Artnet News reports on the rising market interest in abstract artist Jack Whitten, following his current retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The article highlights Whitten's innovative techniques, such as his "Slab" paintings made with Afro combs and his "Greek Alphabet" series, and notes that despite his long-standing reputation among fellow artists, his market is only now gaining momentum.
Artnet News spoke to seven leading curators about how they identify emerging artists who will become the next big names. The curators, including Amy Smith-Stewart of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and iLiana Fokianaki of Kunsthalle Bern, describe their methods: seeking artists who address erased histories, geopolitical contexts, and marginalized perspectives. The article also references a recent debate sparked by Dean Kissick's polemic 'The Painted Protest' in Harper's, which criticized contemporary art for being overly dictated by identity politics, a view countered by curators who affirm their commitment to socially engaged work.
Artnet News' Wet Paint column reports on two summer art parties. The White Columns benefit auction in New York raised $350,000, with works donated by 60 commercial galleries. Highlights included a KAWS 'Companion' piece selling for $16,500 and a Florian Krewer painting for $14,000, auctioned by director Matthew Higgs. Separately, London gallerist Sadie Coles has vacated her 1 Davies Street space after a decade and will open a new 6,000-square-foot location at 17 Savile Row, a historic townhouse that once housed the Burlington Fine Arts Club.
SuperRare, the digital art trading platform, is opening a permanent New York gallery called Offline in the East Village at 243 Bowery, the former home of Salon 94. The inaugural exhibition, “Mythologies for a Spiritually Void Time,” curated by X.S. Hou and Jack Wedge, opens July 8 and features 15 artists working across animation, painting, sculpture, and networked media. The launch includes a week-long festival with dance performances, panels on art and A.I., and a choreographed NFT auction ritual.
A small Berlin auction house sold a 1930 gouache by Suzanne Duchamp for just €1,500 in 2024, and a Chicago-area firm moved a 1940 painting for only $1,000 in 2004—prices far below those of unknown emerging artists today. These works are now featured in the first-ever retrospective devoted to Duchamp at the Kunsthaus Zurich, highlighting her long neglect in favor of her more famous siblings Marcel Duchamp, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, and Jacques Villon. The exhibition traces her career from Cubist beginnings through superb Dadaist creations like "Arietta of Oblivion of the Dazed Chapel" (1920) to later, more decorative works that have divided critics.
Abstract Expressionist painter Mary Abbott has died at age 98 due to heart failure, as confirmed by McCormick Gallery in Chicago, which represented her for nearly 20 years. Known for her colorful canvases and sweeping brushstrokes, Abbott was praised by the New York Times in 2008 as one of the last great Abstract Expressionist painters of her generation. Despite her early modeling career on Vogue covers and her immersion in the downtown New York art scene alongside figures like Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning, her work received little scholarly recognition until the 2016 Denver Art Museum exhibition "Women of Abstract Expressionism," which traveled to the Mint Museum and Palm Springs Art Museum.
Artnet News published its quarterly museum artist ranking for June 2025, analyzing temporary exhibitions at over 250 U.S. museums to identify which living artists received the most institutional attention. The list includes over 4,500 names, with Indigenous contemporary artists dominating the top ranks: Cara Romero and Sky Hopinka remain highly visible, joined by Jeffrey Gibson and Andrea Carlson. Cindy Sherman appears in at least 10 group shows nationwide, while Alex Katz continues as a rare painter favored by museums at age 97. The ranking prioritizes career retrospectives, dedicated exhibitions, and special commissions over group show appearances.
A new book titled *Hidden Portraits: The Untold Stories of Six Women Who Loved Picasso* by Sue Roe (published by Faber and W.W. Norton) examines the lives of Picasso's six most significant partners: Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot, and Jacqueline Roque. The book challenges the narrative that these women were passive muses, instead revealing their personal ambitions and reasons for entering relationships with the artist, drawing on journals and historical context to present their perspectives.
Artnet News published its quarterly analysis of the most exhibited living artists at over 250 U.S. museums in March 2025, identifying more than 3,700 artists. The top artist is photographer Cara Romero, who appears in multiple museum shows including a major retrospective at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College. Three of the six most featured artists have Native American backgrounds, reflecting a surge in exhibitions celebrating Indigenous art. The list excludes the late Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a Native painter and curator who died in January 2025 at age 85 and would have ranked highly.
Kenny Schachter recounts his fraught journey from Newark to London for his curated Paul Thek exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery and the 56th edition of Art Basel in Switzerland, describing a near-crash landing and widespread anxiety among U.S. attendees about returning home amid FAA cutbacks and immigration fears. He highlights Mary Lovelace O’Neal’s presence at Jenkins Johnson as his Basel highlight, dismisses panic over a single unsold Giacometti as overblown, and critiques art journalists for lacking real market experience, while sharing conversations with collectors Mera Rubell and Dakis Joannou.
