The Big Cup Nightmarish, Psychedelic Snarling Clowns
This pair of clown portraits painted in acrylic on 70" x 48" plywood.
This pair of clown portraits, hung in a popular nintys Gay coffee shop in Chelsea New York, called the Big Cup. Upon it's closing the Big Cup sign sold for a million dollars. These clowns were the most prominent wall art in the establishment painted by the owner. I aquired them when the shop closed and have had them ever since.
Other
Maybe
Dear Ernest,
Thank you for the additional images and your patience.
The presented object appears to be a pair of paintings made in acrylic paint on plywood board with measurements of 70 x 48 inches. The artworks depict a clown with carnassial teeth each. It was painted by Scott Siler who was the owner of a famous gay cafe called "Big Cup". It would be not easy to find more bidders and interest for this painting in an auction and Scott Siler is not known as an artist.
Works by this artist were recently offered and sold on the international auction market.
This piece is in good condition and there is no serious damage visible in the images provided.
A fair market estimation would be between 400 to 800 USD.
This estimate is based on actual recent past recorded auction sales of comparable items. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and may vary.
With kind regards,
Georg
The artist is Scott Siler
https://www.gaycitynews.com/memories-of-a-sanctuary/
"Across from us, a gaggle of boys sit under the huge, nightmarish, psychedelic Snarling Clown painting which dominates the chartreuse-and-red room."
http://www.nypress.com/news/part-three-best-goyishe-bagels-la-MXNP1020001003310039968
"Best Gay Coffeehouse in Chelsea Big Cup 228 8th Ave. (betw. 21st & 22nd Sts.) 206-0059 Cruise, Sulk, Lounge, Eat. Fabulous. That's not exactly the reaction we thought we'd have when we finally got around to checking out Chelsea's most infamous coffee shop, or the "bar without the booze," as it's affectionately referred to by the regulars. We'd always heard stories about the meat-market atmosphere from our friends, and had been told to beware of the violation one feels upon walking into Big Cup?or, as one friend advised: "Just be sure to bring lots of extra attitude." In fact, a particularly dramatic friend of ours said that on entering the 8th Ave. establishment, gay men are rated numerically by a panel of New York's bitchiest queens.
That's simply not true. Instead, we discovered Big Cup to be a coffee shop with a funky vibe unlike anything we'd seen before. The shop boasts a wide selection of what you'd expect?lattes, teas, coffees and mochas, oversized Rice Krispie treats, bagels and cookies?plus lunch specials, though it remains, for most of its patrons, a place to meet, cruise, sulk, read or simply lounge while pretending to study. Once, we saw an enterprising guy actually doing something that resembled work on his laptop, rather than perusing the latest HX or Next while periodically glancing up.
Patrons know Big Cup by the red awning and the two psycho clown paintings on the wall. In addition to the food, the techno beats and the amusingly pompous attitudes sometimes on display, we like the antics of the cute counter workers, who are usually quite courteous. As an added bonus, show times for the nearby Chelsea Cineplex are listed on a blackboard, along with other events.
As Big Cup gets crowded?on Friday and Saturday nights around 11?we find ourselves scratching and kicking our way through packs of Chelsea queens and dancing boys, ducking and swerving around the divas and the players, to get a seat up front, for the best view.'