Austin Lee - Satellite: Online Auction Hong Kong Thursday, September 7, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Private Collection, London
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Catalogue Essay

    Meeting is a compelling example of the playful, exuberant nature of American artist, Austin Lee’s instantly identifiable practice. Evoking both the luminosity of a digital screen and the tactile nature of a colour field painting on canvas, Lee’s curious hybrid of digital and physical creation harness the positive characteristics of both mediums. Exploring virtual reality alongside other cutting-edge technological tools, Lee employs a high-tech road to create his graphically simplistic yet vivid pieces. Concepts are experimented with and developed on these programs, before versions are finally applied to canvas. Despite his digital reliance, Lee insists that good work requires a transformation from the digital to the real, and his constant investigation into technique and process align elements of his contemporary approach to that of a traditional painter.

    With brilliant hues and a matte finish, the composition of this present lot pops out of the canvas. A tightly constrained frame presents the viewer with an ambiguous yet simplistic scene of two people meeting, as suggested by the title. Taking inspiration from everyday events in the world around him, Lee focuses on “creating new ways of looking and noticing.” (Austin Lee, quoted in Art of Choice, “Austin Lee’s Paintings Pulse with Life”, Art of Choice, 23 October 2018, online.) His highly-charged presentation of our world transforms it into a contemporary representation of itself – exciting but saturated with uncertainty. The open-ended nature of his work invites viewers to contribute their insight as they explore the subjects of his personal investigations.

    Lee’s work has garnered international acclaim as he has presented solo exhibitions in key galleries and museums. In the past two years, this has included KaiKai KiKi Gallery in Tokyo (2017), Carl Koystál in London (2017), the Peres Project in Berlin (2018), and most recently at the Mine Project in Hong Kong (2019).

28

Meeting

signed, titled and dated 'Alee "Meeting" 2015' on the overlap; further signed and dated 'Alee 2014' on the upper right of the overlap
flashe acrylic on canvas
122.5 x 121 cm. (48 1/4 x 47 5/8 in.)
Painted in 2015.

Estimate
HK$80,000 - 100,000 
€9,500-11,900
$10,300-12,800

Sold for HK$101,600

Contact Specialist

Sophia Choi
Associate Specialist, Head of Online Sales
20th Century & Contemporary Art, Hong Kong
+852 2318 2093
sophiachoi@phillips.com
 

Satellite: Online Auction

7 - 14 September 2023