK$10,000 - 20,000.
Buff Monster
Citing heavy metal music, pop art, kawaii-culture, graffiti and toys from his childhood as his primary sources of inspiration, New York artist Buff Monster creates vibrant compositions that are instantly recognizable. His happy characters and bubbly landscapes became his signature aesthetic, along with his frequent use of the color pink in his earlier works—symbolizing confidence, individuality and happiness and ice cream as a recurring motif. Whether through his depictions of happy cartoonish characters or in his more ambiguous abstract works, the viewer is catapulted into an upbeat visual experience that mimics that artist’s own cheerful wit. This is apparent in his works like Harmony and Delight (3D), 2019.
Buff Monster Two works: (i) Harmony; (ii) Delight, 2019. Estimate: HK$35,000 - 40,000.
Ryan Travis Christian
Ryan Travis Christian’s surreal narratives explore the juxtaposition between vintage childish cartoons and sinister themes, offering a tongue-in-cheek perspective on contemporary life. His work, Sawin’ Logs, 2018, is a good example of this paradoxical relationship between sinister themes and animation drawings. Employing an idiosyncratic style of drawing, it is through dense layers of graphite pencil that his graphic images come to form, fueled by a wide range of influences that stem from vintage political cartoons and hand-drawn animation stills, to his own personal experiences.
Raised in suburban Chicago in the 1990s, Christian has been exposed to unique experiences which he uses as his influence. His works portray the dark side of contemporary humanity by touching on topics such as the economy, gender, class, immigration, substances, depression, and crises.
Ryan Travis Christian, Sawin' Logs, 2018. Estimate: HK$35,000 - 55,000.
Matt Gondek
Taking our nostalgic childhood characters and “deconstructing” them, LA-based artist Matt Gondek has given a destructive transformation of the likes of Homer Simpson, Bugs Bunny, Spongebob amongst other recognized icons in pop culture cartoons.
The self-taught artist began as a freelance graphic illustrator before picking up a paintbrush. Using characters he grew up with, he chose to portray the personalities he saw on TV and in comic books for their familiarity. He believes that art has always been inspired by its era and the artists’ surrounding, and for Gondek who was born in 1982, he was raised on Nickelodeon, Nintendo and comics.
Though in theory, the deconstruction is rather morbid, Gondek’s execution in its comical manner leans on lighthearted whimsy instead. The use of his bold lines, brilliant color and graphic nature distinctly defines his signature style. Much like Deconstructed Pig, Deconstructed Sponge and Deconstructed Kakrotto, 2019, each character is fully recognizable with one half revealing the original form, while the other blasted apart – the essence of his portrayal of “deconstruction."
Matt Gondek Deconstructed Pig, 2019. Estimate: HK$10,000 - 20,000
Roby Dwi Antono
Based in the culturally rich city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Roby Dwi Antono fuses the aesthetics of Surrealism and Classical Renaissance imagery to create a contemporary juxtaposition that is uniquely his own. His most signature motif, the depiction of a single figure against a nondescript background, such as that in KIRANA, 2019, nods to a range of influences that includes children’s book illustrations and the iconic Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara’s portrayals of sweet yet sinister protagonists. Like Nara, Roby Dwi Antono succeeds in presenting the viewer with narratives through a single image alone.
Antono’s most known works feature young children and mythical creatures he invented. Through his works, he attempts to convey messages through idioms that are personal to him. Apart from communicating this, he also hopes that his paintings can arouse people’s emotions by their own interpretation.
Roby Dwi Antono KIRANA, 2019. Estimate: HK$40,000 - 60,000
From now until 18 October, select highlights from 24/7 Online Auction will be exhibited at Keith Haring: Falling Up at K11 MUSEA. Preview the pieces via our digital VR tour here.
Discover more from 24/7: Online Auction 9 - 19 October 2020 >
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