Is Josh Sperling the next KAWS? A crosser between painting and sculpture
Josh Sperling is an aspiring, young artist who many collectors in this country have not yet discovered for themselves. But a look at Sperling's works could well be “worthwhile” - especially as many of his sculptures and paintings are sold well above the target price range at renowned galleries and auction houses such as Philipps, Perrotin or Christie's. Learn more about Josh Sperling personally, his works and potential return opportunities for art fans and collectors.
Who is Josh Sperling?
Josh Sperling was born in 1984 in New York and comes from three generations of traditional furniture makers. An influence of generations that is still reflected today in the functional, precise and three-dimensional design of his works. Sperling completed his studies in fine arts at SUNY Potsdam in 2006 with a bachelor's degree and worked as a graphic designer. His time as a studio assistant from KAWS - a pop art artist and designer who served Sperling as an inspiration for his current art movement. He currently lives and works in Ithaca, New York.
In spring 2022, Galerie Perrotin in New York opened Sperling's celebrated exhibition “Daydream.” It showed new works, minimalistic monochrome works and large-scale ornate installations that occupied all three floors of the gallery's rooms on the Lower East Side.
Art in new forms
Color, fun & function: You could describe Josh Sperling's style in one way or another. He himself once said: “I think my works of art are concise in the way they convey their intended meaning, which is happiness. I've often thought of three words to describe my work: simple, beautiful and fun.”
Anyone who sees a work by Sperling for the first time may ask themselves: “Is that a painting or a sculpture?” In fact, his works blur the lines between painting and sculpture. Josh is known for his minimalistic, sculptural paintings, in which he mainly works with shaped canvases: the “Shaped Canvas.” To do this, he uses plywood shapes, which are cut out with a CNC machine and layered flat on top of each other. The artist is also appreciated for his skilful use of color. His studio has developed over 1,200 of his own color mixes and Sperling paints his works with a palette of bright, sometimes conflicting compositions. The materials used are usually acrylic paint on canvas and linen.
Josh Sperling has already had group and solo exhibitions in major cities around the world. These include New York, Paris, Brussels, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. His works are also in public collections such as the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Arsenal Contemporary in Montreal.
The exhibition “Daydream” was his biggest work exhibition to date, in which Sperling presented a return to characteristic motifs and at the same time presented a new series that continues his visions of form and color.
Most famous works
Josh Sperling is currently considered a “rising star” in the contemporary art world and is sought after by collectors also because of the associated return opportunities. His work has already been offered at auctions several times, with prices ranging from 1000 dollars to around 112,000 dollars, depending on the size and medium of the work of art. The most expensive painting “Dream Machine” to date was auctioned off at Christie's in 2019 and, at 112,000 dollars, was well above the estimated price. The work blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture, image and object. The contrast between curved curves and strict geometries, as well as three-dimensional canvas and flat panels, enhances the energy that the work of art radiates.
As part of the FINEXITY sponsorship of Wonderwalls: Arts & Toys Collection Exhibition, which will take place from September 30, 2022 to February 5, 2023 at the NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf, we provide Untitled Composite (2020) by Josh Sperling before. It is being fractionalized in the museum, and Josh Sperling fans and investors can already secure digital shares of this special work of art.
