BRIC 14–15 APRIL 2011 HOWICK PLACE LONDON
LOT 9. ILYA KABAKOV
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LOT 6. BHARTI KHER
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LOT 5. HƒLIO OITICICA
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LOT 8. ZENG FANZHI
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BR
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CONTENTS SIMON DE PURY
The Chairman on the riches to be found in the world of BRIC ...page 14
CATHERINE PETITGAS
The French-born art philanthropist shares her passion for Latin American art ...page 16
ZHANG HUAN
From Shanghai to New York and back ...page 26
THUKRAL AND TAGRA
Can ÒPunjabi baroqueÓ effect social change? ...page 32
OLGA CHERNYSHEVA
Showcasing the unsung heroes of everyday life ...page 36
DIPTI MATHUR
A collection as fun as it is scientific ...page 40
YANG JIECHANG
Building a future out of brush and ink ...page 48
HUGO FRAN‚A
Foraging in the forest with a design master ...page 54
SHEELA GOWDA
We donÕt need another hero ...page 60
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CONTENTS SEVEN
Joseph Backstein on the appropriation of art history by seven of RussiaÕs most exciting new talents ...page 66
CINTHIA MARCELLE
In the workshop of the Future Art Generation Prize winner ...page 74
SYLVAIN LEVY
Uploading his passion for Chinese art ...page 80
OBJECT LESSON
Zeng Fanzhi and the groundbreaking exhibition China! ...page 88
THURSDAY 14 APRIL, 7PM
BRIC EVENING SALE Lots 1 Ð 38 ...page 91
FRIDAY 15 APRIL, 10AM
BRIC DAY SALE Lots 39 Ð 203 ...page 191
INDEX
The artists in the sales ...page 326
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BRIC
BRIC is a term that was first coined by Jim O'Neill, Chief Investment Officer of Goldman Sachs back in 2001 and is now omnipresent in the economic press. In 2010, Phillips de Pury was the first art institution to put the spotlight on the artistic achievements of the BRIC countries Ð Brazil, Russia, India and China Ð by organizing in London its first and very successful auction entirely dedicated to art, photography and design from these countries. While Brazil, Russia, India and China have of course vastly different historical and cultural backgrounds, today they have in common a vibrant and highly active art scene. The Financial Times wrote this week that for the first time there are more billionaires in the BRIC countries than in Europe. This should augur well for the future of the market for art emanating from these countries. More importantly, in all four BRIC countries there are great artists that have come to the fore and the best amongst them have become big stars in the international art world. It is interesting to note that whenever there is an economic boom in a region of the world, it goes hand in hand with an artistic and creative surge. For this second annual BRIC sale we have decided to be stricter in its editing. This has resulted in a catalogue with fewer lots but greater focus and better overall quality. I would like to commend Henry Allsopp, the worldwide director of our Theme Sales, for achieving that, and am also grateful to Karen Wright for having continued our great tradition of in-depth profiles of some of the most interesting players in the art world. For the first time, key players in the BRIC collecting arena, such as Catherine Petitgas and Sylvain Levy, have opened their doors to our friends and readers. And, as we can see here, Zhang Huan used fresh meat as clothing long before Lady Gaga. An eclectic mix of music from each country will accompany the exhibition in our rooms at Howick Place celebrating the vibrant culture of BRIC.
SIMON de PURY CHAIRMAN, PHILLIPS de PURY & COMPANY
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Catherine Petitgas photographed at home with Beatriz Milhazes’s Férias de Verão, 2005, in London, 28 February 2011
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CATHERINE PETITGAS TROPICAL SPLENDOUR INTERVIEW KAREN WRIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHS MEL YATES
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KAREN WRIGHT Why Latin America? You are not Latin American – you certainly don’t sound it. CATHERINE PETITGAS That’s the oddity of being French living in London. KW And your husband is from where? CP Franck is French as well but when we were in our early twenties, we went to live in Mexico for a while because he was working with the French Embassy. I joined him there and they were very happy times – we were very carefree, we were in love (laughs) and also friends of ours had come before us and they had informed everyone, ‘Oh, they are coming.’ So we had a ball of a time going out every weekend to these fabulous houses outside Mexico City. We fell in love with Mexico. We went back and up until now we go back at least once a year to Mexico and then to other countries in the area. We started to collect in 1997. I left the City, where for ten years I was an equity analyst and I was a bit under pressure from my other half to give it up and have a more civilised lifestyle. That’s when we started collecting more seriously. KW It’s as though you went back to your first love. CP Exactly. KW Did you buy anything when you were in Mexico City. CP No, we had bought things that we would more or less disown now (laughs). Some of them we had bought more for sentimental reasons. We like a lot of Oaxaca artists – there is a very strong school of indigenousinspired art there, and there are some big names such as Francisco Toledo, so we have a few works by him and also there are younger artists of the Oaxaca school that are a bit indigenous, a bit surrealist – we still have them because they are cheerful. But I don’t think we would collect much more of that now. But also at the time there were artists such as Francis Alÿs for example who was starting to make a splash on the international art scene, or [Gabriel] Orozco, but others also in that area – people like Santiago Sierra. A lot of the artists we are still interested in today started in the nineties. There were other shows in New York and over here [in the UK]. In 2002, at PS1 there was one fantastic show with 20 artists from Mexico City. There was, over here, the South London Gallery, ‘20 Million Mexicans Can’t Be Wrong’. People like Gabriel Kuri, Teresa Margolles and others, they were in those shows. Margolles works a lot with the morgues, you know, like at the Venice Biennale. KW That was an amazing piece. Do you have any of her work? CP No, but she is on my radar. I think she does a lot of works that are not very collectible but she does other pieces, so I will wait for something that I feel more strongly about. I think her and Doris Salcedo are two that are… KW On your radar… CP Exactly, and that are dealing with death, a very important theme in Latin America and in Mexico especially. I know Salcedo’s gallery and I keep looking and I know something will come up one day. KW When you were in Mexico did you explore the rest of Latin America? CP Oh yes, because then we lived in New York, and my job was covering banks in Latin America, so I travelled extensively through the region. And Franck was also working in the same area, so we spent the weekend in Argentina, in Chile, and in Brazil a few times. KW God, how romantic. CP (laughs) Yes. KW ‘Meet me in Buenos Aires.’ CP On the beach (laughs). That’s where our love for Latin America comes
French-born Catherine Petitgas and her husband Franck are fairly recent to the collecting scene. After Catherine left the City, she channelled her considerable skills and energy into her passion for Latin American culture. Not only has she received her MA with distinction from the Courtauld Institute, and plans to follow this up with a PhD, but she also sits on a wide range of committees and boards, all in support of Latin American artists. While her husband still works in the world of banking, he also serves as a Trustee for the Tate, where Catherine also takes an active role. Since 2000, she has served as a lecturer and tour guide in a voluntary capacity. She joined the Tate Latin America acquisitions committee in 2003 and remains a passionate advocate for Latin American art. She also sits on the executive committee of the International Council of the Tate. She and her husband dedicate a quarter of their acquisitions budget to patronage and through this substantial amount she supports the Tate Level 2 gallery. In addition, she is on the board of the Serpentine Gallery as well as that of the Whitechapel. Recently she has also helped support shows at the South London Gallery, including those of Tatiana Trouvé, Rivane Neuenschwander and Marie Cool and Fabio Balducci. She is a member of the International Circle of Artangel and a production partner with Outset Contemporary Art Fund. She is a mentor at MIMA and through her connection at the Outset fund has helped support the fabrication of work by Alexandre da Cunha for the Camden Arts Centre and is currently supporting the fabrication of work by Mateo López, that will be shown at MIMA later. Her patronage does not stop with the contemporary, as she is a trustee at the Pallant House Gallery and most recently helped with their show of Surrealism, ‘Surreal Friends’ a show that included Leonora Carrington, an act of patronage that has led to her interest in Carrington and Surrealism in general. 18
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Damián Ortega,Torre Latino, 2007
ÇWE DONÕT NEED A MUSEUM Ð THERE ARE ALREADY MUSEUMS OUT THERE. WE JUST NEED THE ARTWORKS, THE ARTISTS, AND THE IDEASÈ
ÇI THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY ATTRACTS ME IS THE SORT OF TONGUE-IN-CHEEK, DISPARAGING ATTITUDE TOWARDS EVERYTHINGÈ BRIC_UK_April_2011_B_Catherine Petigas_16-25.indd 19
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Ernesto Neto, Interacting Rising Leaves and a work by Ernesto Neto and Carlos Bevilacqua 2006
ÇTHE BEAUTY OF BUYING CONTEMPORARY ART IS THAT YOU BUY POETRY IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFEÈ BRIC_UK_April_2011_B_Catherine Petigas_16-25.indd 20
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Nostalgia County (Diptych), 2005, by Janaina Tschape
from. When we started collecting more we had a sort of gut feeling for artists in the area and for the wit: I think one of the things that really attracts me is the sort of tongue-in-cheek, disparaging attitude towards everything. KW There is a lightness of touch. CP Exactly, that I find very charming and that I find lacking sometimes in other artists that I look at. But Orozco for us was really an important starting point because we’d seen his first show at MoMA in NYC in 1993, when we were living in New York and, I must say, it was a revelation. We had an interest in modern and contemporary art, but we were not really collecting at the time, and we were much younger. But I must say seeing that show [gasps]. I don’t know if you had a chance to see it. Seeing how he pushed the boundaries of an institution like MoMA, that is so intimidating, especially as he was barely 30. You know, he put those oranges on the windowsill and it took your eye out of the museum – it was so witty and at the same time it was the globe… the idea of the orange being the world. There is a famous verse by Paul Éluard which says. ‘The world is blue like an orange,’ so it was very, very evocative. And Matisse also saw himself as the colour orange or whatever, it was his symbol. So this simple daring gesture brought so many references. And when we started collecting, which was in 1997, when I left the City and banking, one of the reasons we decided to focus on Latin America was because of Orozco, that show and the world it opened for us. Orozco and Francis Alÿs – we have lots of works by Francis Alÿs. KW Mexico is very different from the rest of Latin America, and you have a lot of Mexico in here, don’t you? CP Yes, Mexico and Brazil. The reason why Orozco interested me so much was he managed to create a message that is quite universal, a message starting from the experience of Mexico City. Because in fact it is a very symbolic city, it is one of the first cities of more than 20 million people and is still one of the largest cities in the world. From this experience
of this urban jungle he managed to create these experiential works. For example, the balls of plasticine that he himself would roll down the streets of Manhattan or Mexico City collecting things, are poetic interpretations of the megalopolis that can apply anywhere. They can apply in Asia, in Africa and in other parts of the world where people have this experience of anonymity and the excess of the megalopolis. This urban trend is something that we’ve worked on that we have several examples of. KW Francis also works in the same way as well. CP Yes, the walking in the city. As I was talking to you, I realised that The Collector, his famous piece, [in which Alÿs drags along a magnetic dog, collecting detritus] and the Orozco ball of plasticine in a way came from the same place. KW It’s interesting how many artists walk as well, like Cildo Meireles walks every day even though you can see his studio from his house. It’s really close, but he walks for nearly two hours down to the beach to get there. There is this apparent need to constantly reintegrate oneself into the landscape. CP It is interesting because there is this motion of the fl‰neur at the start of modernity, when the Impressionists also started embracing the notion of the city and the poetic aspect of the fl‰neur. KW Another thing I found in Mexico City was how much artists actually took parts of the city and physically integrated it into the work. Orozco did that wonderful show in Venice in 2003, ‘The Everyday Altered’, where he chose artists like Abraham Cruzvillegas and Daniel Guzmán, and a whole group who were actually integrating ‘souvenirs’ into their work. It’s interesting how bits of stuff can hold memories. I loved that modesty. I wonder how everyone is going to adjust to this new – what’s the word for it? – successful economic situation. The work is going to have to adjust, because the artist can’t find that detritus anymore. CP Latin America has a sort of modesty – with so many people living 21
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Aparecida (left) and Emerson (right) from the Aftermath series by Vik Muniz, with (centre) Tonico Lemos Auad, Seven Seas/Night, 2007Ð09
below the poverty line in those countries, you have to ask what we are doing making pieces out of marble. There is a sort of humble aspect which I think is a very good attitude for some of these artists to remember. We also looked a lot at Mexico having such a strong indigenous population, such a strong pre-Hispanic culture. It is very much rooted still in that indigenous culture, including a lot of the famous paintings that we all know by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, painters whom I love, Francis Tamayo and David Alfaro Siqueiros and others. It has been difficult for Mexican artists to really shake off this influence, they were such towering influences. I think Orozco really makes the break and finds a language that is away from this. When you look at Brazil for example, Brazil had embraced modernity, had embraced the future earlier – from the forties onwards. The [São Paulo] Biennale started in 1951 and that is when Oiticica discovers Calder, Mondrian, Albers, and all these European influences. They were far more open to that, whereas in Mexico, because of their history, a lot
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of the popular artists in Mexico are very much indigenous, and very much influenced by the indigenous artists. It was great, I think, that Orozco managed to break away from these. KW There seems to be the strand between the contemporary and the historic works running through the collection, can you identify any other groups of artists you are interested in? CP Well, Surrealism. I was approached by Stefan [van Raay], the director of Pallant House [gallery in Chichester, UK], and he started telling me of the life story of Leonora Carrington, which is quite extraordinary. She was the mistress of Max Ernst – she fell in love with him when she was 20, he was 50, she was disowned by her family, a very posh, Lancashire textile baron family, because she was having this affair. So [it’s] a very dramatic and very extraordinary sort of personal story, and an art, also, that has remained incredibly personal. She has kept on doing Surrealism – in the sixties and seventies, when it was really no longer that topical, but it has
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a twist, and she is still working now. I was really fascinated by her, and I bought several pieces by her, and IÕm still buying. I think I have a veto now, from Franck, saying, ÔNot another Leonora Carrington!Õ But I have enjoyed this enormously and also buying other women that were in that show that I sponsored: Remedios Varo is an artist of Spanish origin, but of course lived in Mexico; and one of the photographers, Kati Horna. I am now looking at pieces by others Ð Leonor Fini, Eileen AgarÉ KW YouÕre following up this historical interest. CP Yes, I think itÕs very important, because Surrealism has something that is very Latin American about it. A lot of the works I like by contemporary artists are, in a way, a take on Surrealism, you know Ð this idea of taking familiar objects and making them unfamiliar, but maybe removing the emotion or the cuteness of Surrealism. KW Well certainly the piece Seven Seas Night above your mantelpiece [by Tonico Lemos Auad, a young Brazilian artist] is a Surrealist piece, with the
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horizontal seemingly askew. And it could be a painting. And the sculpture by Alexandre da Cunha between the windows, again, are painterly, quite surrealistic. CP Yes, almost like a Morandi. KW But with a surrealistic twist to them. ThereÕs an aura about them. Have you visited Carrington in Mexico? CP Yes, I met her for her 92nd birthday Ð she is now 93. I went to visit her, and it was difficult to convince her to go out, because she is little and frail, but once she was out, she was so happy. She had a twinkle in her eye! Several people came to ask for her autograph, because she is very well known and well liked in Mexico. KW Where did you take her for lunch? CP We took her for lunch at a lovely place called Casa Lamm in Mexico City, and she was very funny. She was recalling anecdotes about Marcel Duchamp and [RenŽ] Magritte and others. SheÕs still in the house where
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Left to right: Alexandre da Cunha from the Terracota Ebony series; (on wall) works by HŽlio Oiticica, (in box) Mira Schendel, Untitled Ð Cadernos series, 1971
lives here now, Armando Andrade Tudela. He makes collages, he is very well regarded, as well, as they really push you. And now I’m getting used to that language and I’m starting to see that they are onto something really interesting about the way we live. KW It is interesting that this work is coming out of Arte Povera as well – it’s a break with what we call traditional sculpture. CP It is interesting because while it is certainly the legacy of Arte Povera, it is also the construction of geometric abstraction. KW Which comes out of South America … CP … out of the construction of Neo-Concretism, of all the geometry that was in the canon up till now. But also the scarcity of means is something that is very ingrained in Latin American culture, because you have favelas and you have slums juxtaposed right next to luxury building blocks. The scarcity of means is really something that corresponds to Latin America. The Campana brothers had also put their finger on it sometime ago, I think, until they sold their soul to the devil. KW Why is there a sudden interest in Latin American art, why has it suddenly become fashionable? Do you have any pet theories? CP I have a few. One thing that I find interesting is how the historic work from Latin America has made a difference, particularly the work from Brazil, you know, the work of the Neo-Concrete Group – Lygia Clark, [Hélio] Oiticica. What’s really essential about this group is that they have put the canon of geometric abstraction into question. It’s one instance where the periphery brings a new message to what is supposed to be the centre of the canon, and the message they’ve brought is of a certain lightness, but also reason, and an organic touch. If you look at a work by Oiticica, one of those Metaesquemas, they are moving, there is this sort of rhythm in them that is fabulous, or look at the way he brought together Mondrian and Calder and created these hanging pieces with very intense colours. He just pushed the message forward and transformed it by making it also organic – the shapes are never completely geometric. So I think that angle, and also the whole participative element is key. KW Ernesto Neto taking from that as well. You could argue that the work isn’t that great, but it serves a different function. When you do participative work, it changes its dimensions. CP Yes, and it morphed into relational art – Nicolas Bourriaud. And so now the relational art, participative art, has become fairly mainstream,
she lived all these years and that features in some of her paintings. She doesn’t have so much art in it, of her own art; she has some pieces, but it was interesting to see her lifestyle. She’s still very British at heart, even though her own work is not particularly British. She had a particular photograph of herself with Prince Charles in the drawing room, which I think she quite values, and she has photographs of Princess Diana in her kitchen! So you can tell she’s a bit of a royalist at heart. And her English is still quite clipped; it’s British English. KW It’s interesting that she never came back to England, that she stayed all those years. CP She felt that she had been sort of turned down by the family. KW And so you’re filling in your collection. Are you being kind of serious about ticking the boxes? CP No! Sometimes I look for pieces, but often I respond to [works I see], you know – that’s why it’s so key to go to the fairs and to go to exhibitions and to be pushed a bit beyond your comfort zone, I guess. If you don’t have a curator, you have to teach yourself. KW I love the Gabriel Kuri that you bought, with the sport socks. Is that the first Kuri that you acquired? CP Three Arrested Clouds. Yes. Again, he’s an artist I looked at several times, and several times I was offered those Aubusson tapestries of grocery receipts, you know? And they are funny, but they didn’t quite work for me, aesthetically. So I was waiting to find something that would really … click, and that was the one. He is going from strength to strength, have you seen now he’s the guest artist at the Armory Show? KW Yes, he’s getting a little bit too well known – I worry about him keeping his intensity. But I think he’s tough, I think he’ll be fine, I don’t think it’s going to go to his head. CP I guess you always make better work when you’re a bit more of a struggling, creative actor. But as a collector you need to be stretched a bit, and I’ve been a bit puzzled for the last year and a half or two years. I was a bit of a latecomer and I’ve realized that sculpture has a completely different new language – that is really not appealing and the aesthetic is… KW I call it ‘negative aesthetic’. CP Whether it’s Rachel Harrison, Abraham Cruzvillegas or Gabriel Kuri, they just provoke you, they make pieces that are quite hard. For example, the last piece I bought is downstairs now – it’s by a Peruvian artist who 24
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Carving on wood by JosŽ Damasceno; lamps by Jorge Pardo, and sculpture by Gabriel Orozco
but I think a lot of it was inspired by this Brazilian school. And it also is true, I think, of the Mexicans, because I think Damián Ortega owes a lot to them – he’s lived in Brazil, and he owes a lot to the Neo-Concrete school. KW Has he lived in Brazil? I didn’t realise that. CP In Rio, yes. KW That’s interesting, because there’s certainly an Neto connection there, which is very clear to me. CP Yes, all his first hanging pieces, you can also relate those to Oiticica, certainly. Perhaps another, more pragmatic, reason [for the upsurge in interest] is that institutions have started collecting Latin American art more, and then that raises the question of who sets the ball rolling. Is it the institutions, the collectors, the art? But the institutions have started collecting more, in the US in particular, because there is a growing Hispanic population, which until recently was not at all represented in the main museums. KW The rehang of MoMA was extraordinary, when they started including works by Oiticica and Clark, which had never been seen. CP That was the work of Patty Cisneros [Patricia Phelps de Cisneros], who is on the Latin American Acquisitions Committee and is very militant. KW You want my money, you hang our art! What power. CP Definitely. I think that’s exactly what she did. And that has played a role, because institutions are starting to buy, so collectors, certainly in the US – in Arizona, Texas, for instance – have [decided], ‘We mustn’t miss that boat!’ KW I would say there were perhaps 20 collectors in the world who set the agenda for all the others. And if it’s in this collection, that collection – you could list them – then everyone else has to have them. CP Yes, exactly, and the sad thing is that, certainly, without being too logistical, the art from Latin America has become bigger, more universal – as I was saying, perhaps drawing on the experience of the megalopolis. KW You also can’t exclude the fact that it was under the marketplace for a long time, and it has two functions. Of course, there’s room to grow, but also the artists, because they’re left alone – because they’re not under such pressure to produce work – actually can be more creative. This is the question as they become more mainstream and become more in demand. What’s going to happen to the work, and what’s going to happen to an Orozco, and Ortega, a Francis Alÿs when you project it forward?