The Frick Collection in New York, which recently reopened after a major expansion, does not own a single painting by John Singer Sargent, despite founder Henry Clay Frick's admiration for the artist. Sargent declined Frick's request for a portrait commission late in his career, and after Frick's death, his daughter Helen Clay Frick turned down an opportunity to purchase Sargent's iconic portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw in 1922 because the museum's trustees were undecided about the institution's future. The painting now resides at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh. However, the Frick will receive a study for Sargent's famous 'Madame X' as part of a promised gift from collectors Elizabeth and Jean-Marie Eveillard.
Richard Hambleton, the Canadian street artist known for his iconic "shadowman" silhouettes that appeared on New York City walls in the 1980s, died on Sunday at age 65, as confirmed by Woodward Gallery. Hambleton emerged alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf in the downtown graffiti scene, but a long battle with heroin and crack addiction plagued his life. His career saw a resurgence following a documentary by Oscar-nominated director Oren Jacoby, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, leading to renewed exhibitions including his participation in "Club 57: Film, Performance and Art in the East Village, 1978-1983" at the Museum of Modern Art.
Sotheby's has announced the consignment of Roy Lichtenstein's painting *The Ring (Engagement)* (1962) for its May 12 spring contemporary evening sale in New York, with an estimated price of around $50 million. The work, one of the largest from Lichtenstein's iconic 1961–1964 comic-book-inspired series, has had only two owners in its 53-year history, most recently from the collection of Chicago philanthropist Stefan Edlis, who acquired it at Sotheby's in 1997 for $2.2 million.
Christie’s London is auctioning Tamara de Lempicka’s 1928 painting *Portrait du Docteur Boucard*, which has not been seen on the market in 40 years. The work, depicting doctor and bacteriologist Pierre Boucard, is expected to sell for between £5 million and £8 million ($6.18 million and $9.89 million). The sale coincides with the close of Lempicka’s historic retrospective at San Francisco’s de Young Museum—the first U.S. survey of the Art Deco master—and ahead of its opening at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
Rosemarie Beck, a once-promising abstract painter celebrated in the 1940s and 1950s by the Whitney Museum and mentored by Robert Motherwell, abandoned abstraction in 1958 to pursue figuration. Despite early success and shows at prestigious venues like the Stable Gallery, her shift to mythological and literary themes caused her to fade from art historical memory. A new exhibition, "Rosemarie Beck: Earthly Paradise," at Van Doren Waxter in New York, showcases over 25 figurative works from 1959 to 2000, marking a major reappraisal of her career.
Asian collectors and dealers are increasingly choosing to skip Art Basel's flagship Swiss edition in favor of Art Basel Paris, citing the French capital's more appealing experience. Amid a market contraction, figures like Monique Leong are skipping Basel for the second year, while others such as Kankuro Ueshima, Rosy Wu, and Kazunari Shirai still attend. Notable appearances include K-pop star RM of BTS, who made his first public appearance after military service as Samsung Art TV's global ambassador. The fair saw Asian languages spoken widely, and young first-time collectors brought private guides to maximize their visit.
Maurice Mielcarek, a 43-year-old Zurich-based collector, exemplifies a new generation of younger art buyers who prioritize lasting engagement over speculation. At Zurich Art Weekend, he introduced friends to New York artist Travis Boyer, whose velvet paintings Mielcarek has collected for two years. This cohort, mostly in their 30s and 40s, takes a slower, research-driven approach to collecting, often building relationships with artists and galleries before purchasing. They focus on discovery, conceptual works, and supporting artists' visions beyond mere acquisition.
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died at age 91, and this article highlights seven visual artworks inspired by Hefner and his magazine empire. Featured artists include Andy Warhol, who designed a 1986 Playboy anniversary cover; Marisol Escobar, who created a 1966 sculpture of Hefner with two pipes; Sigmar Polke, whose 1966 painting 'Bunnies' uses benday dots to depict a Playboy Bunny; and Richard Hamilton, whose 1961 work 'Pin-up' references Playboy's centerfold. The list also includes Burt Glinn's photograph of Hefner at the Playboy Mansion, Simon Claridge's 2016 series of Playboy covers, and Richard Phillips's 2013 painting 'Playboy Marfa.'
Frank Uwe Laysiepen, known as Ulay, has died at age 76 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The German-born artist was a pioneer of performance art, photography, and body art, best known for his collaborative works with former partner Marina Abramović, including the iconic "Relation Works" series and their 1988 walk along the Great Wall of China. Ulay had been recovering from lymphatic cancer; the cause of death has not been confirmed. He leaves behind the ULAY Foundation in Amsterdam and a project space in Slovenia.
This week's art industry roundup covers major developments across art fairs, auction houses, and galleries. Ahead of Art Basel in Basel, Artnet's Editor-in-Chief Naomi Rea investigates how the trade lost control of the pricing narrative amid a market breakdown. The Armory Show announces its 2025 edition with over 230 galleries and new curated sections, while Frieze will open a gallery space in Seoul. Sotheby's London will auction Pauline Karpidas's collection estimated at over $81 million, and a rare Rodin marble sold for $1.2 million. Caroline Lang steps down as chair of Sotheby's in Switzerland after four decades. Gallerist Kamel Mennour donates 180 works to Paris's Musée d'Art Moderne, and Marian Goodman Gallery now represents the estate of Ana Mendieta.
