Auction to showcase the largest collection of
art by the visionary artist, cementing his reputation as a
significant figure in the art world of the first quarter of the
21st century
Collection on view in NYC through May 2; live
auction in Chicago on May 3
On May 3rd, Wright will proudly offer at auction I Want to Know
All of You: The Art & Collection of Jason Polan, which includes
over 200 works and printed material from Polan himself plus a range
of other notable artists, including KAWS, Shepard Fairey, and
Marcel Dzama. Despite dying from cancer in 2020 at just
thirty-seven years of age, Polan profoundly impacted the
contemporary art world and the culture of post-millennial New York
City.
Among several memorably ambitious endeavors, Polan was most
celebrated for his Every Person in New York project, in which he
attempted to draw every resident of the city, resulting in over
30,000 sketches, with highlights compiled in a 2015 illustrated
book of the same name. The auction on May 3rd features selected
original drawings by Polan from various projects, along with
sculpture, photography, and ephemera (est. $3,000-5,000 and below).
Together, with some of Polan's favorite works by fellow artists,
the sale serves as both a survey of his inclusive aesthetic and a
tribute to his outsized contributions in a relatively short
artistic career.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to present the largest
collection of works by Jason Polan," says Richard Wright, CEO of
Wright Auction House. "Polan's unique perspective has left an
indelible mark on the art world and this auction celebrates his
remarkable dedication to accessible artistry and his profound
impact on contemporary culture.”
A Michigan native, Polan moved to New York in 2005 and began
working on his magnum opus, Every Person in New York, in early
2008. This involved traveling all over the city to draw in his
notebook regular citizens, and some celebrities, at random and by
appointment, capturing fleeting moments that he shared daily via
scanned uploads to his blog. In the introduction to Every Person in
New York, Polan explained: "I like to do projects that involve a
lot of people. There's something about the idea of every person in
New York that my mind could get around, more so than the idea of
every person in America, or every person in the world. In New York,
I could realistically, physically, get around the city to draw more
than I could get around the entire world. Living in New York is
something I think about a lot and I was looking for more ways to
learn about it."
In a posthumous tribute for Vulture, art critic Jerry Saltz
compared Polan's linework to Alexander Calder's and stated that
"Polan's craft arcs out of the art world and into the real world in
the ways that Keith Haring's did." Saltz commented glowingly on
Polan's sincere approach: "He emitted his own kind of beautiful
psychic sunshine. Polan was an illustrator-drawer-artist of modern
art and life. There was no irony in his work. His was an art of
taking pleasure in and appreciating the people, places, and things
of the world. His oeuvre is a mirthful illustrated encyclopedia of
modern life, body language, styles, and habits."
Like Haring, Polan was a quintessential downtown New York artist
with an altruistic mission who drew inspiration from urban life. He
also profoundly engaged his fellow citizens without pretension,
which made him accessible and commercially appealing. Starting in
2016, Polan began collaborating with UNIQLO, Nike, Vans, and other
brands, producing designs for merchandise and apparel, as well as
Marvel Comics, for which he created a variant cover of The Amazing
Spider-Man #20. Throughout the 2010s, Polan also led open drawing
studios for families at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Polan's curiosity and openness as an artist extended to his
sensibility as a collector. The May 3rd auction showcases the
variety of Polan's creative output while presenting highlights such
as: ink on paper drawings by Barry McGee and Winsor McCay (est.
$2,000-3,000 each); a complete and crated Beautiful Losers
Portfolio, 2006 (est. $7,000-9,000), with works by Shepard
Fairey, KAWS, Cynthia Connolly, Harmony Korine, and others; Alec
Soth's inkjet print, Untitled (Dino at Truck Stop), 2011
(est. $3,000-5,000); compositions by Marcel Dzama, Bruce Timm, and
Matt Leines; and publications/ephemera related to Andy Warhol, Joe
Brainard, Raymond Pettibon, Wesley Willis, Joana Avillez, Stefan
Marx, and more.
All works in I Want to Know All of You: The Art & Collection
of Jason Polan will be on view in New York at High Line Nine at 507
W. 27th Street from April 22nd through May 2nd, timed to coincide
with Printed Matter's annual New York Art Book Fair, where Polan
would regularly exhibit. The live auction will take place in
Chicago on Friday, May 3rd, starting at 11 am Central at Wright,
which is located at 1440 W. Hubbard Street. Those who wish to
participate in person are welcome to attend. The sale will also
accommodate advanced bids, telephone bidding, and live online
bidding, through Wright's web catalog accompanied by inspired
visuals and engaging stories contextualizing Jason Polan's life and
art.
For media inquiries or further information, please reach out to
press@wright20.com.
About Rago/Wright
Rago/Wright is a network of independently owned art and design
brands in the auction industry. Rago and Wright joined forces in
2019, followed by the addition of LAMA in the fall of 2021 and in
2022 Toomey & Co. joined the firm. Together, the company brings
$100+ million in annual sales, has a team of 100, and more than a
century of combined business experience. With a national
coast-to-coast presence, shared clientele, technology, innovation,
and creativity, alongside expertise and shared passion, Rago/Wright
is uniquely positioned to serve a global audience while maintaining
a strong independent voice in the world of art and design.
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Sydney Portigal wright@milkandhoneypr.com