Born in Los Angeles, CA in 1974, Joel Mesler received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Mesler began painting in the early 2000s, and his work has since been shown at various exhibitions. In the past years he has held successful solo shows at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, Harper’s Books in New York, and, mostly recently, held his first solo exhibition in Asia at Lévy Gorvy Hong Kong.
Mesler’s paintings combine popular iconography, typography, and humor. Mesler’s work is personal—he draws from his childhood memories—yet his meditations on his past shed light on universal themes. Mesler is thoughtful in his exploring of emotions and the ways in which they are viewed and ingrained in the culture. His focus on language places his paintings in dialogue with other artists who emphasize the relationship between text and image, like Ed Ruscha and Christopher Wool. Although humorous, Mesler’s paintings only appear lighthearted at first, and often pose serious questions about identity, pain, healing, and acceptance. Mesler continues to experiment visually, adding new motifs and more elaborate elements to his vibrant, surrealist, and surprising compositions.
Practical Information
Joel Mesler
American (Born 1974)
Category: Ultra-Contemporary
In recent years, Mesler has exhibited internationally, including his 2022 solo exhibition with LGDR, Hong Kong. His most recent exhibition, Joel Mesler: The Rabbis is currently on view at Cheim & Read in New York and his first institutional show opens on February 19 2023 at the Long Museum in Shanghai. Joel Mesler has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai (2023); David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles (2023); Lévy Gorvy, Hong Kong (2021); Harper’s Books, East Hampton, New York (2020); and Simon Lee, London (2018). Mesler lives and works in East Hampton, New York.
Gallery Representation
David Kordansky Gallery
Joel Mesler – Artist – David Kordansky Gallery
LEVY GORVY
Joel Mesler – Lévy Gorvy (levygorvy.com)
PART I: SUMMARY
Auction Market Overview
2025 AUCTION STATISTICS
Turnover: USD 572,665
-52.1% vs. 2024
# Lots sold: 14
Sell-Through Rate: 88%
MARKET SEGMENTATION
50% of sales in the US
Highest Price Achieved at Auction:
USD 907,200
(10 May 2022)
Auction Summary
2025 Auction Highlights
14 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 572,665. With 2 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 88%. However, 2 lots were withdrawn, one at Phillips in Hong-Kong, on 28 September 2025, another one at Phillips in New-York on 14 May 2025. The highest price of 2025 was achieved by Untitled (Me and You), that sold at Sotheby’s in New-York, on 16 May 2025, for USD 88,900.
2025 Top 3 Lots
No lot sold for more than USD 100,000. 5 lots sold for more than USD 50,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 362,250, representing 63.3% of the total turnover of 2025.
2024 Auction Highlights
14 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 1,196,583. With 4 lots failing to sell the sell-through rate is 60%. The highest price has been achieved at Phillips in London on 8 March 2024, when Untitled (We are the World), a painting dated 2021 sold for GBP 165,100 (USD 209,347).
2024 Top 3 Lots
5 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 722,361, representing 60.4% of the total for 2024.
2023 Auction Highlights
11 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 2,263,405. With two lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 85%. The highest price has been achieved at Phillips in London on 2 March 2022, when Untitled (Play The Hits), a painting dated 2021 sold for GBP 533,400 (USD 636,819).
2023 Top 3 Lots
This is the only lot that sold for more than USD 500,000. 8 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 2,043,742, representing 90.3% of the total turnover for 2023.
2022 Auction Highlights
12 lots sold at auction in 2022 for a total turnover of USD 3,736,359. With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 92%. A new auction record for the artist was set at Christie’s in New-York on 10 May 2022, with To Life, a painting dated 2020, that sold for USD 907,200.
2022 Top 3 Lots
2021 Auction Highlights
14 lots sold at auction in 2021 for a total turnover of USD 2,613,302. With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. The highest price has been achieved at Sotheby’s in Hong-Kong, on 9 October 2021, when Untitled (Hopes & Dreams), a painting dated 2019, sold for HKD 3,024,000 (USD 388,454).
2021 Top 3 Lots
Top Lots
#1. To Life, 2020
Christie’s New-York: 10 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 907,200
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
To Life, 2020
Acrylic and pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2020’ (on the overlap)
#2. Untitled (You Deserve Great Things), 2020
Christie’s Shanghai: 1 March 2022
Estimated: CNY 600,000 – 900,000
CNY 5,870,000 / USD 898,160
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (You Deserve Great Things), 2020
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (226 x 165 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2020’ (on the overlap)
#3. Untitled (Play the Hits), 2021
Phillips London: 2 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 150,000 – 200,000
GBP 533,400 / USD 636,819
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempora… Lot 5 March 2023 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Play the Hits), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2021’ on the overlap
#4. Mystic Truths, 2021
Sotheby’s New-York: 20 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 403,200
Mystic Truths | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Mystic Truths, 2021
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated 2021 (on the overlap)
#5. Untitled (Hope and Dreams), 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 9 October 2021
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 3,024,000 / USD 388,454
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Hope and Dreams), 2019
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 on the overlap
PART II: AUCTION RESULTS
2026 Upcoming Lots
COMING SOON
2025 Auction Results
14 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 572,665. With 2 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 88%. However, 2 lots were withdrawn, one at Phillips in Hong-Kong, on 28 September 2025, another one at Phillips in New-York on 14 May 2025. The highest price of 2025 was achieved by Untitled (Me and You), that sold at Sotheby’s in New-York, on 16 May 2025, for USD 88,900.
2025 Top 3 Lots
No lot sold for more than USD 100,000. 5 lots sold for more than USD 50,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 362,250, representing 63.3% of the total turnover of 2025.