The success of your area may be its downfall. But are you still optimistic about it? You have a lot of young people in your collection – you know, new generation. CP Alexandre da Cunha and Tonico Lemos Auad, yes. KW So that’s another generation. CP And Rivane Neuenschwander, who is more, I guess, [in her] forties – KW … more established. But still quite young. So there’s a whole new generation coming forward, isn’t there, that are drawing on the others? CP Yes, there is a twenty-something generation. We have some works, also, by some of the Cubans. They go by waves, so there was the eighties generation, with people like José Bedia, or perhaps the nineties, and the noughties – there is a generation of artists who are 25 or 30 now, who are so brilliant and some have done interesting things, have been noticed. You can see them in fairs, being asked to do important things. We have works by one who is called Wilfredo Prieto; I love what he does. He did, a few years back, a pole with a big red flag, and I have a piece related to this, and he’s so funny. I couldn’t buy that piece because Franck wouldn’t let me. It was a little plank of wood that you put up as a little shelf, and on it he had one red pen and one blue pen, an ordinary pen like a Pilot. And the red pen has a blue cap and the blue pen has a red cap… KW And that was the work. CP It was called Infidelity. KW And he [Franck] wouldn’t let you have it? CP He started saying, ‘Well, the relationship between the price and the added value of this piece is disproportionate.’ KW That’s always the question the banker would ask. CP For me, a work that brings a smile to your face every day has value. The Kuri boulders with pairs of socks, I think that has value. The beauty of buying contemporary art is that you buy poetry in your everyday life, because you don’t really have time to stop and think, and artists have this sensitivity that makes them take [a view from a] distance and really see the poetry in everyday life. And for me that’s something that, when I am asked, ‘Why contemporary?’, is always there. They manage to take your everyday routine and… for example, Francis Alÿs and the piece with the stick on the railings – you don’t see the railings. But I think it’s only in London that you have those railings. There’s something very idiosyncratic, that you don’t see any more. n 25
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ZHANG HUAN BODY OF EVIDENCE WORDS SARAH KENT | PHOTOGRAPHS RYAN PYLE
THERE MUST BE something about feng shui. During his early years as a performance artist in Beijing, Dong Ming continually risked arrest and was beaten up by the police. Desperate to improve his situation, he consulted a feng shui master who advised him to change his name to something more auspicious, including a character meaning ÔwaterÕ. From hundreds of possibilities, he chose one at random; it turned out to be Huan, the main river flowing through Henan Province where he was born and brought up. It seems to have worked. Seventeen years on, Huan is one of the most sought after artists in the world and his rate of production has ratcheted up to the point where he employs over 100 assistants in a vast studio complex in south-west Shanghai. Once the location of a boiler factory, the 15-acre site now contains a dining room and dormitories for the workers, as well as a showroom and numerous workshops that produce a huge range of artworks, including giant buddhas, cow-hide sculptures, ash paintings, woodcuts, and reliefs carved into old doors. Born in 1965, Huan is the same age as Damien Hirst and is often compared to him as well as to Andy Warhol, but the output of HuanÕs workshops dwarfs the efforts both of WarholÕs Factory and HirstÕs many enterprises. Huan describes China as a country charging headlong into the future and working on overdrive, 24-7, to achieve prosperity; but he also warns of the dangers inherent in turning your back on the past. ItÕs a lesson he might do well to remember, since, despite the increasing scale and impact of his recent work, it was during his years as a performance artist that he produced some of the most memorable images of the latter part of the twentieth century. The common thread running through the early work is the use of his naked body as the primary medium. ÔThe body is the only direct way through which I come to know society and society comes to know meÕ, Huan has said. ÔThe body is the proof of identity. The body is language... any medium beyond my body seemed too remote from myself. Thus I decided that the only way I could be an artist was by using my body as the basic medium and language of my art.Õ In 12m² (1994), for example, we see him sitting naked in a public latrine, covered in flies attracted by the honey and fish oil smeared over his head and body. In Skin (1997), a series of stark black-and-white photographs, he explores the formal possibilities
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Zhang Huan photographed in his studio in Shanghai, January 2011
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ÇTHE BODY IS THE PROOF OF IDENTITY. THE BODY IS LANGUAGEÉ ANY MEDIUM BEYOND MY BODY SEEMED TOO REMOTE FROM MYSELFÈ of the medium most readily to hand Ð his shaven head. He pulls and twists his flesh in a sequence of images that, like 12m², read as an indictment of the ascetic life endured by him and fellow artists in the so-called East Village, the (in)famous artistsÕ community set up in the early 1990s in an impoverished neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beijing surrounded by rubbish dumps where many locals scavenged for a living. The East Village artists were dependent upon each other for creative and economic survival, and HuanÕs performance To Add One Meter to an Anonymous Mountain (1995) is a humorous celebration of the power of collective action. Piled on top of one another in a meter-high mound, nine naked artists temporarily change the topography of a mountain near Beijing. Another performance, To Raise the Water Level in a Fish Pond (1997), shows migrant workers immersed in a large pond, so raising the water level, and so demonstrating the potential of people, even those whose rights are normally ignored, to influence their environment, no matter on how small a scale. In the eight years that Huan lived in Beijing, he moved thirteen times, always keeping one step ahead of the authorities. Then in 1998 he was invited to take part in Inside Out: New Chinese Art, an exhibition of work from the mid-1980s to the present at the Asia Society and PS1 in New York. At the same time, at the age of 33, he decided to move to the United States. No longer forced to work undercover, his performances became more elaborate and more theatrical. At PS1, for his performance Pilgrimage – Wind and Water in New York, he lay naked on blocks of ice placed on a Mingstyle daybed to which dogs of various different breads were attached. Once
Zhang
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Huan’s features are gradually obliterated by a web of Chinese calligraphy outlining the family ties of the kind that define and bind us to community, but also stifle individual identity. The artist seems to be weighing up the need for freedom with the desire for belonging. HE BEGAN VISITING China, then in 2005, after eight years in the United States, he returned permanently to his homeland, gave up performance art and established himself as the brains behind a flourishing business that produces a diverse range of artworks from paintings and prints to sculptures and installations. There’s no signature style, but if his early work embodied his predicament as an impoverished artist, the recent work is characterized by the use of materials indicative of this moment in China’s history. As the country rushes to modernize, whole districts are being torn down and replaced by tower blocks. The satirical sculpture Donkey (2005) sums up Huan’s attitude to the building boom. A stuffed donkey (symbol of backwardness, ignorance and lust) is humping the rusty skeleton of Shanghai’s Jin Mao tower, until recently the tallest building in China and a proud symbol of progress. Given the scale of the demolition, materials salvaged from traditional buildings are in plentiful supply. Printed onto floor boards from old houses in the Shanxi province, a series of enormous woodcuts incorporates imagery from Tui Beo Tu, a banned seventh-century text warning governments to be cautious with their authority. Huan grew up during the cultural revolution and has vivid memories of flag-waving marchers. He has amassed a collection of government propaganda illustrated with photographs of heroic soldiers, happy workers and their glorious leader Chairman Mao. The series Memory Doors (2006) harks back to the time when defamatory notices were posted onto the doors of condemned households. Black-and-white photographs culled from Communist Party literature are glued onto old doors; sections of the image are carved into the wood to produce a paradoxical reversal in which the ghostly pictures become tangible and immediate – woven, as it were, into the fabric of history.
ÇI THINK ITÕS ALL ABOUT DESTINY. IF IT COMES BY DESTINY, EVEN IF YOU DONÕT WANT IT, ITÕS STILL YOURSÈ
My New York 2002, Whitney Museum, York, USAthis time as an outsider in again thePerformance, performance embodied hisNew situation, an environment that felt strange and unwelcoming. He hoped the warmth of his body would thaw the ice, but instead the ice chilled him to the bone. The dogs represented the cultural diversity of the city, but also the way many New Yorkers keep pets to fill the emotional void in their lives. Huan described the difference between China and the United States as ‘the contrast between heaven and hell’, yet he could not settle in New York. ‘Because of difficulties in language and culture I could not adapt to life in America. I was like an idiot,’ he recalls. ‘When I was in Beijing, I worked almost exclusively underground. I didn’t have any freedom in my creations. When I moved to New York, non-profit public organizations began sponsoring my performances … I should have felt like a fish swimming in water with ease and comfort. However this was not so. Too much “freedom” makes a person “nervous”.’ His performance My New York took place at the Whitney Museum in 2002, and it featured the artist wearing a suit made of steaks sewn together to mimic the exaggerated musculature of a body builder. Resembling Superman, the artist should have walked tall, yet he looked decidedly queasy. With the rawness of the flesh emphasizing the vulnerability rather than the power of the over-primed body, the bloody suit seemed less a protective carapace and more of a liability. Family Tree (2000) addresses the complex issue of identity with the simplicity characteristic of the early work. In a sequence of photographs,
At the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Huan was taught Socialist Realism and he has recently returned to the style and its subjects in his current work, but with a twist. In Shanghai, he began visiting the temples (later he was to become a Buddhist himself). He was fascinated by the vast quantities of ash produced by worshippers burning incense, an act which Huan sees as the embodiment of their dreams and aspirations. He began collecting the ash for use in his sculptures and paintings. The largest and most dramatic of these works incorporating ash is Canal Building (2008), a scroll-like image 59 feet long and nearly 20 feet wide lying atop a minimalist block of ash. It has to be viewed from an overhead walkway, and is as much an installation as it is a painting. Depicting hundreds of workers toiling to construct a canal, the image conveys a similar sentiment to the performance To Add One Meter to an Anonymous Mountain, except that an edgy ambiguity infuses the work. In such works, Huan may be drawing parallels between the ambitious projects instigated by Mao and the individual ambition fuelling China’s current economic growth – between collective endeavour and individual achievement. Yet the message seems more complex and more interesting than that. The slab resembles a giant sarcophagus and the ash carries associations of cremation and conflagration; together they introduce an apocalyptic note reminiscent of Anselm Keifer’s ruminations on twentiethcentury German history. Huan’s recent sculptures of fragmented Buddhas are similarly 30
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I hope more and more talents from different backgrounds will join the studio and realize new ideas together with me. I think it’s all about destiny; if it comes by destiny, even if you don’t want it, it’s still yours. And if it is not yours by destiny, no matter how much you desire it, you still cannot get it.’ The change in his fortunes – from sitting alone in a lavatory to employing over a hundred people – constitutes a dramatic shift in circumstances. Is he becoming a business man as much as an artist and does he see this as a problem? ‘It’s a very good question’, he replies. ‘I think it doesn’t matter if the work is done by me or my assistants. The most important thing is if it is good work, because then it can speak for itself. Take for example, Three Legged Buddha [2010] permanently installed at the Storm King Art Center outside New York. If I’d tried to do it by myself, I wouldn’t have had a hope of finishing it and I wouldn’t have time to answer your questions, because I’d still be making the toe!’ A pig roams the studio complex.The animal became a national symbol of survival after being pulled from the rubble of the devastating Sichuan earthquake of 2008. It was buried for 49 days, the length of time it takes, according to Buddhism, for the soul to leave the body after death. Huan obviously identifies with the pig and, having managed to buy it, now features it in his work as an emblem of the kind of resilience that enabled him as a young artist to survive adverse circumstances, then to go for gold. He is a man with a vision. ‘I will do more things that have nothing to do with art’, he tells me, ‘and bring more challenges and fresh blood to art history.’ n
ambiguous. InTibet, he was able to buy fragments of the many giant Buddhas smashed to pieces by Chinese soldiers. The fifteen-ton Three Heads, Six Arms (2008) standing in front of San Francisco’s City Hall is based, for example, on a broken Boddishatva. Huan says the purpose of the sculpture is to promote peace, yet the broken arm bears witness to concerted acts of aggression – the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage. Insisting that he has no interest in politics, Huan is turning his attention to environmental issues. Rising, a large-scale polished stainless steel sculpture depicts birds flocking round a tree, and was commissioned for the plaza of the Shangri-la Hotel in Toronto, a luxury development scheduled to open in April 2012. ‘The work is a metaphor for the overcrowding of our cities and the earth in general’, Huan tells me. ‘The development of mankind has destroyed the ecological environment, so many of the birds have no space to stop.’ The opening celebrations will include a performance of Handel’s opera Semele, designed and directed by Huan which was performed to great acclaim in Brussels in 2009 and in Beijing and Shanghai in last year. The set consists of a beautifully carved wooden temple rescued by Huan from the demolition squad. The success of the opera has inspired Huan to diversify even further. Collaboration is the name of the game and he has plans to get involved in film, theatre, children’s books, landscape design, video games and even construction. ‘I am interested in new challenges’, he tells me. ‘People have endless potential, and the significance of art is to explore the possibilities. 31
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KAREN WRIGHT You both come from small towns in India – can you both tell me a bit about your family life and where you come from? THUKRAL & TAGRA Well, Sumir was born and raised in Delhi, while I, Jiten, come from Jalandhar in the state of Punjab. Not a big city but not a very small town either. We both come from very normal middle-class north Indian families, in that both parents work and that everything revolved around a very large, extended family. KW You both studied art at Delhi College of Art. Is that where you met? T&T We first met socially at the time of admissions. Three years later, we met again when I came for my post-grad interviews, and when Sumir was studying. KW Your works like, Match Fixed, engage with issues specific to Indian culture – can you speak a little about how your Indian-ness sets you apart from other artists on the international scene? T&T Well, certainly just the simple fact of being Indians would set us apart from artists from other places. But we have consciously tried to keep a very strong foundation of ‘Indian-ness’ in our work, in that both the imagery used and issues addressed come from our immediate surroundings and our own personal experiences. Even when we are making work about larger social issues, we do have friends and family members who are directly involved with and effected by these issues, so we see them experienced first-hand. And even when we are using a more internationalized style or content, we are very conscious of using them in the forms that are being filtered into and absorbed by India itself. KW A lot of Match Fixed relates to the consumer-driven life styles of a particular class of Indian society. Do you think this is a universal concern of the work? T&T Well, we’re seeing the rest of the world become much more interested in India and its culture on many levels, and of course this is primarily driven by politics and economics. But to do better and make more money is a universal concern, so I suppose you can also say that consumerism has become a universal concern, for good or for bad. But we are very interested in how the economy of India is developing at multiple levels simultaneously. There is a trickle-down effect from the super-rich to the very poor, though it may not always be ethically sound. We’re interested in how consumerism becomes this sort of portrait of a society, its dreams and frustrations, how products and goods are both manipulated and misinterpreted by various levels of the society. KW By creating an installation, in this instance, the spectator is totally immersed in the situation. Is this a conscious decision and is this a direction your work will continue to take? T&T Yes, we’ve always seen the work of art more as an experience rather than an object. So we like to create a wide range of objects which come together into a unified environment. But, of course, we still design and craft objects so that they will look and feel complete when standing alone. Recently, the installations have incorporated more film and video elements and our recent show in Delhi also had a performance component at the opening, so we will continue to try to expand the parameters. KW What was it like bringing that work to the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art [UCCA] in China? Did the Chinese audience respond to it easily? T&T We do try to have our installations work on at least two, if not more, levels: the purely visual and stimulating and then the more cerebral and content-based. Certainly, the audience in Beijing enjoyed the bling and jazz of the installation at UCCA but how many spent time to understand the subject that was being addressed and the metaphors being used, we can’t say. Though we did make every effort to have text panels and sub-titles on the videos in Chinese. KW You have often defended the use of computers in producing your paintings. Can you explain why this is important to the work, and especially the speed with which it is created? T&T What doesn’t get produced using computers these days? For us, it is simply a tool for collecting and collating images, for designing and envisioning objects and installations. KW I know it was your gallerist Peter Nagy who encouraged you to paint. Will you carry on with this element of your work?
