SG MAG AUG 2019 MAIN_1

Copyright. All material appearing is 

Cosmic 100 is copyright and may not be 

reproduced without permission in writing 

PAGE 

DESCRIPTION 

1 FRONT COVER - ARRIVAL 

2 CONTRIBUTIONS & CONTENTS 

3 FROM THE CEO ROBERT STAR—GOLDEN COVER 

4 FROM THE CEO - “THE DEAL OF THE ART” 

5-19 ARTPRICE 2019 1ST HALF REPORT 

20 1ST YEAR CELEBRATION OF RETROSPECTIVE NEW YORK 

21 “THERE ARE NO FAKES” - EDITOR 

22 ALICE WALTON - FOUNDER CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM 

23 NINO BARETTE— ART CRITIC 

24 “THE LAST WIZARD” - DAMIAN CHAPA & ERIC ROBERTS 

25 MARCH 2019 — AS REPORTED BY ARTPRICE.NET 

26 STEVE MCQUEEN PAINTING STILL MISSING 

27 $6 MILLION COSMIC COWBOY BOOTS 

28 $50 MILLION OPPORTUINITY 

29 COSMIC ‘X’ BOOK NOW AVAILABLE 

30 $100 BUGATTI CAR—2020 

31 COLLECTOR DONNY YORK 

32 ABOUT JACK ARMSTRONG— COLLAGE 

33-37 ARMSTRONG PAINTINGS 

38-40 THE LAST WIZARD - $50 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT 


48-52 ART & MUSEUM INTERVIEW 


56-59 TRIPTYCH 

60 ARMSTRONG’S STARMETER ROCKETS. 

61 COSMIC HARLEY BACK ON THE MARKET $35m 

62 BACK COVER— COSMIC GODDESS 

THIS LIMITED EDITION 1000 SERIES MAGAZINE 

CONTAINS ALL OF ARMSTRONG’S PAINTINGS. THE 

FIRST 100 ARE RESERVED FOR OWNERS OF HIS 

PAINTINGS THE OTHER 900 ARE AVAILABLE FOR 

WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION. DESTINED TO 

BECOME A COLLECTORS PIECE THE PRICE OF $100 

2

Artprice published its report for the first half of this year. The report is reprinted in the next few 

pages for your convenience. You can also check it out on their website at https://www.artprice.com/ 

artprice-reports/global-art-market-in-h1-2019-by-artprice-com. This website has excellent content. 

The main takeaway is the stronger demand for Contemporary art than in the same period in 2018. 

This was despite an overall contraction in the market $6.98 billion down 17.4% versus H1 2018. You should 

check out the full report for a more meaningful understanding of the numbers. 

This increased demand is important for the extremely limited Cosmic X art of Jack Armstrong. Prior to the 

report, he increased the prices of his art in a very dramatic fashion. He also totally realigned his prices, 

increasing one of his signature paintings, ‘Warhol Naked’, his tribute to his erstwhile friend Warhol, who 

called him the Last Wizard of Art, to the lofty price of $110 million. It is a unique and most striking tribute 

painting to his friend and is featured on the front cover of our limited edition magazine “Cosmic 100”. 

These dramatic price increases may appear crazy to some given that there is no published price 

history as all sales, to date, have been private. The secondary market will soon evolve at which time 

collectors and investors in his art will be sitting on a fortune as the established art world scrambles to get 

hold of any of Armstrong’s 100 Cosmic paintings. The ongoing quality promotion by Star Global, In 

particular our New York’s, Times Square digital retrospective now going into its 2nd year, is a catalyst to 

higher asking prices. No living artist has ever had this consistent high level of publicity and exposure. You 

can always make an offer although my guess is he is saving this masterpiece for his dream of his own 

museum. “You can always remake the money but you can never remake the art.” 

This idea of the digital retrospective was conceived and produced by Iain Hammer who is the marketing 

genius behind the promotion. Iain says, “This is very much in line with our out of the box approach for 

promoting the art of this artist who has stood out against the bad practices of some top galleries and 

auction houses naming them the “Art Cartel”. Iain also produced the first compendium of Armstrong’s 

entire 100 paintings. This Limited Edition 1000 series magazine is the first reference book showing all his 

work in one published document and features “Warhol Naked” on the front cover. 

We are always happy to answer any questions you may have and we do have instructions on two 

paintings from one of the collectors. The first public sale will make art history as well as a fortune for the 

buyer. The sky is the limit. 

This art is better than gold and the reason we have returned the golden cover to our magazine. 

3

The art market is a multi-billion dollar market worldwide and has in the last few decades seen a meteoric 

rise in value. As governments print more and more fiat so the value of unique art rises. Art has become an 

asset class in its own right with many companies creating art funds and banks more flexible on loans 

against art as collateral. It has been referred to as the last truly unregulated market. Despite fakes and 

price manipulation by dealers, galleries and auctions the art market has roared to new heights and more 

than 50% of all art is now sold privately. Auction prices have been suspect over the years because of shill 

bidding. In many cases the bidders are never made public. Of course it’s highly illegal. Past law suites and 

prosecutions have been well documented. Even the artists themselves have been known to fictionalize their 

sales as private buyers often do not wish to disclose what they’ve paid. At the higher values of art the top 

galleries emphasize the legend of the artist and buyers are intimidated by sophisticated, well accented 

salespersons hyping their particular favorite artists. The sales people are trained to make you feel inferior 

and find out the depth of your pocket before they will even discuss the art. Art has it’s snob value and it’s 

still very much caveat emptor. However things are changing as more and more millionaires are surfacing 

who recognize original art for both its intrinsic beauty and profitable. They’re nobody’s fools. 

We pride ourselves in selling only certifiable original art. Having an artist with a very low production 

number reduces opportunity for fraud. There are millions of really great artists most of whom will never 

reach the dizzy financial status of artists like Jeff Coons, Damien Hirst, Cy Twombly and Rothko. Artists need 

sponsors to promote them. Jackson Pollack had Peggy Guggenheim and Basquiat had Madonna. Andy 

Warhol struggled for years until the Campbell Soup can, which prompted the comment that “If this is art, 

this is the end of Art”, projected him to art stardom. Prices take off meteorically after the artist passes 

away. The success of a particular artist is very dependent on marketing. Scarcity is another major factor in 

the value. The “story” of the artist and what statement is made by the art is also important. 

Andy Warhol’s soup can prompted me in 2010 to conceive the “Million Dollar Harley” to bring Armstrong, 

onto the world stage. This Harley Davidson, painted by him, quickly became the most expensive motorcycle 

in the world. While it appears currently to have disappeared into the cosmos, it is still being feted across the 

entire world. A simple google search reveals copious entries referencing the Cosmic Harley in many 

different languages. I fully identified with Armstrong’s stand against the art establishment’s questionable 

practices calling them the art cartel. Of course this excluded him from the traditional selling platforms. 

Sentiment is moving more and more towards private sales bypassing the art establishment. 

Armstrong is confident that his art will reach the values of his erstwhile colleagues from the 80’s and 

believes he will see a $100 million sale of at least one of his paintings during his lifetime. Star Global 

believes this is achievable not least because there are only 100 of his unique Cosmic X paintings but also 

there can never be more than 100. Star Global continues to promote the art to the fullest extent possible 

using somewhat unusual media. We are celebrating a 1 year retrospective of his work in New York’s, Times 

Square and a limited edition Cosmic 100 published magazine. His works until 2014 could only be seen on 

the internet unless you were lucky enough to obtain one of his three very limited and expensive special 

coffee table books. Other promotions are currently ongoing and more are planned. Star Global’s limited 

edition magazine is the only hard copy compendium of his entire 100 paintings still available at $100 each. 

We have reserved numbers 1 to 100 for the owners of the paintings. To celebrate this 1st year of our digital 

retrospective we persuaded one of our collectors to allow the sale of 2 original Armstrong Cosmic paintings 

for a limited period. This could be the opportune moment to make a valued purchase. 

4

Editorial 

With the collaboration of its Chinese State partner AMMA (Art Market Monitor of Artron), Artprice has identified 

262,300 Fine Art lots (+0.1%) sold via public auctions around the world in the first half of 2019. Together these transactions 

generated a total of $6.98 billion, down 17.4% versus H1 2018. 

However, Artprice’s price index calculation, based on our ‘repeat sales method’, shows a 5% increase in art prices. 

Against the backdrop of a banking sector operating in a negative or near-zero interest rate environment, art has 

become an excellent investment and this will no doubt add momentum to the expansion of the Art Market. 

“We are seeing a tightening of the balance between supply and demand in the Art Market,” explains thierry Ehrmann, 

Artprice’s Founder/CEO. 

“The results show persistent demand for museum-quality works, but the secondary market’s supply has tightened 

somewhat. The Art Market – as we have known it since 1975 – appears to be reaching its structural limits: auction 

houses are struggling to maintain their operating margins and also to convince collectors to sell their best pieces. 

They are constantly increasing their buyer fees while simultaneously inventing new ways of reassuring sellers. Guarantees 

can encourage some sales, but this mechanism doesn’t represent a global solution. It’s time for the Art Market 

to start a new digital era”. 

The recent acquisition of Sotheby’s and Artprice.com’s metamorphosis into Artmarket.com (its new company 

name submitted to the Extraordinary General Meeting) are two changes that clearly reflect the Art Market’s entry 

into the age of the Internet. 