#1. Untitled (Me and You), 2021
Sotheby’s New-York: 16 May 2025
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 88,900
Untitled (Me and You) | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Me and You), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated 2021 (on the reverse)
#2. Untitled (Three Way), 2021
Christie’s New-York: 15 May 2025
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 75,600
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), Untitled (Three Way) | Christie’s
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Three Way), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2021’ (on the overlap)
#3. Untitled (Bananas), 2021
Phillips New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 100,000
USD 69,850
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Bananas), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated
“The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2021”
On the overlap
#4. Untitled (NY NY Night), 2021
Phillips New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 69,850
Joel Mesler Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Afternoon Session
#5. Untitled (Good Vibes), 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 58,050
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated
“Joel Mesler 2022 The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler”
on the overlap
USD 50,000
#6. Untitled (Wet Dream), 2022
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 March 2025
Estimated: HKD 300,000 – 500,000
HKD 378,000 / USD 48,570
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), Untitled (Wet Dream) | Christie’s
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Wet Dream), 2022
Pigment on linen
80×70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel M 2022’ (on the overlap)
#7. Untitled (Don’t Cry), 2020
Sotheby’s New-York: 1 October 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 40,640
Untitled (Don’t Cry) | Contemporary Discoveries | 2025 | Sotheby’s
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Don’t Cry), 2020
Pigment on linen
80×70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
#8. Untitled (Bees), 2021
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 30 May 2025
Estimated: HKD 200,000 – 400,000
HKD 302,400 / USD 38,570
JOEL MESLER (B.1974), Untitled (Bees) | Christie’s
JOEL MESLER (B.1974)
Untitled (Bees), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel M 21’ (on the overlap)
#9. Untitled (Burn Baby), 2020
Sotheby’s New-York: 16 May 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 35,560
Untitled (Burn Baby) | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Burn Baby), 2020
Pigment on linen
55×46 inches (139.7 x 116.8 cm)
Signed and dated 2020 (on the overlap)
#10. Untitled, 2018
Phillips New-York: 17 July 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 13,970
Joel Mesler Hoarder VI: The Migration
Untitled, 2018
Pigment on linen
“To my Elder The Estate of Joel Mesler The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2018”
On the overlap
#11. Untitled (Bruised Fruit), 2020
Estimated: HKD 180,000 – 280,000
HKD 107,950 / USD 13,875
Untitled (Bruised Fruit), 2020
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed with the artist’s signature and dated ‘2020’ (on the overlap)
#12. Untitled (N.Y. – L.A), 2016
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 8,255
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (N.Y. – L.A), 2016
Acrylic and pigment on linen
36×30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Signed, dated 2016 and inscribed The Estate of Joel Mesler (on the overlap)
#13. Untitled (Burn It Down #2), 2020
Estimated: USD 6,000 – 8,000
USD 6,350
Untitled (Burn It Down #2), 2020
Acrylic on poster
19 x 13 1/8 inches (48.3 x 33.3 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Joel Mesler Harpers March 2 2020’ (lower edge)
Signed again and stamped ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler’ (on the reverse)
#14. Untitled (Sunrise Sunset), 2016
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 4,445
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Sunrise Sunset), 2016
Acrylic and pigment on linen
36×30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Signed, dated 2016 and inscribed The Estate of Joel Mesler (on the overlap)
Lots Passed
Untitled (More Joy), 2022
Phillips online: 16 December 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
PASSED
Joel Mesler Modern & Contemporary Art: Online Auction, New York
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (More Joy), 2022
Pigment on linen
79 7/8 x 69 7/8 inches (202.9 x 177.5 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated “The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2022” on the overlap
Untitled (Spiritual Awakening), 2022
Christie’s London: 16 October 2025
Estimated: GBP 60,000 – 80,000
PASSED
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), Untitled (Spiritual Awakening) | Christie’s
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Spiritual Awakening), 2022
Acrylic and pigment on linen
80×70 inches (203.3 x 177.9 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2022’ and stamped twice ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler’ (on the overlap)
Lots Withdrawn
Untitled (Together as One), 2021
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
WITHDRAWN
Overall: 84×195 inches (213.4 x 495.3 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2021’ on the overlap of the right panel
2024 Auction Results
14 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 1,196,583. With 4 lots failing to sell the sell-through rate is 60%. The highest price has been achieved at Phillips in London on 8 March 2024, when Untitled (We are the World), a painting dated 2021 sold for GBP 165,100 (USD 209,347). 5 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 722,361, representing 60.4% of the total for 2024.
2024 Top 3 Lots
5 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 722,361, representing 60.4% of the total for 2024.
#1. Untitled (We are the World), 2021
Phillips London: 8 March 2024
Estimated: GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 165,100 / USD 209,347
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempo… Lot 123 March 2024 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (We are the World), 2021
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2021’ on the overlap
#2. Untitled (California Love), 2022
Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 152,400
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/contemporary-day-auction-3/untitled-california-love
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (California Love), 2022
Pigment on linen
80×70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
Signed and dated 2022 (on the overlap)
#3. Untitled (One Day at a Time), 2022
Phillips New-York: 20 November 2024
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 139,700
Joel Mesler – Modern & Contemporar… Lot 338 November 2024 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (One Day at a Time), 2022
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated “The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2022” on the overlap
#4. Untitled (Hugs), 2022
Phillips Hong-Kong: 31 May 2024
Estimated: HKD 750,000 – 1,000,000
HKD 889,000 / USD 113,814
https://www.phillips.com/detail/joel-mesler/HK010124/26
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Hugs), 2022
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2022’ on the overlap
#5. Untitled (One Love), 2022
Christie’s New-York: 17 May 2024
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 107,100
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6482586
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (One Love), 2022
Pigment on linen
80×70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2022’ (on the overlap)
#6. Untitled (Hopes and Dreams), 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 26 November 2024
Estimated: HKD 550,000 – 750,000
HKD 609,600 / USD 78,325
Joel Mesler – Modern & Contemporar… Lot 182 November 2024 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Hopes and Dreams), 2019
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2019’ on the overlap
Lights Out, 2023
Sotheby’s New-York: 2 October 2024
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 72,000
Lights Out | Contemporary Discoveries | 2024 | Sotheby’s
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Lights Out, 2023
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (178×127 cm)
Signed, dated 2023 and stamped The Estate of Joel Mesler (on the overlap)
Untitled (I), 2018
Phillips London: 11 October 2024
Estimated: GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 48,260 / USD 63,035
Joel Mesler – Modern & Contemporary… Lot 194 October 2024 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (I), 2018
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘I The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2018’ on the overlap
#5. Untitled (The Buck Stops Here), 2020
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 27 February 2024
Estimated: HKD 260,000 – 450,000
HKD 482,600 / USD 61,698
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (The Buck Stops Here), 2020
Pigment on linen
140×117 cm (55 1/8 x 46 inches)
Signed and dated 2020 on the overlap
Untitled (Makin Bacon), 2020
Sotheby’s London: 10 October 2024
Estimated: GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 42,000 / USD 54,880
Untitled (Makin Bacon) | Contemporary Day Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Makin Bacon), 2020
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Titled (centre); signed and dated 2020 (on the overlap)
Untitled (Happy Anniversary), 2019
Sotheby’s New-York: 2 October 2024
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 45,600
Untitled (Happy Anniversary) | Contemporary Discoveries | 2024 | Sotheby’s
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Happy Anniversary), 2019
Pigment on linen
50×70 inches (127 x 177.8 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 (on the reverse)
Untitled (You are Enough), 2021
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 11 November 2024
Estimated: HKD 300,000 – 500,000
HKD 312,000 / USD 40,125
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (You are Enough), 2021
Pigment on linen
70 1/8 x 50 inches (178×127 cm)
Signed, dated 2021 and inscribed (on the overlap)
We are the World, 2019
Christie’s London: 10 October 2024
Estimated: GBP 50,000 – 80,000
GBP 30,240 / USD 39,510
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), We are the World | Christie’s
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
We are the World, 2019
Pigment on linen
50 1/8 x 70 1/8 inches (127.3 x 178 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2019’ (on the overlap)
#6. Untitled (Rising Glen), 2018
Sotheby’s New-York: 4 March 2024
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 19,050
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/contemporary-discoveries-4/untitled-rising-glen
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Rising Glen), 2018
Pigment on linen
36×30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Passed Lots
Untitled (NY NY Night), 2021
Sotheby’s New-York: 1 March 2024
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 90,000
PASSED
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/contemporary-curated/untitled-ny-ny-night
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (NY NY Night), 2021
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed, dated 2021 and variously inscribed (on the overlap)
2023 Auction Results
11 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 2,263,405.
