Vallots Auctioneers
Live Auction

MALE NUDES

Thu, Jul 25, 2024 11:00AM EDT
Lot 147

Wong Dowling (American, 1978 - 2007)

Estimate: $300 - $500

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,500 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
'Composite of Black Male Homoerotic Figures.' Oil stick on paper. Signed with the artist's monogram on the bottom right. 22 x 28"; 23 x 29" (overall). Framed, together with five prints of the artist's work (the whereabouts of the originals are presently unknown).

'Composite' is a scarce painting by this short-lived NYC artist. Dowling was a fixture in the East Village gay club and art scene in the 1990s. He had some early professional success, showing at PS 122 and Leslie Lohman (The Allure Show). He completed murals at: 37 Ave B and East 3rd St, New York City; 999 Blake Avenue at Linwood Street, Brooklyn, amongst others. Dowling was the illustrator for "The Chronicle of a Hip-Hop Legend," written by D.D. Turner circa the 1990s. TCOHHL was a quarterly independent comic book. After contracting HIV Dowling refused treatment and died shortly after his diagnosis in 2007. The Christian rapper G-Man recorded, "Little Brother (R.I.P. Wong Dowling)" as a tribute to the artist.

Dowling's work places an emphasis on the sexual psychology of his subjects, young gay black men. He worked in a similar manner to his contemporaries, such as Elizabeth Peyton, John Currin, and Marlene Dumas. While he showed many drawings at PS 122 the whereabouts of his extraordinary artwork are presently unknown.

Condition

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