H1 2019 H1 2018 Change (%) 

Turnover $6,980,144,500 $8,445,850,000 -17.4% 

Best result $110,747,000 $157,159,000 -29.5% 

Average price $26,600 $32,200 -17.4% 

Median price $970 $1,030 -5.8% 

Sales sessions 3,500 3,800 -7.9% 

Sold lots 262,300 262,100 0.1% 

Unsold rate 40% 39% 1.6% 

© AMMA & Artprice.com 

5

• Turnover in the USA (-20%), China (-12%) and the UK (-25%) has contracted 

• The number of lots sold between $10 and 100 million dropped by 41% 

• Top quality Modern (-21%) and Old Master (-38%) works in short supply 

• Claude Monet dominated the H1 2019 with 23 works sold for €251 million 

• Contemporary Art prices posted an increase of +40% 

• New record for a living artist: Jeff Koons’ Rabbit (1986) fetched $91 million 

• Average annual return works out at +4.6% on an average holding of 13 years 

Wassily Kandinsky – Vertiefte Regung (1928) 

$5,682,500 – on 5 May 2010, Sotheby’s New York 

$6,410,000 – on 5 November 2015, Sotheby’s New York 

$8,072,000 – on 28 February 2019, Sotheby’s London 

6

The art market’s figures for the first half of 2019 reveal a paradox: sales volumes fell 17.4% while the overall price 

index rose 5%. In other words, the prices of artworks rose while the market contracted. However, the lower sales 

revenue was not attributable to a fall in the number of transactions, which remained almost perfectly stable; the 

contraction in turnover therefore essentially reflected the type and quality of the works offered during the semester. 

The first half of 2018 received a major boost from the Rockefeller collection sales, the evening session of which 

generated $646 million from just 44 lots sold. By comparison, the most profitable sale during H1 of this year (in 

turnover terms) was Christie’s Contemporary & Postwar Art session of 15 May 2019 in New York which generated 

$538 million from 58 lots sold. 

Throughout the first half of 2019, we have seen a relative dearth of Modern Art masterpieces which normally 

make up the heart of the high-end market. 

Encouraged by a strong economic situation along with negative or close-to-zero refinancing rates, the demand 

for artworks has continued to grow, while the supply has contracted. Some collectors are clearly reluctant to sell 

works they believe are bound to increase in value in the coming years; especially as transaction costs remain particularly 

high, via both auction sales and galleries. 

Works capable of fetching above $100 million are nowadays an essential part of the art market, but, being so rare, 

their annual or semi-annual contribution is somewhat fragile. In H1 2018, two works exceeded this threshold: Pablo 

Picasso’s Fillette à la corbeille fleurie (1905) and Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) (1917). The first was part of the legendary 

Rockefeller Collection, the dispersion of which was dubbed the “Sale of the Century”. The second was sold to a 

single bid. 

In H1 2019, the only artwork to reach the $100 million threshold was Claude Monet’s Meules (1890)… and that new 

record was more-or-less expected given the steady progression of Claude Monet’s prices. Nonetheless, in a long-term 

perspective, the value accretion of Meules (1890) is remarkable. The work has posted an average annual yield of +12% 

since its was last sold publicly in 1986, at Christie’s in New York, rising from $2.5 million thirty-three years ago to 

$110.7 million this year. 

The private sale – two days before its scheduled auction in Toulouse – of the Judith and Holofernes attributed to Caravaggio 

and estimated between $100 and $150 million, illustrates the fragility of the high-end art market. In statistical 

7

No of lots sold per price range 


≥ $100 million 1 2 -50% 

$10 – 100 million 63 106 -41% 

$5 – 10 million 100 122 -18% 

$1 – 5 million 683 786 -13% 

$500,000 – 1 million 778 883 -12% 

$100,000 – 500,000 4,896 5,369 -9% 

$50,000 – 100,000 4,909 5,443 -10% 

$5,000 – 50,000 44,203 47,609 -7% 

© Artprice.com 

The major auction houses are increasingly looking for ways to entice vendors, and this usually involves offering 

some form of price guarantee. But these arrangements expose them to greater risks and end up reducing their operating 

margins. Moreover, the guarantees actually distort the natural balance between supply and demand. 

At Art Basel 2019, Bloomberg reporter, Katya Kazakina, noted that Peter Doig’s “The Architect’s Home In the Ravine” 

was being offered at the Gagosian for $25 million. As Artprice observed in its latest 2018 Contemporary Art 

Market Report, the work has been auctioned no less than five times in less than 20 years, including twice in the past 

three years, pushing Doig’s prices up at an impressive pace: 

• $474,800 – 26 June 2002, Sotheby’s London 

• $3,624,000 – 15 May 2007, Sotheby’s New York 

• $11,975,900 – 13 February 2013, Christie’s London 

• $16,346,100 – 11 February 2016, Christie’s London 

• $19,958,600 – 7 March 2018, Sotheby’s London 

According to Bloomberg, investor Abdallah Chatila placed an irrevocable bid at the last sale of this canvas at Sotheby’s 

in exchange for a $1 million fee. As his bid was the only bid, he ended up owning a painting he was not particularly 

keen on keeping. So, a year later The Architect’s Home in the Ravine was put on sale again at Art Basel … 

and its value continues to climb. 

This anecdote illustrates the importance for the entire Art Market of works priced above the one-million-dollars 

threshold at auction. They represent recognition for artists, galleries and collectors, as well as very lucrative transactions 

for auction houses. However, the number of lots sold in this price range suffered a very sharp contraction in 

8

Claude Monet – Meules (1890) 

$110,747,000 – 14 May 2019, Sotheby’s New York 

Claude Monet – Meule (1891) 

$81,447,500 – 16 November 2016, Christie’s New York 

9

The New Classics of Contemporary Art 

So far this year Modern art – which has driven the high-end art market over the last twenty years – has played a 

relatively diminished role in the market and, at the half-way point, is posting a -22% turnover contraction. There 

were no major works by Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani or Alberto Giacometti on offer, each of whom has several 

results above the $100 million threshold (including buyer fees) to his name (accounting for 9 of the 16 hammered 

for works of Fine Art). Nevertheless, Modern Art remained the biggest segment of the art market in H1 2019. 

Global Fine Art auction turnover by period of creation 

In the absence of Modern masterpieces, demand turned to other signatures, other movements and other creative 

periods. In the early part of the year we saw particular interest in London for several major 19th century signatures. 

Nevertheless, the first half of 2019 was clearly dominated by Claude Monet. The year started badly when his Saule 

pleureur et bassin aux nymphéas (Weeping Willow and Water Lily Pond) (1916-19) failed to sell at Christie’s on 27 

February in London against an estimate of $60 million. But as things turned out, this failure contributed to the balance 

between supply and demand, since of the 27 other Monet works offered in H1 2019, more than 85% found 

buyers, generating a total of $251 million and making Claude Monet the world’s best performing artist in H1 2019, 

ahead of Pablo Picasso and Zao Wou-Ki. 

Even more surprising was a series of new auction records for Post-Impressionist artists, including Paul Signac, 

Gustave Caillebotte, Pierre Bonnard, proving that the best canvases of this period are still very much in demand. For 

his part, Paul Cézanne’s auction performance was the best for 20 years, with his second best-ever result at $59.3 

million. The value of Bouilloire et fruits (c.1888-90) doubled since its last appearance in 1999. 

10

Top 10 artists’ auction records hammered in H1 2019 

Artist Work Price Sale 

1 Claude MONET (1840-1926) Meules (1890) $110,747,000 14 May, Sotheby’s New York 

2 Jeff KOONS (1955) Rabbit (1986) $91,075,000 15 May, Christie’s New York 

3 Robert RAUSCHENBERG (1925- 

2008) 

Buffalo II (1964) $88,805,000 15 May, Christie’s New York 

4 Louise BOURGEOIS (1911-2010) Spider (1997) $32,055,000 15 May, Christie’s New York 

5 Frank STELLA (1936) Point of Pines (1959) $28,082,500 15 May, Christie’s New York 

6 Paul SIGNAC (1863-1935) Le Port au soleil couchant 

(1892) 

$25,934,244 27 Feb., Christie’s London 

7 Gustave CAILLEBOTTE (1848- 

1894) 

Chemin montant (1881) $22,160,721 27 Feb., Christie’s London 

8 Pierre BONNARD (1867-1947) Une terrasse à Grasse (1912) $19,570,000 13 May, Christie’s New York 

9 BALTHUS (1908-2001) Thérèse sur une banquette 

(1939) 

$19,002,500 13 May, Christie’s New York 

10 KAWS (1974) The Kaws Album (2005) $14,772,677 1 Apr., Sotheby’s Hong Kong 


Moreover, the market seems to have elected some new “classics” among exceptional works produced by Post- 

War and Contemporary artists. 

Jeff Koons’ Rabbit (1986) was probably the most striking example of how the major auctioneers (in this case Christie’s) 

succeed in elevating certain artworks, made in the second half of the 20th century, to the status of veritable 

masterpieces. This 1-meter high stainless steel sculpture (from an edition of 3 plus an artist’s proof) is the last 

one still in circulation. Number 2 of the 3 produced, it was exhibited by Christie’s in an immaculate white room and 

presented as “a chance to own the controversy”. Shortly after, it became the world’s most expensive work by a 

living artist, having fetched the 20th best result ever recorded for a work of fine art in auction history. 

11

Evolution of the record auction price for a living artist 

In the absence of major works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol or Jackson Pollock in H1 2019, the American 

market turned its attention to a handful of other major signatures in its Art History… starting with Robert 

RAUSCHENBERG. Following his death in 2008 and his MoMA retrospective in 2017, the US market was eagerly 

awaiting a major work. The 243.8 x 183.8 cm oil-and-silkscreen-on-canvas, Buffalo II (1964) appears to capture 

the political and social zeitgeist of America’s Kennedy years and it largely exceeded the estimates at Christie’s on 

15 May 2019, fetching $88.8 million. 

A new record was also hammered for the painter and poet Marsden HARTLEY, whose influence on American 

painting is undeniable. His painting Abstraction (1912/13) – auctioned for the third time in 30 years – has shown 

a steady value increase and is now clearly considered a ‘safe investment’ in the US art market: 

• $ 1,155,000 – 3 December 1992, Sotheby’s New York 

• $ 2,205,750 – 30 November, 2000, Sotheby’s New York 

• $ 6,744,500 – 22 May 2019, Christie’s New York 

Still in the United States… a giant Spider (1997) by Louise Bourgeois sold for $32 million, generating art history’s 

second best-ever auction result for a female artist behind Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 

(1932) which fetched $44.4 million in November 2014. 