With two lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 85%. The highest price has been achieved at Phillips in London on 2 March 2022, when Untitled (Play The Hits), a painting dated 2021 sold for GBP 533,400 (USD 636,819). This is the only lot that sold for more than USD 500,000. 8 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 2,043,742, representing 90.3% of the total turnover for 2023.
2023 Top 3 Lots
#1. Untitled (Play the Hits), 2021
Phillips London: 2 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 150,000 – 200,000
GBP 533,400 / USD 636,819
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempora… Lot 5 March 2023 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Play the Hits), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2021’ on the overlap
#2. Untitled (In the Beginning), 2021
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 5 October 2023
Estimated: HKD 2,000,000 – 3,000,000
HKD 2,782,000 / USD 356,894
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (In the Beginning), 2021
Pigment on linen, in 3 parts
Each: 84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Overall: 84×195 inches (213.3 x 495.3 cm)
Signed and dated 2021 on the overlap
#3. Untitled (On The Rocks), 2021
K Auction Seoul: 29 March 2023
Estimated: KRW 350,000,000 – 600,000,000
KRW 402,500,000 / USD 312,797
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (On The Rocks), 2021
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Titled on the upper center
Signed, sealed and dated on the reverse
#4. Untitled (Sunrise Sunset), 2020
Sotheby’s New-York: 19 May 2023
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 241,300
Untitled (Sunrise Sunset) | Contemporary Day Auction | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Sunrise Sunset), 2020
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated 2020 (on the overlap)
#5. Untitled (Hopes and Dreams), 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 5 April 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 1,219,200 / USD 155,310
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Hopes and Dreams), 2019
Pigment on linen
46×76 inches (117×193 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 on the overlap
#6. Untitled (Los Angeles), 2021
Christie’s New-York: 10 November 2023
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 126,000
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Los Angeles), 2021
Pigment on linen
80×70 inches (203.2 x 177.8 cm)
#7. Untitled (OK/OK), 2020
Phillips Hong-Kong: 31 March 2023
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 889,000 / USD 113,248
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempo… Lot 109 March 2023 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (OK/OK), 2020
Pigment on linen
54 7/8 x 46 1/8 inches (139.5 x 117 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2020’ on the overlap
#8. Untitled (Hope and Dreams), 2019
Seoul Auction: 25 July 2023
Estimated: KRW 120,000,000 – 250,000,000
KRW129,800,000 / USD 101,374
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Hope and Dreams), 2019
Pigment on linen
54 7/8 x 46 1/8 inches (139.5 x 117 cm)
#9. Untitled (Jewish Joel), 2018
Sotheby’s London: 13 October 2023
Estimated: GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 76,200 / USD 92,836
Untitled (Jewish Joel) | Contemporary Day Auction | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Jewish Joel), 2018
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.6 x 127 cm)
Partially titled; signed and dated 2018 (on the overlap)
#10. Untitled (Sky Blue), 2019
Sotheby’s New-York: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 69,850
Untitled (Sky Blue) | Contemporary Curated | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Sky Blue), 2019
Pigment on linen
65×50 inches (165.1 x 127 cm)
Signed, dated 2019 and variously inscribed (on the overlap)
#11. Untitled (w), 2018
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 26 July 2023
Estimated: UKD 350,000 – 550,000
HKD 444,500 / USD 56,977
Untitled (w) 無題（W） | Contemporary Curated: Hong Kong | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (w), 2018
Pigment on linen
48×40 inches (121.9 x 101.6 cm)
Signed, titled and dated 2018 on the overlap
2022 Auction Results
12 lots sold at auction in 2022 for a total turnover of USD 3,736,359.
With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 92%. A new auction record for the artist was set at Christie’s in New-York on 10 May 2022, with To Life, a painting dated 2020, that sold for USD 907,200.
