SOUTHAMPTON, NY.- Phillips announced its new location in Southampton designed by architects studioMDA in a historically significant location at the corner of Main Street and Hampton Road, which was once Southampton Town Hall. Phillips Southampton debuts with a curated exhibition of 70 works previewing the 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening and Day Sales, New Now, Design, and the Phillips x Artsy: Endless Summer Online-Only sale, along with a selection of watches and jewels. Leading the exhibition is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Portrait of A-One A.K.A. King, 1982, which will be offered in the November Evening Sale of 20th Century & Contemporary Art at $10-15 million. The auction will mark the first time in over thirty years that the work will be offered publicly. Additional highlights from the Southampton exhibition include works by Ruth Asawa, Joan Miró, Robert Rauschenberg, Pablo Picasso, Jean Dubuffet, Nicolas Party, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe and Matthew Wong, alongside designs by Marcel Wanders and Wendell Castle and jewelry by Graff, Cartier, and Van Cleef and Arpels amongst others.

Edward Dolman, Phillips’ CEO, states: “We’ve seen a seismic shift both in the art world and in the ecosystem of New York City. Our new location in Southampton will allow for intimate in-person viewings of exceptional works of art, jewels and watches, as well as the flexibility for our top collectors to experience artwork in person; that visceral experience is still such an integral element to appreciating art. We are pleased to inaugurate the space with such an impressive array of artworks, including our highlight from the November Evening Sale, Jean-Michel Basquiat's Portrait of A-One A.K.A. King.”

Cheyenne Westphal, Phillips’ Chairwoman, adds, “Portrait of A-One A.K.A. King is an exemplary work from the apex of Basquiat’s career, painted in 1982 when he was producing important works of art, free from the constraints and pressures of gallerists and the art market. This portrait has long been recognized across the globe for its significance, most recently having been included in the groundbreaking exhibition Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Its inclusion in our November Evening Sale marks the first time in over three decades that the work will be offered to the public.”




Energized by a string of career-launching exhibitions, Basquiat spent 1982 executing depictions of those close to him with invigorated passion —pictures which today are widely considered to be the finest of his career. A nod to Basquiat’s community and time as a street artist, Portrait of A-One A.K.A. King portrays the artist’s close friend and collaborator, legendary New York graffiti artist A-One, standing before a wall covered in tags. Basquiat’s signature word play is present in both the painting’s title and motifs: in street vernacular, a “king” refers to a highly-regarded graffiti writer that’s renowned for his skill, often incorporating a crown into his work. Evoking both street culture and the art historical genre of royal portraiture, the crown became one of the artist’s most enduring and recognizable pictorial tropes, which Basquiat used to celebrate the Black experience—anointing pop culture icons, his friends, and himself. An additional highlight from the November Evening Sale to be included in the Southampton inauguaral exhibition is Ruth Asawa’s Untitled (S.045, Hanging Five Lobed Continuous Forms Within a Form, with Spheres Suspended in the First, Second and Third Lobes), circa early 1960s . A major example from her oeuvre, the work comes to market at a time of great interest in the artist’s legacy, including a recently released biography, US Postal Service stamps celebrating her work, and a newly set world record price.

Phillips Southampton will serve as a space to showcase specialized programming, including thematic selling exhibitions, as well as curated selections of auction highlights alongside works being offered for private sale across 20th Century and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions and Works on Paper, Jewels and Watches.

studioMDA’s Markus Dochantschi states: “In converting the historic Southampton Town Hall to a contemporary space, we are engaging with the East End community while enriching the cultural scene established by living local artists, various new art galleries and art institutions, including the Parrish Art Museum and the Community Arts Center, a former church converted by artist Eric Fischl. We will provide a new kind of programmed space that enhances the vibrant art scene of Southampton, while integrating it with the historic context.”

The nearly 6,000 square foot, two-level space at 1 Hampton Road will be open Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 6pm, and will adhere to social distancing and face covering regulations.