The market for American abstraction continued to open up for the country’s female artists after the records in 

May 2018 for Joan Mitchell ($16.6 million) and Helen Frankenthaler ($3 million). This year, the market pursued its 

recognition of Lee KRASNER (Jackson Pollock’s partner) hammering a record of $11.7 million on 16 May at Sothe- 

12

Top 10 Auction Records for Women Artists in H1 2019 

Artist Work Price Sale 

1 Louise BOURGEOIS (1911- 

2010) 

Spider (1997) $32,055,000 15 May, Christie’s New York 

2 Lee KRASNER (1908-1984) The Eye Is the First Circle $11,654,000 16 May, Sotheby’s New York 

3 Yayoi KUSAMA (1929) Interminable Net #4 (1959) $7,953,200 01 Apr., Sotheby’s Hong Kong 

4 Elisabeth VIGÉE-LEBRUN 

(1755-1842) 

Muhammad Dervish Khan 

(1788) 

$7,185,900 30 Jan., Sotheby’s New York 

5 Julie MEHRETU (1970) Black Ground (Deep Light) 

(2006) 

$5,631,700 1 Apr., Sotheby’s Hong Kong 

6 Carmen HERRERA (1915) Blanco Y Verde (1966/67) $2,900,000 1 March, Sotheby’s New York 

7 MI Qiaoming (1986) Buddha In The Dream (2018) $1,773,500 15 June, Hanhai Beijing 

8 Monir FARMANFARMAIAN 

(1924-2019) 

9 Angelica KAUFFMAN (1741- 

1807) 

Untitled (2018) $1,082,900 11 Jan., Auction Tehran 

Portrait of Three Children $915,000 30 Jan., Sotheby’s New York 

10 LALAN (1921-1995) La lune est voilée (1974) $863,000 31 March, Sotheby’s Hong Kong 


The auction records for women artists this year reveal a greater level of diversity than those for men, with half 

being hammered for non-European/American artists. Julie Mehretu, who today lives and works in New York, but 

was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Although her work has never been shown in Asia, she generated a superb 

new record in Hong Kong, a few months ahead of her first major retrospective, scheduled for summer 2020 at 

the Whitney Museum in New York. 

Leng Jun – View of the world No.3 ( 世纪纪 

景之三 ) (1995) 

© Leng Jun 

$6,330,000 – 3 June 2019, China Guardian 

Beijing 

$4,054,000 – 22 December 2016, Poly 

13

Soft Power: the contraction benefits Hong Kong 

In H1 2019, secondary market Fine Art turnover shrank in nearly all of the world’s major marketplaces. Germany 

posted a stable figure… but it accounts for just 2% of global turnover. China, the United States, England, France and 

Italy are all facing roughly the same challenge: how to maintain the intensity of transactions in the high-end market. 

Sotheby’s and Christie’s, which are present in each of these countries, have not yet decided to concentrate their 

best lots on their key markets… but that might become necessary. In the West, that would lead to an even greater 

domination of the market by New York and London, which could, in turn, be detrimental to Paris and Milan. Their 

London based Italian sales have already ‘transferred’ a significant share of the Italian market to England. In this context, 

the outcome of the Brexit deadlock is bound to have an impact. 


1 United States $2,677,835,000 $3,346,268,000 -20% 

2 China $1,762,875,000 $1,997,226,000 -12% 

3 United Kingdom $1,408,229,000 $1,866,638,000 -25% 

4 France $329,649,000 $376,738,000 -12% 

5 Germany $131,567,000 $128,470,000 2% 

6 Italy $108,473,000 $121,590,000 -11% 

7 Switzerland $70,280,000 $76,974,000 -9% 

8 Japan $52,772,000 $68,668,000 -23% 

9 Austria $49,983,000 $54,216,000 -8% 

10 Australia $32,264,000 $33,563,000 -4% 

11 India $29,845,000 $38,352,000 -22% 

12 South Korea $29,842,000 $35,838,000 -17% 

13 Belgium $29,820,000 $38,757,000 -23% 

14 Czech Republic $29,145,000 $23,527,000 24% 

15 Sweden $28,072,000 $24,515,000 15% 

© AMMA & Artprice.com 

Posting a 4% increase in turnover versus the same year-earlier period, the Hong Kong marketplace 

actually grew while all its global competitors contracted. Generating an auction total of $700 million 

in H1 2019, Hong Kong was looking stronger than ever… at least until the political tensions that 

erupted again in June. It is now Asia’s leading art market hub, accounting for up to 40% of the Chinese 

art market. Its growth has essentially been driven by Contemporary Art sales which posted a 

56% increase in turnover, taking the city a good step further towards competing directly with London 

and New York… even with respect to new stars in the Western art market 

14

Geographical distribution of the turnover for the top 20 artists in H1 2019 

Artist Turnover New York London Beijing Hong Kong 

1 Claude MONET (1840-1926) $251,165,100 67 % 31 % 0 % 1 % 

2 Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) $243,085,600 65 % 31 % 0 % 0 % 

3 ZAO Wou-Ki (1921-2013) $155,827,800 0.1% 0 % 7 % 76 % 

4 Andy WARHOL (1928-1987) $148,977,700 85 % 8 % 0 % 1 % 

5 ZHANG Daqian (1899-1983) $110,686,700 1 % 3 % 42 % 53 % 

6 Jeff KOONS (1955) $103,501,700 93 % 6 % 0 % 0.1% 

7 Paul CÉZANNE (1839-1906) $98,418,200 71 % 29 % 0 % 0 % 

8 WU Guanzhong (1919-2010) $95,895,200 1 % 0 % 47 % 52 % 

9 Francis BACON (1909-1992) $93,626,300 69 % 30 % 0 % 0 % 

10 Robert RAUSCHENBERG (1925-2008) $90,964,400 99 % 0 % 0 % 0 % 

11 David HOCKNEY (1937) $88,956,700 26 % 72 % 0 % 0 % 

12 Roy LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997) $85,324,300 69 % 26 % 0 % 4 % 

13 Amedeo MODIGLIANI (1884-1920) $85,051,900 71 % 28 % 0.1% 0 % 

14 Mark ROTHKO (1903-1970) $79,994,500 100 % 0 % 0 % 0 % 

15 René MAGRITTE (1898-1967) $76,110,700 4 % 84 % 0 % 9 % 

16 KAWS (1974) $70,047,900 30 % 11 % 0 % 54 % 

17 Jean-Michel BASQUIAT (1960-1988) $65,796,000 42 % 57 % 0 % 0.2% 

18 Gerhard RICHTER (1932) $63,301,200 24 % 67 % 0 % 5 % 

19 Yayoi KUSAMA (1929) $60,714,600 18 % 3 % 5 % 50 % 

20 Marc CHAGALL (1887-1985) $56,071,000 46 % 37 % 0,2% 0 % 


This was the case on 1 April for the American street artist Kaws, whose painting The Kaws album (2005) generated 

a truly spectacular result at Sotheby’s Hong Kong by fetching $14.8 million, no less than 15 times its high estimate. 

Kaws prices have been growing exponentially over the last two years, especially since his market has 

attracted collectors from New York, London and Hong Kong. 

The English sculptor Tony Cragg also reached a new and quite unexpected auction record in Hong Kong. His stainless 

steel piece Untitled (2008) fetched close to $1 million on 27 May 2019 at Holly International. Founded in 

1994 in Guangzhou, the Chinese auction house organized its first sales in Hong Kong in H1 2019. It joins the prestigious 

Chinese operators, Poly and China Guardian, as well as the Korean company, Seoul Auction. The latter 

hammered its best result of the first half in Hong Kong at $7.2 million for Le chant des sirènes (1953) by the Belgian 

Surrealist René MAGRITTE. 

At the same time, Hong Kong manages to attract the best of Chinese artistic creation. Zao Wou-Ki generated the 

best H1 result for the entire Asian continent in Hong Kong; 53% of Zhang Daqian’s turnover was hammered 

there, and lots of new new Contemporary Chinese painters have received market exposure in the city. On 1 April 

2019, we saw a new auction record for HAO Liang (1983) at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong when his ink-on-silk paper 

15

Top 10 Auction Records for Women Artists in H1 2019 

Lastly, the strength of the Hong Kong marketplace has much to do with its domination of a vast international geographic 

region which allows it to capture the best works from the whole of Asia. H1 2019 was notable for the $6.8 

million sale of Untitled (1971) by the Korean abstract painter Whan-Ki KIM on 26 May 2019 at Seoul Auction. Hong 

Kong also recorded significant new records for the ultra popular Japanese artist Yayoi KUSAMA, Yoshitomo NARA 

and the young Ayako ROKKAKU at respectively $8 million, $4.4 million and $151,300. 

Hong Kong now plays an essential role in Asia’s art market offering not just the best of Chinese art, but also the 

best works from the rest of Asia. And it is now also a gateway to China for the Western art market. 

This was perfectly illustrated in H1 2019 by the latest auction record price for a work by the German artist Anselm 

Kiefer, hammered – astonishingly – in Beijing at a sale that was mediated via Hong Kong. His painting The fertile 

crescent (2009) reached $4 million in the Chinese capital on 3 June 2019. The sale catalogue stipulated that the 

work could not be brought into mainland China without incurring customs duties of approximately 25%. The lot 

was therefore to be collected in Hong Kong 

Collective Work / thierry Ehrmann, The Abode of Chaos – Anselm Kiefer (2019) 

16

Art’s financial performance attracts investors 

Based on 1,850 works previously acquired at auction and subsequently resold by the same channel during the 

first half of 2019, Artprice has calculated an annual yield of +4.6% for an average holding period of 13 years. Of the 

total number of works, 51% posted a price increase and 48% dropped in value (1% remained stable). 