2022 Top 3 Lots
#1. To Life, 2020
Christie’s New-York: 10 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 907,200
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
To Life, 2020
Acrylic and pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2020’ (on the overlap)
#2. Untitled (You Deserve Great Things), 2020
Christie’s Shanghai: 1 March 2022
Estimated: CNY 600,000 – 900,000
CNY 5,870,000 / USD 898,160
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (You Deserve Great Things), 2020
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (226 x 165 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2020’ (on the overlap)
#3. Mystic Truths, 2021
Sotheby’s New-York: 20 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 403,200
Mystic Truths | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Mystic Truths, 2021
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated 2021 (on the overlap)
#4. Untitled (E), 2017
Seoul Auction: 22 February 2022
Estimated: KRW 300,000,000 – 400,000,000
KRW 377,600,000 / USD 335,495
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (E), 2017
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed, dated and inscribed ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler’ (on the overlap)
#5. Untitled (Early Bird), 2019
Christie’s London: 28 June 2022
Estimated: GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 201,600 / USD 246,063
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Early Bird), 2019
Acrylic on linen
65×60 inches (165.2 x 127.2 cm)
Signed, dated and inscribed ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler, Joel Mesler 2019’ (on the overlap)
#6. I Am Happy Joyous and Free, 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 6 October 2022
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 1,890,000 / USD 240,767
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
I Am Happy Joyous and Free, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
50×70 inches (127 x 177.5 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 on the reverse overlapping edge
#7. Untitled (S), 2017
Phillips Hong-Kong: 21 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 192,616
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempor… Lot 120 June 2022 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (S), 2017
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.6 x 127.2 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The EstAte of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2017 The Estate of Joel Mesler’ on the overlap
#9. New York, New York, 2021
Christie’s New-York: 18 November 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 138,600
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), New York, New York | Christie’s (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
New York, New York, 2021
Acrylic and pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 21’ (on the overlap)
#10. Untitled (In n Out), 2020
Phillips New-York: 19 May 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 126,000
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempora… Lot 337 May 2022 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (In n Out), 2020
Pigment on linen
55×46 inches (139.7 x 116.8 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated “The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2020” on the overlap
#10. Untitled (In n Out), 2020
Phillips New-York: 19 May 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 126,000
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempora… Lot 337 May 2022 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (In n Out), 2020
Pigment on linen
55×46 inches (139.7 x 116.8 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated “The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2020” on the overlap
#11. Untitled (Home Theater), 2017
Phillips New-York: 16 November 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 31,500
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Conte… Lot 408 November 2022 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Home Theater), 2017
Pigment on linen
36×30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated “The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2017” on the overlap
#12. Untitled (Down and Out in Beverly Hills), 2017
Christie’s New-York: 29 September 2022
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 31,500
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), Untitled (Down and Out in Beverly Hills) | Christie’s (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Down and Out in Beverly Hills), 2017
Pigment on linen
48×40 inches (121.9 x 101.6 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2017’ (on the overlap)
2021 Auction Results
14 lots sold at auction in 2021 for a total turnover of USD 2,613,302.
With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. The highest price has been achieved at Sotheby’s in Hong-Kong, on 9 October 2021, when Untitled (Hopes & Dreams), a painting dated 2019, sold for HKD 3,024,000 (USD 388,454).
2021 Top 3 Lots
#1. Untitled (Hope and Dreams), 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 9 October 2021
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 3,024,000 / USD 388,454
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Hope and Dreams), 2019
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.8 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 on the overlap
#2. New York, New York, 2021
Christie’s New-York: 11 May 2021
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 275,000
Property to Benefit CORE: Community Organized Relief Effort
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), New York, New York | Christie’s (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
New York, New York, 2021
Acrylic and pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2021 NY NY It works if you work it’ (on the overlap)
#3. Untitled, 2020
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 2 December 2021
Estimated: HKD 400,000 – 600,000
HKD 2,125,000 / USD 272,666
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), Untitled | Christie’s (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled, 2020
Pigment on linen
46×76 inches (116.8 x 193 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2020’ (on the overlap)
#4. We are the World, 2019
Sotheby’s New-York: 19 November 2021
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 100,000
USD 252,000
We are the World | Contemporary Day Auction | 2021 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
We are the World, 2019
Acrylic on linen
50×70 inches (127 x 177.8 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 (on the overlap)
#5. Untitled (c), 2018
Seoul Auction: 23 November 2021
Estimated: KRW 200,000,000 – 300,000,000
KRW 276,000,000 / USD 251,963
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (c), 2018
Pigment on linen
48×40 inches (122 x 101.4 cm)
Signed and dated 2018 (on the overlap)
#6. Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood), 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 8 June 2021
Estimated: HKD 400,000 – 600,000
HKD 1,638,000 / USD 211,085
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contemporar… Lot 6 June 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood), 2019
Acrylic on linen
45 7/8 x 76 inches (116.8 x 193 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2019’ on the overlap
#8. Fingers Crossed, 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 19 April 2021
Estimated: HKD 200,000 – 300,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 194,689
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Fingers Crossed, 2019
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (178×127 cm)
#8. Untitled (Night Out), 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2021
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 193,923
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 11 November 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Night Out), 2019
Pigment on linen
70 1/8 x 50 1/8 inches (178.1 x 127.3 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2019’ on the overlap
#9. D, 2017
Sotheby’s New-York: 13 May 2021
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 138,600
D | Contemporary Art Day Auction | 2021 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
D, 2017
Oil on canvas
70×50 inches (177×127 cm)
#10. Untitled, 2018
Phillips New-York: 28 September 2021
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 126,000
Joel Mesler – New Now New York Lot 3 September 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled, 2018
Pigment on linen
48×40 inches (121.9 x 101.6 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated “The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2018” on the overlap
#11. Untitled (k), 2018
Phillips London: 14 October 2021
Estimated: GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 88,200 / USD 120,706
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 121 October 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (k), 2018
Pigment on linen
48 x 40 1/8 inches (122 x 101.8 cm)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘K The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2018’ on the overlap
#12. Untitled (f), 2018
Phillips New-York: 21 June 2021
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 107,100
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempor… Lot 332 June 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (f), 2018
Pigment on linen
48×40 inches (121.9 x 101.6 cm)
Signed, partially titled, inscribed and dated “f The Estate of Joel Mesler The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2018” on the overlap
#13. Untitled, 2016
Sotheby’s New-York: 12 March 2021
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 47,880
Untitled | Contemporary Curated | 2021 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 30 1/4 inches (91.4 x 76.8 cm)
Signed and dated 2016 on the overlap
#14. Untitled (Indoor Pool), 2017
Phillips London: 9 December 2021
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 25,200 / USD 33,236
Joel Mesler – New Now London Lot 35 December 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Indoor Pool), 2017
Pigment on linen
36×30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2017’ on the overlap
PART III: FOCUS
Record Breakers
To Life, 2020
Christie’s New-York: 10 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 907,200
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
To Life, 2020
Acrylic and pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2020’ (on the overlap)
With humor, playfulness, and insight, Joel Mesler distills complex emotions into collage-like scenes, creating a documentary of daily life that is both relatable and his own. He often uses surprising juxtapositions in his imagery to pursue the truth of our complicated times. To Life is a loaded celebration, one that acknowledges our transient and fragile nature. It recalls a central number of the same name from the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof, itself a meditation on joy and loss. Honoring the beauty and transience of life in the face of an uncertain future has always been the function of art. The background of To Life is populated by Mesler’s signature banana leaf motifs that were inspired by the wallpaper of the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel in his native Los Angeles. It is reminiscent of the lush imagery of Paul Gauguin or Henri Rousseau, but in the place of figures is text, carefully painted with the blockishness of a neon sign. A generous drink, blue and white like Chinese porcelain, becomes a vortex comprised of Mesler’s layered strokes, and the eye of the storm looks back at us winkingly.
