The Date Painting That Twice Set On Kawara's Auction Record

On Kawara's May 1, 1987 (1987) sold for $4.2m at Christie's in New York on May 12, 2014. The painting is accompanied by three newspapers, also from May 1, 1987: The New York Times; The New York Post, and The Daily News, which are presented in the original artist's box.

The work had been traded four times in the past, including in 2007 when it sold for $1.83m, then an auction record for the artist.

The twice record-breaking work by Kawara's (1932–2014) is one of his signature, date paintings. His "Today" series of minimalist works convey the artist's profound belief in the importance of the here and now.

May 1, 1987 is the largest size Kawara would make a date painting. The monumental monochrome work measures 155cm x 226cm.

Karawa began the series in January 1966 in New York and continued to make them in different parts of the world for more than four decades. If he had not finished the hand-painted work by mindnight, he would destroy the canvas.

He created around 3,000 date paintings, completing the final one in 2014, the year he died aged 81.

The works come with cuttings relating to the date and place of the painting's production stored in the artist's self-made cardboard box.

The sale beat Kawara’s previous auction record by $1.91m, a 83% rise. His previous record was set by A Corner Piece: Aug. 1, 2005. Aug. 2, 2005. Aug. 3, 2005. Sept. 1, 2005. Sept. 2, 2005. Sept. 3, 2005 (2005), which sold for $2.29m at Sotheby's on November 13, 2013.

A Brief History of On Kawara at Auction