Meanwhile, the Artprice100© index rose +16% in the first half of 2019. A virtual portfolio consisting of the top 

100 performers on the global auction market between 2014 and 2018, weighted for the relative magnitude of their 

turnover totals, this index outperformed the entire market notably thanks to exceptional results for Fu Baoshi and 

Wu Guanzhong in China, and for Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella and Martin Kippenberger in the West. 

Our Contemporary Art price index climbed an impressive 40%. The auction performances of Jeff Koons, Peter 

Doig and Keith Haring gave the Contemporary segment the strongest growth of all segments in H1 2019. Over the 

long term, the financial performance of Contemporary Art is on a par with that of the US stock market… and Sotheby’s 

share price. 

Artprice’s Contemporary Art Price Index vs. financial market 

The most spectacular single-piece value increase in H1 2019 rewarded a sculpture from the series Pumpkin (1998) 

by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Fetching $156,000 on 23 April 2019 at Phillips in New York, the piece, numbered 

31/100, is a minor work by a major artist who has just recorded a new auction record at $8 million. But the seller acquired 

it 10 years ago at Christie’s in London (2009) for just $5,800 … one twenty-sixth of its current value. 

This operation corresponds to an average annual return of +39% over ten years. By comparison, Apple’s share 

price (NASDAQ: AAPL) grew +26% per year over the same period, and the S&P 500 by +12% p.a.. 

Auction prices of Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (1998) (edition of 100) 

17

Auction prices of Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (1998) (edition of 100) 

Sotheby’s withdraws from public scrutiny… 

It’s a relatively common situation: an entity takes control of a company it considers to be underperforming… But 

the takeover of Sotheby’s – one of the world’s two giants of Fine Art sales, present in nine countries and alone generating 

31% of global Fine Art auction turnover – illustrates a dilemma facing the entire auction industry. 

From a technological point of view, the Art Market is several decades behind the rest of the economy. The rare 

attempts to bridge the gap (like the David Zwirner gallery’s “Basel Online” project) only serve to further highlight the 

difficulties the market’s big players are having migrating to an online environment. In 2017, Sotheby’s decided to 

eliminate buyer fees on its online sales, hoping to finally get them off the ground. But six months later, with no convincing 

results, the company reintroduced online sales fees. 

In H1 2019 Sotheby’s posted a -7.4% contraction in Fine Art sales revenue versus H1 2018… after hammering the 

best result of the first semester: $110 million for Claude Monet’s Meules (1890). 

Sotheby’s takeover offer by the telecoms and networks tycoon Patrick Drahi (with a premium of 61% over the 

averaged share price) has not only been very well received by the Sotheby’s management committee, it was also 

followed by two other offers (according to the New York Times): one from Wall Street, initiated by Blackstone CEO 

and art collector Stephen Schwarzman; the other from China’s Taikang Asset Management, which, until the operation 

is confirmed, holds the largest stake in Sotheby’s. 

This financial interest underscores the immense economic potential identified by major European, American and 

Chinese investors. The withdrawal from a regulated public market will provide Sotheby’s with a greater degree of 

immunity from shareholder pressure, particularly regarding its operating margins. That will translate into greater 

flexibility which should allow Sotheby’s to pursue a long-term strategy that will almost certainly involve a faster and 

18

Methodology 

The analysis of the Art Market presented in this report is based on auction results from public sales of Fine Art 

recorded by Artprice and Artron between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019. 

This report only covers Fine Art works classified as paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, prints, videos, 

installations or tapestries, excluding antiques, anonymous cultural objects and furniture. 

All prices indicated in this document refer to public auctions results, including buyer fees. The “$” symbol refers 

to the United States dollar. 

Our ‘creative period’ segmentation obeys the following schema: 

• “Old Masters” – works by artists born before 1759 

• “19th century” – works by artists born between 1760 and 1859 

• “Modern Art” – works by artists born between 1860 and 1919 

• “Post-War Art” – works by artists born between 1920 and 1944 

Artprice is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris (Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF) - A company of Groupe serveur 

Terms and conditions of use and sale - Withdrawal process - Confidentiality and personal data protection charter - Copyright by 

artprice.com © Thierry Ehrmann 1987-2019 All rights reserved 

19

Star Global International who conceived the Million Dollar Harley and launched it from the 

sky in 2010 to a world audience in 

Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, 

celebrates its 1st yr. anniversary 

of its spectacular New York’s, 

Times Square digital retrospective 

of Jack Armstrong’s works by 

offering the opportunity to buy 2 

original Cosmic X paintings. Star 

Global International, thinking out 

of the box, sought a retrospective 

in a world class venue in line with 

the artist’s stance against the top 

galleries and auction houses he 

calls the Art Cartel. The digital 

retrospective features all of his 

100 paintings along with his Cosmic Harley, his Artbike, his Tony Lama Cosmic cowboy boots, 

and will boast the $100 million cosmic Bugatti super car he plans to launch in 2020. They will 

also announce soon, the release date of their biopic movie, an intriguing life story of this 

charismatic artist called The Last Wizard of Art by his late friend Andy Warhol. The biopic 

movie ‘The Last Wizard’ stars Damian Chapa as Armstrong and Eric Roberts as Warhol. 

Jack Armstrong, founder of Cosmic ’X’ art, now enjoys maximum exposure, right above the 

main entrance of Ripley’s in Times Square. Like his uncle who took that daring first step on the 

moon and famously said “One small step for man and one giant leap for mankind” Jack, with 

the promotional assistance of Star Global, has taken a giant leap for artists. He plans to open 

his own museum soon and support only artists who produce their own works. 

Armstrong claims that one day his works will sell at prices that surpass the recent record 

prices paid recently for Warhol and Basquiat. He was friends with both artists in the 80’s. He 

recently raised his minimum price for one of his paintings to $10 million. 

The art market is roaring upwards in sales and values. The paintings are extremely scarce with 

over 50% in private hands and no one appears is in a hurry to sell. The rich and famous are 

amongst his early buyers. Maybe an opportunity now of a lifetime? www.starglobalart.com 

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“There are no Fakes” is the title of a hot new Canadian documentary that features an estimated $30 million in fraudulent art sales – 

The Morrisseau Forgeries. One of the art dealers in the film says that there could be as many as 3,000 paintings involved in this fraud over 

the last few decades. This highlights a huge problem for the art world where many fakes and forgeries look as old as the originals and many 

galleries, dealers, museums and collectors are fooled. However, there is usually some small detail in the provenance that exposes the 

forgery but it often escapes even the experts. It’s caveat emptor for the most part i.e. the buyer is solely responsible for the purchase as 

long as the dealer acts in good faith. An authenticated painting sells at a huge multiple to a questionable one. The stakes are very high! 

Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) is an interesting case of fakes. He was so offended by criticism, that his work was 

unoriginal, he created a new and original work, Supper at Emmaus, by the great master Johannes Vermeer. He 

intended to declare his hoax once the painting was authenticated as a masterpiece but he never made that 

declaration. A Dutch gallery bought it and used it as a centerpiece for an exhibition. Meegeren went on to forge 

others. In 1945 he sold one of his fake Vermeers to Nazi Leader Hermann Goering. After the war he was charged 

with selling a work of national importance to a member of the Nazi party. In his defense he had to admit his forgery. He became world 

famous as the man who swindled Goering. The world may have been fooled forever, if not for this confession. 

Michelangelo started his career as an art forger albeit that he was an extremely skillful artist. He created a number 

of statues, including one called the Sleeping Cupid, when he was working for Lorenzo di Pierfranseco. Another 

eminent forger was one Elmyr de Hory who sold over 1000 fakes by famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse and 

others. It is indeed ironic that his own works are now sought after and forgeries claimed to be forged by him have 

begun to appear in auctions. There are many more examples of forgeries. It really is a crazy art world! 

There is no doubt that the Art Business is Big Business making the gamble worthwhile. 

Once a painting is authenticated as a masterpiece it can attract a huge price in a gallery or 

at an auction house. It’s a big payday for both dealers and auction houses. Many questionable 

paintings never come to light because the buyers have no interest in finding out afterwards that they have a 

worthless painting. Police estimate that up to 50% of the art sold on the international market may be forged. 

Major museums may be holding collections that are about 20% fake. In April 2018, a French museum discovered 

that 82 of their 140 Etienne Terrus paintings were fakes. 

Artists often receive only a small fraction of the hammer prices for their valuable artworks and some artists are fighting back. One such 

artist, Jack Armstrong, from his early days in New York as a model and artist, shunned the Galleries and Auction houses. He called them the 

“Art Cartel.” He says that they sell factory art—art reproduced by lowly paid artists then signed by their own, gallery promoted, artist. 

Armstrong proved that it’s possible to break through this art establishment wall and self-promote, selling million dollar art. Alice Walton 

owns two originals. Armstrong’s Cosmic X art, a style he founded, and painted only 100, is virtually impossible to forge. This extremely 

limited production makes them easy to track. His paintings also contain his fingerprints, handprints and DNA. 

Star Global International Inc. has been promoting Armstrong’s works for nearly a decade after rocketing him to art star status with their 

“Million Dollar Harley” promotion. Armstrong painted this V-Rod Harley Davidson it is the most expensive motorcycle in the world. There 

are no Gallery showings or Auction prices yet over 50% of his paintings are already in private hands with no eager sellers. This will change 

and a secondary market will evolve. The extremely limited production will cause his prices to skyrocket. His current prices range from $5 

million to $50 million. Millions of people have seen his works many of which are currently promoted in a Digital retrospective in New 

York’s Times Square just above the main entrance of Ripley’s. The artist claims his paintings will eventually sell in the $100 million ranges 

alongside those of his contemporaries and friends from his New York sojourn in the early 80’s. Armstrong was a friend of Andy Warhol who 

called him The Last Wizard, Jean Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Star Global are able to authenticate any Armstrong painting and 

represent several of the paintings. We currently have two for sale and welcome all enquiries. 