Unsurprisingly, Rashid Johnson has noted that Mesler’s “palette is beautiful” (B. Kachka, “How an Art Dealer Became an Up-and-Coming Painter,” New York Times Magazine, June 19, 2018). The strong hues and graphicness are indicative of Mesler’s additional history as a printer. Dancing liquid flies throughout To Life and intermingles with the text and leaves, creating atomized clouds of smoke. Given Mesler’s roots in Los Angeles, Ed Ruscha is an important reference, especially his Liquid Paintings of the 1960s, which present words as flowing, painterly entities. In both the Liquid Paintings and To Life, there is a pleasurable tactility that pulls the viewer into the scene, asking us to raise a glass of our own.
Untitled (Play the Hits), 2021
Phillips London: 2 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 150,000 – 200,000
GBP 533,400 / USD 636,819
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempora… Lot 5 March 2023 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Play the Hits), 2021
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2021’ on the overlap
Bright, bold, and unapologetically playful, Californian artist Joel Mesler’s canvases are instantly recognizable in their juxtaposition of familiar, resonant phrases against highly stylized backgrounds. Universal in its appeal, Untitled (Play the Hits) has a sharp, graphic quality that nods to Mesler’s earlier printmaking practice on a technical level, while its wry humor draws on more personal autobiographic elements gleaned from the artist’s childhood. Coming to painting later in life after a mercurial career that saw him working as a landlord and art dealer amongst other ventures, Mesler creates nuanced, vibrant canvases which explore the relationship between word and image, combining the personal and the universal as family history dovetails with more collective experiences.
Henri Rousseau, Combat de tigre et de buffle, 1908, Cleveland Museum of Art. Image: Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Hanna Fund 1949.186
Created by applying paint directly onto the canvas’s raw linen in a series of carefully layered brushstrokes, Mesler’s energetic colors and precise sense of pictorial precision make his work highly accessible, drawing frequent comparison to the direct style and simplicity of children’s picture books as well as the exotic fauna of Henri Rousseau’s stylized scenes. As in Rousseau’s canvases, the long, sculptural fronds of palms and banana leaves are a signature element that recurs throughout Mesler’s oeuvre, conjuring the imaginative jungles of our childhood games and stories which the artist then populates with seemingly unrelated motifs, here including a lone leopard, sauntering over scorching sand; a glittering disco ball suspended, impossibly, above his head; and a host of strange, brightly colored lights dance in the skies overhead. Although charmingly familiar at first glance, the closer we gaze into the depths of Mesler’s imaginary jungle scene, other more unsettling elements begin to emerge. Avian forms appear to melt, as if evaporating in the sweltering heat rising from the red-hot ground, where licking flames dance at the edges of shimmering pools of cool water, watched over by a sinister pair of large, red eyes. Through these careful juxtapositions and the artist’s characteristically direct style, Mesler harnesses a powerful dramatic tension in Untitled (Play the Hits) as the disparate pictorial elements spar against each other, a more emotional undercurrent that can be read in relation to certain autobiographical details submerged in the visually rich composition.
The luscious, exotic fauna that features so prominently in Mesler’s work is in fact directly drawn from his childhood memories – a ‘poisoned madeleine’, that returned Mesler to the iconic wallpaper of the Beverly Hills hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles where the artist spent these turbulent years. Marked by addiction and trauma, Mesler’s affluent childhood was not always happy, his father prone to violent outbursts and reckless behaviors as his parent’s protracted divorce became increasingly rancorous. If the dense, jungle foliage recalls these tense moments in the Beverly Hills Hotel with his father, we might also read in the delicate webbed patterns of the sections of water in Untitled (Play the Hits), a reference both to the ubiquity of swimming pools in Los Angeles and, more precisely, to the pool parties that his mother used to host for her friends when he was younger. As is so often the case – and certainly appears to have been so for the artist – life is not always what it seems, the smooth, attractive surface that we present to the world often hiding more difficult realities beneath. It is this tension that best describes Mesler’s compositions, which the viewer is encouraged to approach on their own terms, finding a whimsical retelling of some childhood fantasy, or the darker “underbelly of something else.”
Emblazoned across the center of the present work and rendered in pink, candy-striped bubble letters, the titular phrase ‘Play the Hits’ reappears throughout Mesler’s work and has a deadpan, somewhat dualistic nature to it, operating at once as a celebration and a criticism. In its employment of typographic elements, Untitled (Play the Hits) connects itself to a rich tradition of artists who examined the possibilities of juxtaposing text and image. In the early decades of the 20th century, Surrealist master Magritte explored the unexpected concepts that arose from the witty juxtaposition of words and pictures, creating a series of enigmatic paintings that challenged pictorial convention. While his infamous La trahison des images (Ceci n’est pas une pipe) from 1929 wittily highlights the inherent slipperiness of the relationship of the object to both language and the image, works such as L’usage de la parole speak more directly to ways language operates by substituting a concept with a word.
Left: René Magritte, L’usage de la parole (The Uses of Speech), 1927-29, Private Collection. Image: © NPL – DeA Picture Library / G. Nimatallah / Bridgeman Images, Artwork: © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2023
Right: Ed Ruscha, Pay Nothing Until April, 2003, Tate Collection, London. Image: © Tate, Artwork: © Ed Ruscha
Later, visionaries such as Ed Ruscha and Christopher Wool built on this theoretical approach by removing any objective link, allowing sometimes provocative sometimes subtle words to become free-standing as they were inscribed directly onto the primed canvas. Departing from the legacy established by these artists however, the bond between word and image in Mesler’s paintings is more autobiographical than conceptual. Words and phrases are reeled in from moments in his childhood – utterings from his parents as they were putting him to bed which were absorbed into the jungle wallpaper of his bedroom to create vivid dreamscapes in his childhood imagination. Contrasting to the more reassuring sentiments of other works such as ‘YOU DESERVE GREAT THINGS’ and ‘THE WORLD IS YOURS’, ‘PLAY THE HITS’ is more cryptic. On a personal level, perhaps it reflects his mother telling his father to cue the music as Mesler’s mind drifts into dream, echoes from the grown-up world surreptitiously find their way into the guileless subconscious of the child, and since it is so vague, we are each invited to conjure up our own definition.