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ÇWEÕRE INTERESTED IN HOW CONSUMERISM BECOMES THIS SORT OF PORTRAIT OF A SOCIETY, ITS DREAMS AND FRUSTRATIONSÈ
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THUKRAL AND TAGRA THE DYNAMIC DUO INTERVIEW KAREN WRIGHT | PORTRAIT BHARAT SIKKA
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T&T Yes, Peter encouraged us to make paintings so that we could get established within the art market, but he has always said that we should continue working on multiple platforms simultaneously and he has been very supportive of the works moving into large installation forms which accommodate an entire range of objects. What we love is occupying the poles of the commodity spectrum and all points in between with our art. KW Is it easier to engage with social issues, like safe sex, on canvas but subjects like consumerism in the installations? Is it important to push this discourse into your work that is so determinedly decorative? T&T Well, multiple formats do enable us to tell a story more completely. And we like how some information can be presented in a painting and then complemented by more information through videos, sculptures, objects and printed materials. But weÕre also interested in the decorative arts and ideas about dŽcor, how taste and style do colour meanings. Just as we are interested in the most high-end commodity (the painting) and the lowestend (the plastic flip-flop sandal), weÕre also interested in the synthesis between the seemingly frivolous and superficial (kitsch wallpapers, souvenir trinkets) and life-or-death issues (HIV, AIDS, food supplies, love and marriage). KW There is a lot of specific Indian gaudiness in the work, a brightness of palette which relates to the light. Will this change as you become ever more international? T&T We seem to find plenty that is gaudy and similar to our own aesthetic as we travel around the world. KW You are following in the large footsteps of some other artist collaborators like Gilbert and George and Elmgreen and Dragset. Can you tell me how working as a duo affects the work? What is your impression of these duos works? T&T Well, thereÕs been plenty of others as well. But we are not a romantic couple, we both have wives, so we do have a disconnect in our personal lives that gives a bit of breathing space to our professional life. For us,
ÇFOR US, PERHAPS THE PROCESS IS MORE LIKE MAKING MUSIC, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ONLY A BAND OF TWO. WEÕVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SO LONG THAT ITÕS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE ANY OTHER WAY OF WORKINGÈ
Installation views of ÔEscape for the Dream LandÕ, at the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Arts 06 Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
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perhaps the process is more like making music, even though we are only a band of two. But we’ve been doing this for so long that it’s difficult to imagine any other way of working. We are both also still very close with our large, extended families (which now also include our wives’ families), so perhaps the emphasis on an individualized perception is just not very central to the Indian experience. KW I see the influence of Jeff Koons in your work more than that of Damien Hirst. Was Koons someone you were aware of and admired? T&T We’ve been influenced by a very wide range of artists but, of course, are well aware of the superstars who are pushing the discourse of art and its connections to business, marketing and packaging. In this way, you would have to say that Murakami is king. But we also pay a lot of attention to music and fashion and the marketing intersections of the two. I guess it just comes with the territory of our generation. We’re also very excited about the creative applications of new technologies. KW Can you tell me about your first gallery show with Peter Nagy? Is it true that you were working as designers at the time? T&T When we first met Peter we were both working in ad agencies and concentrating on graphic design, product design and web design. We had made a line of t-shirts just for fun that carried abusive terms in Punjabi. Peter asked to show them in a summer group show. We asked for one room in the gallery to create an installation for the t-shirts, then we went nuts. KW Your careers have taken off and you are being shown in Washington with the ‘superstars’ of the Indian world, Barthi Kher, Jittish Kallat – how does your work fit into this construct? T&T We developed a project called ‘Hi, I Am India’ which was a children’s education project first created for the Asia Pacific Triennale at the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane in 2009. The Kennedy Center enabled us to take that to the next level in terms of size and complexity. We’re both individual artists and usually presented as such, perhaps the diversity in our practices is what adequately represents something known as “India.” KW I understand that you are going to make a feature film? Is this a longterm desire of yours? Why are you moving into film? T&T We’ve wanted to work on a film for a long time. We love the scale and the details of it. Films will be surely a part of our work in near future. KW Tell me about your foundation. T&T The Thukral & Tagra Foundation was created specifically to create awareness within our own age group about the spread of HIV in India and the realities of AIDS. We approach the subject from multiple platforms, always trying to be creative about the approach, but also always tie in with health care organizations that are already working on the subject out in the field. We certainly can’t answer all the questions about it. But we hope through art and humour we can get people to talk about sex, sexualities, health and prevention. India is still a very prudish and uptight culture when it comes to these subjects. KW Tell me about the Pepsi project. T&T Pepsi was commissioning a number of artists around the world to design the cans. Our designs were produced in a small number as a collector’s edition. KW By creating an art supermarket you are pandering to the greed of the consumers, that you criticize in the installations – is this a playful interchange with the collector? T&T We like using the art space as a metaphor for other types of spaces, to transplant cultural production into other spheres. Of course, we like to bite the hands that feed us as well. They can be very tasty! KW This, of course, is reminiscent of Andy Warhol and the Campbell soup paintings as well as the Brillo boxes. Is Andy an influence in your lives? T&T Is there anything that Andy hasn’t influenced? KW Andy must be an influence but there is a love of the ordinary in the work – what are your none world influences? Do dreams for instance still play a large part in the work? T&T Of course! We made a whole series of paintings called Somnium Genero, these were images of old-fashioned televisions and stereo systems turned into spaceships and flying machines. Sort of like Back to the Future and looking at our earliest influences, how we learned things, to become who we have become. We are still very much inspired by toys and just the play of childhood, how innocence can misinterpret things, but that can ultimately be a positive thing as well. n
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ÔTHERE ARE TWO types of time and [two] types of space,Õ Olga Chernysheva says, referring to the Russian poet Alexander Blok. The first Ôis historical time based on the calendar. The second is incalculable, musical time. The first type belongs to civilized consciousness, while the second belongs to the orchestra of the world.Õ Born in Moscow in 1962, Chernysheva belongs to a generation trained in 1980s Soviet Russia. First exhibiting in 1992 at Gallery 1.0 in Moscow, a year after the collapse of the Soviet Union, she is well attuned to the pressure exerted on life by time. With her career spanning an era of great historical turmoil, her work attempts to grapple with a contemporary post-Soviet Russia in which a Soviet past mingles with a Russian present. The world she captures is one left adrift, floating between first and second time. Chernysheva works in a range of media: motion film, photography, painting, watercolour, installation, the found object and sculpture. In this way, Chernysheva uses her early training as an animator, to ÔanimateÕ a world situated both within and without the steady march of time. In her film work, time is conditioned by a unique quality inherent in a video installation: it is held in stasis, in an eternal repetition. Responding to this attribute yet also maintaining a link to
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OLGA CHERNYSHEVA A TRAIN IN TIME WORDS REBECCA WILENSKY
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ÇTHE CHARACTERS WHO POPULATE HER ART ARE THE LONELY, THE HARDWORKING, THE ATTENTIVEÈ
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18th-century Japanese Zen master Sengai. This poetic act has a practical purpose, as the girl is a vendor selling her product as she roams the streets. Sketching SengaiÕs hieroglyph Ð a pattern of triangles, circles and squares Ð continually on the Etch-A-Sketch, produces an occasional smile on the girlÕs face when she scores one of her few financial triumphs. Here, the separation between a sublime act and the ordinary labour of work disappears and the two acts become one. Life, Chernysheva seems to say, is fleeting. She is an adept hunter of small miracles in a surreal world. Such an empirical method marks out her opposition to her Moscow Conceptualist contemporaries, whose work struggles with a world made of linguistic codes. In marked contrast, ChernyshevaÕ world is experienced not through text but through bodily interaction and the senses. She describes her practice with the term avoska, after the bag known as the Ôjust-in-case shopping bagÕ one would permanently carry around in 1980s Moscow, on the off-chance one would find a treasure. Using her camera-cum-avoska, Chernysheva hunts down special finds, pictographic ÔreadymadesÕ, just as Walter BenjaminÕs rag-picker walked the streets of Paris gathering up the detritus of history. But for Chernysheva the finding of a readymade is not an end in itself. Her photographs, like BenjaminÕs understanding of the ÔallegoryÕ, alienate the subject from its context to establish a visual metaphor through which she draws a particular essence. However, it is in the intricate play between universality and subjectivity that ChernyshevaÕs work becomes utterly contemporary. Her subject is not just Russia; it can be extrapolated to speak globally. It acts as an ode to life in neo-liberal markets at the onslaught of capitalism. The subject of her work is collapse, regeneration and the nostalgia of a lost past, not just of Russia, but in a global context. As the train of capitalism and history speeds forward, we, the commuter, the market vendor, the truck driver, the guard, all become constructive of second time. We recognise a limbo implicit in our situation as human subjects, for we are all positioned both within historical time and forever excluded from it. We see ourselves in ChernyshevaÕs subjects, silent artists, playing in and to the Ôorchestra of the worldÕ. n
cinematic film, Chernysheva pivots her work between the motion picture (adopting its connotation with first time) and video installation, in which time is beautifully out of sync. This mingling of first and second time is evident in ChernyshevaÕs The Train (2003), a short film in which the camera passes through the crowded carriages of a Russian intercity train, accompanied by MozartÕs 21st piano concerto on the soundtrack. This music is so familiar that it becomes barely noticeable in todayÕs world, slipping into the subconscious rather than registering with the conscious. In The Train, the orchestral music propels us forward in historical time, yet its abstraction in the film endows it with an immersive quality; it almost spills out of its musical container to become an accompaniment in the Ôorchestra of the worldÕ. The trainÕs passengers Ð commuters, people looking bored, some excited by the presence of the camera, others simply tired Ð are caught in a monotonous cycle of daily life. Spatial metaphors, and their geo-political resonance (of great interest to Chernysheva), are prominent in the film. In The Train, as in the rest of ChernyshevaÕs oeuvre, spherical and circular structures act against and within the forward thrust of the train, and thus time itself. The Train anticipates a theme that runs through much of ChernyshevaÕs work: that history is enacted through people. The characters who populate her art are the lonely, the hardworking, the attentive. We see them in the figures of the cheerleader who dances in a parade (March, 2005), the Moscow Metro officer (On Duty, 2007) and security guards (Guards, 2009). They are all given to us as unrecognised artists, human agents in the course of time. These accidental artists who populate ChernyshevaÕs images recite poetry, sing, play music, do gymnastics and appear as poetic thinkers. ChernyshevaÕs desire is to privilege these Ônon-artistÕ artist, an idea that Boris Groys suggests acts in opposition to the traditional avant-garde mission which is to bring art into life. Instead he argues, Ôshe tries to find art in lifeÕ. Contrary to Joseph BeuysÕ famous cry that Ôeverybody must become an artistÕ, Groys goes on to explain that ChernyshevaÕs belief is not the possibility that everyone must aspire to the stature of the artist, but that everybody is already an artist simply in the way they perform life. In her work Untitled. Dedicated to Sengai (2008), a young girl stands outside a Metro station repeatedly tracing on an Etch-A-Sketch tablet a symbol devised by the
Olga Chernysheva, In the Middle of Things is on view at the BAK Utrecht until 17 April 2011, www.bak-utrecht.nl
All photos courtesy BAK Utrecht. Installation views by Liselotte Habets.
This page: video still from Marmot, 1999; opposite: video stills from Untitled, Dedicated to Sengai, 2008
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ÇCHERNYSHEVA IS A HUNTER OF SMALL MIRACLES IN A SURREAL WORLDÈ
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(Hanging sculpture at left) G.R. Iranna, Voice of Innocence, 2007; (on wall at back) Bari Kumar, Unseen, 2008; (tondo) N.N. Rimzon, Mother at the Shrine, 2007; Sudarshan Shetty, Untitled (chair with eggs), 2004; (on tables) Navjot Altaf, (blue head) Untitled, 2003, and (red head) Sukai, 2005
DIPTI MATHUR THE SCIENCE OF COLLECTING WORDS ELAINE NG | PHOTOGRAPHS PACCARIK ORUE
DIPTI MATHUR IS not a typical collector of the 21st century. She doesnÕt live in a big city. She doesnÕt strive to be at every art fair. She doesnÕt like to buy directly from an artistÕs studio. She doesnÕt look at art as an asset class. She likes to ask questions and her training is in molecular biology. In fact, most of her friends Ð who tend to be in technology or venture capital Ð are puzzled by DiptiÕs passion for contemporary South Asian art. Mathur received her PhD for molecular biology at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), one of the subcontinentÕs most prestigious universities. It was during that time in 1985 in Lucknow that she came across a photograph by the late Raghubir Singh. Mathur recalls, ÔIt had a beautiful lyrical quality to it. He captured the poetry of the moment.Õ She was so moved by SinghÕs work that she bought the photograph of a Hindustan Ambassador car Ð known as ÔThe king of Indian roadsÕ, it being IndiaÕs most popular and iconic vehicle. Singh (1942Ð99) was one of IndianÕs pioneering artists. He was often associated with American photographers such as Robert Frank, William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, especially in his use of colour and his ability to capture street life. Mathur still owns the photograph, but, she admits, ÔI never quite realized that he was an important photographerÕ. And it wouldnÕt be until the late 1990s, after her financial circumstances improved dramatically, that she 40
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000
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Below: Debanjan Roy, India Shining (Gandhi and the Laptop), 2007; Naiza Khan, Armour Lingerie V, 2007; opposite: Subodh Gupta, Untitled from Saat Samunder Paar series, 2005
would start collecting in earnest. It was during this time that her husbandÕs two technology companies which he founded were acquired by Amazon. com and Broad.com. Although MathurÕs collecting was driven by a personal interest, her husband Rakesh, who is an engineer and often described as a serial entrepreneur, shares her love of art. ÔThankfully we both are curious people, and over time he has become drawn to art.Õ Perhaps it is this curiosity, one that drives most scientists, that spurred MathurÕs passion for collecting the art of contemporary India. They began with the Modernists, commonly known as the Progressive artists, and their peers, such as the lateTyeb Mehta and V. S. Gaitonde.They also showed an interest in the pre-Modern Bengali school painters, such as Jamini Roy and Nandalal Bose. Mathur logically ascribes meaning to the origins of her collection, ÔIt was a reach into my past, an attempt to capture some of the past in perpetuity, a sense of nostalgia. All of those elements rolled into one. I was collecting material I had seen before, that I was familiar withÕ. MathurÕs parents were both from Bengal, a region in northeast India renown for its rich cultural history and home to many of the countryÕs best artists, writers, musicians and dancers. Although she was raised in South Bombay, her parents, who, like most Bengalis, were culturally aware, would go to great efforts to take the children on family outings to see the latest exhibitions of IndiaÕs avant-garde at pioneering galleries such as Chemould, Pundole and Jehangir Art Gallery, which promoted the Bengal school of painters as well as the Progressives. Fast-forward to the present day, and MathurÕs philosophy of collecting 42
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ÇI FIND I HAVE BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE OVER TIME WITH OBJECTS THAT MAKE ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLEÈ
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ÇA SENSE OF ART JUST FOR BEAUTYÕS SAKE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A RESPONSE TO ART BECAUSE OF WHAT IT EVOKES IN MEÈ
ÇCHILE IS NO LONGER THE LAND OF THE DICTATORS. WE ARE MORE, WAY MORE, THAN THATÈ
On wall at top: Bose Krishnamachari, Untitled (Nine Panels), 2005Ð07
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as post-doctorial fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she agrees, ‘I do tend to over-analyze. The need to know everything about an artist or a work or a period, I tend to be more cerebral in my approach to a work or an artist. It is definitely a legacy of my past as a scientist.’ Mathur is no longer a practicing scientist, but she remarks, ‘I continue to be fascinated by science recreationally’. Unlike many collectors who want to meet the artists whose works they collect and wish to understand, or perhaps more cynically only to get a better price, Mathur is an enthusiastic supporter of commercial galleries. Among the 300-odd pieces, which span both modern and contemporary South Asia including Pakistan (such as sculpture by Karachi-based Naiza Khan, a large Bindi work by Bharti Kher and a metaphysical work by A. Balasubramaniam), that the Mathurs have acquired over the last decade, have been primarily purchased from galleries. ‘I enjoy the educational process that I get through my interaction with gallerists. I learn about a range of
has evolved. ‘It feels almost contradictory, but I find I have become more comfortable over time with objects that make me feel uncomfortable. That sense of art just for beauty’s sake has been replaced by a response to art because of what it evokes in me. It no longer has to be images of the India I grew up in.’ Today, in California where she now lives, among fruit orchards and the cliffs of the Greater Bay Area, artworks as diverse as a whimsical wall sculpture made of canary-yellow feathers by Rina Banerjee, timeless photographs by Dayanita Singh or Subodh Gupta’s ubiquitous bronze airport trolley, dot the Mathurs’ idyllic American modernist-style home built in the late 1970s. Her approach to looking and understanding art is strikingly scientific. Unlike many collectors today, she is not guided by trends or personalities. She doesn’t follow any list or religiously look at art in a sterile conference hall. Instead, she goes to museums and enjoys poring over art catalogues and magazines. When I ask Mathur if she applies a similar methodology to molecular biology, which was what initially brought her to the US 45
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Left, from top: (sculpture) Adeela Suleman, After all it’s always someone else who dies series 2, 2010; Sudarshan Shetty, Travel Songs of a Thousand Snips, 2005; RAQS Media Collective, A Day in the Life of _____ , 2009; Sunil Gawde, Untitled, 2006
ÇI REALLY LOVE THE PROCESS OF THE FORCES OF CREATIVITYÉ I REALIZE I NEED TO PURSUE THE NEW, THAT IS PART OF WHO I AMÈ artists and different ways at looking at the material. I think the objectivity that a good gallerist can have is very valuable.Õ Again, the curious scientist shines through and she continues, ÔThat depth of engagement is something I really value, especially as someone not from the art world, someone with no formal training in art. This continuing education is very important to me.Õ This emphasis on education extends to MathurÕs work with museums. She and her husband are supporters of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the San Jose Museum of Art and the Seattle Art Museum as well as the Asia Society in New York. ÔBecause Rakesh and I feel that this is our home, we want to work with mainstream institutions in the US on what we care a great deal about, which is contemporary Indian art. That is the promotion, understanding, study, display and the collecting of Indian art. All aspects of Indian art that need to be supported at an institutional level. It falls upon the collectors to support the institutions that can support this form of education.Õ Currently they are supporting ÔRoots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern and Contemporary Art from IndiaÕ, an exhibition now on view at the San Jose Museum, which includes leading artists of the 20th century such as F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain and Zarina Hashmi to younger contemporaries including G.R. Iranna, Chitra Ganesh and Jitish Kallat. In addition to loaning works from their own personal collection, the Mathurs are underwriting a special website for the exhibition that the museum will be able to use for future exhibitions. At the moment, they are not involved with any museum in India, but she remarks, ÔI would if the right institution and opportunity came by, but I do feel it is very good for Indian art to be shown in mainstream institutions not just niche institutions for contemporary Indian artÕ. Despite moving in the world of science and technological innovation, she doesnÕt doggedly pursue art that relinquishes the past. ÔI will always love the beauty I see when I encounter a work by a Husain.Õ But her interests in art overlap in an uncanny way, like that of science, ÔI really love the process of the forces of creativity, both in technology as well as in art Ð new ways of looking at things, new ways of interpreting the world. I realize I need to pursue the new, that is part of who I am.Õ n
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YANG JIECHANG THE BIG LEARNING
WORDS KAREN WRIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHS GAUTIER DEBLONDE
Yang Jiechang photographed in his studio in Paris on 24 February 2011
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I ask Martina how she they met. She says she was a student in Heidelberg University and went to study in China as a sinologist. ÔA friend of mine took me to Guang-Zhou where he was teaching and introduced me to him in his studio,Õ she recalls, gently shrugging, and leaving me to fill in the blanks. The studio and apartment where they live is in a modern block between the Gare de lÕEst and the Canal St Martin. They moved in less than a year ago with their two children, a boy and a girl. They share the building with the Algerian-born artist Abel Abdessemed. I have only ever interviewed one Chinese artist before, Ai Weiwei, and that was in a hotel room, so I have few preconceptions of what a Chinese artist will be like. From the moment I enter the large modern mezzanine space above the spacious studio, any lingering presumptions are smashed. Jiechang is trim, bald with a neat goatee, and is quick moving. But it is hard to look at him and his attractive, tall and rangy wife, as my eyes are instantly drawn to the enormous mural at the end of the room and the two vast works in progress stretching across the width of the large room. I ask what material they are made in. ÔEverything here is ink with a brush,Õ he says, and waves a hand containing a brush literally full of black ink. The painting across the end wall is for his show in Rennes, the city in Normandy, in May. At first glance, it looks very conventional, steeped in a Chinese sensibility. Jiechang quickly points out though that it is both traditional and yet quite abstract. Looking more closely, it becomes clear that these are mountains Ð not specific peaks and trees, but those conjured from the memory and the spirit. Around the base, he says, is fire, an increasingly prevalent element in his work, but again here it is rendered in a more abstracted, stylised way. ÔThey are all done in ink on silk,Õ he tells me, Ôvery traditional materials in China Ð which are then mounted on canvas.Õ He always works on the floor on these large works, later mounting them onto the canvases so he can look at them, though he often takes them off the canvas again to work back into the image. Working on the floor allows Jiechang to build up rich layers with the very liquid ink without having to worry about it running down the surface as it would if he worked on the wall.
