11th Dec, 2024 18:00

Urban & Contemporary Art

Lot 218

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Richard Hambleton (Canadian 1952-2017), 'Shadow Head (Black Out)', 2011

Sold for £4,500

inc.premium

Condition Report

In Good Condition/Artists Condition
No sign of paint loss or restoration
No rips or tears to the canvas
Some potential minor wear to the extreme edges of the canvas

Richard Hambleton (Canadian 1952-2017), 'Shadow Head (Black Out)', 2011, acrylic on canvas, signed and dated recto; canvas: 100 x 40cm

Auction: Urban & Contemporary Art, 11th Dec, 2024

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Richard Hambleton

Richard Hambleton, frequently acknowledged as the "godfather of street art," was a pivotal figure in the emergence of New York's downtown art movement, alongside contemporaries Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. He gained prominence for his ominous "Shadowmen" and "Horse and Rider" motifs—gruesome black silhouettes that seem to have been created in a moment of explosive action. Initially tagging across the United States and Canada, he established his base in New York in 1979. Throughout the 1980s, he left his mark on the alleyways of Lower Manhattan before transitioning from street art to studio work, producing pieces on canvas and paper. Although he exhibited at the Venice Biennale during the 1980s, he fell into relative obscurity in the 1990s and early 2000s due to personal struggles with health and addiction that distanced him from the art community. Today, Hambleton's artwork is included in prestigious collections such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. His pieces consistently fetch six-figure sums at auction.