Gallery Climate Coalition, Christie’s and ClientEarth announce second sale of Artists for ClientEarth series. A year-long collaborative initiative propelling the art world in fight against climate change. Major work by Rashid Johnson is second donation to benefit ClientEarth, from group of international artists also including Cecily Brown, Antony Gormley, Beatriz Milhazes and Xie Nanxing.
Continuing a global campaign to galvanise the art market in the fight against climate change, a major work by American artist Rashid Johnson will be offered at Christie’s New York on November 9th as part of the ongoing series, Artists for ClientEarth.
Exceptional works by major international artists, including Cecily Brown, Antony Gormley, Rashid Johnson, Beatriz Milhazes and Xie Nanxing, are being placed for auction in Christie’s 20th / 21st Century marquee sales in London, New York and Hong Kong through 2021 and 2022, generously donated by the artists and their galleries – Hauser & Wirth, Thomas Dane Gallery, and White Cube – to raise funds directly in support of ClientEarth.
Rashid Johnson’s Bruise Painting “Or Down You Fall”, 2021 is the second work to be offered within the charitable grouping, and is being featured in the 21st Century Evening sale at Christie’s New York on November 9th. The painting, rendered in tonal shades of deep blue oil paint, is the first work of this series by the artist to ever come to auction. It carries a pre-sale estimate of 650,000 – 850,0000 USD.
Artists for ClientEarth launched with the sale of a Cecily Brown painting, There’ll be bluebirds, 2019, at Christie’s evening sale in London on 15th October, realising £3,502,500 – over four times its estimate of £700,000. Crucially, the series is designed so that each sale will offer works that are local to that location as far as possible, thereby cutting down on shipping – a key source of carbon emissions produced by the art world.
Gallery Climate Coalition has undertaken this initiative for ClientEarth in acknowledgement that, while the commercial art world contributes to the climate crisis, it is also a prime potential source of positive and meaningful change, both through systemic transformation of industry practices and through supporting and highlighting the important work that others are doing. In March 2021 Christie’s made a pledge to be net zero by 2030, and to become a member and patron of the GCC.
Partnering with ClientEarth moves the conversation forward and presents a critical opportunity to galvanise the art world through philanthropy, action and education. ClientEarth approaches the climate crisis in a unique and systemic way, by using the law to challenge industries, corporations and governments that are involved in the most polluting activities. ClientEarth’s team of specialist lawyers in hubs in Europe, Asia and the US use their skills and training to, among other things, block new coal power plants from being built, force governments to clean up air pollution and pressure leading multilateral lenders to withdraw funding for fossil fuels. The GCC and Christie’s have come together with ClientEarth to raise money, awareness and support from the art world for this essential work through the Artists for ClientEarth initiative.
Artists for ClientEarth will continue with the next sale of a work by Xie Nanxing in Hong Kong on 1st December 2021. Antony Gormley, Beatriz Milhazes, and further artists still to be announced, will be presented in the February and June sales in 2022.
©2021 Rashid Johnson, Gallery Climate Coalition, Christie’s, ClientEarth
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