ÇIT WAS JUST AFTER THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. THEY WANTED US He takes me to see a piece he did for the 2nd Guangzhou Triennial (2005). Inscribed in fiercely written script is the declaration ÔWe do not speak Mandarin.Õ I ask about the sentiment behind the work and he explains that it was made in response to current Chinese government strictures about local languages, and expresses his fears about the loss of regional tongues. ÔThe government did not like this piece,Õ he says, with an infectious laugh that I hear throughout our conversation. On the wall is a large canvas filled with intense, black, skull-like faces. ÔThis was an early work,Õ he explains, Ôpainted as my graduation piece from Guangzhou Fine Arts Academy. It was rejected because of negative comment (no happy workers) and I had to do another piece to graduate. They wanted us to do pretty things Ð it was just after the Cultural Revolution Ð like people smiling in the fields. So I did that instead.Õ He gestures towards the work. ÔIt is so ugly they did not want it! I am lucky they do not like my work or it would have been taken to be in the Academy.Õ Facing it are two less figurative works. ÔThose are my flower and bird paintings,Õ he says, jokingly pointing to the black abstract works Ð they contain details of flowers and birds. ÔThey are a homage to the traditional calligraphic painters of China.Õ These capture Jiechang at his most abstract obscuring those details, as he painstakingly lays down layer upon layer of ink, made in the traditional method of mixing cedar, cypress and essential oils. The resulting surface is like crumpled skin, with the paper almost palpably containing a memory of the time and energy Jiechang has spent on its creation. Jiechang was born in 1956 in Foshan in the central Guangdong province, 20km from the capitol of Canton/Guangzhou. He has recently come back from a triumphant exhibition in his home town Ð the first time in 22 years that he had returned home. Inevitably, the exhibition drew huge interest. He shows me the press clippings Ð column after column of Chinese calligraphic figures. ÔI had a whole page in the local newspaper every week
YANG JIECHANGÕS LIFE could easily result in a wonderful film. It is a story of patient artisanship and a spiritual quest, of the struggle to escape an oppressive homeland, of a narrow escape from drowning, of love found in the west, and, finally, it is a tale of success and fulfilment. I learn about the Chinese artistÕs rich life over tea in the Parisian apartment he shares with his German wife, art historian Martina KšppelYang, and their two teenage children. Jiechang has been in the west since he left China in December 1988, following an invitation from the French government to participate in a show at the Pompidou Centre. ÔAt that time I did not know what the Pompidou Centre was,Õ he says. But, he thought, Ôit was the French government so I had better come.Õ When he went to get his passport, it was denied by the Chinese government: ÔI wanted to go and they said no.Õ Determined, he and Martina, then his girlfriend, came up with a plan to say he was coming to Germany to study languages, as in those days you were allowed to come to Europe for linguistic studies. ÔHe arrived at Frankfurt airport with virtually no baggage,Õ Martina remembers. ÔHe had a suitcase with just a 10-kilo canister of ink.Õ ÔNo, it was 20 kilos,Õ he quickly replies. ÔI knew it would be hard to get ink in Europe. I had a brush too. I knew that if I had my hand, my brush and my ink, I had my future,Õ He gestures around the spacious and beautiful apartment. ÔSee, I was not wrong.Õ He had sent some works on paper to be in the show, but they had been confiscated by customs, so he had to paint the four huge works for the Pompidou show in four months, working night and day in a studio in La Villette. I ask how many hours a day he works now. ÔForty,Õ says Martina, with a smile. The show for which Jiechang made these herculean efforts turns out to be Magiciens de la Terre, Jean-Hubert MartinÕs vast opus at the Pompidou and the Parc de la Villette in 1989, now regarded as a landmark show. But Jiechang tells me of his part in this exhibition with characteristic modesty. 50
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TO DO PRETTY THINGS, LIKE PEOPLE SMILING IN THE FIELDSÈ
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and was filmed by television crews several times,’ he says. ‘I hate being on television,’ he declares, smiling at the recollection. ‘Home boy come good!’ It has not been all smooth sailing though. He admits that his generation had to struggle living and working in China, grappling with the limitations of the Academy. Now, he says, younger artists have a more global approach and it is easier for them to travel, see the wider art world, and indeed to make money through their art. It is a two-sided coin though, as he says he can not find anyone who wants to work with him in using the more traditional methods.’ They all want to make money or learn quickly, and none are prepared to take the long road I did with my old teacher.’ Jiechang grew up with enlightened parents. His father was in government and ‘encouraged his children to do things’, as Jiechang puts it. The young Jiechang painted with a brush on paper from age three. ‘My father got me in “by the back door” to study with an old master of calligraphy,’ Jiechang remembers. ‘I was taken in and at first, like all his students, I cleaned the floors and the tables, made tea, and I was allowed to listen when important people came to the studio. I had to mix the inks on the stove, always more ink, more ink,’ he chuckles at the memory. ‘People would come and go and not want to stay and learn, as it was a slow process. I met the people who came to meet the master and my taste was formed.’ I ask what he felt he had ultimately learned from the old master. He replies that he learnt that ‘calligraphy is not for use’. As the old master said to him, ‘Men have to learn something un-useful’, something which is not for money or for exhibition: it exists for itself. Following this more artisanal training, Jiechang studied at the Academy. He grimaces at the memory, seemingly still painful all these years later. ‘They were trying to teach us to be apparatchiks,’ he explains. Disillusioned, he went to the mountains to try and learn philosophy. ‘I was in a bad way,’ he recalls, ‘I had little hope, and no teacher that was prepared to teach me.’ He wanted to live a quiet existence, and felt he might find that through religion. He began with Buddhism but soon saw that it was as hierarchical and as rigidly caste-driven as the government. His journey ended up in the mountains in a famous Taoist temple. Despite the temple’s reputation, there was only one old monk, who told Jiechang he could live at the temple for free but declined to teach him. Jiechang eventually stayed for a year and a half, continuing to ask for guidance. In the end, he realised that being left to his own devices was the ‘big teach’, as he puts it. ‘Later, if you understand, it is the “big learn”.’ But while his temple experience was relatively short-lived, the almost ascetic process of learning his craft has been a lifelong project. He says it has taken him 50 years to become fully acquainted with his methods, and that now, at last, he can ‘forget technique’ when he works. He also points out that he has learnt to enjoy life more generally. You can still see clearly the skill of the old calligraphy master in his works, particularly in his word-based pieces. Jiechang draws my attention to a photograph of two recent mural size works. One says ‘Oh, my God’, and faces another which simply says ‘Fuck’. Both are done in vigorous thick lines with a large round black brush. He then shows me a video of this work. He is standing over the canvas, which is slightly inclined so the paint can run, working upside down, something that he says he always does as a calligrapher. He is speaking words almost as a mantra, as he inscribes them on the surface: ‘Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.’ As the film goes on the mantra gets shortened to ‘God, God, God’. Two other videos show him as an archer, a skill he has learned to help him stretch his chest after it gets compressed from working in a continually hunched posture on the floor. Another film, Pingpong (2008) features Jiechang playing table tennis, a sport he learnt very young like so many Chinese children, at a furious speed. You cannot see the game only the top of his bald head and the sound of ball against bat and table. ‘My head is like a ping pong ball,’ he says, pointing to the top of his head. Jiechang’s body is a crucial element in his work. It is present by implication, in the sweeping gestures of his calligraphic work, and increasingly in person, both in his films and in a number of self-portraits, often amid strange and disturbing circumstances. In one beautiful polyptych, Deep Liquid (2006), for instance, he is seemingly swimming in a vast expanse of bluegrey water, elegantly rendered across the six panels. But a sense of foreboding rather than tranquillity permeates the work, and the water’s surface is rough. As you take in the work, it increasingly appears that Jiechang
pictures himself as he thrashes in the turbulent waters. ‘That is when I went swimming in the river and I almost drowned and was rescued,’ he explains (this incident happened in about 1965 in the Jun Qiao river in Fosham). ‘Everything after that was beautiful,’ he says. ‘I wanted to show how the rescue changed my life.’ The process of creating the two large works in varying degrees of completion on the studio floor has been complicated, he admits, as they continue to hark back to the more traditional figurative elements which Deep Liquid employs. It has taken him two years to work out how to realise them. ‘This was the painful part, figuring out how to do them,’ he affirms. But once he starts painting, he finds it much easier. The works feature 300 animals. I ask where he gets the images of these beasts from – the internet? ‘Oh no,’ he says, ‘they are from children’s books and from the mind.’ He shows me the drawings on tracing paper that he can place beneath the working surface, which he then traces again. ‘This is great paper as you can use it from either side,’ he says, flipping it over. In the more complete of the two paintings, he points to a tree. ‘Look, I put myself in there,’ he says. And indeed, there he is, in the foetal position, high in the tree, above a white horse. ‘There will be porcelain figures cast in the shapes of the small animals,’ he says, ‘to be displayed on pedestals near the paintings. They are in production – [it’s] getting there after a rocky start.’ Jiechang’s works are so elegantly rendered that it is easy to dismiss them as merely beautiful, but there is a toughness and conceptual rigour running through his entire oeuvre, which is simultaneously mediated by his consistent, underplayed humour. Jiechang has managed to condense his extraordinary story, with the cultural and personal events which have underpinned his life, into a body of work which effortlessly fuses the traditions of his native land with the strategies of his adopted home. Sitting in front of an elegant wood burning stove, drinking fragrant tea out of heavy black cups here on this quiet Parisian street seems a long way from the stress and struggle of his early years. I point at the life-size, almost frighteningly real chickens which seem to scratch at the floor behind the blazing stove. ‘They are a gift from a woman artist, Duan Jianyu – really good aren’t they?’ Jiechang says. She made them for Canton Express at the Venice Biennale in 2003. As we admire them, I think about the generosity of spirit shown by both Jiechang and Martina, and Jiechang’s gentle modesty. It makes the success that he enjoys particularly satisfying and just. n 52
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ÇI KNEW THAT IF I HAD MY HAND, MY BRUSH AND MY INK, I HAD MY FUTUREÈ
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Hugo Fran•a photographed in Ibirapuera Park, S‹o Paolo, 23 February 2011
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HUGO FRAN‚A RAW AND APPLIED FORM WORDS ALEX COLES | PHOTOGRAPHS FERNANDO YOUNG BRASILEIRO
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ÇMY PRINCIPAL GOAL HAS BEEN TO BRING THE TREE BACK TO PEOPLEÕS LIVES. WHEN WOOD COMES INTO PEOPLEÕS HOMES ITÕS SO TRANSFORMED THAT YOU DONÕT EVEN RECOGNIZE IT IS A LIVING THINGÈ HUGO FRANÇA SPENT fifteen years living in the Atlantic forest in Bahia, north-eastern Brazil, working among the indigenous tribes to learn their traditional woodworking techniques. Now primarily running his practice out of his workshop in São Paulo, França still makes frequent trips to the fishing village of Trancoso in Bahia where he maintains a second workshop. Since 2005, when França’s work was showcased during Design Miami, he has received a new wave of attention and acclaim. For the past two decades, Hugo França, who was born in 1954, has nimbly demonstrated how form – instead of following function, à la modernism, or thwarting function, à la postmodernism – can actually follow form. For in each of França’s designs, the raw form of the Pequi wood debris he sources from the Southern Bahia region in north eastern Brazil is followed by the applied form of his design. ‘My principal goal in developing this approach,’ França eagerly explains to me, ‘has been to bring the tree back to people’s lives. Usually, when wood comes into people’s homes,’ he says, ‘it’s so transformed that you don’t even recognize it is a living thing.The fact that I am using a material that has been abandoned and would rot if not used is important.’ Every six weeks, França makes the 1000-mile journey to Trancoso to follow up on leads from local farmers and indigenous groups who instinctively know where the trunks can be found. França drives for miles by car or motorbike, camps out with basic provisions and treks for hours through dense forests until the required number of trees are found. During these trips, França’s intimate knowledge of the area gained during the fifteen years he spent living there is indispensable. The Southern Bahia region is full of charred trunks left over from the once legal process of deforestation. Occasionally, França even comes across entire trees that have died from drought or flood and stand as much as 150 feet high; one such tree can provide enough wood for as much as an entire series of furniture. For a designer to go to these painstaking lengths to source raw material is highly unusual. It demonstrates the central role that the raw material plays in França’s unusual design process. Once sourced, the wood is collected in an action that can ‘require days, a lot of equipment and labour force, all due to the size and weight of the material,’ França explains. ‘Sometimes,’ he continues, ‘the trees or stumps are even too big to fit in the truck, so the initial cuts have to be made on location.’ As soon as the wood is loaded onto the trucks, it is either taken to França’s workshop near the forests in Trancoso or his smaller workshop nearer to São Paulo. There, França starts to observe what he calls the wood’s ‘natural forms’ to ‘discover possible solutions’ to the opportunities the trees present, always keen to maintain ‘the natural shapes of the wood by intervening as little as possible.’ França has perfected a delicate bal-
ance, between the natural contours of the wood on the one hand and rendering them suitable for a functional chair or desk on the other. This balance allows França to maintain what he lovingly calls ‘the original references of the tree.’ By allowing the wood’s grain to suggest designs, the wood retains its fundamental link to its source. Instead of sketching with pencil on paper and then transposing these designs onto adequately sized lengths of wood, França draws directly onto the untreated wood. At times, the beginning stages of this process occur in the forest, where an assistant will roughly cut the section of wood with a chainsaw according to França’s chalk lines. Once transferred to the studio, a smaller electric saw, followed by a chisel, is used to begin to shape the contours of the design more precisely. A sanding tool then works over the rough marks made by the saw and chisel until a smooth undulating finish is achieved. Across the numerous series of furniture, sculpture and bespoke pieces França produces, there is a consistency to the method and the finish it yields. Take Tumpe Bench (2007), to pluck just one example from his vast catalogue raisonnŽ. For this piece of furniture, almost half of the outer portion of a tree trunk has been hollowed out and set on two legs. The dramatic cuts into the wood are tempered by the sanding; on both sides, the wood is full of character, as deep splits and whirling knots make an asymmetrical pattern that lends the bench a sense of intricacy and detail. There are many points of correspondence between França’s sculptures and his furniture. Designed in the same year as Tumpe Bench, and constituted from the outer surface of a section of a tree trunk, Janaina is a case in point. The sculpture actually appears like it could be a fragment from the bench, which has been broken off and given its owner inner formal logic. 56
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with which the shacks of the favelas (shanty towns) are built in Brazil, which are then glued and nailed together by hand. But besides the history of furniture design, the sensibility underpinning França’s designs also derives from modern sculpture, particularly Constantin Brancusi’s Endless Column (1918), constituted from a single piece of oak. Like that of Brancusi, França’s fabrication process is a subtractive one – first large, then gradually smaller layers of wood are removed until the desired form is achieved out of the raw material. Given França’s play with the history of the vocabulary of both design and art, it comes as no surprise that his designs entered the so-called ‘designart’ market in 2005 through Design Miami. Where one could suppose that he would be critical of the more garish aspects of this market, instead França passionately explains how he sees the one-off market as a ‘very important trend in a moment when the world becomes more and more technological. A way to a more conceptual and humane design sometimes rescues craftsmanship,’ he says, emphatically. The notion of a market trend as having a bearing on the survival of craftsmanship sounds like an oxymoron. But in the case of França’s raw and applied form it is quite believable. n
França recalls how his earlier studies in industrial engineering in the university at Porto Alegre in South Brazil were initially of no use to him and the kind of designs he wanted to produce. It was, França remembers, his ‘work as a contractor, building houses after graduation from university that had a more direct bearing’ on his design approach. By reusing the wood that was discarded on the construction sites França says he ‘started to intuitively create furniture.’ When França first began to develop his furniture designs, França explains he was living ‘in total isolation in Trancoso, where information on design wasn’t available’. França continues, ‘The work I produced then was totally developed by intuition and with the fundamental intention of giving a new use to a discarded material.’ Both the artisanal process, by which his designs are realised, and their overall aesthetic, have what França identifies as ‘a strong link to Brazilian and Latin-American cultures’. But once he moved to São Paulo, França says he ‘became aware of the production of different designers outside Latin America such as Alexandre Noll and George Nakashima’, which surprised him, since he presumed there were no other designers sharing his aesthetic predilections. Among those artists of his own generation, França clarifies how he ‘ideologically [identifies with] the Campana brothers, because of their use of discarded materials,’ as surely evidenced by their Favela Chair (1991), which is constituted from assorted pieces of natural wood, similar to those
Alex Coles is the author of DesignArt (Tate Publishing, 2005) and The Transdisciplinary Studio (Sternberg Press, 2011). He is also the editor of the critical anthology Design and Art (MIT Press/Whitechapel, 2007). 58
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ÇA MORE CONCEPTUAL AND HUMANE DESIGN SOMETIMES RESCUES CRAFTSMANSHIPÈ
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SHEELA GOWDA THE MATERIAL UNCANNY WORDS IGGY CORTEZ | PHOTOGRAPHS RYAN LOBO
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Sheela Gowda photographed in her studio in Bangalore on 22 February 2011
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directional, not subtle.’ By tapping into a kind of collective unconscious, Gowda’s art asks us, its viewers, to reflect on our own roles in the social fabric, enabling us to acknowledge that our individual identities are neither autonomous nor immutable. Gowda was born in Bhadravati, not far from Bangalore, where she currently lives and works. While attentive to the international discourse of contemporary art and politics, she deploys materials local to India and engages primarily with the volatile political landscape of the Indian sub-continent, confronting issues such as the rise of Hindu nationalism, sectarian violence and economic disparity. ‘I block off everything else and everything else is secondary,’ she says, when discussing her complete absorption in her practice. This intensity is palpable in her work; it is rife with psychic energy and painstaking ambition. Gowda’s multilayered work takes time to unfold, but even before the meaning of her art crystallizes, its impact is as immediate as it is uncanny. It is as if you are confronted by an elusive desire or fear that has haunted you all your life and which suddenly appears, in abstract, material form, before your eyes.
IT MIGHT SEEM strange to speak of Sheela Gowda’s art as a relational practice, as the word is so closely associated today with the kind of participatory art that often transforms gallery spaces into fairgrounds. Gowda’s work, in contrast, is anything but a vehicle for kicks, and it certainly does not invite physical interaction – there is no eating or touching or hurtling down scary slides involved. The demands it makes of its spectators are of a different, less physical, more psychical kind. Both sensual and unsettling, her art conjures some of the darkest aspects of social life, reworking unconventional, everyday materials – from ropes woven from human hair or cow dung tied up with thread – into installations that evoke what the artist calls ‘the insidious nature of violence, overt and inside us in our psychic makeup’. Despite her investment in the psychic and the social, Gowda’s art deliberately rejects addressing specific political topics directly through narrative or figuration. She uses abstraction to penetrate the surface appearance of the world, to touch upon the intangible, almost invisible components, of political life – the desires, fantasies and identifications that fuel fanaticism or aggression. ‘I arrived at abstraction,’ she explains, ‘as I cannot bear something that is too explicit, that is singular, that is mono62
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element, making the whole work like a communication passage between people,Õ she explains, situating the work again in her exploration of relational dynamics, Ôand even the title, And Tell Him of My Pain, that holds the idea of conveying a message, although from who to whom remains unclear.Õ Similarly, her installation at the 2009 Venice Biennale, Behold, consisted of black ropes woven from human hair holding up the shining metal from car bumpers.There is, again, a violence and aggression to the work that co-exists with its harmonious composition. Not only because the baton-like bumpers tied up with string seem to evoke a brutal collision, but because of the abject, almost horrifying, vision of so much hair. ÔWhen it is on your head, hair is wonderful, a beautiful, crowning glory, but once it is off your head it is a horrible material, everybody cringes, so it has a kind of contradictory presence of what it can be,Õ Gowda explains. But while Gowda acknowledges the collision in the piece Ð between hair and metal, between the artificial and the organic Ð she also calls it a piece about ÔupmanshipÕ. Hair has both a ceremonial and practical significance in India and is used as a sacrifice in exchange for special favours.The hair is then woven into wigs, but the unusable shards of little hairs are also gathered and woven into ropes. The piece, then, becomes an analogy for the power of collective life: ÔAnybody can see it as an amalgamation of locks of hair Ð it can mean different genders, places, communities; it can mean different nationalities,Õ says Gowda. ÔWhat I would like people to imagine, seeing this work, is that so much hair cannot come from one person, so that is where I got my title from, Behold, look at the power of this hair.Õ Power relations are inverted then: the flimsy hair holding up the metal, the discarded remnants from anonymous strangers transformed into a symbol for the power of collective life. How we fit in and relate to each other is also the focus of her solo show, ÔTherein & BesidesÕ, seen recently at Iniva at Rivington Place in London. The show consists of two large and impressive installations. Collateral (2007) one of her most ambitious and recognizable works, is recreated on the galleryÕs second floor following its prominent display at Documenta XII in 2007. Gowda created the work by kneading tree-bark powder, charcoal and water into an incense dough moulded and flattened into loose, geometric patterns on separate frames covered by steel mesh. These patterns of in-
ÇTHERE CAN BE A LOT OF CRUELTY IN A CHILD. ITÕS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY DISTURBING Ð BUT ITÕS THEREÈ cense were then burned on site, imbuing the once-monochrome compositions with gradations of tone and texture, turning them into ash. As the curator Grant Watson explains in the exhibition catalogue, Gowda is here engaging with two definitions of the word collateral: Ôbelonging to the same ancestral stock but not in a direct line of descentÕ and Ôparallel or corresponding in position, time or significance.Õ While the individual frames differ in size and hold unique patterns, the formal and material correspondences between each frame brings them together into a unified composition Ð each frame is different yet similar, like cousins that share enough corresponding marks to reveal a common bloodline. But there is a third, more obvious, connotation behind the word collateral that evokes the civilian toll of war, leading many to interpret the work as a panoramic view of a ravaged landscape; or the rectangular, horizontal frames as plinths for the corpses of a man, woman and child. These different definitions of collateral not only provide different layers to the work, but the interplay between a philological and social understanding of Collateral also radically rethinks the terms in which conflict is approached. For GowdaÕs work frames war as a conflict between ÔothersÕ wherein difference is not
Take, for instance, one of her best-known works, And Tell Him of My Pain (1998/2001), for which hundreds of feet of string, stained with red dye, hang down the walls and uncoil across the floor, forming sensual, linear patterns in space. The work is both seductive and visceral, yet it intimates at a form of psychic torment, with the presence of a menacing clutch of large, steel needles through which each string is threaded lying on the ground like a weapon awaiting an opportunity to injure. This juxtaposition of the erotic with the destructive is a recurring dynamic in an art that engages with the very limits of what as a society we can admit about ourselves: the capacity and thrill for violence that is ingrained in all humans. ÔIÕve always thought there must be something that a person experiences in a riot to go and maraud, to hit, not just once, but twice, and more and more,Õ Gowda explains. ÔWhat is that in oneÕs psyche in terms of the very domestic, for example, or in a child, for example? There can be a lot of cruelty in a child. ItÕs something that is very disturbing Ð but itÕs there.Õ While Gowda speaks of the sensuality of violence, she does not seek to fetishize this dynamic, but, rather, to interrogate it in order to explore its social implications. ÔThe strings in And Tell Him of My Pain are like a mass-produced cable or a message-carrying 63
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privileged, but rather underplayed, for while sectarian sides in an opposition may possess religious or regional differences they emerge, essentially, from the same ancestral stock. The difference that drives war is a repression of a shared line of descent, hence recasting conflict as a form not of warring oppositions, but of fratricide. What is frightening in antagonism is not the identification of difference, but the recognition of ourselves in something foreign, our unbearable reflection in that which we hate. Of All People (2010), commissioned for the show at Iniva, shares many of the social and relational concerns of Collateral. Vestiges of domestic architecture form an installation surrounded by wooden chips that are used as analogues for common people, as opposed to idols and gods, in India. There is a constant shifting scale at play in the work. As the viewer makes their way through the installation, they shrink and grow, like Alice in the antechamber of Wonderland. ‘You are there as a person, you stand at about five and a half feet or six feet and then you look down at these objects and suddenly realize that you are looking at a piece of wood that is a human being and then you become gigantic,’ she explains about the spatial dynamics of the work. When the wooden chips are heaped in a pile at the centre of the installation, they appear like a mere mass of wood, it is only those that are isolated through the space of the installation, or photographed individually in the antechamber leading to the exhibition, that come into focus as faces. This is a powerful analogy for the arbitrariness of social power, and it seems to ask, what are the factors that lead us to recognize others as suffering fellow humans, while other, equally if not more afflicted persons, register as mere abstract numbers in a newspaper headline? There is a clear critique of social disparity in the work. ‘I am not against individualism,’ says Gowda, ‘when I elevate one person on a pillar, I can’t help but feel that he is so ridiculous. As this idea of one hero who is given a very special status above all people.’ Gowda also admits there is an element of perversity in placing individual figurines in a pile; it evokes, obliquely (so all the more disquietingly), the most unbearable and violent outcomes of genocide. ‘It points to the perversity that has happened in history in the way that people have come about, or the way that they have been used or elevated to positions of power.The mockery of individuality, the facelessness of the masses, these are all things that go through my head, but I can talk about these big issues only by abstracting them to this degree.’ ‘There is this strange kind of relationship between materiality and abstraction,’ Gowda says, expanding on the points of tension of her work. ‘Materiality brings with it a certain history, a tangibility and abstraction brings with it the conceptual in very precise, but at the same time, multi-directional readings. So I am actually pulling myself constantly in two directions and the work should ultimately become that point which will hold these two together.’ It is almost a cliché, when discussing Gowda’s work, to talk about her move away from painting into abstract installation as coincident with the sharp rise of Hindu nationalism in the 1990s. However, her commitment to
ambiguity in her work, to open, layered and even contradictory meanings stands in direct opposition to a fundamentalist way of thinking: the desire for an absolute and unshakable world view, for concrete and monolithic systems. ‘Ambiguity is not an active political resistance,’ she states, when I point out this dynamic in her work ‘but I guess that kind of thinking could be an anti-fundamentalist mindset where you do not want a singular agenda, a singular solution, or a singular viewpoint or a singular assessment of a group of people – of the other, rather, whoever that ‘other’ is. We should point towards plurality, and even, philosophically towards, the uncomfortable.’ The turn towards fundamentalism isn’t just happening in India, but all over the world. Gowda attributes this to rapidity, the vertiginous speed of contemporary life, which is leading perilously towards a crash. ‘Because of the way things are going, people feel insecure, there is no time to digest anything, to think about things, to sit back and arrive at less dangerous solutions.’ The desire to deride a triumphalist world view that fosters fundamentalism, while also providing a temporal interval for people to slow down and reflect was addressed in her installation Darkroom (2006), the centrepiece of the ‘Indian Highway’ show at the Serpentine Gallery last year. Standing at two meters in height, Darkroom was constructed entirely out of corroded tin drums, recalling the makeshift houses assembled from scraps of tin and junk in slums across the globe. But in Darkroom they were arranged to approximate a palace, mocking its grandeur. ‘Triumphalism has something to do with ego, but it also has something to do with loud statements and because I am so uncomfortable with that as the goal of the work, triumphalism does not happen here, the largeness of the work has more to do with the engagement with space,’ she explains. Once visitors crawled on their knees through their work’s narrow antechamber they emerged into the work’s dark interior, where space suddenly expanded providing enough room to stand up. Darkroom’s interior felt uncanny, a space outside of space and the coordinates of time with minimal light streaming in through tiny hole punctures on the roof. ‘When you look up and stand up,’ says Gowda, once you are inside the piece, ‘you are aware that you are in a physical space, and you also lose yourself in that spatial expansion of the universe. It is immeasurable space, I would call it, because nobody has measured it, and it is totally up to your imagination.’ Providing a space that enables reflection, imagination and loosing one’s self, then, is more than a merely aesthetic experience but intimates at the kind of frame of mind we need to foster to prevent the dangerous and panicked identifications that lead to fundamentalist identifications. This play with space and time, this rejection of stable coordinates, relates back to strategies of disorientation that runs throughout Gowda’s work, where scale expands and shrinks in the same installation, like the volatile topography of a dream. But to sabotage the fiction of a concrete and stable ground is more than mere showmanship in Gowda’s art, it leads to a bewilderment that opens up to the pleasures, and ethics, of being both vulnerable and lost. n
Photos by Thierry Bal, © the artist, courtesy Iniva
From left, installation views of Of All People (2010Ð11) and Collateral (2007) in ÔTherein & BesidesÕ at Rivington Place, London, 2011
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ÇBECAUSE OF THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, PEOPLE FEEL INSECURE, THERE IS NO TIME TO DIGEST ANYTHING, TO THINK ABOUT THINGS, TO SIT BACK AND ARRIVE AT LESS DANGEROUS SOLUTIONSÈ
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THE APPROPRIATION OF HISTORY WORDS JOSEPH BACKSTEIN
The artists whose works I would like to consider Ð Viktor Alimpiev, Alina Gutkina, Diana Machulina, Taus Makhacheva, Haim Sokol, Natalia Struchkova and Rostan Tavasiev Ð are all graduates of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Moscow (ICA Moscow). They all also reflect a recently prevalent tendency, which results from a period of stabilisation in the political processes in post-Soviet Russia, where it is widely held that politically engaged art does not guarantee a new aesthetic for our present moment. The idea of succession in contemporary Russian art demands special consideration here, because there is a great abyss between an older group of conceptualists and this generation of ICA graduates. We live in an entirely different country and historical epoch to the one in which Moscow Conceptualism was formed. The historic changes in the social, cultural and political environment are comparable to the previous moments which prompted dramatic shifts in Russian contemporary art, developments which recent generations of artists have struggled with and adapted to. But each generation has produced quite different responses to their own historical circumstances. Importantly, the situation has changed again, and contemporary art in Russia once more functions in a distinct way, politically, how could they be said to follow their predecessors? The question of succession in art concerns what we learn from the artists who move us forward, regardless of where in the world they are based. The first generation of ICA Moscow graduates are inclined to explore the international context rather than Russian art history, which remains partly written. But they do this because are becoming part of that international context, not because they actively neglect their own history.
