Tommy Ton - ULTIMATE Evening & Photographs Day Sales London Thursday, May 17, 2018 | Phillips

ULTIMATE Evening & Photographs Day Sales

London Auction 18 May 2018

  • Provenance

    From the artist

  • Catalogue Essay

    Top: Meatball, Stephon ‘Steph’ Mendoza, Diana Dash
    Middle: Merrie Cherry, Shea Coulée, Unknown
    Bottom: Kim Chi, Unknown, Aja

    The nine captivating photographs in Werk! Qweens were taken by Tommy Ton, one of the world’s most influential street style photographers, outside the first RuPaul DragCon in New York City in September 2017. Founded by RuPaul, one of America’s most famous drag performers, DragCon is the world’s largest drag convention and the event of the season for drag queens and their fans. Ton was there to record the vibrant colours and the energy as the drag queens flocked to the streets.

    Stephon ‘Steph’ Mendoza poses elegantly in one of his signature hats while Brooklyn-based drag queen Merrie Cherry dances on the crosswalk. Shea Coulée, a former RuPaul Drag Race contestant and musician, stands her ground in the middle of the street, her blue fur coat billowing out behind her. Aja, another former RuPaul Drag Race contestant and founding member of the Haus of Aja, poses for the camera before dashing behind the parked cars. With his candid, witty and instinctive approach, Ton captures how fashion is used as an expression of individual creativity and identity.

    Since the launch of his fashion blog Jak & Jil (now tommyton.com) in 2007, Ton has continued to push the boundaries of street style photography, paving the way for a new digital generation. As seen in the present work, he is inspired by how people express themselves in the streets and his deep fascination with fashion influences his eye for detail. Ton’s images have been widely published, appearing in The New York Times and The Boston Globe, as well as on Style.com and GQ.com. He has collaborated with many global brands, including Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors and Swarovski and is active as a social media influencer with a unique take on fashion and culture. This unique work by Ton has been created exclusively for ULTIMATE and is available for sale for the first time.

ULTIMATE

26

Tommy Ton

Werk! Qweens

2017
Unique polyptych, comprising nine chromogenic prints, each flush-mounted.
Each image: 59.5 x 48.6 cm (23 3/8 x 19 1/8 in.)
Each frame: 65.5 x 54.6 cm (25 3/4 x 21 1/2 in.)
Overall: 200.5 x 167.8 cm (78 7/8 x 66 1/8 in.)
Signed and dated in ink, printed title and date on a Certificate of Authenticity accompanying the work.

This work is unique.

Estimate
£20,000 - 30,000 

Sold for £20,000

Contact Specialist
Genevieve Janvrin
Co-Head of Photographs, Europe
+33 1 53 71 77 87

Yuka Yamaji
Co-Head of Photographs, Europe
+44 20 7318 4098

ULTIMATE Evening & Photographs Day Sales

London Auction 18 May 2018