“The [urban art] market has been going up for the past 10 years and I think it’s only the beginning of this climb,” says Arnaud Oliveux, head of the department at Artcurial. The French auction house has been hosting sales dedicated to the category since 2006, and on February 14 in Paris, Artcurial will celebrate its 10th anniversary with its Urban Art auction.Key examples by American artists from the beginning of the urban art movement will be up for sale, as well as works by other international names of the field, including JonOne’s “Pick & Mix” from 2003 (est. €13–18,000; $15–20,000), and “Almighty One” (est. €25–35,000; $28–39,000) from 1993. Street art collectors will gather for 186 lots across a wide range of price points, and the sale is slated to bring anywhere from €1,087,400 to €1,496,501 ($1.2–1.7 million).“In this discipline, it’s not the technique that determines the price of works, but the singularity and virtuosity of the artist,” says Oliveux. Works by famous artists, including JonOne, Os Gemeos, and Shepard Fairey can be found for roughly €10,000 ($11,000) and up. However, new or established buyers of the category can still find more affordable works by other artists, including: “Levalet…this French artist known for his Indian ink drawings spread all over the Parisian walls,” he says.
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