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Courtesy Regina Gallery, London & Moscow
socially and culturally. But what have these artists inherited and
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Viktor Alimpiev, Marian Zhunin, WeÕre Talking About Music, 2005
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Natalia Struchkova
At first sight, Rostan Tavasiev appears to be involved in a continuous game, using tools and, especially, cuddly toys in his paintings and installations. He creates virtual worlds where interaction between the characters is far freer than between socially or politically responsible people. The toys become universal, ideal soldiers of art, sneaking from within paintings into the museum space, expertly intervening in an ensemble of metaphors. TavasievÕs toys shape a new and consistent reality. The artist cites Johan HuizingaÕs influential book Man the Player (1938) which suggests that all human activity, and particularly culture and art, has an underlying element of play. The artist either creates imagery from scratch or imaginatively borrows images from reality, using his imagination to playfully arrange these images and materials on canvas or in the exhibition space. He believes that his artistic method is quite simple. ÔA stretched canvas, covered with colourless matte lacquer, lies horizontally on the table. ItÕs very important to mix the colours with precision, to get the identical tone to the colour of the toy. I take the toy, plunge it in a tin of paint, and stick it on its paws or on its side to the canvas. You move the toy along the clear, white surface. The toy leaves colourful traces Ð lines and spots, as in abstract painting. Then you attach the toy to the canvas where it has finished its movement. Now, we get the abstract painting with a three-dimensional ready-made toy on the canvas plane.Õ
With her traditional painting technique, Natalia Struchkova creates amusing, sometimes foreboding scenes of post-digital existence. She evolves images of the Soviet reality which is almost forgotten by her generation. Her deeply metaphorical works are based on the paradoxical combination of recognisable subjects and their pixilated adaptation. The more traditional the subject, the more efficient the virtual reality created by the artist. Her key themes are convention and innovation, the Russian and the global, the digital and the handmade, and phantasmagoria and reality. Her imagery includes the giant amanita muscaria fungus popular in Russian fairytales, motifs from the history of Russian classical painting of the 19th century, easily recognisable sights of central streets and squares in Moscow as represented in the visual clichŽs of the international mass media, and scenes from science fiction movies and popular cartoons. Combining the use of the pixel with the use of acrylic paints on canvas allows Struchkova to ÒtameÓ digital reality. She is trying to create a resonance between the individuality of painting and the clichŽs of multimedia art Ð the up-to-the-minute use of digital screen-based art is contrasted with the eternity of the canvas. This paradox is the crux of StruchkovaÕs works. On the one hand, she seems to be totally ironic in her approach, and on the other, she produces paintings with such impressive scale, flair and individuality. She has made a special impact on collectors.
Sokol: Courtesy the artist, Tavasiev: Courtesy Aidan Gallery
Rostan Tavasiev
Haim Sokol, Poste Restante, 2010
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Rostan Tavasiev, A little bit higher than god, 2009
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Haim Sokol
Ð is inherent in all SokolÕs works, but it is naturally combined with a certain absurdity.This absurdity, expressed through a particular use of local themes and subjects, serves the artistÕs main objective, which is Ôto expose the historical nature of our subjectivityÕ. Sokol attempts to reveal the traditional Russian origin of this subjectivity. We see in his work the theme of Poor Folk [a term coined by Fyodor Dostoevsky in his first novel], expressing the vulnerability of human life, a popular subject in 19th-century Russian literature. ThatÕs why, at times, we are under the impression that Sokol borrowed his characters and his creatures from Chekhov.
SokolÕs subjects embody a kind of oblivion: that of a human being facing a world of misery and poverty, injustice and misfortune. He is a follower of Walter Benjamin, who believed, in SokolÕs opinion Ð and this position is especially true for the artist Ð that the melancholic feeling of loss, created by the mechanism of human memory, can gain political power. In other words, Sokol takes a standpoint which posits that the bond with the past creates a resonance between the individual and the collective history. Thus, Sokol makes objects and installations addressing the issue of collective memory. One of his installations comprised a group of giant traditional Soviet mailboxes that were pointedly reminiscent of gravestones. In another, a mailbox is hung on childÕs coat, recalling both a backpack and wings. The nostalgia for something that has passed or something irretrievably lost Ð images of childhood, or some transient but important encounter
Taus Makhacheva The social dimension toTaus MakhachevaÕs work is directly associated with her personal history. Her family comes from Dagestan, and she therefore understands acutely how one national culture can exist within a context of 70
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ÇTHE QUESTION OF SUCCESSION IN ART CONCERNS WHAT WE LEARN FROM THE ARTISTS WHO MOVE US FORWARD, REGARDLESS OF WHERE IN THE WORLD THEY ARE BASEDÈ
Struchkova: courtesy Regina Gallery, London & Moscow. Gutkina: courtesy the artist
Above: Alina Gutkina with participants in her art works; left: Natasha Struchkova, #10 from the series FUTURUSSIA, 2008
background of the Caucasian mountains, often directly interacting with flocks of sheep, manifest the cosmogonic myths, the rituals of the first generation created by God.
another. On one hand, there is a long tradition of the interpretation of Caucasian culture in the context of Russian culture. However, Makhacheva has a specific mission: to create a form of expression that allows the representation of Dagestan culture in the context of international contemporary art. The complexity of developing a visual language adequate for this task leads the artist to the conscious use of clichŽs and sarcasm.This critical approach is a necessity for Makhacheva, who has observed how the criteria of normality in social and political relations are interpreted, and attempts to uncover hidden contradictions and conscious speculation within the representation of national and cultural minorities. MakhachevaÕs visual language represents an attempt to find a finely tuned balance, if not a dialectic relationship, between the language of local ritual and the kinds of media adopted in the world of contemporary art. Makhacheva has found such a happy medium. In photographs and videos, her characters, with their quasi-ethnographic performances set against a
Alina Gutkina Like many artists of her generation, Alina Gutkina makes works which are tied to post-Soviet reality, reflecting the lives of those born in the 1990s. She explores how their identities are formed in the context of parent and peer relationships. To achieve her objectives, she actively uses a range of media, including performances with teenagers and video installations. One of these installations, My Mom tells the story of the children of Perestroika [a term used for Mikhail GorbachevÕs Soviet Union reforms, literally meaning ÔreconstructionÕ] that reached its peak at the end of the 1980s. Gutkina consciously focuses on children in single parent families, who grew up without fathers, as they dress in clothes sewn by GutkinaÕs mother as Perestroika 71
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dominated the Soviet agenda, Ôthe era,Õ says Gutkina, Ôof illusions for [the] communist future.Õ In a performance, a study of the phenomenon of free choice, several participants, naked but for underpants, were covered in polyethylene and encouraged to write brand names on the plastic which covered their fellow performers Ð logos which the artist believes act as substitute for individual identities. Gutkina also explored teenage fashion, the street-style uniform which she feels neutralises the teenage subcultures which in earlier eras functioned as a form of protest and aggression. On this path from underground to mass culture, resistance becomes a commodity Ð and Gutkina uses this notion as a metaphor for the fate of the cultural avant-garde. Another work consists of skateboards with collaged images of teenagers of real teenage missing persons, with absolutely paradoxical texts written by parents beneath them. This issue could be perceived as a consequence of the freedom gained by teenagers in post-Soviet Russia. GutkinaÕs videos often focus on real sub-cultural practices, telling individual stories in the first person. One protagonist is a modern teenager born in the 1990s. Almost as if in a psychotherapy session, he shares the story of his transformation from a normal teenager to a street character. It is a fairly detailed account, detailing cause and effect, and establishing an entire system of relationships. Other subjects for her videos include ordinary daily practices in dormitory suburbs, and the story of a boy who is almost a prototype character of the 90s generation, yet whose life is monotony and sadness, aggression and loss.
Left: Taus Makhacheva, Karakul photographic and video project, 2007; above: Diana Machulina, Berlin, 2007 72
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Makhacheva: courtesy the artist. Machulina: courtesy Galerie Sanislas Bourgain, Paris
Viktor Alimpiev
Diana Machulina
Viktor Alimpiev is known for his staged videos, where he reconstructs paradoxical quasi-choir scenes.The strange movements of the actors are similar to daily human gestures, but they are made with an incredible, almost supernatural effort. Alimpiev occupies a zone between performance, video documentation, music and choreography. In some ways, his work resembles the traditions of Russian avant-garde theatre. Alimpiev offers true insight into the metaphysical essence of human relationships. The things normally hidden from people become visible and observable, even obvious. Events that occur in AlimpievÕs work could be viewed as the antithesis of ritual, be it religious or in everyday life. Where ritual defines the structure, meaning and sequence of our actions, the gestures and relationships of AlimpievÕs characters are mysterious and unpredictable. AlimpievÕs work draw a wide spectrum of reactions, which can be triggered by all manner of different emotional triggers in the diverse properties of his videos. Music, choreography, and pseudo-dialogue may alienate or absorb the viewer. But the reaction is always strong: at times, as you watch whatÕs happening around AlimpievÕs works, you are under the impression that the videos are interactive, so emotionally engaged and captivated are the audience.
Authors who write about Diana Machulina find it impossible to escape a sense of the Ôreturn of paintingÕ. MachulinaÕs work is a good example of the fact that, no matter how much the champions of new media banned and buried painting within an approximate 10-year period, it has become clear that oil on canvas is an inherent background for everything we do. Enthusiasm for MachulinaÕs work only confirms this fact. Her work is not classified as Ôcontemporary paintingÕ, it is contemporary art which happens to be in the medium of painting. But it also demonstrates an awareness of the conceptualist history of Russian art. This tension in her work is supported by the analysis of a series of MachulinaÕs paintings. Among those, we can single out the series Farewell to Arms (2009). When viewed closely, we see on the canvas various items that seemingly resemble explosive elements Ð these are the items that are seized by security services at airports. The series Green Light (2007) shows street junctions in cities familiar to every traveller, where the traffic lights are all green Ð an image which can be interpreted as a metaphor of total liberalism, a very topical issue for MachulinaÕs home country. In all her works, the artistÕs masterly, classical and academic painting technique, which is still taught at art colleges across Russia, is convincingly combined with attempts to find fresh and relevant subject matter. The juxtaposition creates an inevitable thematic paradox. n 73
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Cinthia Marcelle photographed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 25 February 2011
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CINTHIA MARCELLE THE FUTURE IS ALL HERS INTERVIEW KAREN WRIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHS FERNANDO YOUNG BRASILEIRO
I asked to interview Cinthia Marcelle after seeing her videos on the website of the Sprovieri Gallery. Shortly afterwards, I heard that she had won the first Future Art Generation Prize, triumphing over a strong field. When I told Sir Nicholas Serota I was interested in her work and was speaking to her, he said, ÔSheÕs one to watchÕ. KAREN WRIGHT Your work seems to be deeply engrained in not only the traditions of Brazil, but also in the wider context of Latin America Ð do you think that there is a longer tradition of the artist as flaneur, or more particularly observer, in this part of the world than in Europe and America? CINTHIA MARCELLE Regarding those traditions that you mention, I think that maybe a Latin American artist lives in a world that is not as segmented as an artist from the so called Ôfirst worldÕ. Their work is not so different from the work of a stonemason or craftsman; one world is not so far from the other and the relationships between classes and people seem less marked to me. At least, that is how I live. I believe in that impurity. My creations derive from such blending in with the surrounding world; for me, art is not above anything and the artist is not above anyone. The improvisation with which we have to live, an improvisation in which lowly workers reveal themselves to be true artists, constitutes our common sensibility. KW Capa Morada, an early work of yours from 2003 that you made in collaboration with the artist Jean Meeran in South Africa, shows you camouflaged in cloth deliberately to make you, when photographed, become literally part of the city. Was this a political comment about being invisible within the constraints of the situation? CM Capa Morada began as a performance in which I was blending myself in with the city, losing myself and then thinking of myself as a (Brazilian) person of mixed race finding herself among coloured walls, items in the market, the people of the city, the South African world, which was simultaneously close to my world and a long way from it. The work resulted in a series of photographs that began with my body covered in cloth, a sort of camouflage that blended into the urban landscape, before ending with the photo in which, with my protective layers finally discarded, I blended in among the passengers on a train, my mixed-race skin now simultaneously serving as a mask and an identity, the final act in which I revealed myself more but was less apparent, finally blending into the South African reality, as just one face among many in the human landscape. It was a time when there was still a lot of segregation in that country and the train, which was heading for the townships, was mainly used by blacks and coloureds. In a way, therefore, the gradual process through which I unveiled myself and familiarised myself with the mixed-race part of Cape Town (the black part), was something of a natural political act for the time, partly because that very segregation occurred Ð and still occurs Ð in a veiled manner in my own country. However, my dialogue with the local artist Jean Meeran, someone who lived with that situation on a daily basis, was essential to that process.