French artist Jean Dufy (1888–1964), brother of Raoul Dufy and a contemporary of Picasso and Braque, is the subject of a major new catalogue raisonné. Galerie Jacques Bailly in Paris has released Volume III of the catalogue, a 495-page volume with 801 reproductions and essays by Vanessa Schmitz-Grucker and Chantal Meslin-Perrier. The book explores Dufy's use of color, his depictions of post-war Parisian life, and his lesser-known work in porcelain design for Haviland Limoges.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened "Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s," a major survey featuring over 250 works including painting, photography, jewelry, ceramics, fashion, and furniture. The exhibition draws entirely from the museum's own collection, with around 40 percent of the works never exhibited before. It includes early pieces by celebrated figures like Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, as well as works by queer artists such as Paul Cadmus, Beauford Delaney, and Romaine Brooks, alongside self-taught artist Horace Pippin. Chief curator Jessica Smith emphasizes that the show aims to present a more complex, multivalent narrative of the decade beyond the dominant story of Abstract Expressionism.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's current "Cubism" exhibition showcases masterpieces from the Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection, featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, and Fernand Léger. The show spans six galleries and presents some of the finest examples of Cubist art, including iconic pieces like Braque's *The Castle of La Roche-Guyon* (1909) and Picasso's *The Oil Mill* (1909). The exhibition is essentially a curated display of Lauder's promised gift to the Met, highlighting the "Four Horsemen" of Cubism while omitting the broader context of the movement's other pioneers, such as the Salon Cubists.
The Museum of Modern Art in Paris has opened "Matisse and Marguerite: Through Her Father's Eyes," an exhibition running through August 24 that explores the lifelong bond between Henri Matisse and his eldest daughter, Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse. Featuring over 100 works—including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics—the show traces their relationship from her childhood through World War II, with many pieces rarely exhibited before. Loans come from institutions in the United States, Switzerland, and Japan, supplemented by photographs and archival materials.
Art Busan wrapped its 14th edition on a high note, with over 100 galleries participating and a special exhibition titled “CONNECT” curated by Wonseok Koh under the theme Territories and Boundaries. The fair, part of Busan Art Week, saw strong engagement from international galleries such as Société (Berlin) and Canada (New York), with directors noting maturing visitors and serious local collectors. A new partnership with Tokyo Gendai will bring 10 Korean galleries to Japan this September, and the fair debuted a Future Art Award for emerging galleries.
Art advisor Naomi Baigell recalls that when she managed Prudential's corporate art collection in the late 1980s and 1990s, executives refused to hang textile works by Colombian-born artist Olga de Amaral, preferring abstract paintings instead. Now 93 and still working, Amaral is experiencing a major market and institutional renaissance: the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami is hosting a solo show of her work (through October 12), her pieces are included in MoMA's "Woven Histories" exhibition, and she has been represented by Lisson Gallery since 2019. In 2025, her auction performance has been stellar, with a new record of $1.16 million set in May for *Imagen perdida 27* (1996) at Phillips New York, and total sales of $4.07 million as of June.
P·P·O·W gallery in New York has opened a group exhibition titled "Hope is a Dangerous Thing," running from June 6 to July 12, 2025. Curated by director Eden Deering, the show features artists including Robin F. Williams, Marianna Simnett, Kyle Dunn, Kayode Ojo, Raque Ford, and Diane Severin Nguyen, all united by their devotion to singer Lana Del Rey. The exhibition explores themes of art and artifice, sincerity and spectacle, with works that reference Del Rey's persona and millennial nostalgia, incorporating elements like AI, pop culture, and fast fashion.
A rare marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, *Le Désespoir* (ca. 1892–93), was rediscovered atop a piano in a private home in France and sold at auction for €1.1 million ($1.2 million). The auction, held by Rouillac at the Château de Villandry, lasted over 20 minutes and attracted bidders from China, Switzerland, and the United States, with a young American banker winning the piece. The sculpture had last appeared at auction in Paris in 1906 and exceeded its high estimate of €700,000.
Kat O’Neill and Andrea McCafferty, founders of the White Room Gallery, moved their business from Bridgehampton to East Hampton in late 2023. The gallery, known for showcasing contemporary art from Pop icons like Andy Warhol to street artists like Banksy, has a busy exhibition calendar year-round, with summer being especially active. Ahead of peak season, O’Neill and McCafferty discussed upcoming shows including “La Femme,” “Every Picture Tells A Story,” and solo exhibits by Nelson De La Nuez and Russell Young, as well as the gallery’s integration into the East Hampton community.
The New York Academy of Art held its 25th annual 'Take Home a Nude' fundraiser at Sotheby’s New York on October 24, featuring a live auction and party. Attendees included actresses Brooke Shields and Naomi Watts, who bid on artworks, along with dealers, artists, and collectors. Sotheby’s auctioneer Courtney Christensen led the sale, and 'Baby' Jane Holzer was honored for her collecting and Warhol-era legacy. Watts purchased four works, including a portrait by Liz Markus for $14,000, while Shields helped raise bids online.