Untitled (Hopes and Dreams), 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 5 April 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 1,219,200 / USD 155,310
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (Hopes and Dreams), 2019
Pigment on linen
46×76 inches (117×193 cm)
Signed and dated 2019 on the overlap
After almost two decades as an art dealer working between Los Angeles and New York, Mesler moved out to the country to focus on his painting, which was, until that point, a mere pastime. In subject and style, the tropical vegetation of Mesler’s compositions evoke the fantastical jungles of Paul Gauguin and Henri Rousseau, and the exotic flora and fauna printed on mid-century American wallpapers. To these scenes, Mesler adds experimental phrases rendered in vibrantly colored script. In dialogue with the likes of Ed Ruscha and Christopher Wool, Mesler’s boldly iconographic canvases explore the relationship between text and image. Composed on raw linen, Mesler’s distinctive style and deadpan texts act as a commentary on the artist’s many roles; son, father, artist, art dealer. Visually captivating and deceptively sweet, there lurks beneath the gloss and the glamour a certain existential malaise. Capturing the unlikely harmony between happiness, celebration and loneliness, Mesler’s work is as charming as it is enigmatic.
Whilst the bold, leafy pattern and graphic elements of Untitled (Hopes and Dreams) (2020) recall the vernacular of Los Angeles and Southern California design, the composition of the present work is derived from a history more personal. When the curator of Mesler’s 2017 exhibition “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” texted him a photo from the Beverly Hills Hotel, it brought forward a memory of the artist’s childhood. Prior to his parents’ divorce, Mesler vividly recalls an argument between the two while they were eating at the hotel’s infamous Fountain Coffee room. Boasting the original banana leaf wallpaper designed by Albert Stockdale in 1942, Mesler has subsequently described how he “remembered scratching the wallpaper, having it in my nails.”
From this recollection, Mesler felt the tides of inspiration, deciding to use those motifs and to “reappropriate them for myself and then use them in order to create my own language.” Recalling hazy summer days, the sumptuous California sun is setting fire to the tangerine hued “Hopes and Dreams”, yet, in characteristic Mesler style, the despotic message isn’t unilateral; the lush leaves in vivid green remain intact, withstanding the fiery red threatening to engulf it. Mesler’s expert blending of lush patterns and lithographic typology will be exhibited in the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in Asia at Shanghai’s Long Museum (West Bund) from February to April 2023.
Other Paintings
Untitled (Hugs), 2022
Phillips Hong-Kong: 31 May 2024
Estimated: HKD 750,000 – 1,000,000
HKD 889,000 / USD 113,814
https://www.phillips.com/detail/joel-mesler/HK010124/26
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Hugs), 2022
Pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2022’ on the overlap
Characterized by bold colors, stylized patterns, and unique text, the present lot Untitled (HUGS) is representative of the artist’s recent large-scale masterpieces that reveal aspects of his personal and artistic growth. It exudes an ‘eye candy’ aesthetic with incredible vitality through the lustrous, bold metallic red balloons as the focal point floating amidst a host of playful, free-floating motifs including the sun, the rainbow, the iconic Martinique banana leaf-like pattern, the pool, the kids pool floaties in various shapes and forms, the playball, and the signature red snake that slithers throughout.
Set in an imagined environment of the lush jungle and the aqueous pool, Untitled (HUGS) is at first glance a visual feast that dazzles, yet there is much more than that first ‘eye candy’ attraction on a surface level as Mesler uses his image to provide an intimate glimpse into the dichotomies of his own life – his relationship with his parents, his father’s drug abuse and his parent’s divorce. Whilst he taps into some of the joy that he experienced as a child, Mesler also recalls his pool parties during his younger days being a lot more than the gloss and the glory. Much of Mesler’s inspiration has derived from his “journey of presentness”, a mentality of appreciating the present moment and living by the mantra “one day at a time”. Taking inspiration from the trauma and memories of his personal life, it draws many parallels to American contemporary artist Jeff Koons, in particularly with his Celebration series that was first conceived in 1993.
Like Mesler’s pictorial images, though Koons’ pieces appear simplistic and cheerful at first glance, this body of work references a darker life milestone from his own biography. Koons had a volatile relationship with Ilona Staller, Italy’s most celebrated adult actress and his wife at the time, which resulted in separation within two years of their marriage, a divorce six years later and a rather ugly custody proceeding of their son Ludwig. The creation of the Celebration series was Koons’ way to move forward and heal. It consisted of 16 monumental sculptures including his Balloon Dog, Diamond and Ribbon. Despite their different approaches in the art form, both works share the power to evoke nostalgia and tackle profound issues of identity, pain, healing, and acceptance. They beckon viewers to simpler times although it might serve as traumatic memories for them, suggesting that joy can be found in the simple pleasures of self-reflection and self-restoration.
Installation view of the Untitled (Hugs) (another version) shown at Joel Mesler: Spiritual Journey, 2023.2.19－2023.4.18, Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai. Artwork: © Joel Mesler
By gazing at the playful imagery created by Mesler in Untitled (HUGS), he invites viewers to consider the ways in which art can distil the complexities of human emotion into universal symbols. He further challenges us to reconsider the objects and experiences that we hold dear, prompting us to reflect on our own human connections. In the interplay of Mesler’s raw emotions laid out on his canvas, a sense of harmony comes to light through the juxtaposition of both happy and sad memories and serves as a reminder that positivity and rebirth comes at each new day.’ The present work stands as a testament to his most defining and expansive pictorial works, not only departing from his formative examples, but also bearing a myriad of insights that encourage healing and self-recovery.