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KW There is both a participatory element and a love of colour in works like the video made of the bands meeting at a Crossroad that reminds me of the work of HŽlio Oiticica Ð is he someone whose work you find inspirational? CM I think that my methods somehow pick up on a few issues raised by Oiticica. I like to think of my work as propositions; propositions that I make to people connected with the world of work, slight poetic displacements, a defunctionalization of their everyday acts that allow me to provoke a somewhat emancipatory dynamic Ð without the engagement and actual participation of those people, my work would be impossible and it would not make much sense. In the Cruzada [Crusade, 2010] video, we can see a bit of Oiticica not only in that propositional aspect (the participation of musicians from popular and highbrow groups), but also in the way in which I work on purity, the blending and movement of colours, and their dancing in spatial terms. The idea concerns how that clash between pure colours and their rearrangement produces a melody, rather like a new language (or even a new civilisation), generated from blending and impurity. KW Oiticica is remembered for his costumes for parades you made your own processional work, Grey Demonstration, can you talk a bit about how this derived? CM Picking up on that idea of participation, Manifesta•‹o Cinza [Grey Demonstration, 2006] came from inviting local people to form part of a
ÇALL WORK THAT REALLY SEEKS TO PROPOSE SOMETHING, AND THAT IS ONLY COMPLETE WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS THE OTHER, INCLUDES CHANCE AND IMPROVISATIONÈ
suspended demonstration, silent and with no slogans. The true content of that demonstration were to be found in the personal engagement of each individual with my proposition. That is to say, the end mattered less than the means and the destination mattered less than the journey (a journey in which everyone united around a global sentiment). The act involved taking the audience from the big theatre, where all the festival performances were being staged, and relocating them outside, a voyage ending at the side of a street in Trento. KW Is the element of chance in some of your works within the Unus Mundus series like The Concert, is this important to you? CM All work that really seeks to propose something, and that is only complete when it encounters the other, includes chance and improvisation to some extent. In Audi•‹o [The Concert, 2005], a performance at the Mountain Standard Time Festival of Performance of Calgary in Canada, I used the Stride Gallery site to invite people to play their favourite music. When I got them together, I tried to orchestrate an improvised open-air concert, a sort of polyphony in which the melodies would come together and separate Ð a tribute to chance. 76
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KW Equally with the chance works there are works like Fonte 193 [Fountain 193, 2007] and Volta ao Mundo [Round the World, 2004] that seem to be tightly choreographed leading from their seemingly absurdist situations into a carefully worked geography Ð are you moving towards one form as your career develops or will you stay working between the two areas? CM I think that my process always starts from a dual movement whereby I distance myself while simultaneously getting closer to worldly things in order to reinvent them, a movement outside and inside the world, between inevitable chaos and a potential new order. Inside, in the chaos of worldly things, I find many of my propositions. The movement outside is the distancing that allows me to formally reorganise that disorder Ð for example, the aerial shots of the Unus Mundus series: the distance in relation to the events occurring down below allows you to perceive a new dynamic. Ideas crop up in the midst of the tumultuous potential of everyday life, a vital excess from which I then try to distance myself in a quest for formal organisation, a synthesis that allows me to work on that original discomfort. KW In the series Unus Mundus, you speak about Ôorchestrating coincidencesÕ Ð kissing couples, white vans driving around Ð acts that form a density that you refer to as Ôbringing the margins to the centreÕ, I think this is a really interesting concept, could you talk a bit more about this, and what other ideas you have for this series. CM The aim of the Unus Mundus series is to try to imagine the potential for the chaos of the world to be temporarily organised, at a given time and in a given place; it is a playful way of recognising the scale of the world. The video Fonte 193 does not form part of that series. I start here from an idea of inversion, another recurring feature of my work, like creating an inverted fountain (inside out), with a fire engine that has its hose pointing inwards. I think that this method by which I examine and remake objects the other way round stems from a desire to invert meanings towards new significations, which can often seem empty or absurd. I see this as still being a viable means of inventing images. KW Cildo Mierieles, another Brazilian artist, says about his works in the series in the early 1970s, Circuitos Ideol—gicos [Ideological Circuits] that he was introducing noise into the circulation of these common objects, is your work like Confronto [Confront, 2005] homage to this introduction of random noise into the existing system? Is it equally important to chronicle the reaction to the event? CM It is not by chance that the words ÔinsertionsÕ and ÔcircuitsÕ form part
of the vocabulary of my propositions. I see CildoÕs ideological insertions in the 1970s as happening on a small and clandestine scale and the noise created by that work was influential in a more conceptual way. Slightly modified Coca-Cola bottles were returned to the circuit, like messages in bottles thrown into the sea. Words denouncing military repression were inserted in bank notes as subtle (almost invisible) acts of subversion and resistance inserted into circuits that already existed. For my part, I like the idea of creating new circuits and new systems from items that are already in the world. As those systems are never entirely closed, chance is bound to be incorporated into them. In Confronto, I create a sort of short-circuit by taking an everyday character from our urban landscape, the juggler at the traffic lights, and gradually multiply him across the scene. The idea is to reveal the potential for direct socio-political confrontation behind the everyday socioeconomic negotiations to which these professionals submit themselves in real life. Here it is a case of picking up the disruption and orchestrating the noise in order to reveal what often remains hidden in everyday life in Brazil. KW You had a residency in London at Gasworks. Did living for a period in Europe impact on the kind of work that you are now making? CM Experiencing an artistic residency involves a beneficial change in routine, offering the artist necessary changes in their working process. Merely travelling from home to the studio can yield a host of opportunities, obliging them to re-examine the meaning of things, to rediscover (or to understand) the inner logic that governs their work, behind any creative chaos. The three-month period that I spent in London made me stop and think about a certain dynamic of time. Having to think up a design for the foyer of the Camberwell College of the University of the Arts led me to speculate about education and learning time. The best way that I could find to express that experience, the exhibition ÔThis Same World OverÕ [2009], was to seek, in language, a sort of ground zero of meaning, as if a wall of codes and rules governing our daily social activities might suddenly collapse. KW Finally congratulations on winning the new Future Generation Prize, you won over a very strong field of entries. I understand that 40,000 of the 100,000 euros have to be put towards fabrication of a work. Is there a piece that you have in mind that you are going to use this money for? A piece that you would not have been able to make without winning the prize? CM I have various projects in mind, but for now I am trying to focus on one particular piece for April. n
475 Volver: courtesy of Sprovieri London
Cinthia Marcelle, 475 Volver (To Come To), 2009
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SYLVAIN LEVY A FAMILY AFFAIR WORDS KAREN WRIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHS JAKE CURTIS
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Sylvain Levy photographed in his home in Paris on 11 January 2011; Far left: bar by Garouste et Bonetti; above bar: Yang Jiechang (detail) 2008; above: Ritrata de una dona by Manolo Valdes, 1989; Background: chest of drawers by François Courbot; Lucky Family 4 by Yang Zhenzhong, 2001; white vase by Martin Szekely 000
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ÇI ALWAYS WANT TO DO IT THOROUGHLY. I WANT TO LEARN. WE HAVE STARTED THE CHINESE COLLECTION WITH THE SAME RIGOUR WITH WHICH WE PURSUED THE DESIGN COLLECTIONÈ Bouroullec Brothers, some Ron Arad chairs and cabinets, a beautiful bookshelf by Ettore Sottsass and a Fran•ois Courbot mirrored cupboard. Prior to design, he and Dominique (and he points out several times that his wife is the equal partner in forming the collection) had put together a collection of international paintings, several of which remain in their hands, including a colourful Robert Rauschenberg over the sofa in the living room. In this, as with the design collection, the SylvainsÕ commitment was total. ÔI always want to do it thoroughly,Õ he says. ÔI want to learn. We have started the Chinese collection with the same rigour with which we pursued the design collection.Õ I ask how the Chinese quest began, as clearly neither he nor his wife have obvious connections to China. Sylvain is Egyptian, and was brought up there until he was 11.This helps to explain why he speaks several languages, although he admits Chinese is not one of them. His father was in property and Sylvain learned from him, beginning his own career first in the garment business and more recently in property. The Levys have two children, a daughter, 25, and a son, 22, and it is, he explains, through them that he became fascinated with China. They started studying Chinese at school, as it is among the foreign languages offered as a second or third choice of foreign tongues in the French curriculum. Both his children now speak Chinese fluently and both are currently based in China. Concurrently with this burgeoning familial interest, DominiqueÕs brother-in-law also decided to move to Shanghai. Eventually the Levys went to visit him and decided to embark on their adventure with Chinese art.
FRENCH MEN ARE nothing if not chivalrous, and so Sylvain Levy insists on escorting me downstairs from his penthouse apartment in Paris to decant me into a taxi. We pause first while he points out a black wrought iron basket chair standing underneath some French paintings. ÔThis is the prototype for the diamond chair by Harry Bertoia from 1950s,Õ he says, Ôyou can really see the hand here. He made it himself Ð you can feel his struggle with the metal.Õ For me as a novice, it is a familiar chair, and without his comments I would not have noticed the difference between this and a mass-produced example. It is this high level of connoisseurship and quick eye that sets Sylvain apart from many of his fellow collectors. Sylvain and his wife, Dominique, are the founders of the DSL Collection of Chinese contemporary art, a holding which has been put together in a relatively short period of time and now amounts to an impressive collection. It is, in SylvainÕs words, ÔnomadicÕ, in that it has no permanent home. I meet Sylvain in their home as it is the hub of the collection and contains many of its most distinguished works. Over a delicious lunch served at a beautiful red lacquer table with a convenient lazy Susan, he tells me about the genesis of the collection. He had been collecting design in depth when, five years ago, it became the latest hot thing to collect. ÔDidier [Krientowsky] phoned me up and said, ÒSylvain, I will have to put you on a waiting list for that designer.Ó A waiting list?Õ he shrugs in typical Gallic fashion. ÔFor me, that means it is overÕ. The legacy of his design infatuation surrounds us in the flat. A lily pad carpet by 82
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Cecilia Brunson and Juan Yarur with Magdalena AtriaÕs Smiling Desperately I, 2004
Opposite: chandelier by Gino Sarfatti; table by Martin Szekely; Louis Vuitton by Wang Guangyi, 2002; a work from the 100 Layers of Ink series by Yang Jiechang, 1990 This page: chair by Marc Newson; tables by Martin Szekely; photograph by Philip-Lorca diCorcia; carpets by Bouroullec Brothers
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ÇIF I WANT TO MAKE MONEY, I DO IT IN MY CORE BUSINESS, PROPERTY, NOT IN ARTÈ The first work they bought was by Shanghai painter Ding Yi, purchased directly from the artistÕs studio. But they started the collection in earnest by contacting a Chinese artist who lives in Paris, Yang Jiechang, and his curator wife Martina Kšppel-Yang [see the feature on Yang Jiechang in this catalogue]. Sylvain told them that he wanted to collect Chinese art Ôproperly, fully, without preconceptionsÕ, and they were nice enough to take him on. Sylvain is clear that trust is crucially important for a collector: trust between the collector, the artist and the gallery, and trust, too, that the collection is not merely about making money, but based on a real interest and a willingness to accept all kinds of work. SylvainÕs passion for Chinese art is palpable. He corrects me when I repeat the commonly held view that the Chinese art community has been damaged by the perception that it is all about the market. ÔThe most problematic thing for western collectors in China,Õ he says, Ôis the difficulties they have with the language and understanding the artistsÕ names. Instead, they remember artists by forming shorthand views of their work Ð the one who makes portraits, the one who uses logos, and so on Ð rather than by their name. And with the wide variety of art around, and the emergence of a whole new generation of young and exciting Chinese artists living and working in their home country, the scene is becoming increasingly complex.Õ
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Far left: The Chat God of Millennium No. 5 by Zheng Guogu, 2000 and a chandelier by Garouste et Bonetti; above, background: 90 Years of Chinese Cinema by Zhou Tiehai, 1999; left: table by Marc Newson, vase by Andrea Branzi, and sculpture by CŽsar (Baldaccini) 000
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Early on, the couple made a decision to limit the number of works in the collection. Sylvain admits that the original number was 120 and this has now crept up to 160. At the moment, the collection numbers around 165 pieces. He is careful how he de-accessions works. ÔIf I want to make money, I do it in my core business, property, not in art.Õ He admits, though, that at various points he could have made money if he wanted to flip the works in the collection. He has decided not to have the traditional foundation complete with building as he wants the collection to travel both in China and Europe, allowing as many people as possible to see it. The collection has now joined into a new partnership withTsinghua University, a technology college, to set up two residencies which allow Chinese students to come to Europe and work in various universities depending on their needs. The technological element emerges from their perception that so much of the best work by young
Chinese artists is in the field of video or on the internet. There is, he believes, a greater freedom in the way Chinese artists use these relatively new media, as they are not so mired in tradition. ÔYou have to remember that Chinese contemporary art is new,Õ he says, Ôbut Chinese culture is not.Õ It is this break with conventional forms that young artists are now struggling to navigate. Later, when we look through two large books of the complete collection, he points out that there are relatively few painters represented in the collection: ÔThey really have nothing new to add to the debate, bar a few exceptions.Õ He shows me a suite of paintings by the Beijing-based artist Gu Dexin: small works featuring stylised flamingos, simple in line and fluid in movement, painted on black backgrounds with chalk or ink. ÔGu is one of the leading installation artists working today in China,Õ he says, jumping up and bringing back a porcelain tank from a round Ron Arad bookcase, one of 10,000 tanks from his 2005 86
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Left: Coca Cola by Sue Xong, 1997; lamp by Ron Arad Below: chair with child design by Jurgen Bey, and prototype Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia
ÇYOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART IS NEW,BUT CHINESE CULTURE IS NOTÈ of labourers and warriors from Chinese propaganda. Sylvain admits his preference for the work of Yang Jiechang, an abstraction which endlessly conjures up an emotion which goes beyond the workÕs subject. After lunch we leaf through two volumes documenting all the works in the collection. Here is a picture of a rare early Ai Weiwei painting, one of very few saved from destruction by the artist who disposed of much of his work when he returned to China from the US in the 1990s.The DSL Collection also owns a large Weiwei piece called Portable Temple (2006). ÔIt is the prototype for the towers that came to Documenta which then famously collapsed after the opening day.Õ We look through the collectionÕs Zhang Huan works and Sylvain points at a painting, a work painted by the artist himself. ÔNot all that common an event,Õ Sylvain says. He has been to the artistÕs studio, as he has with many of the artists in the collection. Indeed, Sylvain thinks he knows about 85 of the artists represented in the collection personally. It is perhaps due to this personal closeness that he is unafraid to commit to acquiring large-scale works and installations including Big Buddha (2002), Zhang HuanÕs six-metre-high skeletal Buddha, which holds a life-size stone sculpture of the artist. The scale of many of the installations in the book is striking. Without a gallery to house them, where are the works? ÔThey are in storage. We have not decided how or when they will be seen,Õ Sylvain responds. ÔWe lend any work when an artist wants it for a show and at any time there are about 10 to 15 works from the collection out on loan.Õ But while the physical accessibility of the collection is relatively limited, it has a strong online visibility, with a frequently revised and reworked website and an Apple iPhone app in production. ÔWe made a decision that our main presence would be on the internet,Õ he says. ÔWe chose the internet because we wanted the collection available to the most people possible, especially to the Chinese people, many of whom have access to computers and are online.Õ He points out the burgeoning interest in contemporary art in China saying that the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art is the third most visited tourist attraction in Beijing, behind only the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Sylvain later sends me an email with an article from a newspaper chronicling the sheer number of students applying to the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou Ð over 100,000 applicants for only 1,670 places. I ask how he feels Weiwei, such an emblem of Chinese art in the west, is perceived in his Chinese homeland. ÔHe is one of those Chinese artists that is better known as an artist outside of China,Õ he shrugs. ÔInside, he is better known as an activist.Õ But, he points out that the Chinese government did approach Weiwei to work on the ÔbirdÕs nestÕ stadium and, unlike Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Prize-winning poet, Weiwei remains out of jail, at least for now. ÔThe government is changing, the new generation sees the value of art and you may well see things changing in how Weiwei is treated.Õ He is clear, though, how important the collector Uli Sigg has been for Chinese art. ÔUli is the godfather of all Chinese collectors,Õ he says. ÔHe has by far the greatest collection of contemporary Chinese art, which he got at an early time. He is also so important as he got the curators out to China. And he also has the language Ð that makes such a difference. The question is where his collection will go.Õ There is no question where the DSL Collection will go, Sylvain says, not disguising his pride: it will be left to his children. And while his son will pursue a career in China and is already in Beijing as part of his business management course at the London School of Economics, his daughter is well on the road to assuming control of the artistic side of the collection. She has already been an intern at SothebyÕs, Marlborough and White Cube, and is currently in Shanghai perfecting her language skills. The love of China and all things Chinese is truly a family affair. n
installation 2004/5/9 (10,000 porcelain sculptures). ÔIt is about the sheer scale of the army in China,Õ he says, Ôbut by making these in a breakable material, porcelain, about its fragility, and how simply these powerful structures can come down.Õ A poignant reflection of the news stories from Egypt the week I visit him. But while the DSL Collection champions new media, there are artists working in ancient traditions, using ink or printing techniques, which form a whole sub-section of works in the collection. We have been sitting in front of an inky black work by Yang Jiechang in the dining room, one of a group of his works owned by the Levys. Yang Jiechang works with a brush applying the labour-intensive layers of black ink producing these blacker-than-black textured surfaces. It is hung adjacent to the instantly recognisable work by Wang Guangyi Louis Vuitton (2001), one of the series of works in which the artist has pitched images of western consumerist logos alongside images 87
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OBJECT LESSON: LOT 8
In his 1926 portrait of the journalist Sylvia von Harden, Otto Dix exaggerated her unconventional features Ð her monocle, severe bob, large hands and long nose Ð to make an expressive portrait of the eraÕs social look and manners.
In PicassoÕs The Absinthe Drinker (1901), the subjectÕs enlarged and stylized hands are so intensely expressive they eclipse the face as the feature that gives insight into the subjectÕs psychology.
Like the subject of ZengÕs painting, the women in PicassoÕs portraits from his primitivist period Ð such as the 1907 study for Les Demoiselles dÕAvignon here Ð are rendered fascinating and enigmatic by the donning of an mask.
China! at the Kunstmuseum Bonn in 1996 was a landmark show that introduced the contemporary Chinese art scene to a Western audience. Its encyclopedic catalogue gives an invaluable insight into some of ChinaÕs most important artists.
Dix: © DACS 2011; Picasso works: © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2011
ZENG FANZHIÕS Mask Series No. 21 is a major early example of what would eventually become the artistÕs best-known and most highly regarded series of paintings. Realized at the precise moment when international interest in contemporary art from China was beginning to reach a tipping point, the Mask paintings elegantly walk the line between individual expression and social commentary. Who are these masked individuals, and what relation do they bear to the national context out of which they spring? This particular example was among the first to confront Western viewers with these such weighty questions, due mainly to the paintingÕs fascinating exhibition history. First shown in an exhibition entitled simply ÔChina!Õ held at the Kunstumuseum Bonn between February and June of 1996, the work belongs squarely to an early group of what are now called China Shows, which helped to pique the initial wave of international interest in contemporary Chinese art during the 1990s. ÔChina!Õ is a key example of the China Show genre. Subtitled ÔZeitgenšssicsche Malerei (contemporary painting), it focused on the first medium from China to gain international currency. While contemporary art in China had grown and thrived through the 1980s, the first significant presence of contemporary art from China in Europe was at the Centre PompidouÕs 1989 globalist extravaganza ÔMagiciens de la TerreÕ. The next major exposure was at the 1993 Venice Biennale, which included a special Chinese section. In that same year, Johnson Chang and Li XiantingÕs ÔNew Chinese Art: Post-1989Õ, helped to set the stage, laying out a basic namelist of Chinese artists that remains relevant today, even if the show never made it out of the Asia-Pacific region, opening in Hong Kong and touring only as far as Australia. The U.S. would be even later to the game, not seeing a comprehensive show of contemporary art from China until Gao MingluÕs ÔInside OutÕ opened at the Asia Society and PS1 in 1998. In this way, ÔChina!Õ, curated by Kunstmuseum Bonn director Dieter Ronte, marked the beginning of a new era. Its impeccably produced catalogue, published by Dumont, lavished critical attention on a group of thirty-one artists barely known outside their homeland. For an artist such as Zeng Fanzhi, the show marked a major opportunity. Falling immediately on the heels of his solo show ÔBehind MasksÕ at Hanart TZ in Hong Kong, ÔChina!Õ included four paintings from his original Mask series (Nos. 11, 12, 20, and 21; all 1994) providing the most coherent and compelling international presentation he had yet received. n Zeng Fanzhi, The Mask Series, No. 21, 1994, oil on canvas
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BRIC
EVENING SALE
LOTS 1Ð 38
AI, W. 22 BULATOV, E. 10 CAMARGO, S. 2, 18 DUBOSSARSKY, V. & VINOGRADOV, A. 33 FAIBISOVICH, S. 11, 26 FENG, Z. 36 GUPTA, S. 19 KABAKOV, I. 9 KHER, B. 6 KOMAR & MELAMID 4 LI, T. 35 LIU, W. 3, 30 MILHAZES, B. 7, 38 MUNIZ, V. 17, 24 NETO, E. 1 OITICICA, H. 5 RANA, R. 25 REDDY, R. 13 SANTHOSH, T.V. 16 SCHENDEL, M. 21 SERPA, I. 20 THUKRAL & TAGRA 32 TSELKOV, O. 29 VASSILIEV, O. 34 WANG, G. 15 WANG, Q. 37 YAN, P. 31 YANG, S. 28 YIN, Z. 27 YUE, M. 14 ZENG, F. 8 ZHAN, W. 12 ZHANG, H. 23 Opposite Ilya Kabakov, Holidays #10, 1987, Lot 9 (detail)
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1 ERNESTO NETO b. 1964 Broto Extase, 2007 Lycra tulle, Styrofoam pellets and wooden knobs. 133 × 143 × 6 cm (55 1/8 × 61 × 2 in). PROVENANCE Galeria Fortes Vilaga, São Paulo Estimate £20,000 Ð30,000 $32,600 Ð 48,900 23,500 Ð35,300 ♠
Ernesto Neto emerged onto the international scene in the 1990s with installations that invite the viewer to enter, relax, touch, smell and play. Designed to create a sense of ease, his environments are often formed by soft, semi-translucent material, tensioned and counterbalanced by weights made of the same stretchy material, containing substances such as polystyrene pellets, or fragrant spices like clove and cinnamon. These highly seductive structures soon brought Neto international renown, leading him to become – as is the case with fellow Brazilian Beatriz Milhazes – one of his country’s most sought-after artists.
Neto and his peers came of age as Brazil’s military regime gave way to democracy. Fragile and often inadequate as that transition may have been, the era was characterised by a sense of unrestrained joy which differentiated his generation substantially from its immediate predecessors. Neto was distinct, however, in that his work clearly followed a sculptural agenda, as opposed to the widespread re-emergence of painting more characteristic of this period’s artists. Nor did he reject the generation that preceded him; on the contrary, he still refers to their influence to this day.
Much of Neto’s work invokes – either through its form, title, or a combination of both – science fiction and biomorphism. His obsession with spacecraft and sci-fi could perhaps be explained by an experience he had at school, whereupon being asked by his teacher what he would like to be when he grew up, he answered “an astronaut”. The teacher’s repressive response to this straightforward display of ambition had possibly as much impact on his future direction as his early fascination with space.
