# Tony Oursler artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/tony-oursler/
Profile generated: 2026-05-18T22:22:10.049Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: American
- Movements: Video art, Contemporary installation art
- Common media: Video, Sculpture, Installation, Performance, Painting

## About Tony Oursler

Tony Oursler (born 1957) is an American multimedia and installation artist recognized for his pioneering work integrating video projection into sculptural forms. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts (BFA, 1979), Oursler emerged in the 1980s as a distinctive voice in video art and has since built a career spanning installation, sculpture, performance, and painting. He is best known for works that project video of human faces and figures onto three-dimensional objects, creating unsettling and psychologically charged encounters. His practice explores themes of media saturation, identity, and the human psyche. Oursler lives and works in New York City. His work is held in major public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate in London, and he has exhibited internationally at institutions, galleries, and biennials. His official site documents ongoing exhibitions and collaborations through 2026.

## Common works and media

Oursler's output includes video-projection sculptures—fabricated forms onto which moving images are projected—as well as freestanding video installations, single-channel video works, editioned video prints and photographs, mixed-media wall pieces, and occasional paintings. His sculptural works often incorporate found objects or fabric dolls paired with projected facial imagery. Collectors may also encounter video tapes, audio works, and collaborative projects documented on his official site.

## Market and appraisal context

Tony Oursler's work appears regularly at auction, with over 300 recorded lots. Appraisal value depends heavily on the specific medium: immersive video installations and projection-based sculptural works generally carry the strongest market interest, while editioned prints, photographs, and smaller 2D works trade at lower tiers. Collectors should verify edition numbers, certificate authenticity, and the condition of electronic components for media-based pieces. Provenance from significant exhibitions or institutional collections can substantially affect value. Comparable auction results should account for work type, scale, date of execution, and edition size.

## Appraisily data basis

This artist page combines identity research from museum records, authority files, and the artist's official site with auction records, sale dates, and comparable lot data from the Appraisily database when available. Sources include the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD, Tate, MoMA, Wikidata, and the artist's own website.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q571399
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Oursler
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500115954
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/29688546/
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/tony-oursler-2366
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/7489
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/132460
- Tony Oursler: http://www.tonyoursler.com