Sterling Ruby

German · b. 1972 · Painter, Sculptor

Sterling Ruby is an American artist who works in a large variety of media including ceramics, painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, video, and textiles. Often, his work is… (Wikipedia)

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161auction results2009–2026years recorded86%sold (138)$28.4kSign up free to seemedian price

5 works by Sterling Ruby with an auction history (offered more than once) →

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Record prices

  1. Sterling Ruby, SP83, 2009, acrylic spray paint on canvasSP83Phillips · £602,500≈ $965,868≈ €712,239Sign up to see
  2. Sterling Ruby, SP33, 2008, acrylic and spray paint on canavsSP33Phillips · £542,500≈ $930,930≈ €681,700Sign up to see
  3. Sterling Ruby, SP56, 2008, spray paint on canvasSP56Phillips · £494,500≈ $810,980≈ €594,647Sign up to see

Sterling Ruby’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

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  1. Sterling Ruby, WIDW. HIGH-VIZ., 2018, acrylic, oil, elastic, cardboard and treated fabric on canvas, in artist's frame
    WIDW. HIGH-VIZ., 2018
    Acrylic · Canvas
    painting 84 x 48 in. (213.4 x 121.9 cm.) framed 85 7/8 x 49 7/8 in. (218.1 x 126.7 cm.)
    Phillips · · Lot 6
    $330,000≈ £250,893≈ €280,636Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $250,000–350,000View at Phillips ↗
  2. Sterling Ruby, BC (4186), 2013, collage, paint, bleach, glue and fabric on wood
    BC (4186), 2013
    Mixed media · Panel
    213.4 x 213.4 x 5.1 cm (84 x 84 x 2 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 184
    £62,500≈ $82,750≈ €70,896Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £50,000–70,000View at Phillips ↗
  3. Sterling Ruby, Alabaster SR09-8, 2009, acrylic, in artist's frame
    Alabaster SR09-8, 2009
    Acrylic
    127.2 x 247 cm (50 1/8 x 97 1/4 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 187
    £81,250≈ $107,575≈ €92,165Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £60,000–80,000View at Phillips ↗
  4. Sterling Ruby, Alabaster Centrifugal #1, 2007, acrylic, in artist's frame
    Alabaster Centrifugal #1, 2007
    Acrylic
    49 1/8 x 49 1/8 in. (124.8 x 124.8 cm.)
    Phillips · · Lot 344
    $56,250≈ £41,583≈ €47,356Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $60,000–80,000View at Phillips ↗
  5. Sterling Ruby, Ceramic/Brass Facial with Red Bowl, 2006, ceramic
    Ceramic/Brass Facial with Red Bowl, 2006
    Sculpture
    55.9 x 50.8 x 50.8 cm (22 x 20 x 20 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 222
    £25,000≈ $34,568≈ €28,124Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £20,000–30,000View at Phillips ↗
  6. Sterling Ruby, DRFTRS (4283), 2013, ink, paint and collaged paper on paper, in artist's frame
    DRFTRS (4283), 2013
    Mixed media · Paper
    image 29.3 x 42 cm (11 1/2 x 16 1/2 in.) overall 82.7 x 95 cm (32 1/2 x 37 3/8 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 244
    £7,500≈ $10,370≈ €8,437Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £6,000–8,000View at Phillips ↗
  7. Sterling Ruby, Spatial Facial Diptych, 2007, collage on poster, diptych
    Spatial Facial Diptych, 2007
    Mixed media
    left panel 36 x 24 in. (91.5 x 61 cm.) right panel 35 x 24 in. (88.9 x 61 cm.)
    Phillips · · Lot 123
    $13,750≈ £9,954≈ €11,258Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $8,000–12,000View at Phillips ↗
  8. Sterling Ruby, Armature Pumpkin Head, 2007, collage on poster
    Armature Pumpkin Head, 2007
    Mixed media
    61 1/2 x 21 in. (156.2 x 53.3 cm.)
    Phillips · · Lot 124
    $20,625≈ £14,931≈ €16,886Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $8,000–12,000View at Phillips ↗
  9. Sterling Ruby, 6 Cell Quilt, 2010, spray paint, paper collage and coloured pencil on paper, in artist's frame
    6 Cell Quilt, 2010
    Mixed media · Paper
    126 x 96 cm (49 5/8 x 37 3/4 in.)
    Phillips · · Lot 21
    £15,000≈ $20,075≈ €17,032Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. £10,000–15,000View at Phillips ↗
  10. Sterling Ruby, EXHM/DS32, 2011, collage and urethane on cardboard
    EXHM/DS32, 2011
    Mixed media · Board
    49 1/4 x 95 3/4 in. (125.1 x 243.2 cm.)
    Phillips · · Lot 393
    $27,500≈ £20,882≈ €23,226Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $20,000–30,000View at Phillips ↗

Sterling Ruby paintings (68)Sterling Ruby acrylic paintings (18)Sterling Ruby mixed media (21)Sterling Ruby works on paper (29)Sterling Ruby prints (17)Sterling Ruby photographs (3)Sterling Ruby sculpture (34)

Sterling Ruby signature

78 catalogued lots by Sterling Ruby record a signature line. The most common placement is on the reverse (61% of lots that state a placement). Most often: initialled.

Placement

  • on the reverse27
  • lower right15
  • lower centre1
  • lower left1

Form

  • initialled41
  • signed and dated25
  • signed12
  • Signed with the artist's initials, titled and dated "BC (3627) SR 12" on the reverse — BC (3627), Phillips, Sep 26, 2026
  • Signed with the artist's initials and dated 'SR 20' on the reverse — REIF. 7238., Phillips, Jun 26, 2026
  • Signed with the artist's initials and dated 'SR 17' on the reverse — WIDW. LAUNDER., Phillips, Jun 26, 2026

Sterling Ruby signature: all forms and examples →

About Sterling Ruby

Sterling Ruby is an American artist who works in a large variety of media including ceramics, painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, video, and textiles. Often, his work is presented in large and densely packed installations. The artist has cited a diverse range of sources and influences including aberrant psychologies, urban gangs and graffiti, hip-hop culture, craft, punk, masculinity, violence, public art, prisons, globalization, American domination and decline, waste and consumption. In opposition to the minimalist artistic tradition and influenced by the ubiquity of urban graffiti, the artist's works often appear scratched, defaced, camouflaged, dirty, or splattered. Proclaimed as one of the most interesting artists to emerge this century by New York Times art critic Roberta Smith, Ruby's work examines the psychological space where individual expression confronts social constraint. Sterling Ruby currently lives and works in Los Angeles. His studio is located in Vernon, south of downtown Los Angeles.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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