Neto is a sculptor whose work has become increasingly connected with architectural form, and it is often possible to locate elements that arise from his structural solutions. In Broto Extase (2007), for instance, we can locate a means developed to connect elements in far more complex structures. It displays affinities with major commissions such as Leviathon Thot, which Neto installed at the Pantheon in Paris in 2006. The differently-coloured Lycra is usually associated with the meeting of distinct bodies, and here perhaps we find the artist bringing that metaphor to its most primal form.
Dr. Michael Asbury
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2 SERGIO CAMARGO 1930–1990 Relief, 1970 Painted wood. 61 × 56 × 15 cm (24 × 22 × 6 in). Signed and dated ‘Camargo 70’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner; Private Collection Estimate £80,000 Ð120,000 $130,000 Ð196,000 94,200 Ð141,000 à
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1930, Constructivist sculptor Sergio Camargo was educated in Buenos Aires under the tutelage of Emilio Pettoruti and Lucio Fontana, two abstract artists who greatly influenced him. After a short sojourn in Paris where he encountered modernist masters Constantin Brancusi and Jean Arp, Camargo returned to Brazil. Here he became a pivotal member of the Constructivist movement, focusing on geometric abstraction and the interplay of contrasting lines and shapes. This new approach to spatial volume is what formed the foundation of Camargo’s later sculptures, specifically his signature wood reliefs.
The present lot, Relief (1970), belongs to Sergio Camargo’s important Relief series. These reliefs are characterized by the interplay of light and dark, and by the contrast of smooth lines with angular projections. The breadth of his education and inspiration is made manifest in this series through his appropriation of Kinetic art concepts and Spatialist constructions. For instance, a comparison can be drawn between Camargo’s Reliefs and Fontana’s Slash series, the only difference being that whereas Fontana uses colour to contrast the negative space, Camargo uses white three-dimensional cylinders. Both Camargo and Fontana employ a sense of pure abstraction to create a modulating dynamic between the tactile and the ocular, perfection and disruption.
Relief (1970) is slightly smaller and less ‘chaotic’ than many of the other works in Camargo’s series, as the viewer is presented with a more obvious contrast between the flat background and the two white wooden cylinders projecting from the board. Camargo has left a thick border of unpainted wood framing the smaller and more angular white board inside it; the reductive flatness of these boards contrasts starkly with the materiality of the two central cylinders, both spatially and conceptually. The cylinders seem to grow out of the board, creating an interesting juxtaposition between their affinity in colour and their contrasting shape and finish. The depth of Relief (1970) is further heightened by the purity of the white cylinders and by Camargo’s use of just a single pair. In contrast to many other works in this series, this minimal use of wooden cylinders draws the eye directly to the centre of the piece, leaving the white background as a frame of silence for their architectural forms. Their three-dimensionality is then further muffled by the presence of the dark wooden frame, which fights for the attention of the viewer’s gaze.
The kinetic experiences that Camargo creates in his wooden reliefs can be seen as a result of his exploration of abstraction as the pure interplay of geometric shapes. The eye becomes confused when confronted by the tactile three-dimensionality of the projecting cylinders, resulting in a sensory experience that truly challenges the viewer’s perception of form.
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3 LIU WEI b. 1965 Untitled (Worker), 1992 Oil on canvas in artistÕs frame. 87 × 87 cm (34 1/4 × 34 1/4 in). PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £100,000 Ð150,000 $163,000 Ð244,000 118,000 Ð177,000
This work was painted in 1992 in the style of Cynical Realism, the term defined by the art historian and leading light of contemporary Chinese art Li Xianting, in relation to the neo-realistic trend that emerged in Beijing after 1989. The playful humour that is present in LiuÕs work reflects the scepticism and disenchantment that he and his contemporaries felt after the brief idealistic period between the end of ChinaÕs Cultural Revolution and the tragic events of suppression that took place on BeijingÕs Tiananmen Square in June 1989, which led to the return of strict state control and conservatism. The artistÕs unique choice of presentation is seen in the tight framing, the extremely realistic twisted profile of the worker, and the landscape that seems to be glued to his sculpted, scarred face. The resulting tension arouses both discomfort and fascination. Dreamlike figures are painted directly on the wooden frame, forming a frieze of surreal and mythical animals, flowers, the raging Pagoda Sea, and naked humans whose eyes converge on the canvas Ð and who could have easily been the subject of Paul GauguinÕs expressionist paintings. However Liu reveals subconscious reality not only through the frameÕs direct reference to dreams, but also through the canvas Ð whose focal point is an extremely realistic, detailed human face giving the viewer an impression of obsession. Like Zhang Xiaogang, Liu Wei places the human figure at the centre of his practice, and thus continues the figurative tradition of contemporary Chinese avantgarde art. His oeuvre is distinguished by his ability to modulate classical figurative
© Liu Wei 2011
language and marry it with the distorted and troubling context of surrealism.
Liu Wei, Revolutionary Family, 1992
Piero della Francesca, Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza, 1467Ð72 (detail), Uffizi, Florence
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4 KOMAR & MELAMID b. 1943 & b. 1945 Double Self-Portrait, 1984 Tempera on masonite. 150 × 150 cm (59 × 59 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic, dated and annotated in Cyrillic ‘Komar and Melamid “Double self-portrait” Authors’ reconstruction of the 1972 work that was destroyed by the government on 14 September, 1974. This variant was made by the artists in 1984 for the 10 years anniversary of the “BULLDOZER EXHIBITION”’ on the reverse; further signed ‘Komar and Melamid’ on the stretcher bar. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artists; Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED Moscow, State Tretyakov Gallery, Sots Art. Political art in Russia, 2 March – 1 April 2007; Paris, Maison Rouge, Sots Art, Art politique en Russie de 1972 ˆ aujourdÕhui, 21 October 2007 – 20 January 2008; Total Enlightenment. Conceptual Art in Moscow 1960Ð1990: Frankfurt, Schirn Kunsthalle, 21 June – 14 September 2008; Madrid, Fundación Juan March, 10 October 2008 – 11 January 2009 LITERATURE Total Enlightenment. Conceptual Art in Moscow 1960Ð1990, exh. cat., Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, 2008, p. 153 (illustrated) Estimate £250,000 Ð350,000 $407,000 Ð570,000 294,000 Ð 412,000 ♠ à
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KOMAR AND MELAMID, ÔDOUBLE SELF-PORTRAITÕ, 1984 Double Self-Portrait by Komar and Melamid is a notable highlight in the history of Russian art of the second part of the 20th century. There were very few self-portraits of ‘nonconformist’ artists during that period, for social as well as artistic reasons. The genre of self-portrait occupies a very special place in an artist’s practice. It appeared in the Renaissance period, at a time when the position of an artist in society was shifting from being a member of a craftsmen’s guild to becoming what we now call a celebrity, and selfportraits were visual statements of the significance of this new role. In the USSR, there was no place for an unofficial artist to feel important, except among a small circle of colleagues and friends – and that circle seemed especially negligible when considered in proportion to the population of the country. Furthermore, non-official artists worked within a culture of modernism, and did not consider the genre of self-portraiture to be part of modernist art practice; for their circle, it represented the art of the past.
Nevertheless, Komar and Melamid created a number of double self-portraits. The earliest Lenin and Stalin, an example of the official art of socialist realism, 1950s, USSR
one was the Double Self-Portrait made as part of the Sots-Art series in 1972. According to Komar and Melamid, Double Self-Portrait of 1984, the present lot, is ‘the author’s replica’ of the earlier version. However, considering the changes that the artists made in it, and the
Sorokin, while in fine art the impact of this idea was even greater; it was at the core of
period when it was made, we can argue that it was not in fact just a ‘replica’, but a work with
Moscow’s conceptualist discourse, gracefully developed in works by Ilya Kabakov, Andrey
its own significant place in the history of Russian art.
Monastyrsky, the Collective Action group, the Mukhomor (‘Toadstool’) group and many more.
The Sots-Art series was not only a body of new work, but the starting point of a new movement in Russian art. The idea to start this movement came to Komar and Melamid
In 1972, the Double Self-Portrait was a very important statement which proclaimed the
in the summer of 1972, when they were working on an official commission to decorate a
starting point of this new strategy. It was like a visual manifesto, ironic and self-affirmative
children’s camp. The very idea of Sots-Art, according to the artists, came at the moment
at the same time. Painted in a pompous style, borrowed from pseudo-Byzantine
when the camp’s overseer showed them a site where a statue of Stalin was buried. It
monumental tradition, it shows profiles of the artists with a red background in tondo format,
triggered their realisation that this particular style of official ideology was past its time,
as if they were ‘great leaders’. The inscription says: “Well-known Artists of Early Nineteen
and had become part of art history. As such, a contemporary artist could include it in a
Seventies. Moscow”. The only detail that contrasts with all this over-the-top seriousness is
postmodernist game along with other styles of the past, such as Cubism, Impressionism
the subtle smile on the artists’ faces.
or Abstraction. However, when the Sots-Art series was first made, it was something so shockingly new that the artists faced fierce critique even from their ‘non-conformist’
The Double Self-Portrait of 1972 perished in a fight during the infamous ‘Bulldozer Show’
colleagues. The style of the series mimicked the imagery of Soviet propaganda, which had
on 15 September 1974 1, which was a milestone in Russian history. Although the show itself
been massively produced by the machine of official ideology. But by contrast the subjects
was bulldozed into destruction by the authorities, and the artists beaten or arrested, it
of Sots-Art works were of very private matters, such as Portrait of the Wife with Son, or
subsequently brought a certain freedom for the artists to exhibit their works.
Portrait of Father. Thus, Komar and Melamid appropriated the style of official ideology – as if playing the roles of fools who took the propaganda seriously.
The Double Self-Portrait of 1984 was made in celebration of the tenth anniversary of that event. However, this version has two major differences from the original. Its inscription,
They were the very first artists to accept Soviet propaganda as an important part of
instead of lauding “Well-known Artists”, says in the mixture of English and Russian: “Sots-
reality, and to use it as a raw material for their work. Moreover, Komar and Melamid
Art”. The profiles of the artists face in the opposite direction to those in the original image.
were courageous enough to understand that they themselves were part of the same
In the optical perception of a viewer brought up in the European tradition, the eye explores
system that produced this ideology. This discovery triggered a huge change in Russian
the picture from left to right. So, the movement from left to right of the picture is perceived
art and literature in the early 1970s. All the important phenomena that determined the
as movement forward – and the opposite, as movement backwards. In the first self-portrait,
unofficial art scene in Russia during the 1970s and 80s originated from this discovery.
the artists’ profiles are turned to the right, as if they are moving forward. On the self-portrait
Examples in literature include the poetry of Dmitry A. Prigov and novels by Vladimir
of 1984 they are turned opposite direction, as if they are ‘coming back’. And they are coming back after they have done something important: the inscription “Sots-Art” directly refers to this achievement. Although the text on the reverse of the painting says it is an “authors’ replica”, it appears to be a completely new self-portrait, made in a new stage of the artists’ evolution. In the version of 1972, the artists’ affirmation of themselves as “Well-known Artists” was a rather ironic expression of the desire to be famous. In the 1984 version, they knew that they were famous and that they had done something important for Russian art: Sots-Art had become a movement with such eminent representatives as Boris Orlov, Leonid Sokov and Alexander Kosolapov, Gnezdo (The Nest) Group and many others.
This version of the Double Self-Portrait of 1984 by Komar and Melamid was chosen as one of the symbolic highlights of the recent and most important exhibition of Moscow Conceptual Art, curated by its major advocate Boris Groys. The exhibition, entitled Total Enlightment, was shown in Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt in the summer of 2008 and was a milestone in
1. The work was made in two versions, one of board, another on canvas. The canvas version was smuggled to United States in 1970s and is now in a private collection there. Komar & Melamid, Double Self Portrait as Lenin & Stalin, 1972. From the Sots Art series. First Version. Destroyed in the ‘Bulldozer Exhibition’ along with other Sots Art works.
Dr. Elena Zaytseva
Courtesy the artists
the understanding of 20th century Russian art history.
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5 HƒLIO OITICICA 1937Ð1980 Relevo Espacial, 1959, constructed 1991 Painted wood. 98.5 × 78 × 10.5 cm (38 3/4 × 30 3/4 × 4 1/8 in). This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artistÕs estate; Private Collection, USA; Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED Hélio Oiticica: Barcelona, Fundaci— Antoni Tˆpies, 1Ð6 October 1992; Paris, Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, 8 JuneÐ23 August 1992; Rotterdam, Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, 22 FebruaryÐ26 April 1992; Lisbon, Centro de Arte Moderna da Funda•‹o Calouste Gulbenkian, 20 JanuaryÐ20 March 1993; Minneapolis, Walker Art Center, 31 October 1993Ð20 February 1994 Estimate £300,000 – 400,000 $489,000 – 652,000 €353,000 – 471,000 ‡
ÒColour is one of the workÕs dimensions. It is inseparable from the phenomenon as a whole, from structure, from space and from time, but, like those three, it is a distinct, dialectic element, one of the dimensionsÓ HƒLIO OITICICA
Alternative views
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Piet Mondrian, Victory Boogie Woogie (unfinished), 1942 Ð 44
HƒLIO OITICICA, ÔRELEVO ESPACIALÕ (1959/1991) HŽlio OiticicaÕs Spatial Reliefs are key works within the artistÕs aesthetic investigation into the relationship between colour and space. Produced at the height of the Neo-Concrete movement in the late 1950s, the Spatial Reliefs pertain to the artistÕs interpretation of the theories developed by the critic Ferreira Gullar, particularly the idea of the work as a Ônon-objectÕ that arose from the criticÕs interest in phenomenology. Neo-Concrete art emerged out of an opposition to the S‹o Paulo-based concrete artists, who expounded a more strictly rationalist, often mathematical, basis for composition. OiticicaÕs Spatial Reliefs demonstrate the Neo-Concrete interest in exploring expression through geometry, whereby form is achieved through intuition rather than calculation.
Brazilian art historians have argued that these are works that stand within OiticicaÕs progression from the monochromatic two-dimensional experimentation evidenced in the Inventions series, to his subsequent environments of colour, which he labelled Penetrables. This exploration would eventually lead to the ÔinventionÕ of the ParangolŽ, probably OiticicaÕs most notorious work, for
Lygia Clark, Bicho, c. 1960
This progression in OiticicaÕs practice, which took colour from the gallery wall and into space, eventually literally wrapping it around the viewer/spectator, is often seen in conjunction with fellow Neo-Concrete artist Lygia Clark, whose work took a similar route although through the exploration of form rather than colour.
Spatial Reliefs were clearly considered by the artist himself as a significant stage in his creative trajectory. At his 1969 exhibition in LondonÕs Whitechapel Gallery, the only international solo show he held during his lifetime, he included the reliefs despite having already shifted considerably from the Neo-Concrete experiments of the previous decade. Spatial Reliefs have since been included in all major posthumous exhibitions. Other significant events to display these works include Tate ModernÕs inaugural temporary exhibition Century City, and Documenta X. Tate have recently acquired a Spatial Relief (red) together with other works by Oiticica, ranging from the Metaesquemas of 1957 to the Tropic‡lia installation of 1967. This acquisition in effect saved these works from the fire that destroyed much of OiticicaÕs estate in 2009.
Dr. Michael Asbury HŽlio Oiticica, Grand Nœcleo, 1960 Ð 66
Mondrian: © 2011 Mondrian/Holtzman Trust c/o HCR International Virginia; Oiticica: photo CŽsar Oiticica Filho © Profeto HŽlio Oiticica; Clark: courtesy the Estate of Lygia Clark
which the viewer became the support for the work itself.
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6 BHARTI KHER b. 1969 Invisible People, 2006 Five panels: bindis on composite aluminium board. Each: 245 × 122 cm (86 1/2 × 48 in). Four panels signed, titled and dated ‘Bharti Kher 2006 “Invisible People”’ on the reverse of the backing; one panel signed and dated ‘Bharti Kher 2006’ on the reverse of the backing. PROVENANCE Nature Morte, New Delhi Estimate £300,000 – 400,000 $489,000 – 652,000 €353,000 – 471,000 ♠ †
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ÒArranged in either orderly geometric patterns or organic, teeming masses, the bindis not only create visual richness but also allow for a multiplicity of meaningsÓ
BHARTI KHER, ÔINVISIBLE PEOPLEÕ (2006) Invisible People is a large pentaptych created by Bharti Kher in 2006. The work consists of five separate reflective aluminium panels layered with a plethora of felt bindis of varying shapes and sizes. The spot of vermilion on the forehead, long a marker of Indian, and specifically Hindu identity, appears here in its modern incarnation: a piece of adhesive fabric, available a variety of colours, shapes and combinations to suit every dress. This removable mark of identity has become a leitmotif in KherÕs vocabulary, her signature. Used as a material to articulate and animate her intentions, the bindis act as a medium, much like paint or clay, but with an inherited narrative creating a second skin to her works. Kher, born in London, graduated in 1991 from Newcastle Polytechnic with a degree in painting. It was after moving to India in 1993, and confronting what it meant to be a woman in her adopted country, that she first created her bindi works. She is said to have had a moment of revelation on noticing a woman walking down the street with a sperm-shaped bindi on her forehead. Kher and her assistants meticulously collate and then apply each individual bindi by hand in vast groupings, so as to suggest abstract patterns on a micro and macro level. Reminiscent of images recorded by both satellites and microscopes, the arrangements that Kher creates here seem to hint at rich but anonymous organisms or forms, possibly the migratory flows and psychology of modern India.
ÒArranged in either orderly geometric patterns or organic, teeming masses, the bindis not only create visual richness but also allow for a multiplicity of meanings.There is an element of subversion Ð in using the bindi so prolifically on varied surfaces, Kher questions both its relevance as a marker of Indian identity and, shorn of its cultural moorings, as a metaphorical Third Eye enlightening the humdrum lives of Indian women today.Ó (Minhazz Majumdar, ÔBharti Kher: Transformative VisionÕ, ArtAsiaPacific, No. 56, Nov/Dec 2007, pp. 134Ð39)
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7 BEATRIZ MILHAZES b. 1960 Eu s— queria entender por que ele fez isso (I just wanted to understand why he did that), 1989 Acrylic and lace on canvas. 181 × 173 cm (71 1/4 × 68 in). Signed, titled and dated ÔB. Milhazes 1989 ÒEu s— queria entender por que ele fez issoÓ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Galeria Camargo Vila•a, S‹o Paulo; Private Collection, S‹o Paulo Estimate £250,000 –350,000 $407,000 –570,000 €294,000 – 412,000 ♠ ‡
“I recently found that ‘freedom’ is a word that describes my work well. I think what characterizes my work is the freedom with which it combines different concepts, images, colours, abstraction and figuration, all within a very rational and geometric painting. My way of working uses freedom with order” BEATRIZ MILHAZES
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BEATRIZ MILHAZES, ÔEU Sî QUERIA ENTENDER POR QUE ELE FEZ ISSOÕ (1989) In Brazil, Beatriz Milhazes is one of the most renowned
This relationship to time through surface treatment and the
artists of her generation. Her work is included in collections
appropriation of historic patterns is already present in N‹o sei
around the world and her renown has led to several
porque ele fez isso (I donÕt know why he did this). An early work,
international public commissions.
it shows several elements that would become predominant in MilhazesÕ later practice. A strong composition is constructed
She emerged in the 1980s in Rio de Janeiro and is
out of decorative patterns which present distinctive, yet
connected to a generation of artists that, like their peers
evidently historic, sequences of graphic floral imagery.
in Europe and North America, revived painting following the more politically and conceptually-oriented art of the
Milhazes brings together cultural traditions intrinsic to
previous decades. Her initial interests focused on the
Brazil, whether from the crafts or from the fine arts, yet also
legacy of Brazilian colonial baroque, articulating it with
acknowledges a debt to key figures of European modernism,
a cacophony of imagery stemming from contemporary
particularly the work of Matisse.
culture. Her initial iconography centred on the conjunction of architecture and nature, and she soon developed the
In juxtaposing these elements, Milhazes is in fact recalling
technique that defines her practice, giving an overall
the ideal of cultural cannibalism, expressed by the poet
coherence to her oeuvre Ð a combination of painting and
and polemicist Oswald de Andrade in his Anthropophagite
collage that is characteristic of the acrylic medium itself.
Manifesto of 1928. This notion has characterised Brazilian
Her invocation of historical themes is emphasised by this
modern art to this day and it is therefore not surprising that
technique, since the transferral of the thin film of paint
Milhazes, not yet the international star that she is today, held
leaves behind fragments which are in turn re-introduced
such a prominent place in the groundbreaking S‹o Paulo
within the canvas, albeit in distinct locations. This layering
Biennial of 1998, curated by Paulo Herkenhoff under the
of paint constructs an impression of age, of worn-out
theme of ÔAntropofagiaÕ (in English, ÔCannibalismÕ).
surfaces, evoking history through the treatment of paint Dr. Michael Asbury
© Succession H. Matisse/DACS 2011
rather than necessarily through representation.
