The auction house said The Only One with Waves will headline its modern and contemporary evening sale in London as demand for Hockney’s work gathers pace.
Phillips said David Hockney’s The Only One with Waves (1991) will headline its modern and contemporary art auction in London on June 26 at 14:00 British time. The painting, made shortly after Hockney bought his Malibu home, is presented as a key work from a pivotal period in the artist’s career and arrives as interest in his market and critical standing strengthens. Phillips linked the work to Hockney’s long-running engagement with water and the southern California coast, contrasting the ocean scene’s motion with the stillness of his better-known pool paintings. The auction house also said the painting reflects Hockney’s stage design work in the early 1990s, including opera commissions, and anticipates developments in his Very New Paintings series begun the following year. Olivia Thornton, vice president, Head of Modern & Contemporary Art, Europe, said the sale builds on momentum from Phillips’ White Glove auction in New York last month and is intended to reflect the depth, energy and international character of the current market. A presale exhibition is on view at Phillips’ Berkeley Square galleries until the auction.