Auction: July 16

Our curators picked their favorite items from our upcoming July 16 Provocateur: Curated by Jonathan LeVine Urban Art Signature® Auction.
| Walter's Picks Walter Ramirez | Consignment Director, Urban Art
Dan Witz Sick of it All, 2015
Dan Witz's Sick Of It All (2015) is one of the standout pieces from his Mosh Pit series—a powerful tribute to the hardcore punk scene. Inspired by the raw energy of shows by the band Sick of It All, the painting throws you straight into the chaos of a mosh pit, full of tangled bodies, flailing limbs, and pure emotion. Witz starts by photographing real crowds (sometimes using a pole-mounted camera), then paints over printed images using classical glazing techniques that give his work a surreal level of realism. Beyond just technical skill, Witz is a bit of a provocateur—his art doesn't just depict intensity, it confronts you with it. He blurs the line between beauty and violence, structure and frenzy, making viewers feel both captivated and uneasy.
Audrey Kawasaki If Only You Knew, 2013
Audrey Kawasaki's If Only You Knew from 2013 is a great example of her dreamy yet provocative style. Painted on wood panel using oil, acrylic, and graphite, it features one of her signature ethereal girls—soft, introspective, and emotionally layered. The natural wood grain becomes part of the piece, adding a warm, organic texture that contrasts with the smooth, porcelain-like skin of the subject. Kawasaki is known as a bit of a provocateur in the art world—not because she's shocking, but because she quietly challenges traditional ideas of femininity, sensuality, and vulnerability. With her mix of Japanese manga influences and Art Nouveau elegance, she creates work that's both gentle and haunting.
| Taylor's Picks Taylor Curry | Director, Modern & Contemporary Art
Vhils Hoarding #3, 2017
One of my favorite lots in the sale is this work by Portuguese artist Vhils (Alexandre Farto). It is a strong example of his signature subtractive process, in which he chisels, drills, and carves into surfaces to reveal portraiture embedded within architectural or found materials. Here, the artist uses a reclaimed wooden door as both canvas and context, layering the piece with reflective and painted geometric tiles that create a tension between figuration and abstraction. The etched portrait, likely created using a combination of power tools and acid, emerges subtly from the worn grain of the wood, a method Vhils developed from his early experiments with billboards, walls, and urban decay.
Doze Green Chango, 1997
This work by Doze Green reflects the artist's unique fusion of graffiti, Afro-futurism, and metaphysical symbology. A founding figure of the New York graffiti movement and a former member of the Rock Steady Crew, Green has spent decades developing a distinct visual language that blends rhythmic linework, layered iconography, and references to ancient systems of knowledge. Rendered on a bold orange background, the painting combines abstracted humanoid forms, circuit-like anatomy, and spiritual references. Green's use of overlapping transparencies, tagging elements, and fragmented typography signals his deep connection to hip-hop aesthetics, while the geometric structure and spiritual underpinnings give the work a philosophical dimension. In person, the scale is especially striking, the figures tower over the viewer, commanding attention not just with color and line, but with sheer physical presence. It's the kind of work that holds space, not just visually but energetically.
| Taylor's Picks Taylor Gattinella | Consignment Director, Modern & Contemporary Art
RETNA Untitled
This monumental bronze relief by RETNA is a powerful example of his sculptural work. Few pieces of this scale and medium have ever appeared at auction, making it a significant highlight of our sale. Bronze works by RETNA are relatively rare and signal a matured, museum-scale ambition in his oeuvre. While his murals and canvases operate within the realm of the street and gallery, his sculptural works often appear in in major collections and institutions. Across all media, RETNA's distinctive visual language is instantly recognizable through his iconic calligraphic script.
RISK Peaceful Warrior, 2022
Risk (Kelly Graval) is a pioneering American graffiti artist who emerged from the Los Angeles street art scene in the 1980s. He was one of the first artists to bring graffiti into the gallery space and commercial art world, blending street culture with fine art sensibilities. Risk is known for his vibrant color palettes, large-scale murals, and influential role in shaping West Coast graffiti culture. In Peaceful Warrior from 2022, acrylic, spray paint, glitter, pennies, and resin are layered to create a serene yet dynamic representation of Buddha.
| Hava's Pick Hava Toobian | Associate Specialist & Lead Cataloger, Urban Art
James Jean Bowler (Vessel), 2014
James Jean (b. 1979) is celebrated for his elaborate, dreamlike compositions that blur the boundaries between fantasy and fine art. Bowler Vessel (2014) is a striking example of his ability to merge classical technique with an otherworldly narrative sensibility. Executed in acrylic and gouache, the work depicts a luminous, biomorphic vessel that seems to float in a symbolic, atmospheric space—part ritual object, part surreal hallucination. Jean's mastery of fluid linework and controlled color gradients is on full display here, evoking influences from Art Nouveau, ukiyo-e, and contemporary illustration. The piece's title nods to the absurdist whimsy that underpins much of his work, inviting the viewer into an enigmatic universe where meaning is layered and elastic. Though best known for his prints and commercial collaborations, Jean's original paintings remain rare and highly sought-after, commanding attention for their technical finesse and richly coded iconography. Bowler Vessel exemplifies the poetic ambiguity and refined execution that define Jean's practice at its most mature.
Sincerely,
|  | Walter Ramirez Consignment Director, Urban Art WalterR@HA.com (212) 486-3521
|  | Taylor Curry Director, Modern & Contemporary Art TaylorC@HA.com (212) 486-3503
|  | Taylor Gattinella Consignment Director, Modern & Contemporary Art TaylorG@HA.com (212) 486-3681
|  | Hava Toobian Associate Specialist & Lead Cataloger, Urban Art HavaT@HA.com (214) 409-1491