Untitled (In the Beginning), 2021
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 5 October 2023
Estimated: HKD 2,000,000 – 3,000,000
HKD 2,782,000 / USD 356,894
JOEL MESLER (b. 1974)
Untitled (In the Beginning), 2021
Pigment on linen, in 3 parts
Each: 84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Overall: 84×195 inches (213.3 x 495.3 cm)
Signed and dated 2021 on the overlap
After almost two decades as an art dealer working between Los Angeles and New York, Mesler moved out to the country to focus on his painting, which was, until that point, a mere pastime. In subject and style, the tropical vegetation of Mesler’s compositions evoke the fantastical jungles of Paul Gauguin and Henri Rousseau, and the exotic flora and fauna printed on mid-century American wallpapers. To these scenes, Mesler adds experimental phrases rendered in vibrantly colored script. In dialogue with the likes of Ed Ruscha and Christopher Wool, Mesler’s boldly iconographic canvases explore the relationship between text and image. Composed on raw linen, Mesler’s distinctive style and deadpan texts act as a commentary on the artist’s many roles; son, father, artist, art dealer. Visually captivating and deceptively sweet, there lurks beneath the gloss and the glamour a certain existential malaise. Capturing the unlikely harmony between happiness, celebration and loneliness, Mesler’s work is as charming as it is enigmatic.
Whilst the bold, leafy pattern and graphic elements of Untitled (In the Beginning) (2021) recall the vernacular of Los Angeles and Southern California design, the composition of the present work is derived from a history more personal. Prominently exhibited at the artist’s first solo exhibition in Asia, Joel Mesler: In the Beginning at Lévy Gorvy, Hong Kong, in 2021, the present work is inspired by the artist’s childhood dreams.
“The paintings come out of the memories of nights my parents would go out for the evening… As I would fall asleep, all these elements would swirl through my mind as I hit REM. Their parting words to me, ‘Honey, you deserve great things’ and ‘The world is yours,’ and the animals in my wallpaper would meet with the furs of my mother’s jackets, the colors of their clothes and the smells of their perfume and cologne…The paintings in this show are my dreamscapes as my parents and I moved through the night”
Amongst the leafy overgrowth, the evolution of man is depicted in the artist’s characteristic graphic style and heady concoction of colors, a process of history which extends to what lies in man’s future; the final stage of human development sees two figures become one. In linking these fantastic depictions to humankind’s history, Mesler makes his personal memories closely related to cultural touchstones and the elements of human universal consciousness.
Untitled (Early Bird), 2019
Christie’s London: 28 June 2022
Estimated: GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 201,600 / USD 246,063
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974) (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
Untitled (Early Bird), 2019
Acrylic on linen
65×60 inches (165.2 x 127.2 cm)
Signed, dated and inscribed ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler, Joel Mesler 2019’ (on the overlap)
With its snaking graphic letters emblazoned upon a tropical colored background, Untitled (Early Bird) is a vibrant example of Joel Mesler’s distinctive word paintings. Redolent of the punchy text-based works of artists such as Ed Ruscha and Christopher Wool, close inspection reveals that each letter is formed from brightly colored worms, invoking the well-known saying ‘the early bird catches the worm’. In the background, Mesler’s signature leaf patterns are imposed like cut-outs on a glowing orange color field, conjuring the botanical worlds of Matisse and Rousseau. The motif itself, however, has a somewhat different origin, inspired by the famous Martinique wallpaper at the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, where Mesler spent time as a child during his parents’ complex divorce. Combining wit and humor with poignant flashes of his own autobiography, works such as the present filter painful memories through a colorful ’80s-inspired Pop vernacular, their iconographic slogans charged with private, oblique poetry.
Mesler vividly remembers the day his parents’ marriage broke down, over brunch at the Beverley Hills Hotel’s Polo Bar. Mesler was eleven years old at the time, and the hotel’s distinctive banana-leaf décor—synonymous for many with the heyday of Southern Californian style—would forever remind him of that time. More recently, however, his work has focused on ideas of acceptance, replacing the ill-fated hotel wallpaper with memories of the jungle prints in his childhood bedroom, where his parents would kiss him goodnight before going out for the evening. ‘Their parting words to me, “Honey, you deserve great things” and “The world is yours,” and the animals in my wallpaper would meet with the furs of my mother’s jackets, the colors of their clothes and the smells of their perfume and cologne’ he recalls (J. Mesler, quoted in press release for Joel Mesler: In the Beginning, Lévy Gorvy, Hong Kong 2021). Indeed, the present work’s text ultimately alludes to a message of hope, positivity and ambition, suspended against the colors of a flaming Californian sunset.
Untitled (S), 2017
Phillips Hong-Kong: 21 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 192,616
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contempor… Lot 120 June 2022 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (S), 2017
Pigment on linen
70×50 inches (177.6 x 127.2 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The EstAte of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2017 The Estate of Joel Mesler’ on the overlap
Employing stylized patterns, letters, and symbols that are simultaneously personal to the artist and universally accessible, Joel Melser’s graphically refined visual language has captured the attention of the contemporary art world, with his top 3 results at auction already achieved in 2022. The present work, Untitled (S) brilliantly illustrates Mesler’s distinctive approach, presenting the viewer with a well-balanced composition backgrounded by a bold, banana-leaf pattern that takes its inspiration from the iconic Martinique wallpaper in the Beverly Hills Hotel. Rendered in ruby-red at the centre of the canvas are two layered serpents who gaze out at the viewer from behind wide eyes.
Andy Warhol, Dollar Sign, 1982 / Sold by Phillips, Hong Kong, 8 June 2020 for HK$6,542,000 (Premium)
With one snake ruler-straight and one swirled into the shape of a letter S, their striking bodies merge to form a large dollar sign, immediately calling to mind Andy Warhol’s Pop Art explorations of the symbol. For Warhol, who was fascinated with commodity culture, the “$” shape represented its very essence—cash—and he used it as a motif to represent the crucial intersections between art and wealth. Contrastingly, as made evident by his 2018 solo show at Simon Lee in London titled The Alphabet of Creation (For Now), Mesler adopts the snake as a special vehicle to weave form and text into his work, such as the dollar symbol in Untitled (S).
Defendente Ferrari, Eve Tempted by the Serpent, circa 1520-25
Collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, United States
Though remaining relatively ambiguous, in combining the currency shaped vipers with the overlapping banana leaf pattern iconised by the glamorous Beverly Hills Hotel—a place famous for playing host to Hollywood royalty—perhaps Untitled (S) draws from Mesler’s wry humour to, like Warhol, evoke satirical ideas of value, wealth, consumerism, and the ideology of the American dream. This reading is further supplemented by the snakes in present works symbolically referencing the devious serpent in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, who tempts Eve to sin and taste a forbidden fruit, resulting in the pair being cast out of their paradise home in the Garden of Eden.
