Lovers (blue)
Lovers (blue)
Signed Print
Stik
£18,000-£26,000Value Indicator
$35,000-$50,000 Value Indicator
$30,000-$45,000 Value Indicator
¥160,000-¥230,000 Value Indicator
€21,000-€30,000 Value Indicator
$170,000-$250,000 Value Indicator
¥3,450,000-¥4,980,000 Value Indicator
$22,000-$30,000 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Medium: Screenprint
Edition size: 50
Year: 2011
Size: H 106cm x W 51cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2019 | Phillips London | United Kingdom | |||
| October 2016 | Christie's London | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
Lovers (blue) is a screen print by street artist, Stik, released in 2011 in a signed edition of 50. This piece is printed in black, white and blue and depicts an androgynous couple embracing; one has eyes closed while the other observes them lovingly. Stik has called gender and age ‘two of my biggest subjects’. The former is undeniably close to the surface in Lovers.
Much like the two figures in Holding Hands, the Stik people of this print are decidedly ungendered. Stik has remarked: “Maybe they’re androgynous men? No, they’re Stik People, but Stik People just doesn’t sound right. Everyone calls them Stik Men. I think gender is a really big part of my work though”.
Themes of gender and sexuality have long had a strong presence in the artist’s work, and have coincided with direct engagement with the LGBTQ+ community: in 2016 an early version of Holding Hands was used on placards paraded at Hackney Pride.
In Lovers, the vulnerable figures find refuge in an embrace instead of looking nervously out to the wider world, which is the typical stance of the artist’s figures, exemplified in prints like The Big Issue and Walk. On the contrary, Lovers directly engages Stik’s notion of the essential human need for connection. Here, the stickmen find it within the frame rather than seeking community beyond.
London-based street artist, Stik, is celebrated for his distinctive and minimalistic style. By solely using simple, stick-figures, Stik is able to convey profound messages through his work and advocate for marginalised social communities. Inclusivity and resilience underpin his iconic stick-figure motif, with the likes of Liberty and Single Mum promoting empathy and human connection. Having been homeless when starting out as a graffiti artist, Stik developed an affinity to the Hackney community who helped him find his feet, and he now sees his street art as a way to give back to those who helped him.
