In the late 1970s, New York was a city in decline. Half-deserted, broke and rundown, it was the perfect breeding ground for a revitalised creative scene that reasserted the city’s position at the centre of the art world. The Pictures Generation, graffiti art, hip hop, post-punk, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Neo-Expressionism, second wave feminism and gay right activism: suddenly a socio-political consciousness returned to the forefront of a new contemporary art practice. Now, Sotheby’s forthcoming Contemporary Art Evening Auction in London on 26 June will be led by an exceptional group of 10 works which speak to this exciting moment and its legacy. Spanning nearly four decades of artistic production, the collection will see some of the most famous names in contemporary art, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cecily Brown and Richard Prince, presented alongside
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