21

22

Nino barrette is an art dealer, critic and lecturer 

with over 20 years of experience curating 

international exhibits and museum collections. 

The art of Jack Armstrong is fascinating to many and the question commonly asked of all pure abstract 

expressionist painters is “what makes this special?” 

Well of course, the response to that question is complicated and different for everyone as art is subjective so 

there is no right or wrong answer when interpreting the artists’ work. 

Jack Armstrong’s “Cosmic Extensionalism” is a new step forward in the evolution of art forms and it is often 

compared to the style that many associate with Jackson Pollock or his peers of the day. Is that a fair 

comparison? 

In my opinion, the two artists share a commonality in that they both are very deliberate in their technique 

with nothing random or accidental occurring in their paintings. Furthermore, the works have a rhythmic dance 

of intertwining paint and they share an audacity and boldness to break new ground separating themselves 

from the masses. Accepting those similarities, one next has to recognize the significant differences between 

the artists’ works to gain an understanding and appreciation of the unique art style that Jack Armstrong has 

created. 

Jacks “Cosmic Art” is driven by a mystical force that emanated from the “Black Sapphire of Queensland.” That 

force compelled him to create a very specific number of paintings in a very specific manner. Each of the 100 

works is deliberately constructed with the lines, figures and movements creating the appearance of an 

accidental, non-compositional technique. The mysterious messages and words found in the lines of the 

painting are purposefully and strategically placed to deliver the cosmic energy within the painting to the 

viewer. 

The few owners of Jack’s “Cosmic Art” have a common experience in that they all mention an indescribable 

energy that seemingly vibrates from the paintings as they get near for viewings. This energy washes over them 

and creates a feeling of rejuvenation and vibrancy. 

With Pollack, it was likely a motivation to create artwork that separated him from the traditional style of the 

day and to that end he created his signature “drip and splash” or “action painting” technique, which was very 

avant-garde and revolutionized what was considered “fine art”. 

Regardless of opinion on what is and what is not “art”, Jack Armstrong is an exceptionally talented artist that 

has developed a unique body of work that is extremely finite and cannot be repeated or duplicated. The fact 

that collectors, investors, other artists and critics value the works in the millions speaks volumes to the 

current value and future speculative value of the artwork. All past fame and accolades aside, Jack’s art speaks 

for itself and much like it’s brash creator… it speaks very loudly to those that can hear its message. 

23

The biopic about the modern cosmic artist is entitled “The Last Wizard” (A nickname given to Jack by his close 

friend the world renowned artist Andy Warhol). Chapa said Details Magazine's brilliant writer Stephan Saban 

introduced him to Warhol in New York during the 80’s. "It was there I also met a young up-and-coming model, 

Jack Armstrong." 

Jack Armstrong later became a very wealthy and controversial artist. 

Chapa also stated, “When I heard of the recent tragic but compelling story of Jack Armstrong’s controversial 

life, and my memories of Warhol/Armstrong in the 80’s, I began to get impassioned by the project.” 

Controversial filmmaker Damian Chapa also produced 'El Padrino' in which Chapa directed Academy Award 

winners Faye Dunaway, Jennifer Tilly, and Gary Busey, along with Academy Award nominee Brad Dourif. Chapa 

is no stranger to biopics; Chapa is the only filmmaker in the world who has produced and directed films on the 

life of Marlon Brando and Roman Polanski. 

Chapa won the best director and best drama awards for "Brando Unauthorized" at the New York International 

Film/Video Fest 2010. He also won the Best Production Award for his "Polanski Unauthorized" at Indy Fest. 

Recently, he was nominated for two NAFCA awards for his film "The DSK Story". 

In an interview, Chapa said, "Alleged felon/artist Jack Armstrong is right up my biopic alley." 

Star Global International, who was the creative force behind the “Million Dollar Harley” (painted by Armstrong), 

has been hired as a consultant for the movie. 

Many people don’t know that Jack Armstrong was the nephew of the famous astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first 

man to walk on the moon. 

Chapa said, "The film will be surreal at moments surrounding the strange story of how Jack Armstrong as a child 

spoke to the "Black Star of Queensland," a black, sapphire jewel that was in the Smithsonian Museum for years. 

The Black Star spoke back to Jack Armstrong telling him he was going to be the most famous cosmic artist ever." 

Chapa said he, "won’t shy away from the rape allegations that led to the arrest of the artist Jack Armstrong." 

The production begins on November 22nd, 2016, in New York City. 

24

As reported by Artprice Mar 19, 2019 

“In London, the year’s first major results in Post-War & Contemporary Art were encouraging. Christie’s and 

Sotheby’s both posted excellent totals, doubling their combined 2018 sales turnover. 

Sotheby’s posted $145 million from its sales on 5 and 6 March while Christie’s generated 140 million 

(including the total from the much anticipated Georges Michael collection), and that’s without counting 

their respective online sales. The combined total of $285 million is almost exactly double the total posted 

for their London Post-War & Contemporary Art sales of March 2018 when the world’s two dominant 

auctioneers generated $143 million (6 and 7 March 2018). 

The strongest results were hammered for David Hockney, Nicolas De Stael, Cecily Brown, Gerhard Richter, 

Jenny Saville and Lucian Freud, with David HOCKNEY fetching the highest bid at Christie’s when his 

Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott (1969) – with similar dimensions to Portrait of an artist (Pool 

with two figures) (1972) – generated his second best-ever auction result at $49.3 million. In 1992, the 

painting was worth $1.1 million when it was sold at Sotheby’s in New York. 

Some of the results at Christie’s sale of the George Michael Collection were disappointing. The singer’s fame 

failed to ‘ignite’ the bidding and two important works by Damien HIRST sold beneath their estimates. The 

most anticipated, The Incomplete Truth (a dove in flight… in a formol bath of course) fetched just $1.2 million 

versus the $2 million expected. Tracey EMIN got a better reception when her canvas Hurricane largely 

doubled its high estimate, fetching $572,000. In total, the George Michael sale brought in $14.6 million, a 

sum donated to charity organisations in honour of the singer’s philanthropic commitments during his lifetime. 

We also saw that painters Kerry James Marshall, Adrian Ghenie and Cecily Brown are still appealing 

to major collectors. Marshall generated another superb result with the sale of Untitled 

(Painter) (2008). Estimated between $1.8 million and $2.5 million by Sotheby’s, it reached $7.3 million on 

1 March. The same day, two small drawings by the American artist also exceeded their estimates. The young 

Romanian painter Adrian GHENIE also exceeded all expectations: two large paintings dated 2009 brought 

in more than $9 million, while at Phillips, Cecily BROWN‘s Armed and Fearless (2014) doubled its estimate 

reaching $2.3 million. 

More unexpectedly for a Post-War & Contemporary Art sale, Nicolas de Staël returned to centre-stage 

with three oils-on-canvas sold at Christie’s on 6 March bringing in a total of $13 million. 

In contrast… the Jeff KOONS contraction appears to be continuing. His Box Car (1986) (Ed 1/3) 

was auctioned for the third time, with a worrying fall in value: 

• $1,945,000 on 13 May 2008 (Sotheby’s London) 

• $845,000 on 11 November 2015 (Christie’s New York) 

• $485,000 on 6 March 2019 (Christie’s New York) 

Register for a free Artprice account at https://www.artprice.com/identity 

25

A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED EARLY MAY 

TTHIS YEAR IN DALLAS, TEXAS. 

This painting is irreplaceable and one of 

only 100 Cosmic X paintings of the famous 

American Cosmic artist Jack Armstrong 

and worth a staggering $13 Million. The 

two main suspects are blaming each other 

for the theft and serious threats of bodily 

harm. 

The painting was on loan to a Dallas 

woman Ms. X who had been a long term 

friend of the artist’s and she accused her 

lodger Mr. Y of stealing the painting and 

using it to extort her. Mr. Y alleges that 

she took the painting out of the country. 

Ms. X mysteriously failed to report the 

theft to the police at the time and several 

months later, when the artist asked for his 

painting back, as he had donated it to a 

children’s charity based in New York, she 

informed him that his painting had been stolen. Both suspects claim that they are 

completely innocent. The Dallas police have a reputation for being thorough and 

together with the FBI we have every confidence they will recover the painting. In 

the meantime the artist has generously donated another of his 100 only Cosmic X 

paintings to the charity. 

The artist’s fingerprints and DNA are in all of his 100 originals so I doubt it will 

appear on the market for sale as it is easily authenticated. The artist who no longer 

resides in the USA often left paintings with various people he knew. This painting 

which is unique from the others as it references a Hollywood icon will hopefully be 

returned to the artist soon. 

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THESE BOOTS, AS WITH HIS 100 COSMIC ‘X’ 

PAINTINGS ARE ROCKING THE WORLD! 

Internationally renowned charismatic 

and rebel American artist Jack 

Armstrong, who founded the modern 

art style “Cosmic “x”, has created the 

world’s most expensive boots; the 

“Cosmic Cowboy Boots” with a price 

tag of $6M. He painted on his own 

pristine 1968 Tony Lama boots, a 

brand worn by Harry S. Truman and 

favoured by many other Presidents. 

Armstrong’s latest Cosmic X project 

follows the successes of his “Cosmic 

Starship Harley”, the world’s most 

expensive Harley Davidson V-Rod, 

unveiled and sold for over $3M in 2010 

and now back on the market for $10M, 

and his “Cosmic Star Cruiser”, a bicycle 

launched in 2014 at the prestigious Big 

Boys Toys, Dubai. With a price tag of 

$3M it attracted the wealthiest people 

in the world and huge media coverage. 

