HANDPICKED BY HERITAGE SPECIALISTS, THESE STANDOUT WORKS BY ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING ARTISTS SHOW THAT SERIOUS COLLECTING CAN BEGIN WELL BELOW FIVE FIGURES
By Rhonda Reinhart | June 16, 2026
Contemporary art collecting often carries an aura of exclusivity, with blue-chip names commanding headline-making prices and museum-worthy works seeming out of reach for all but the most established buyers. Heritage Auctions’ June 25 Contemporary Art Within Reach Showcase Auction offers a compelling alternative. Designed to make collecting more accessible, the auction brings together works by established artists and emerging talents at approachable price points, creating opportunities for both seasoned collectors and those just beginning their journey.
In advance of the auction, we asked Heritage’s in-house specialists to select some standout lots that exemplify the breadth and quality of the offering. Their choices range from Larry Bell, a pioneering figure of the California Light and Space movement, to William T. Wiley, the subject of a 2009 Smithsonian retrospective. The selections also spotlight influential abstractionist Lee Mullican, rising contemporary artist Meeson Pae, and post-Pop painter Greg Miller, whose nostalgic works have attracted collectors including the late actor Matthew Perry.
Together, these specialist picks demonstrate one of the auction’s greatest strengths: the chance to acquire works by important artists — many with museum pedigrees and established collector followings — at estimates that make contemporary art collecting more approachable than many newcomers might imagine.
Larry Bell, MEL 24, 1984
Light and metallic vapor on paper
Estimate: $4,000-$6,000
“Created in 1984, MEL 24 is part of Larry Bell’s MEL series, a body of work that demonstrates the artist’s enduring fascination with light and perception. What I find most engaging about this work is how its metallic vapor surface appears to change as one moves around it, making the act of viewing an active experience. Although executed on paper, MEL 24 captures the same sense of optical transformation that characterizes Bell’s celebrated glass sculptures, reflecting his lifelong exploration of the relationship between light, space, and the viewer. Bell’s work has been the subject of significant solo museum exhibitions at institutions including the Tate Gallery in London, the Phoenix Art Museum, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and SITE Santa Fe, underscoring his position as one of the leading figures of the California Light and Space movement. That’s the attraction of our Contemporary Art Within Reach auctions: to get a primary example of important artists — and within financial reach.” —Frank Hettig, Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art
Meeson Pae, Fissures, 2023
Oil on canvas
Estimate: $6,000-$8,000
“Meeson Pae is recognized for her distinctive abstract paintings that explore the intersection of the organic and the technological. Through layered compositions and fluid, biomorphic forms, she creates immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between nature, the body, and digital culture. In the work Fissures from 2023, Pae’s sophisticated handling of color, texture, and structure exemplifies the visual language that has made her one of the most compelling emerging voices in contemporary abstraction.” —Walter Ramirez, Senior Consignment Director, Urban Art
William T. Wiley, Bonejo; Portrait of the Bonejo (pair), 2001-2008; 2009
Mixed media; watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper
Estimate: $5,000-$7,000
“William T. Wiley’s Bonejo and Portrait of the Bonejo embody the inventive spirit of the California Funk movement, blending humor, wordplay, and an appreciation for the creative potential of ordinary materials. The watercolor depicts Wiley’s studio, where the handmade instrument known as Bonejo appears among tools, objects, and works in progress, while the accompanying sculpture gives physical form to that whimsical creation. Drawing on folk traditions and assemblage, the works celebrate the ingenuity that transforms simple materials into objects of delight. Wiley was the subject of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s 2009 retrospective What’s It All Mean: William T. Wiley in Retrospect.”—Holly Sherratt, Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art
Lee Mullican, Creation of the World from Space in Mind, Series One, 1985-86
Oil on canvas
Estimate: $3,000-$5,000
“Lee Mullican’s Creation of the World from Space in Mind from Series One is a captivating oil painting that exemplifies the artist’s visionary approach to abstraction. Drawing on themes of cosmology, creation, and spiritual inquiry, Mullican fills the surface with intricate networks of marks, symbols, and radiant forms that suggest vast celestial landscapes and primordial energies. A founding member of the Transcendental Painting Group, he sought to express realities beyond ordinary perception, creating works that bridge the physical and metaphysical realms. Rich in texture and rhythmic detail, this work reflects Mullican’s enduring exploration of the universe as both a cosmic and spiritual phenomenon and would make a dynamic addition to any collection.” —Desiree Pakravan, Consignment Director, Modern & Contemporary Art
Greg Miller, Stinson, 2009
Acrylic, collage, and resin on canvas
Estimate: $2,000-$3,000
“One of my favorite things about our Contemporary Art Within Reach auctions, aside from the phenomenal prices, is the unique artists I get introduced to every time. Greg Miller, a post-Pop artist who focuses on subjects such as memories from his childhood in the 1960s and Americana, evokes feelings of nostalgia. I was introduced to Miller while working with property from Heritage’s auction of the Matthew Perry Estate; the actor had quite a few of Miller’s works in his collection. So finding this work in our June Contemporary Art Within Reach auction, I couldn’t be more elated. The cool blues of the deep water contrast with the rich yellow tones of the figure, cutting through a moment suspended in time — not only because of Miller’s signature blend of acrylic and resin on canvas, emphasizing the depth of the work, but also in thinking about who collects Greg Miller. While our Contemporary Art Within Reach sales showcase artists who are well known by many and collected by the stars, for me, it’s the hidden gems, if you will, like Miller and so many others that are the most exciting.” —Ezriel Wilson, Cataloger, Fine Arts