Interior of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles, showcasing the famous Martinique wallpaper print
Touted as one of the most recognizable prints in the world that has become synonymous with Southern California style, Mesler’s inclusion of the Martinique pattern also marks a more personal link to the artist. In particular, a memory of a family Easter brunch at the Polo Bar of the hotel, held just at the start of his parent’s long divorce. The meal abruptly came to an end when his father tossed the dining table, ‘splattering eggs Benedict on his wife’s lap and shouting “I can’t take it anymore!” Eleven-year-old Joel chased his manic father out the door while his mother followed behind in their tan Mercedes station wagon’. As Mesler has since explained, ‘I remembered scratching the wallpaper, having it in my nails’, instantly deciding ‘this is where my next body of work is coming from’. At the same time, whilst the leafy design is further reminiscent of the lush imagery of Paul Gauguin or Henri Rousseau, Mesler imbues it with a laidback, feel-good style that is unique to the artist, and resonates with the deep yearning for relaxation in our fast-paced, modern life.
Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood), 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 8 June 2021
Estimated: HKD 400,000 – 600,000
HKD 1,638,000 / USD 211,085
Joel Mesler – 20th Century & Contemporar… Lot 6 June 2021 | Phillips
JOEL MESLER
Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood), 2019
Acrylic on linen
45 7/8 x 76 inches (116.8 x 193 cm)
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘The Estate of Joel Mesler Joel Mesler 2019’ on the overlap
As the second work by Mesler to be offered at auction in Asia, and the largest of his canvases to have been offered at auction before, Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood) is impressive in scale, immediately commanding attention at almost two meters long. Executed in 2019, the present painting marvelously encapsulates Mesler’s distinct, playful aesthetic, rendered in vibrant acrylic painted directly onto the raw linen surface. Distinctive of his visually arresting painterly style, Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood) is graphically simplistic, executed in a strong yet minimalist color palette with clean lines that form both the background and the text ‘HOLLYWOOD’ that directly alludes to the title from the center of the composition. Intermixed across the entirety of the canvas in various shades of green are a bold banana leaf pattern, its design reminiscent of the famous Martinique pattern that adorns the wallpapers of The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
Interior of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles, showcasing the famous Martinique wallpaper print
Steeped in Hollywood history since its opening in 1912, The Beverly Hills Hotel quickly became a place for the city’s brightest lights to socialize, considered as the spot for A-listers, financiers, and studio-moguls to see and be seen. Transported from Hollywood and into international screens across many classic movies, the allure of the ‘Pink Palace’ as a beacon of glamour is known the world over. With its familiar green and white tropical banana-leaf stripes, The Beverly Hills Hotel wallpaper print was created by CW Stockwell and introduced into the newly renovated hotel in 1949 by decorator Don Loper. The graphically bold and vibrant design has since been touted as one of the most recognizable prints in the world, becoming synonymous with Southern California style. Garnering icon status amongst guests and designers alike, the Martinique design has proven to be a viable source of inspiration for a multitude of creative outlets and can be found in the collections of brands Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors, on the covers of multi-platinum albums by artists such as Mariah Carey, and spotted in the background of big-screen hitters such as the cult series Friends and movie California Suite, a 1978 American comedy featuring Maggie Smith who won an Oscar for her role.
Exuding a melancholic humor that is typical of his oeuvre, Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood) showcases Mesler’s ability to brilliantly merge language with his distinct painterly style to explore the autobiographical themes of childhood and the continuous journey of self-discovery into adulthood, with ‘the hand of judgement pointing to geographical locations that mark significant moments in the genesis of his personal evolution’. Exuding a melancholic humor that is typical of his oeuvre, Untitled (Tony Chang Goes to Hollywood) showcases Mesler’s ability to brilliantly merge language with his distinct painterly style to explore the autobiographical themes of childhood and the continuous journey of self-discovery into adulthood, with ‘the hand of judgement pointing to geographical locations that mark significant moments in the genesis of his personal evolution.’
New York, New York, 2021
Christie’s New-York: 11 May 2021
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 275,000
Property to Benefit CORE: Community Organized Relief Effort
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974), New York, New York | Christie’s (christies.com)
JOEL MESLER (B. 1974)
New York, New York, 2021
Acrylic and pigment on linen
84×65 inches (213.4 x 165.1 cm)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘Joel Mesler 2021 NY NY It works if you work it’ (on the overlap)
Proceeds from the sale of New York, New York will benefit CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), a disaster response organization founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee, and dedicated to saving lives impacted by or that are vulnerable to crisis.
Joel Mesler’s New York, New York is a colorful and vibrant tribute to the city which has played a central role in the artist’s life. Painted the year after a period like no other in the city’s modern history, it acts as his personal homage to the ‘city that never sleeps.’
“New York is a very special city to me. I moved to New York from Los Angeles in 2007; it was the city where I became a man. At this moment of collective awareness, I wanted to make a painting for CORE that sheds light and gives hope to the city that never sleeps. The five apples represent the five boroughs of a city that seems to be just as much about time as it is about place.”
Set against a backdrop of vivacious—almost tropical—colors, nearly a dozen fronds of lush banana leaves are silhouetted against a rich golden sunset. Five apples, in recognition of the city’s five boroughs, are placed in between the serrated outlines of the leaves. Finally, in neon-styled letters, the words ‘New York, New York’ are emblazoned across the surface as if trying to eradicate the gloom of a dark year.
Mesler’s paintings address universal themes by filtering them through humor, self-deprecation, and surprising compositional juxtapositions. Their wry surrealism and emphasis on words and phrases place them in dialogue with the work of artists like Ed Ruscha and Christopher Wool, who also engage with language and the relationship between text and image. But Mesler’s concerns are his own. Much of his iconography is loaded with personal history, such as the instantly recognizable foliage that is inspired by the pattern of the wallpaper in the Beverly Hills hotel, which the artist remembers from his childhood. However ‘lighthearted’ his compositions appear at first glance, his paintings pose a series of eternal and searching questions.
Prints
WORK IN PROGRESS
Half Full Half Empty Aluminum, 2003
Phillips New-York: 15 May 2024
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 25,400
https://www.phillips.com/detail/joel-mesler/NY010524/379
JOEL MESLER
Half Full Half Empty Aluminum, 2003
Color screenprint on aluminum
70×54 inches (177.8 x 137.2 cm)
Signed, numbered and dated “3/10 Joel Mesler 2023” on the reverse