Phillips New York Modern & Contemporary reporst Strong Sales to Exceed $8.5 Million

STRONG RESULTS AT PHILLIPS’ NEW YORK MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART SALE EXCEED $8.5 MILLION   Andy Warhol’s Molly Leads the Sale, Quadrupling Estimate   Notable Results Achieved by Women Artists, Including Alice Baber,  Nicole Wittenberg, and Others   New York, 28 February 2026  Sale Total: $8,519,160 / £6,318,337 / €7,209,748   Lots Sold: 149 | Lots Offered: 164 Sold by Lot: 91% | Sold by Value: 94%  Andy Warhol Molly, 1956 Sold for $412,800 Alice Baber Ladder over and under, 1972 Sold for $387,000 Nicole Wittenberg Alford Lake, 2022 Sold for $38,700           Avery Semjen, Specialist, Head of Sale, said, “This past Saturday’s Modern & Contemporary Art Sale in New York saw strong demand across the board, achieving a sell‑through rate of 94% by value. Held on the last day of February, the sale bolstered a fitting start to International Women’s Month, opening with seven consecutive works by women artists, each surpassing their high estimates. Sasha Gordon and Alexis Ralaivao set the pace with results several times above expectations, while Alice Baber led this opening sequence with a price more than six times its estimate, and achieving her second highest price at auction. The exceptional result coincides with Alice Baber: Sacred Spaces, a landmark selling exhibition celebrating one of the most distinctive voices in Post‑War American abstraction, on view in our galleries from 6–25 March. Strong performances by contemporary artists were led by Wolf Kahn, Beverly Pepper, Dana Schutz, Barkley L. Hendricks, Cinga Samson, Alessandro Twombly, Kehinde Wiley, Natalie White, and Nicole Wittenberg, whose Alford Lake set a new auction record for the artist. Modernist highlights also performed impressively, with works by Georges d’Espagnat, Sarah Bernhardt, and Jacques Lipchitz far exceeding expectations. These results affirm the strength of demand across every category, and we look forward to carrying this momentum into our Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale in London on Thursday, 5 March.”   Top Ten Lots Lot Description                                                           Estimate                                 Price Achieved 27 Andy Warhol, Molly, 1956 $100,000 - 150,000 $412,800 15 Sam Gilliam, Dew, 1974 $200,000 - 300,000 $412,800 12 Alice Baber, Ladder over and under, 1972 $60,000 - 80,000 $387,000 20 Sean Scully, 4.22.98, 1998 $150,000 - 200,000 $335,400 36 Kehinde Wiley, Terence Nance, 2011-2012 $80,000 - 120,000 $296,700 45 Manolo Valdés, Reina Mariana, 1992 $250,000 - 350,000 $283,800 19 David Smith, Untitled, 1959 $180,000 - 250,000 $232,200 43 David Bates, Fall Fire, 1984 $70,000 - 100,000 $174,150 14 Gerhard Richter, 4.4.88, 1988 $100,000 - 150,000 $167,700 47 Wolf Kahn, The Magnetic Attraction of the Deep Woods, 1996 $70,000 - 100,000 $167,700
Exchange Rate on 28 FEBRUARY 2026: US$1 = £0.7415, € 0.8465, HK$7.823
ABOUT PHILLIPS Phillips: where the world’s curious and bold connect with the art, design, and luxury that inspires them. As a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century works, Phillips offers dedicated expertise in the areas of Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels. Auctions and exhibitions are primarily held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, with representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Phillips offers a regular selection of live and online auctions, along with items available for immediate purchase. Phillips also offers a range of services and advice on all aspects of collecting, including private sales and assistance with appraisals, valuations, and financial planning. Visit phillips.com for further information.   *Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.   PHILLIPS NEW YORK – 432 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022 PHILLIPS LONDON – 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX PHILLIPS HONG KONG – G/F, WKCDA Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, No. 8 Austin Road, West Kowloon #phillipsauctionny#andywarhol#fineartmagazineblog.blogspot#sunstormfineartmagazine	FOLLOW US ON:              WeChat

 

Mail Art Exhibition carries on Ray Johnson creative line: Artist Riitta Ikonen, Scandinavia House Mail Art exhibition/demonstration Sat March 7, 2026 New York City.

Hi All FineArtMagazine Blog readers, it energized my day to read of  artist Riitta Ikonen, Scandinavia House Mail Art exhibition/demonstration Sat March 7, 2026  New York City. IN 1978  Ray Johnson knocked on my door early one morning to discuss fax art his new evolution of mail. What was so startling was I did not know Ray, he just showed up. Ray explained he would be famous one day and any faxed art would receive would be valuable. We agreed I would write up a small article, I think Ray was displaying at the Cuntry Art Gallery, Locust Valley, Chris Watson, co-owner and Director was a friend of mine. My focus on the value of art and it's creative energy not the value to come.  We continued our art dialogues until I moved form Bayville, on Long Island  about two  years later. Ray faxed or  mailed our offices his art correspondence for several years after that. Ray Johnson was one of the originator/founder of mail art . Below Riitta Ikonen captures the same vitality and energy in her mail art series featured at the Finnish Postal  Museum and Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue. The life of Ray's idea continues to inspire art energy as a valued form of communication. Jamie Forbes, Publisher SunStorm Fine Art Magazine, and Fineartmagazineblog.bogspot where we feature the joy of art creativity.

The Nordic Center in America 58 Park Ave, NYC     View in browser View full schedule Scandinaviahouse.org Facebook Visit About Membership Food Shop Support   MAIL ART SERIES WITH RIITTA IKONEN ARTIST WORKSHOP The acclaimed Finnish artist introduces participants to the practice of mail art alongside a special collaboration with the Finnish Postal Museum.  New York, NY—Beginning Saturday, March 7, Scandinavia House is thrilled to present a special series of full-day Mail Art Workshops with acclaimed Finnish artist Riitta Ikonen! The series will also feature a special exhibition collaboration with the Finnish Postal Museum in Tampere.  Held as full-day sessions on Saturdays, March 7, 21, and 28, this hands-on workshop introduces participants to the practice of mail art as a collaborative and time-based artistic process involving sender, postal system, and receiver. Led by acclaimed Finnish artist Riitta Ikonen ahead of her exhibition at the American Swedish Institute this June, the workshop invites participants to work with everyday materials and found ephemera to create postcard-sized artworks intended for mailing. During each full-day session (10:00 AM–4:00 PM, with a 30–45 minute lunch break), participants will receive an introduction to the history and contemporary contexts of mail art, followed by guided studio time. Each participant will create up to three postcards, including one work to be sent to the Finnish Postal Museum as part of a dedicated exhibition documenting the journey of the artworks from New York to Finland. In advance of the workshop, participants will be invited to collect a hand-created mail art postcard by Riitta Ikonen from a designated “mailbox” at Scandinavia House. The postcard provides conceptual prompts and practical guidance for observing and gathering materials from daily life, offering participants the opportunity to experience mail art as recipients prior to making their own works. ABOUT THE ARTIST Originally from the deep forests of eastern Finland, Riitta Ikonen works through performance, wearable sculptures, participatory performances and mail art. After completing her MA at the Royal College of Art in London in 2008, she has exhibited internationally holding shows at the Barbican Centre, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Peabody Essex Museum and the London- and Pyeongchang Olympics. Ikonen lectures at schools and universities and advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration for actionable change. Scandinavia House 58 Park Avenue New York, NY 10016 212–779–3587 scandinaviahouse.org @ScanHouse #scandinaviagouseart#mailartrayjohnson#fineartmagazineblogblogspot#sunstormfornartmagazine