Well, the cat, as they say, is out of the bag. The John Alvin Art Estate, a collection of over 1000 original pieces by John Alvin is going up for sale as one glorious collection. John Alvin is the cinema artist and creator of over 100 movie posters from the 70s, 80s, and 90s known for his posters for E.T. Blade Runner, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and so many others recognized around the world. I’m proud to say I’m personally involved in selling the John Alvin Art Estate, and finding a home for the beautiful originals and iconic corresponding posters that represent John Alvin’s illustrious career as the go-to campaign artist in Hollywood. As many of you know, I’ve been working with the Alvin family and representing John Alvin art for more than 20 years, both through ArtInsights and as an independent art consultant and curator. Now I’m involved in placing the 1011 originals owned by the Alvin family, as ONE collection.
The John Alvin art estate is unique in all the world, in that it is the only collection of its kind that represents the entire story of multiple film campaigns from start to finish. Beyond being a rare collection celebrating global pop culture, it offers a fascinating opportunity to fans of film, as well as students of art history and artists wanting to learn from a master visual storyteller.
It strikes me I’m writing this blog on the anniversary of his death. That was by happenstance. Or was it? Maybe John is supporting this sale from art heaven! I’d love to think so.
We’ve been cataloging and researching art from his estate and in the marketplace for years. It is only now that are we making the announcement for the Alvin family. Andrea Alvin, John’s wife and art partner, is ready to let go of the original art from John’s storied career, and is looking forward to putting more focus on her own career as fine artist.
The information was released officially this week, with an article posted exclusively in the biggest art news site in the world Artnet. The site boasts over 11 million monthly page views. How wonderful that a place that gets 11 million page views a month made the announcement. The news is well and truly OUT there!
The art of John Alvin spans over three decades, and features some of the most iconic movies in our collective history. The estate includes images from sci-fi and fantasy classics like the Star Wars and Star Trek sagas, E.T., Legend, Cocoon, Willow, and Tim Burton’s Batman.
John was also instrumental in building Disney’s New Golden Age, having created the iconic posters for Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and many other films for the studio. The entire visual story of the Aladdin campaign through movie art is part of the John Alvin Art Estate.
In fact, the art John Alvin created for Aladdin was inspiration for images for the live action film released a few years ago:
None of the art represented in the John Alvin Art Estate will be sold individually, and no new limited editions are planned for any of the images therein. We want to sell this as one collection, keeping John’s process, his visual storytelling, intact. We are hoping the buyer, whether a unique collector or an organization, will display aspects of the collection. We’d love it in a public forum that allows students and fans to experience what John called the “promise of a great experience” in person. We already have ideas on that, and are in discussion with several options, but that doesn’t mean another buyer can’t swoop in anytime before a deal is struck! Of course I’ll announce whatever elements of the sale we can go public with as soon as it happens, in keeping with the wishes of the buyer(s).
The asking price is being kept confidential and will likely not be disclosed out of respect for the prospective buyers. What information is disclosed will depend on the circumstances of the sale. That said, the price is in keeping with John’s important place in film and art history, as well as past sales of his work. Considered were both auction and gallery sales prices, and recent sales of other film art and collectibles. Prices for film memorabilia have exploded. A pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz went for more than 30 million dollars, and a Tom Jung original painting used in the Star Wars campaign going for almost 4 million.
Andrea Alvin wrote a wonderful letter about selling the collection, which will be included in the sale, as will certificates hand-signed by her for each piece in the John Alvin Art Estate. Here is her letter:
We believe this collection is being sold right at the moment where film art is poised to become exponentially more expensive. This is in part true because fans and art collectors are aware that film art is no longer traditionally illustrated, so John’s work represents a dying art form. Another factor is that Gen X and Millennial buyers now make up 60% and 30% of the art market, respectively. All around the world, these collectors grew up with the same movies, and by extension, the movies’ posters, created by John Alvin. They are getting into collecting film art because it evokes personal nostalgia, combining sentiment with the thrill of collecting rare and historic pieces.
You can read more about why the collection is a big deal, and more about the specifics of the collection HERE.
To see the entire collection, you can go HERE.
Again, no, we aren’t selling any of the originals singly, and no, we cannot make a limited edition from any single piece. Apologies to John’s fans that wish we would!
We do know fans will enjoy seeing the images, though, and don’t forget: if you or anyone you know might be interested in the collection as a whole, contact me at artinsights@gmail.com.
In the process of building the framework for this sale, I’ve put together a number of videos, and built a special website that outlines what we have in mind, and you can see all that HERE.
Enjoy this video of the art in private and public spaces here:
So, what do we have to offer fans who love John’s work but don’t have millions to spend on the collection? On occasion, we find or gain access to originals outside the collection as a whole, so keep checking back. We also have exclusive limited editions, many hand signed by John Alvin, available through ArtInsights. You can see all available images HERE.
Below are a few of my favorites, all of which are sold out and come directly from the Alvin family, and a number only have one available for sale. Click on each for more information:
