Top picks from ‘Eighties’ auction

Let’s get ready to rumble: The Eighties auction will spotlight some of the best creations of the decade and, ahead of the sale on 21 September in Paris, five specialists present their knockout lots going under the hammer—from paintings and prints to furniture and fashion.

Futura 2000: “Virtuoso with the spray paint”

Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr, Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art in Paris: “A veritable icon of the 80s, this painting by American graffiti artist Futura 2000 embodies the New York/New Wave fever that took hold of street art, bringing these explosive works to the most visionary underground galleries.

“A virtuoso with the spray paint, Futura 2000 reveals in this work his pictorial talent—his deflagrations of colour in particular—which fascinated the biggest New York galleries from the very start of the decade (from 1981, the artist exhibited with Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Rammellzee, Crash and Andy Warhol at PS1). This painting emanates great strength, with a rhythm and energy that are part break dance, part hip hop!”

Ettore Sottsass: “A must-have item for any design collection”

Claire Gallois, Specialist for Modern Decorative Art & Design in Paris: “When you think ‘80s’ in the decorative arts, you think Memphis Group and their fight against minimalism. The ‘Carlton’ bookshelf designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, founder of Memphis, is a synthesis of this new vision and became an icon of the movement. With its cheerful appearance, bright colours, geometrical shape and modern materials, the Carlton was nicknamed the ‘Domestic Totem’ by Sottsass himself. It is now considered a must-have item for any design collection.”

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Hervé Di Rosa: “They laid the foundations for his artistic universe”

Dorothée Cornette de Saint Cyr, Head of Prints & Multiples, Paris: “Published between 1985 and 1989, the issues of Dirosa Magazine—whose covers we’re presenting in this Eighties sale—are totally emblematic of the early years of French painter Hervé Di Rosa’s work. They laid the foundations for his artistic universe, Diromythologie, and had a considerable influence on the young activists of the underground scene in the early 90s, such as Pakito Bolino, Blanquet, Caroline Sury and Kerozen.

“Born in Sète in 1959, Di Rosa left his hometown for Paris in 1978, where he settled with his painter friend Robert Combas. The duo had already set up BATO, a sort of handmade fanzine. Di Rosa was inspired by the publications of the group Bazooka, who he discovered during his studies, and made it his goal to make comics and see his works printed in magazines. This background influenced his later paintings, where he digested all the imagery around him, from the most sophisticated to the most popular.”

Azzedine Alaïa: “He found even greater success in the 80s”

Hubert Felbacq, Head of Fashion, Paris: “Many of fashion designers who were already on the scene in the 1970s—Alaïa, Mugler, Montana, Castelbajac, Berretta, Kenzo, Gaultier—found even greater success in the 80s.

“In 1989, Alaïa created a number of costumes for a grand parade on the Champs Elysées, celebrating the bicentenary of the French Revolution. This dress was designed around the same period and featured in his Spring-Summer 1989 collection. An identical version, which once belonged to the famous fashion model Bettina, is now in the Palais Galliera museum in Paris. I think Alexandre Samson, the museum’s curator, said it best when he wrote: ‘This unique silhouette is at the crossroads of several recurring influences in Azzedine Alaïa's work’.”

Patrick Nagel: “One of the greatest artists of the early 80s”

Caroline Gentsch, Specialist for Post-War and Contemporary Art in Brussels: “Patrick Nagel is one of the greatest artists of the early 80s. His portraits represented the period like no other—except, perhaps, Warhol—standing head and shoulders above his contemporaries like Keith Haring and Tom Wesselmann. He is best known for his Playboy illustrations and the instantly recognisable Duran Duran album Rio, which is considered one of the greatest album covers of all time.

“This painting shows the style of both Nagel and the iconic actress and celebrity: the dramatic eyeshadow, glossy lipstick with enigmatic ‘Mona Lisa’ smile, oversized blazers, provocative pose and geometric background. He captured the very essence of his subject in a glamorous, glorified, yet simple, way.

“Nagel started working on canvas late in his career and there are only a few of his paintings available on the market, so don't miss our ‘Mona Lisa’ this September.”

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