Wesley Willis
American · 1963–2003 · Illustrator
Wesley Lawrence Willis was an American musician and visual artist. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989, Willis began a career as an underground singer-songwriter in the… (Wikipedia)
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1 work by Wesley Willis with an auction history (offered more than once) →
Record prices
The Dan Ryan Expressway Past 39th Toward 35th St.Wright · $4,585≈ £3,552≈ €4,160Sign up to see
The Lakefront Sept 25, 1983Wright · $3,750≈ £2,704≈ €3,113Sign up to see
The Shore LineWright · $3,612≈ £2,798≈ €3,277Sign up to see
Wesley Willis’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).
ArtSell has recorded 67 auction results for Wesley Willis between 2009 and 2025, of which 66 sold (99%). A further 1 lot was offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $813Sign up free to see to $4.6kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $4.6kSign up free to see for The Dan Ryan Expressway Past 39th Toward 35th St. at Wright in July 2023. The most common medium is drawings (46 lots). Most results come from Toomey & Co. (37), Wright (30) and Leonard Auction (1).
67 results · page 1 of 2
- Chicago River, 1991$1,905≈ £1,423≈ €1,626Sign up free to see
- $3,556≈ £2,642≈ €3,090Sign up free to see
- $1,254≈ £995≈ €1,201Sign up free to see
- Michigan Av., 1988$1,935≈ £1,452≈ €1,745Sign up free to see
- Untitled (Chicago scene), 1987$1,226≈ £920≈ €1,106Sign up free to see
- Chicago River, 1991$1,260≈ £994≈ €1,176Sign up free to see
- Sox Park, 1991$917≈ £724≈ €856Sign up free to see
- $1,197≈ £943≈ €1,105Sign up free to see
- Lake Shore Drive, 1991$1,764≈ £1,390≈ €1,628Sign up free to see
- $1,441≈ £1,135≈ €1,330Sign up free to see
Also offered, result not published (1)
Lots by Wesley Willis that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.
Wesley Willis works on paper (46)Wesley Willis drawings (46)
Wesley Willis: quick facts
What is the highest price paid for a work by Wesley Willis at auction?
$4,585Sign up free to see, for The Dan Ryan Expressway Past 39th Toward 35th St. at Wright (July 2023) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.
What is a typical auction price for Wesley Willis?
The median sale price is $1.8kSign up free to see across 66 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.
How many works by Wesley Willis have sold at auction?
66 of 67 recorded lots sold between 2009 and 2025. 1 further lot was offered with no published result and is not counted.
Which auction houses sell Wesley Willis?
Toomey & Co., Wright and Leonard Auction account for the most recorded results. Toomey & Co. · Wright · Leonard Auction
About Wesley Willis
Wesley Lawrence Willis was an American musician and visual artist. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989, Willis began a career as an underground singer-songwriter in the outsider music tradition. Willis' songs are typically partially spoken in an MC style, and partially sung in a nasal and out-of-tune manner reminiscent of punk rock vocals. They feature bizarre, humorous and sometimes obscene or absurd lyrics sung over backing created by using the auto accompaniment feature on his Technics KN keyboard. His songs cover a wide variety of topics, with mental illness and consumerism being the most prominent themes. Dubbed "The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll", he is best known for songs such as "Rock N Roll McDonald's" as well as a series of songs where he would directly insult his demons.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.