A leather jacket with tags from Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat was among the highlights at Swann Auction Galleries on May 12.
The lot realised $9,375, up 17.1% on an $8,000 estimate.
![]() Basquiat is one of a number of New York luminaries to tag the jacket |
The auction house explains: "This jacket serves as a 'who's who' of the downtown New York City street art scene in the 1980s.
"As a door girl for the Danceteria VIP room 'Congo Bill', the owner of this jacket [Joy Bouldin] helped originate the idea of tagged clothing in the early 1980s by inviting her social contacts to inscribe her accessories."
Dancetaria was a legendary New York nightclub that operated in various locations around the city between 1979 and 1986. It attracted a huge number of artists and musicians, including Madonna and Andy Warhol.
The jacket includes tags from members of the Beastie Boys and well-known graffiti artists such as Futura 2000 and Fab Five Freddy.
An invitation to Paradise Garage printed by Keith Haring on to a handkerchief made $2,750.
Paradise Garage was another New York nightclub that set the template for the modern clubbing experience. Its resident DJ, Larry Levan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.
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