Jack called “The Last Wizard” by his friend Andy Warhol proved it is possible to sell 

million dollar art without the top galleries and auction houses he railed against for years. 

Around 50% of all art is sold privately today because of the high costs of these 

establishments. His ‘sticking the boots in’ is perhaps his ultimate statement against 

what he called the art cartel. The majority of talented artists never break through the 

establishment wall while those few favoured artists become multi-millionaires. He 

has promised to help more talented artists break through this barrier. 

He vowed to paint only 100 canvases in his lifetime. His unique Cosmic X style of art 

combines extreme colors and textures with words that magically appear throughout 

each painting when viewed at different angles, his bold signature often in the center. 

Around half of his collection is already in private hands. Listed amongst his collectors 

are such names as Alice Walton the Walmart Billionaire, Narenda Patel, a world-famous 

architect, Donny York of the group Sha Na Na and Michel Polnareff the famous French 

singer. His collectors are not eager to sell. This scarcity factor guarantees an 

ever-increasing price. 

A movie and a PBS documentary are already planned about his life and in 2020 

Armstrong is set to launch the world’s most expensive automobile with a price tag of 

$100M along with a line of fashionwear. There really is no stopping him!! 

These ‘Cosmic Cowboy Boots’ may not be to everyone’s taste and you may ask why 

paint them in the first place? “Well Van Gogh painted boots but never his own. Not 

many people know that”. These boots may not be meant for walking but are certainly 

meant for talking! Armstrong has definitely scored another FIRST! 

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THIS SIGNATURE PAINTING, THE LARGEST MASTERPIECE BY 

COSMIC X ARTIST JACK ARMSTRONG, MAY WELL BE THE BARGAIN 

OF THE 21st CENTUARY WHEN COMPARED WITH BASQUIAT, 

POLLACK, PICASSO OR ROTHKO. WITH ONLY 100 PAINTINGS IN THE 

WORLD, THIS SIGNATURE PAINTING COULD EASILY SURPASS THE 

$110.5 MILLION PRICE PAID FOR A BASQUIAT. 

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Coming soon will be the ultimate luxury hyper-car – the $100 

million Armstrong-Bugatti. World renowned artist Jack 

Armstrong has plans to paint the most expensive car in 

history with a Bugatti. It will officially be named “Armstrong- 

Bugatti: Cosmic X” or also known as the “Cosmic Dream 

Star.” This rare blend of exotic auto and creative art will truly become a Masterpiece!” The 

Armstrong-Bugatti will easily become the world’s most expensive Art-Car. Jack Armstrong 

stated, “I will break the World Record with an Art-Car, the same way I broke the world price 

records for the Most Expensive Motorcycle, Bicycle and Cowboy Boots on Earth.” 

The Life of Luxury is proud to announce that the Armstrong-Bugatti supercar will be 

exhibited in China in 2020. The custom art-car will feature Armstrong’s special, “cosmic” 

blue paint. Can you imagine the overwhelming interest that industry lovers will have? Once 

unveiled, the Armstrong-Bugatti will be seen in Macau, by millions of car and art fans. 

There have been rumors prior to this announcement that Jack Armstrong would feature a 

Rolls-Royce as his Art-Car. Well, we can confirm directly from Mr. Armstrong that he has 

chosen to feature a Bugatti. The reason he gave is, “I will paint a Bugatti, out of respect: for 

the family of artists, which is Bugatti.” 

But what Bugatti will be used? We can confirm that a top secret, new model Bugatti model 

will be announced at the Macau exhibit opening. How exciting is that? 

The Galaxy Macau casino resort is a luxurious property located on the Cotai Strip in Macau, 

China. It opened in 2011 with much fanfare. As a result, this opulent hotel quickly become 

the place to stay in Macau. This vibrant city is a short one hour ferry ride from nearby Hong 

Kong. Macau features a UNESCO World Heritage site city centre. Visitors will experience a 

rich blend of both Chinese and Portuguese culture. 

In addition, Macau is widely known as a world-leading gaming and entertainment locale. 

Over 30 million visitors arrive every year to take part in non-stop action. Gambling revenues 

are incredible and even dominate what Las Vegas brings in each year. 

Armstrong says “Modern art is more free than anything on earth and cannot be controlled 

by any historic system’s of art, that have been put into place, to control artists and markets 

with ‘curated – art’ that destroys the ‘originality.’ That is the essence of great art and 

vision.” 

30

I’m used to hearing older Sha Na Na 

fans say “That was my era” about the early rock n’ roll 

years. I’ve understood in a limited way, but now that I’m 

old enough to savor my own coming of mature age and 

its historical setting, the ripening of post-World War Two 

American confidence and our winning the Cold War sit 

more solidly as defining elements than the overly 

revered Woodstock festival or the classic movie Grease, 

both of which I performed in. More than cultural landmarks 

like those, the defining impression I have of “my 

era” has turned out to be the freewheeling exuberance 

of expression that I witnessed in New York City and Los 

Angeles as the century ripened. There was never a lack 

of remarkable creative characters in either of the towns 

where I spent most of my time. 

I had bought into the hippy sandals earthiness of the 60s 

completely enough to find myself repulsed by the “me 

decade” garishness that came prancing in with the disco 

glitter of the 70s. Yet the 1970s turned out to be the 

decade for television stardom and peak earnings for me 

and my rock n’ roll group ShaNaNa. It was also when 

the “misery index” worsened for my countrymen so as to 

bring their rejecting Jimmy Carter’s presidency and 

favoring Ronald Reagan’s claim that big government was 

“the problem.” Then followed the “morning in America” 

1980s with their economic growth and the disintegration 

of Soviet Communism, and it was evident that “the 

American century” could turn out to be, despite all the 

sporadic heartbreak and disorder, actually a valid TULEMAGIC 

descriptive phrase. Freewheeling ambition, excess, spiritual revivalism, and controversy were so common that 

we hardly took notice, and the flamboyance in the art of a young Jack Armstrong (even in the entourage of a 

celebrated Andy Warhol) could go un-noticed too. It caught my notice as a compelling embodiment of the 

spirit of the unfolding age that is “my era” only here in the new century. 

Seems to me, what we collect in art should reflect the frivolous side of ourselves along with the more 

pensive. I find both, to my surprise, in Jack Armstrong’s work. His paintings’ stunning richness of hue, before 

we knew computer graphics would be able to mimic it ever in our lifetime, typified our late-cold-war-era 

brashness. His casually hiding his own name in plain sight, and hiding some little-understood names of other 

things in plain site- - it’s a playful permissiveness that’s just bulls-eye on that brashness. And in my painting, 

titled “Tulemagic,” I find a glimpse of it that requires a gaze, again and yet again. I enjoy how it always 

provokes friends’ reactions, and for my own part, I’ve even recorded a song about it. 

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ALL ENQUIRIES 1 (888) 647-8274 or outside USA +1(347) 674-4246 

‘The Last Wizard’, American artist Jack Armstrong's largest and most complex painting 

measuring 6 ft. X 4 ft. is not only his grandest painting in scale but also in the complete mastery 

of the Cosmic X art form he founded in 1999. ‘Cosmic X’ requires the artist to become the art 

they are creating by feeling no separation between the art and the artist. 

Armstrong said, “When I saw Basquiat's huge blue red & yellow skull in 1982, at it's completion, 

I knew it would be regarded as one of his best works, and it later sold for $110.5M Dollars. The 

Last Wizard painting is approx. the same dimensions as Jean-Michel's ‘Untitled’”. Armstrong 

adds, “I feel the same way about ‘The Last Wizard’ as Pollock must have felt about his painting 

‘Blue Poles’, ‘Guernica’ to Picasso, ‘Orange’ by Rothko, and ‘Untitled’ by Basquiat.” 

Completed in 1952, Blue Poles was acquired by the National Gallery of Art In 

Australia in 1973, amid much outcry among the Australian public that the 

government would purchase, a modern abstract painting at just over 1 Million 

dollars in Australian currency. Today the painting is conservatively estimated at 

300 Million to over 1 Billion Dollars. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue Poles, 

38


Picasso's Guernica could guarantee 1 Billion Dollars today at 

auction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernica_(Picasso) 

1961"Orange Red Yellow," 

Rothko sold for $87M. in 2012. 

Rothko maintained the social 

revolutionary ideas of his youth 

throughout his life. In particular 

he supported artists' total 

freedom of 

expression, which 

he felt was compromised by the 

market. This belief often put him 

at odds with the art world 

establishment, leading him to 

publicly respond to critics, and 

occasionally refuse commissions, 

and sales exhibitions. 

39


JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT (1960-1988), 

“Untitled,” 1982 (acrylic, spray paint and oil 

stick on canvas, 72 1/8 x 68 1/8 inches). 

Bids began at $57 million. Sold for 

$110,487,500 (including fees) 

“Tonight, Jean-Michel Basquiat entered the 

pantheon of artists whose works have 

commanded prices over $100 million, 

including Picasso, Giacometti, Bacon, and 

Warhol,” said Grégoire Billault, head of the 

Contemporary Art Dept. at Sotheby’s NY. 

“This extraordinary canvas from 1982 has 

broken so many benchmarks …but those of 

us lucky enough to have been in it’s 

presence will only remember it’s awesome 

power. To think that it was created by a 

virtually unknown 21-year old & was 

dismissed by critics, is humbling.” 

