The fabric of our society has been held together by art for centuries and those that took it to the streets set it in stone.
Woodbury House, gallerist to Richard Hambleton and Blek le Rat, the founding fathers of street art, has found a new home at the prestigious Mayfair Gallery, 29 Sackville Street in London. It’s a fitting location, as the space was formerly occupied by Lazinc Gallery, which was curated by Steve Lazarides and Wissam Al Mana, gallerists to renowned UK street artist, Banksy.
The new flagship in Mayfair boasts a legacy of street art as it has previously hosted works by Invader, Todd James, and Vhils (Alexander Farto), as well as the 2020 installation by French street photographer JR, which wrapped the exterior of the gallery in a lanky pair of legs. (The exhibit was linked to his 2016 display at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics.)
Lazarides’ journey with Banksy is a stunning example of how far street art – once a taboo genre – has come. After photographing Banksy for Sleaze Nation magazine in 1997, he took the elusive artist from selling pieces at $25 dollars a pop to the millions they sell for today, including his most renowned works, “Show Me The Monet” (2005), “Girl with Balloon” (2006), and “Love is in the Air” (2006). Banksy has been previously quoted as saying –
‘Every time I think I have painted something slightly original I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.’- Banksy
In an interview between Woodbury House & Blek le Rat, Blek le Rat made some interesting comments too –
‘I think Banksy is a very clever guy. To be influenced by my work means he is- very clever. I really like his work and am surprised how famous he is now as he understands the art market and how to influence the media. Whereas I am ‘old school’ and had the gallery do this for me. I would hope sometime before I die, as I am 70 now, to collaborate for the history of art.’- Blek le Rat
Historically the Mayfair mecca has shown “museum quality” classic works of art but, during the last decade, there has been a shift in the upscale market. As the value of street art rises, galleries like Lazinc, and now Woodbury House, are claiming flagships in the upscale market.
While mid-scale galleries are closing, the market for street art continues to grow aggressively and rare prolific originals are hard to come by. As their value rises, secondary print market values flourish. Currently, gallerists are seeing collectors reach for pieces by Keith Haring and Richard Hambleton who came up together in the 1980’s in New York, over Basquiat’s – along with other urban artists. Blek le Rat recalls purchasing an original “Shadowman” by Hambleton at a 1990 auction for $2,000. Now, Hambleton’s are valued at up to $2 million.
Hambleton was a Canadian pioneer of conceptual art whose “Shadowman” figures haunted the dark corners and alleys of New York in the 1980’s, expanding to London, Paris, Rome, and Germany. He painted alongside Haring and Basquiat, his work a commentary on New York’s homelessness, addiction, and the AIDS epidemic. The “Shadowman” took various forms, including the famous “Marlboro Man”.
In 2010, two of Hambleton’s paintings were auctioned to raise more than $920,000.00 for AIDS research at the annual amfAR dinner. Hambleton paved the way for social-political activists like Banksy and le Rat, and he is the only artist Blek le Rat has purchased, as he believes only a few artists will remain relevant in the future.
Blek le Rat dedicated himself to street art after seeing Hambleton’s “Shadowman” lurking in the streets of New York, and again in Paris, in 1983.
“When you leave an image in the street,” he says, “people gain a different opinion.” Blek le Rat
Recently, as Woodbury House has been working with Blek le Rat, he has been focusing on tributes to Hambleton in mixed media on wood and canvas, paying homage to Hambleton’s image and using his own son’s current photographs as the body in leather jackets.
What makes a city world-class is the mark it impresses upon future creatives that shape our history. How many artists, and inventors, have stepped into the streets of London, New York, and Paris to look at the painted sidewalks, and walls, to come away seeing the world with new heart? Museums and acclaimed contemporary art fairs lack of acknowledgement for street art should be a crime.
With the arrival of Woodbury House in their new Mayfair Gallery, they are set to become the industry-leading house for radical gallerists and collectors.
Woodbury House has the ability to draw in high-profile collectors as seen in their work with Hambleton already. Prices in recent years have grown expediently and they have put a variety of shows and exhibitions worldwide giving him the exposure he so rightly deserves.
The gallery’s team of specialist street art consultants focuses on clients’ relationships to art and specializes in meeting their needs. They take a unique approach to the market, bringing works of art to a range of connoisseurs with originals, prints – and even creative collaborations with fashion houses.
We cannot wait to see what Woodbury House bring to us for these great artists in 2023, we will be keeping an eye out, as I am sure many collectors will be too!
Visit Woodbury House at www.woodburyhouseart.com