SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS Announces Major Annual Fine Art Auction Featuring Landmark Collections of Llyn Foulkes, Elyn Zimmerman & Kirk Varnedoe, and Kevin Reagan
Auction Date: SUNDAY, January 25, 2026 — Starting at 12:00 PM (PT)
SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS is proud to announce its annual auction, taking place SUNDAY, January 25, 2026 at 12:00 PM, presenting strong and historically important works. While the auction house hosts one auction per year, with the possibility of a second only when a major collection becomes available, this year’s event brings together an extraordinary group of works—many rare and many historically significant.
THE THREE FEATURED COLLECTIONS
The Elyn Zimmerman & Kirk Varnedoe Collection
This historic collection joins the auction following the lifelong partnership between Elyn Zimmerman, an acclaimed sculptor and visionary artist, and Kirk Varnedoe, widely regarded as one of the most influential curators of the century. The two met when Varnedoe first visited Zimmerman’s studio to view her work—beginning a creative relationship that led to decades of collecting.
Highlights from their collection include:
James Turrell – C-Print, c. 1973, from the numbered edition of 10
Robert Rauschenberg – Gelatin silver print of Cy Twombly walking down Roman steps, 1952
Dennis Hopper – Gelatin silver print of Ed Ruscha, 1964, an A.P. outside the numbered edition of 15
This collection offers museum-level material—much of it rarely seen on the market.
The Llyn Foulkes Collection
We are honored to present an exceptional selection of works by Llyn Foulkes, including pieces dating as early as 1953 as well as important later works. Several pieces in this group have been placed with leading galleries including Gagosian Gallery, Craig Krull Gallery, and Kayne Griffin Corcoran Gallery.
These works represent pivotal moments in Foulkes’ evolution and are exceedingly rare.
Pettibon Works from the Collection of Kevin Reagan
This sale includes a suite of Raymond Pettibon original ink-on-paper works held for decades by Kevin Reagan, an award-winning creative director and designer known for his influential visual contributions to music, publishing, and cultural branding. Reagan’s long stewardship of these Pettibon pieces underscores their significance; each dates back to the artist’s most formative periods.
Every Pettibon in this collection is notable for its quality, condition, and historical relevance.
ADDITIONAL MAJOR WORKS IN THE AUCTION
The Sunday, January 25 sale also includes significant highlights across postwar and contemporary art:
RETNA – Original acrylic on canvas featured in Street Cred: Graffiti Art From Concrete to Canvas at the Pasadena Museum of California Art (May–September 2011), later exhibited at the Longmont Museum in Colorado (December 2011–January 2012)
Larry Zox – Original acrylic on canvas featured at Andre Emmerich Gallery
Ed Ruscha – A 1969 screenprint from one of the most important eras of his career
Ron Davis – Original canvas painting from 1976, featured at Nicholas Wilder Gallery in 1975
Sam Francis – Original acrylic on paper from 1992, a strong example from a signature period of his work
This year’s auction also features a buyer’s premium of just 27%. In addition to phone and absentee bidding, SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS offers online bidding through LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable for participants worldwide and Select-In Person Bidding. Our full catalogue will be released in the coming weeks. For questions regarding registration, estimates, or to request high-resolution images of works featured in this auction, please contact:
info@smauctions.com.
AUCTION DETAILS
Date: January 25, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM (PT)
Location: 2525 Michigan Ave, STE A5
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Bidding: Select In-Person, Online, Phone, and Absentee Bidding
Buyer’s Premium: 27% on top of the hammer price
FOR MORE DETAILS: www.smauctions.com