SOLD $110.5 MILLION 

https://en.everybodywiki.com/Cosmic_Extensionalism_%22X%22 

"In the future "The Last 

Wizard" will break the 

records of his peers, but 

the power of all these 

larger than life works will 

remain as the signposts 

that signaled the future 

of art." - Jack Armstrong 

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Welcome to the summer issue of 

Art & Museum Magazine. This 

publication is a supplement of 

Family Office Magazine, the only 

dedicated Family Office 

publication with a readership of 

over 46,000 comprising some of 

the wealthiest people in the 

world and their advisors. Many 

have a keen interest in the arts, 

some are connoisseurs and other 

are investors. 

Many people do not understand 

the role of a Family Office. 

This is traditionally a private 

wealth management office that 

handles the investments, governance 

and legal regulation for a 

wealthy family, typically those 

with over £100m+ assets. 

Art & Museum is distributed with Family Office Magazine and will also appear at many of the largest finance, 

banking and Family Office Events around the World. 

Media Kit. - www.ourmediakit.co.uk 

We recently formed several strategic partnerships with organisations including The British Art Fair and 

Russian Art Week. 

Prior to this we have attended and covered many other international art fairs and exhibitions for our other 

publications. 

We are very receptive to new ideas for stories and editorials. We understand that one person’s art is 

another person’s poison, and this is one of the many ideas we will explore in the upcoming issues of ‘Art & 

Museum’. 

www.familyofficemag.com 

www.art-museum.com 

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INTERVIEW WITH JACK ARMSTRONG submitted by 

DEREK CULLEY printed in Family Office magazine 

ART & MUSEUM summer 2017 edition. Derek Culley 

discovered world famous artist ‘DAMIEN HIRST’. 

by Derek Culley 

Jack Armstrong has been painting since 

he was five years old. After arriving in 

NYC in 1979,he became friends with 

Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat & 

Keith Haring. In 1984, after turning 

down a solo exhibition with Castelli 

Gallery in NYC, Armstrong has 

maintained his revolutionary anti-dealer 

stance and has never been represented 

by a dealer. Between 1994 & 1997; 

Armstrong repurchased his early work 

and destroyed all paintings, vowing to 

create a new style for Modern / 

Contemporary Art. The years 1999 & 

2000 witnessed Armstrong founding 

“cosmic Extensionalism” revolutionizing 

Modern / Contemporary Art. 

Armstrong’s use of extreme colour, 

texture and light with words magically 

appearing at different angles in the 

paint, allow viewers to experience the 

universal cosmic energy, coexisting with 

Armstrong’s belief In inter-planetary 

and multi-dimensional Extensionalism. 

This is the foundation of Armstrong’s 

revolutionary work. Armstrong’s total 

output to date features 100 Cosmic 

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Extensionalism Paintings coupled with 

the most valuable motorcycle and art 

bicycle in the world. Plans for 2019 

include the introduction of the most 

expensive art automobile in the world. 

Other projects include the staging of 

the “Cosmic Firebird Ballet” Dance 

Concert choreographed by Valerie 

Mahabio plus 3 limited edition coffee 

table art books published by 

Armstrong. 

A & M: 

How did growing up in Midwestern 

United States form and inform your 

ambitions and dreams? 

Jack Armstrong: 

Growing up in Omaha in the 1960’s 

made you dream. You dreamed of 

California, Paris, Rome, Sydney, New 

York, London and all the Islands you 

saw in travel magazines. Rio to Bali to 

Asia.. The dreams took me to the most 

beautiful beaches in the world and the 

great cities with the finest art 

museums. I dreamed to paint what 

my hero Van Gogh did not have time 

to achieve, in the ten year period in 

which he worked. Omaha was a cattle 

stockyard town on the Missouri River 

with one gem of a museum named 

“The Jocelyn” Museum of Art. It was a 

pink granite palace that shone in the 

sun, given to the city by one famous 

local family that changed my life. I saw 

the old west masterpieces of Charles 

Russell and Frederic Remington and 

the treasures of the Pharaoh “King 

Tut.” But Van Gogh changed my life 

when I viewed his self-portrait and 

discovered myself. The golden mask of 

the “boy” King of Egypt seen thru the 

eyes of a seven-year-old boy was 

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magical. Inside a Greek Temple, on the Plains of 

Nebraska, this Museum became my center of magic & 

wonder, that would inspire my journey to find the 

“center” of my own magic, & somewhere, somehow, 

inside of myself, create a revolution of light and color 

that would shine as brightly in modern art, as Tut’s 

golden & turquoise mask, shone in his time. 

A&M: 

Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat are 

modern icons and readily recognised major artists. As 

a contemporary and friend of above artists; you have 

shunned Galleries and destroyed early works, focusing 

on producing the “100 Paintings”. Please discuss. 


Having finished the 100 paintings in 2010 that I 

promised myself would be my total output as an artist 

after I repurchased my early work in the 1990’s and 

burned all of the paintings, I was re-imagining my early 

dream of painting a Harley Davidson. My early works 

were no different than what had been achieved by 

thousands of artists, even though I was the only artist 

ever in NYC, that explained to the most important 

Modern Art Dealer on the planet : Leo Castelli, that I 

was “not” ready for the solo show he offered me, in 

his Castelli Gallery in New York (1984). .“My friend 

Andy Warhol did not speak to me for months. Only 

Larry Rivers & Keith Haring understood. Roy 

Lichtenstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat were in their 

own world, and I went deeper into my own 

non-dealer, non-gallery experience.” 

A&M: 

Did this route to independence affect your ability for 

artistic recognition and successful sales? 


It depends on which yard sticks one uses to measure 

success. Nicknamed “The Last Wizard” by Andy 

Warhol; who saw my work as more alchemy than art; I 

have followed “a true” path in the execution of my 

dreams and works. Amongst my peers and critics, I am 

respected. Collectors have acknowledged my work. For 

example, Walmart’s Alice Walton, Narendra Patel and 

Michel Polnareff, are internationally known collectors 

of my art works. My work is among the highest and 

fastest appreciating artwork in the world. My paintings 

have been sold for 700 thousand dollars to Six million 

dollars. As I point out above, my no-dealer and 

independent approach to collectors and critics have 

increased the value and uniqueness’ of my “100 

Paintings”. Cosmic Extensionalism is my religion. 

A &M: 

I am intrigued as to what inspires you and what 

“Cosmic Extensionalism” is about. 


My goal and my muse, which is really the child still lost 

in wonder among paintings: in the “Muse”- ums of my 

youth, was to create something that people had never 

experienced before. “Cosmic Extensionalism” (founded 

1999 – 2000) which I named the style I paint in, is 

more than a new school of art. It is everything I 

dreamed possible long ago. Art dealers, gallery 

personnel, curators and art history experts today 

speak in gibberish. This is what they have been taught. 

Vincent Van Gogh taught us thru his life and work that 

the “Essence of life itself” only becomes visible when 

we believe in the power of our “own” creation. So all 

the theories of people who do not create “anything” 

except meaningless words to try and explain the 

“meaning” in many paintings that have no meaning & 

are hung on walls in the great dealer galleries and 

museums of the world, supported by “words” to 

somehow validate their “worth” in terms of price and 

significance seems absurd when considering Van Gogh. 

For me “Cosmic Extensionalism” is universal magic, a 

cosmic connection to the energy of trillions of galaxy’s 

and Channelling that power to everything we do or 

create. It is a universal essence of life, colour, magic 

and light. 

A&M: 

Why did you choose to immortalise the Harley 

Davidson to feature among your art signatures of a life 

time’s work? 


Seeing my first Corvette’s in 1963-1966 was the same 

for a young boy, as looking at masterpieces in art 

museums. American dreams, on wheels. Exotic bright 

coloured paint, the fastest, most beautiful cars I 

thought, in the world. Listening to “Engines” that 

sounded like thunder-gods became our religion. Harley 

Davidson’s from that period were radical icons of lust. 

The ultimate, piece of motor art. In the annual custom 

auto and motorcycle shows in the Omaha Coliseum, 

the velvet ropes surrounding these wondrous 

machines became my friends, as I clung to the soft 

ropes with small hands and large dreams, I whispered 

to myself, “someday I will paint the finest art motor 

cycle and Sports car, in the world.” Gazing at those 

incredible machines, it seemed to me then, and still 

today, which everyone who ever painted no matter 

how high the level of perfection that they always went 

deep, in the sense of thickness of paint. No matter 

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how many layers of paint & lacquer that 

were applied, in the end, no matter what 

style and colour or pattern, all the same 

technique. Flat surface, without any 

texture, surface height or “explosion” of 

madness. Beauty without magic. I saw 

the possibility then, (in 1963) which was 

still true in 2010 when I finally achieved 

my childhood dream of painting what I 

believe to be, the most revolutionary art 

motorcycle in history. In 2009 I painted 

one shining new, Harley V-Rod that 

would become my art signature, of a 

lifetime’s work, & planning that could 

take me into Vincent’s cosmic world and 

beyond. Van Gogh was the first artist in 

history to create Revolutionary art. 

A&M: 

The Cosmic Starship Harley Davidson sold 

for $3million (2012) and was followed by 

the $3 million Cosmic Star Cruiser ART- 

Bike. What are your plans for the future? 


I am in the planning stage to create the 

most expensive car in history, A “COSMIC 

ROLLS ROYCE” To be released for 2019, 

model to be announced, but it will be “a 

cosmic starcloud-convertible, price 

$100M. U.S. Dollars, with its own “English 

made” - 2019 “Cosmic Triumph” Motorcycle, 

(model also to be announced.) 

Additionally, this $6 Million Dollar Art 

Motorcycle will be mounted on its own 

custom clear plastic trailer and attached 

to the car. I choose to open this final 

exhibition of my career, combining the 

Classic British Marks of Rolls & Triumph, 

which will be an “Artistic Triumph” for 

the public and for art. Creating magic 

things change when positive things are 

done. Art is the most powerful force of 

change in the world as is love. Triumph 

and Rolls are pieces of art, and after they 

are magically transformed into rolling art 

objects through the vision of “Cosmic 

Extensionalism”, perhaps I can then 

change the life of other’s who need 

assistance. I would also mention that 1/2 

of the sale price of the Rolls and the 

Triumph will be donated to children’s 

charity of our choice to be announced. 

Because children; are truly the world’s 

future. 

Source of Biographical Data & answers: 

“Cosmic Dream Machine” 

www.jackarmstrongartist.com 

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These 3 pieces listed above are my personal Triptych of Art, as the Cosmic Harley Davidson was 

completed in 2010, exactly 500 Years after the famous "Garden of Earthly Delights" triptych was 

completed by Bosch; in about 1510, now in the Prado Museum, Madrid. "Hieronymus Bosch, 

The Garden of Earthly Delights, oil 

on oak panels, 220 cm × 389 cm 

(87 in × 153 in), Museo del Prado, 

Madrid. Each of the 3 objects listed, 

were the seminal moments in the 

history of my art form ‘Cosmic 

Extensionalism’. I feel the same 

way about the Cosmic Starship 

Harley, and the Cosmic Firebird 

Painting, works of art standing 

alongside Warhol Naked that will 

always define me, and my art 

creation, ’Cosmic Extensionalism’. 

All 3 objects of my art, are each the 

reflection of the same dream, and the same artistic truth. Through Warhol, and all the visionary 

artists that came before him, I understood that to be the best, you simply could not conform or 

alter your vision, to please a dealer or a buyer of my work, because the conformity would have 

destroyed the unique imagination behind the masterpiece. Once imagination is removed, there 

is no masterpiece. This is true in all the arts, from the Individual art masterpiece, to film, music, 

and poetry-No Passion, No Imagination, No Fire, No Art. There is nothing of value In any object 

that was created without passion. There have been millions of paintings created and sold 

throughout time, and the few, that achieve the highest amounts at auction, become 

extraordinary examples of the artist's work, and the most uniquely powerful objects in our 

time. 

The rarest ones, most reflective of the artist's life and style, become famous. When you say the 

words, Van Gogh, you think of Starry Night, or Yellow, Sun Flowers. The art would not exist 

without Vincent's creation. But Vincent would not have existed, as we now understand him, 

had he not created the seminal piece of his "new" style of art, which is his masterpiece, "Starry 

Night." Today, at auction it would bring 1 Billion Dollars or more, because it is painting that most 

closely defines and identifies the artist in the art he created. 

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There are many rare things in the world, that have rarity yet are similar to other things of the 

same type. My art and my life have only one meaning, and it can be discovered my passion for 

my work, which is reflected in my writing about my art. My art is not rare because there are few 

things like it available on the market, but is rare because there is nothing else on earth like it. 

When I’m dead and when my art will sell for 1 Billion Dollars each, for Warhol Naked, The 

Cosmic Firebird, or the Cosmic Harley, people that want to own a piece of the artist's soul, who 

created the masterpiece, 

will gladly exchange money 

for that rare thing that can 

never be duplicated, the 

original masterpiece that is 

most closely associated 

with the artist in question, 

and the pieces that will 

always reign supreme at 

auction. 

These 3 art objects, will 

continue to define my art 

and my life's work, Cosmic 

Extensionalism, long after I 

am gone, and my triptych is 

written about. If I had not 

imagined and then created 

these 3 objects, I strongly 

feel, my work as an artist 

would still be unknown, as 

my connection with cosmic 

energy, had not been 

completely realized, before 

2001, and my creation of 

Warhol Naked. In the time period of 2001-2010, every great painting including the Cosmic 

Motorcycle, was produced. The Cosmic Firebird Painting Created in 2007, my middle period of 

Cosmic Extensionalism, for which I later produced 2 ballets done for film, is the culmination of 

everything I realized in my cosmic connection to the universal magic in art. It is nothing like any 

painting, before or after, and that is what places it exactly in the same category as Warhol 

Naked. Indeed there will never be anything like either one of these originals. 

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The third and final piece of the puzzle of my Art Triptych, symbolizing the completion of my 

cosmic art journey of discovery, and celebration, happened; when the painting became alive in 

the lights of hundreds of photographers from 

around the world. The most iconic art motorcycle 

in history, the "Cosmic" Harley Davidson, literally 

came to life on Oct. 21, 2010, In Los Angeles. It 

has never been duplicated by any artist, or any 

corporation, and it will remain iconic as long as 

people continue to value original concepts that 

were unique, in capturing the attention of the 

entire world, and not singularly only the artistic 

world. I believe the bold and exotic coloring and 

shading of paint used in the creation of these 

three individual pieces, actually become one, “A 

Triptych”, when viewed with the Harley in the 

center of the other originals. By channeling this 

unlimited cosmic energy into my work, and in 

creating cosmic extensions inside my art, is the 

true foundation of cosmic X, a kind of art magic, 

that Warhol recognized when he said my work 

was more alchemy than art, thus dubbing me, 

“The Last Wizard of art," in 1985. I had been 

experimenting with this energy and magic my 

entire life until it formed into a cognitive reality 

late in 1999, with "The Cosmic Style of Art," that I 

am known for today. 

Vincent Van Gogh painted for the last ten years of 

his life and died at 37 years old. His seminal 

paintings were done in the last 2 years of his life. My work has taken over forty years to reach 

my peak. The best were created between 2000-2010. Exactly ten years, like Vincent. 

"These 3 pieces are the rarest in symbolic "essence," of art and artist, and each contain the 

meaning inside Cosmic Extensionalism Art, 1. Imagined, 2. Defined, and 3. Created, in the 21st 

Century. When you see them, you will believe in them also. This is my Triptych of Cosmic Art, 

and its Extensionalism into the cosmic magic, discovered in my work, by Warhol. 

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This original painting displayed on the front cover and opposite page is acrylic on canvas was 

painted in 2001. "WARHOL NAKED" is my seminal piece in the creation of Cosmic 

Extensionalism a technique of art I founded in 1999, and is individually exclusive to myself. 

Mr. Warhol taught me that individuality can overcome all opposition in life and in art. When you 

create something so unique and different from the norm, it takes years for the critics and the art 

world to catch up with proper recognition and pricing, and embrace the new concept. But as 

with all great artists as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Modigliani and Warhol, the pricing rises with the 

rarity and uniqueness, of the process used. This is what makes the creation of a masterpiece 

possible. The boldness to paint a vision that has never been painted before of something so 

different and rare, that it becomes iconic, and represents the essence of the artist; and his work. 

"Warhol Naked" is my vision of a man who created "soup-cans" as art, and was laughed at by 

the critics of his time, until he transformed himself into the most iconic-figure in the art world. 

Most of the soup cans did not sell when they were first exhibited in 1962 at $100. The lack of 

sales did not deter Warhol, in 1962, as it did not deter Van Gogh or Modigliani earlier. 

Visionaries are free from the false concept of acceptance or non-acceptance of themselves, in 

their ideas, or in their creations, which limits all non visionaries into accepting conventional 

thinking instead of creating revolutionary ideas and artistic invention. 

By the time of his death in 1987 Warhol was the most famous artist in the world. The bright, 

bold, deeply shaped red, shining surface of the painting over the blue graffiti cosmic art written 

with the word “Warhol”, in "bright-white" acrylic paint, symbolizes Warhol's triumph over the 

art system of his time. 

Now everything is considered art, and everyone an artist, because of Andy's work, in art and 

film. Now everyone is a film maker. The freedom to be human, and try everything is the most 

basic human right in the world. Warhol was the liberator, of the human artistic experience. He 

was my friend, and this painting symbolizes my breakthrough in my own process of becoming 

the best individually unique artist of my time, and shunning all art systems. Cosmic 

Extensionalism Art is a direct result of the freedom I experienced when discussing art and 

technique, with the most famous pop artist in the world, Andy Warhol. 

WARHOL NAKED IS MY FINEST WORK, AND IN THE FUTURE WILL BE A LASTING ICON OF THIS 

CENTURY'S MOST APPRECIATED, NEW ART. EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR THE VISIONARY 

WHO BELIEVES IN THEIR OWN WORK, AND THEIR OWN VISION. MOST PEOPLE AND ARTISTS 

IN THE WORLD ARE TAUGHT TO BELIEVE IN THE VISION OF OTHERS. THE ORIGINAL PAINTING 

"WARHOL NAKED" IS MY FINEST VISION. 

ARTIST JACK ARMSTRONG, September 14, 2017 

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Legendary artist Cosmic Jack Armstrong is the last surviving member of the NYC 80s art clique 

of Andy Warhol, Basquiat and Keith Haring. It was Andy Warhol who nicknamed Cosmic Jack 

"The Last Wizard." Due to his mentor Warhol's friendship with Michael Jackson, Cosmic Jack 

had the rare opportunity to spend time with the King of Pop and he even taught MJ how to 

paint. Warhol connecting MJ to Cosmic Jack was a natural fit, since Armstrong is related to 

moonwalker Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. As an artist, Armstrong is 

renowned as the creator of the painting style "Cosmic Existentialism", a groundbreaking type 

of modern art like Picasso's "Cubism" and Warhol's "Pop Art." Armstrong's "Cosmic Harley" 

which was hand painted in his cosmic existentialism style, sold for 10 million dollars and was 

named "The Most Expensive Motorcycle in the World." Jack is the only modern artist who is 

known to have only 100 paintings for sale which makes his paintings extremely rare and 

sought after. Armstrong's paintings are valued at over 200 million dollars and expected to rise. 

The world's richest woman, Alice Walton, (Walmart) owns two of Cosmic Jack Armstrong's 

paintings. Art experts of FOM in London have stated that Cosmic Jack is one of the finest 

artists of his generation; which includes Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and Warhol. 

The STARmeter on 

imdb is related to 

the number of hits 

on the imdb page 

entry which this 

week was up by 

some 7.69 million. 

An excellent and 

phenominal 

result. WOW! 

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