Henri Matisse, Harmony in Red, 1908
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8 ZENG FANZHI b. 1964 The Mask Series No. 21, 1994 Oil on canvas. 180 × 150 cm (70 7/8 × 59 in). Signed in Chinese and dated ÔZeng Fanzhi 94Õ lower right. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired from the above by the present owner EXHIBITED China!: Kunstmuseum Bonn, 29 February Ð 16 June 1996; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, 1996; KŸnstlerhaus Wien, Vienna, 1997; Art Museum Singapore; Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw LITERATURE CHINA!, exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Bonn, 1996, p. 166 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £800,000 –1,200,000 $1,300,000 –1,950,000 €942,000 –1,410,000 ‡
Michelangelo, David, 1501Ð04, Galleria dellÕAccademia, Florence
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ZENG FANZHI, ÔMASK SERIES NO. 21Õ (1994) Dating from 1994, the first year of this series, Zeng FanzhiÕs Mask Series No. 21 sounds a hugely important grace note to this defining sequence in his
constantly evolving oeuvre. The painting depicts a single figure of ambiguous gender, clad in a two-piece skirt-suit. Hair pulled back, she strikes a pose of coy surprise, making the S-shaped contour of classical sculpture. No feet appear, but right knee is bent before left leg, and right hand raised daintily to shoulder. The attention paid to drapery Ð the bunching of fabric at her elbows and lower torso Ð deepens these classical echoes. The figureÕs substantial left hand extends alone into the paintingÕs right half, its nails painted red. A yo-yo dangles somewhat incongruously from her index finger, the string tracing a fine zig-zag down toward the amorphous shadows which occupy the canvasÕs lower reaches. The orange-red of the yo-yo strikes a discordant tonal note with both the deep red of the nail polish and the fleshy pinks of the figureÕs body. Her white mask is punctuated by heavy eyebrows and, notably, leaves space for her open eyes to peek through. The strap which marks the mask as an appendage is clearly visible on either temple. Perhaps most remarkably, the figure wears an expression that suggests two distinct readings: either of a face agape in horror, or one preparing to speak to an absent listener. Many questions have been asked about the true meaning of the mask in ZengÕs © DACS 2011
work, from the semiotic to the metaphysical. Fifteen years ago, Johnson Chang saw it as a covering, a fa•ade. ÒA mask represents a stable identity,Ó Chang posited. ÒBy assuming a public face, the self has assumed power.Ó 1 Such a reading dovetails nicely with the artistÕs own commentary, particularly the
Max Beckmann, Self-portrait with Champagne Glass, 1919
closest he has offered to a defining interpretation for the entire series: ÒThe true self will always be concealed. No one appears in society without a mask.Ó 2 Other interviewers have drawn Zeng out on the moment when he relocated to Beijing from his native Wuhan, and the Hubei Academy of Art where he received his training in the early 1990s. ÒAfter I came to Beijing, I didnÕt have many friends with whom I could truly open myself,Ó he famously told Li Xianting
Most recently, critic Richard Shiff has written an extended meditation on the
in an interview. ÒSo I think the paintings are a reflection of things in my heart,
mask motif in ZengÕs work, moving beyond this biographical determinism and
not necessarily all peopleÕs. ItÕs just my personal feeling.Ó 3
into philosophical speculation. ShiffÕs investigation, ÔEvery Mark Its MaskÕ, is the title essay for the closest Zeng currently has to a catalogue raisonnŽ.4 It begins by comparing ZengÕs use of masks at the turn of the 21st century to James EnsorÕs and Francisco GoyaÕs plays on the same motif, one and
.
two hundred years ago respectively. Quickly dismissing these art-historical parallels as coincidental, Shiff enters into a sort of metaphysical inquiry. ÒDespite the limited extent of the mask,Ó he writes, Òit fits the form of the face and head so precisely that Ð whether we regard the mask as social fantasy or physical reality Ð we cannot imagine how anything underneath would be different.Ó Importantly, the mask thus offers both the thing itself and its uncanny double.
Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, detail of fresco in Sistine Chapel, Rome, 1512
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Mask Series No. 21 belongs to the earliest group of Mask paintings, and was shown in
the original solo show Behind Masks at Hanart TZ Gallery in Hong Kong with which © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2011.
the series debuted. It was later shown in the exhibition China! at the Kunstmuseum Bonn in 1996, ZengÕs most important exhibition to that point. At the time, eminent critic Li Xianting declared the series a new stage in ZengÕs artistic development, calling it Òa strong departure from the intense and explosive quality of his earlier workÓ, exhibiting Òa new quality of detachment and rationalismÓ.5 This particular example, aside from exhibiting all the traits which make the early Mask paintings so important (the rigid poses, the Western dress, the flesh still reminiscent of the earlier Hospital triptychs) tweaks the common understanding in two main ways. First, in depicting an ambiguously female figure, it suggests the full range and vision of
Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles dÕAvignon, 1907
ZengÕs Mask project. From the very beginning, it suggests, the series was not about presenting a single self-portrait visage, but about depicting contemporary Chinese society in all its complexity. Second, it includes a seemingly superfluous toy in the
1. Johnson Tsung-Zong Chang, ÔThe Naked Eye: Zeng Fanzhi
yo-yo. Toys occur throughout the early Mask paintings, starting with the wooden
1990Ð1994Õ, in Behind Masks, exh. cat., Hanart TZ Gallery, 1994.
dog in the bottom left corner of Mask Series No. 1. Asked about the significance of
2. ArtistÕs statement, in Zeng Fanzhi: 1993Ð1998, exh. cat., Central Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, 1998, p. 84.
the yo-yo, Zeng replied simply that Òit carries no special meaning; I just thought of
3. Zeng Fanzhi, interview with Li Xianting, I/We, exh. cat., 2003, p. 170
a yo-yo while making the painting, and decided to incorporate it directly into the
4. Richard Shiff, ÔEvery Mark Its MaskÕ, in Zeng Fanzhi: Every Mark its
composition.Ó 6
Mask, Ostfildern, 2010, p. 22. 5. Li Xianting, ÔLife Masks: Symbol and Expression in the Recent Paintings of Zeng FanzhiÕ, in Behind Masks: Zeng Fanzhi, exh. cat., Hanart TZ Gallery, Hong Kong, 1994, p. 14.
that offers unique insight into the breadth and depth of the entire Mask series.
6. Zeng Fanzhi, in an email interview, March 2011.
Bacon: © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. DACS 2011; photo of artist: courtesy the Zeng Fanzhi studio
Distinguished by its composition and vintage, Mask Series No. 21 is a key early work
Francis Bacon, Triptych, 1983
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9 ILYA KABAKOV b. 1933 Holidays #10, 1987 Oil, string and paper, foil and cloth collage on masonite in the artist’s painted wooden frame. 100.3 × 156.2 cm (39 1/2 × 61 1/2 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ‘I. Kabakov “Holidays” No. 10 1987’ on the reverse of the stretcher. This work is listed under catalogue raisonné number 119, where it is mistitled “Holidays #5” and incorrectly listed as a work on canvas. PROVENANCE Kniga Collection, Paris; John L. Stewart Collection, New York; Private Collection EXHIBITED Paris, Galerie de France, FIAC, 10 October – 18 October 1987; Madrid, Galerie de France, ARCO, 10 – 16 February 1988; Bonn, Bonner Kunstverein, Erik Bulatov Ð Ilya Kabakov, Moskau, 2 May – 5 June 1988; Kunstmuseum Bern, Ich Lebe Ð Ich Sehe: KŸnstler der Achtziger Jahre in Moskau, 11 June – 14 August 1988; Basel, Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Ilya Kabakov. Ein Meer von Stimmen, 13 August – 12 November 1995; East Hampton, New York, Guild Hall Museum, The Reading Room, 28 June – 27 July 1997; Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Ilya Kabakov 1969Ð1998, 25 June – 3 September 2000 LITERATURE M. Landert, M. Büchler, ed., Ich Lebe Ð Ich Sehe: KŸnstler der Achtziger Jahre in Moskau, exh. cat., Kunstmuseum Bern, 1988; ART Contemporain Sovietique. SŽlection dÕOeuvres Provenant de la Collection KNIGA, Paris: Galerie de France, 1988, p. 27 (illustrated); T. Vischer, ed., Ilya Kabakov. Ein Meer von Stimmen, exh. cat., Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Basel, 1995, pp. 112–17 (illustrated); Ilya Kabakov: the Reading Room, exh. cat., Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, New York, 1997, p. 17 (illustrated); A. Cruz, ed., Ilya Kabakov: 1969Ð1998, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, 2000, pp. 54–55; Z. Felix, ed., Ilya Kabakov, Der Text als Grundlage des Visuellen/The Text as the Basis of Visual Expression, Cologne: Oktagon, 2000, p. 104; Ilya Kabakov in the Collection of John L. Stewart, 2007, p. 83 (illustrated in colour); R. Petzinger, E. Kabakov, ed., Ilya Kabakov. Paintings /GemŠlde 1. Catalogue RaisonnŽ, Vol. 1, Germany: Kerber Verlag, 2008, p. 204 Estimate £1,500,000 –2,500,000 $2,440,000 – 4,070,000 €1,770,000 –2,940,000 ♠ ‡
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ILYA KABAKOV, ÔHOLIDAYS #10Õ (1987) This painting, from Ilya KabakovÕs Holidays series, was created in 1987. In the USSR this was the height of Perestroika, an era that signalled the beginning of the end for the entire socialist system. For Kabakov, the late 1980s was the period when he formed and implemented the concept of the Ôabsolute installationÕ Ð creating, in essence, the contemporary Gesamkunstwerk.
However, this art form could only be realised in the West, where Kabakov would finally gain access to the vast exhibition spaces of the best galleries and museums. For what Kabakov yearned to achieve could not fit within the confines of a sheet of paper, a portfolio, a painting or an art object. He was more interested in creating a three-dimensional concept, a singular world where he was both leading actor and director; where the actual art was born within the dialogue between the visuals offered and the audienceÕs reaction to them.
Thus, it is no accident that in his best installations from the late 1980s and early 1990s Ð Holidays being among these Ð the artist turns to mass graphic production. Such displays had been ubiquitous in the USSR, from museums and exhibitions halls to vast public spaces. Having moved to the West, Kabakov gained the opportunity to utilise this genre
Street photograph of Russian workers, ÒTo motherland Ð our communist labour!Ó
freely, with both censorship and space limitations finally eliminated. However, the visual and semantic reality of the Soviet era remained an important component, a springboard for the artist Ð who had, of course, been trained in this tradition. Let us consider a prosaic tableau Ð an afternoon tea during, say, a vacation in the Crimea, The Holidays installation consists of twelve oil paintings, ten horizontal and two vertical.
with a stereotypical grandmother holding a saucer up to her tousle-haired grandson as
They were displayed, sometimes in two rows with the vertical ones leaning against the wall, in a room Òwhere the floor was strewn with garbage, old newspapers, overturned tables
he sips the hot liquid. Beside them sits a stolid-looking man reading a newspaper. But this scene, as depicted by Kabakov, is doubly conditional. The lower right corner depicts
and chairsÓ (I. Kabakov, Texts, Vologda, 2010, p. 135). At the first perfunctory glance these
a reduced-size image, like an embedded snapshot, of a group of happy boys by the sea;
works seem to have been painted 40 or 50 years ago, probably commissioned from an art
and both images appear blurred, like a stylized silkscreen copy of an original painting. The
production plant for some Soviet-era public space. Unlike the 1992 installation Incident in
artist is layering stratum upon stratum, meaning upon meaning Ð the surface of the main
a Museum or Water Music, in this case the supposed artist is a faceless entity, a cog in the
canvas and the canvas of the ÔembeddedÕ image become, in a sense, a conditional object
great machine of ÔThe SystemÕ. According to Kabakov, he is Ònot so much an artist, but
that is then festooned with real pieces of coloured foil casting sharp and genuine shadows.
a character, a someoneÓ. He is so insignificant that there is not even any need to invent a
Nonetheless, this layered visual harmony works Ð and, for those who recall the Soviet way
biography for him. The fictitious authorship indicates the beginning of the game, which is the first level of the proposed reality. Most of the paintings created by this imaginary artist
of life, in one rather particular way: for, like a phantom visitor from the past, it readily evokes beloved communist vocal harmonies such as ÔOh, what a joy to live in Soviet landsÉÕ.
are familiar vistas to a Soviet observer. There are cityscapes with recognisable structures and scenes from everyday life portraying heroic feats of labour, or leisure time among
Kabakov has mastered the visual rigging of the Soviet era, though in his own writings, he
friends and family.
constantly refers to it as Òblatant hackworkÓ. He emphasises its usage as a mere symbol of convention, avoiding Ð in this case Ð the prospect of it being mistaken for real 1950s art, as
However, an element in these paintings disrupts our initial perception of them as banal
happened with na•ve visitors to the Incident in a Museum installation.
mass-produced fodder from the Soviet era Ð for, like artificial flowers, pieces of coloured foil bloom equidistant from each other on the surface of each canvas.
Meticulously covering the surfaces of each of the 12 paintings in this series with multicoloured pieces of foil is a method that hammers the message home. The desire to decorate, so characteristic and widespread in the Soviet era, both in public and private life, is quite specifically articulated in this painting from the Holidays series as a Òstrange way of injecting joyÓ when Òa holiday is layered upon a holiday.Ó
In his interview with Pavel Pepperstein, Kabakov discusses his concept for the Holidays series, emphasising not only physical or semantic layering, but also the layering of time. Decades stretch out between the imaginary creation of the paintings and the moment when decorations were added to them, thus underlining the enormous gap between the signifier and the signified.
The presence of the text with the authorÕs statement of intent and a series of commentaries by Pavel Pepperstein do not, however, exhaust all possible interpretations. When it comes to Kabakov we are always dealing with very specific texts, even if they do not literally exist in a painting. These texts can be deciphered and interpreted ad infinitum, as the artist himself
Photo Georgy Kisewalter
is wont to do. Therein probably lies one of the reasons why his works arouse such enormous
Ilya Kabakov in his studio, c. 1984
interest. Nearly always melded from Soviet era ingredients, they nevertheless have a universal resonance, reflecting the principal issues of concern today, feeding both the mind and the imagination.
Zelfira Tregulova (translation by Yanina Gotsulsky) 122
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10 ERIK BULATOV b. 1933 Russia in Paris, 1992 Oil on canvas. 220 × 154 cm (86 5/8 × 60 5/8 in). PROVENANCE Acquired from Private Collection, France EXHIBITED Paris, l’Hôtel de l ‘Industrie, Moscou Paris 1960Ð2000, 15 March – 15 April 2007 LITERATURE Moscou Paris 1960Ð2000, exh. cat., Paris: Éditions le Minotaure, 2007, p. 31
© RMN (Musée d’Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski
Estimate £300,000 –500,000 $489,000 – 815,000 €353,000 –589,000 ♠
Claude Monet, La Rue Montorgueil, ˆ Paris. F•te du 30 Juin 1878, 1878, oil on canvas, Collection of Musée d’Orsay, Paris
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ERIK BULATOV, ÔRUSSIA IN PARISÕ (1992) ÒThrough my paintings I wanted to express ÔthatÕ reality and life we were submerged into. The space we inhabited was entirely deformed by our frighteningly aggressive ideology. But because people had lived all their lives in this space, they had begun to perceive it as normal, as natural. I personally wanted to show the abnormality and unnaturalness of this normal space.Ó Erik Bulatov
Bulatov has seen his singular style develop into a staple of modern European and international contemporary painting. His work of continues to inspire collectors, curators, and close colleagues, such as his longtime peers Ilya Kabakov and Oleg Vassiliev, both of whom, like Bulatov, started out as illustrators of childrenÕs books.
Producing images for a provided writerÕs text allowed for both work in oneÕs field and a means of making a living, (a given studio and art materials were part of membership in the ÔofficialÕ ArtistÕs Union). However, in his serious painting, done for himself, Bulatov paradoxically began to experiment with the use of letters, words, font, double entendre, to say nothing of literary theory, as a driving force to better colour and compliment his visual Courtesy the artists
approach and semiotic ideas.
ÔUnofficially,Õ as co-founder of the Sretensky Boulevard Group, an informal gathering of artists who would meet and collectively share their work Ð there was no art community of critics and connoisseurs in 1960s Moscow; anything not pro-Establishment was considered
Komar & Melamid, The Red Flag (from Nostalgic Socialist Realism
subversive; anything abstract was banned Ð BulatovÕs style took on political and social
series), 1983
connotations in the guise of figurative, seemingly random landscapes and everyday urban scenes. Strikingly original, his became a world examining power and control, colliding ever so slightly with the lasting impact on the individual, and ultimately speaking for a broader, In the painting, we see patterns, relationships, stylistic design cues, that on the surface
lost world.
evoke photorealism, but in fact, are deeply expressive. One flag switches to the other In La Russie a Paris (Russia in Paris), from 1992, this theme is made evident by the provocative effect of Ôparallel playÕ, a dance of contrasts between the tricolour vertical stripes of the French flag and the return of the same coloured, horizontal strips of the Russian flag blowing in the wind. This flag Ð outlawed after the October Revolution of 1917 Ð was not made an official national symbol of Russia until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Used for the first time here by Bulatov, and flown in Paris for the first time to commemorate
and then back. One line of departing ÔWesternÕ cars contrasts with the oncoming line of Soviet-era Ladas as they pass ParisÕs lavishly adorned Alexander III Bridge (completed in 1900 to honour RussiaÕs relationship with France). And the very idea of bridge-as-metaphor prompts our understanding of BulatovÕs role as a crossover, ŽmigrŽ artist with new freedoms, and a new audience, even while he remains rooted in his systematic approach to universal symbols and their sometimes false representations.
a visit by President Yelstin the same year, there is also a personal association at work. The artist moved to France during this period and there is no separating BulatovÕs Russian/
Here, the viewer is presented with an overt exclamation point, a staple of both ÔwarningÕ and ÔwelcomeÕ signs throughout the USSR and used, by means of its very absence, to great
French duality from the larger visual context being employed.
ironic effect in paintings from his Soviet period, specifically in Welcome, 1974 and Danger, 1975. However, this time the symbol is soft, white, and muted and its dot doubles for a rising sun that illuminates an overcast sky that could easily be mistaken for Moscow. A positive sign of moving ahead, Bulatov consciously chooses optimism over fear and the idea that hope can triumph over suspicion. It is the beginning of his French period.
We catch another motif of previous work: the worldwide ÔDo Not Turn RightÕ sign, which, is placed in the composition in a playful way, as if to add a minor political aside to his famed paintings Entrance/No Entrance, 1976, and Do Not Lean, 1987. This is Bulatov of a new vintage, self-reflexive, with a more humorous tone. Like the cars on their way to his ubiquitous horizon, so too is the artist off in a new direction. Perhaps, as they are, happily passing the cherished Grand Palais on the left.
Photo AP/PA
Mark Kelner
Then French President Fran•ois Mitterrand (right) gestures as Boris Yeltsin smiles during a joint press conference after the signing of the French-Russian co-operation treaty at ElysŽe Palace on 7 February 1992
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11 SEMYON FAIBISOVICH b. 1949 MKAD from Shuttle Bus, 1984 Oil on canvas. 100 × 162 cm (39 3/8 × 63 3/4 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ‘S. Faibisovich << MKAD>> Shuttle Bus 1984’ on the reverse; further initialled in Cyrillic and dated ‘S.F. 84’ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe; Private Collection, USA Estimate £150,000 –250,000 $244,000 – 407,000 €177,000 –294,000 ♠ ‡
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SEMYON FAIBISOVICH, ÔMKADÕ (1984)
There is no English equivalent to the Russian word toska. It could be interpreted as ‘grief’, but toska implies a less unpleasant feeling. The words ‘melancholy’ and ‘sadness’ are also
Soviet propaganda poster, ‘With each day life is happier!’
too strong and too connected with time as they are considered to be temporary states of mind. Russian toska is timeless, it has something to do with space rather than time, and it is a constituent feature of the Russian collective unconscious. The tradition to epitomise toska in Russian art goes back to the 1860s and is directly connected with social engagement,
the late Soviet era. The artist cleverly accentuates a few important details for the viewer:
introduced to art by the emergence of the Wanderers (Peredvizhniki) movement. The
at first glance, the woman does not seem attractive – her heavy figure seated on the chair
depiction of the everyday life of ‘common’ people within vast landscapes was the
expresses tiredness and age, though her youthful skin and large, pale hands adorned
manifestation of a new freedom in art; as the art became emancipated from upper-class
with rings suggest that she is married but still young. Her outfit is more than modest, but
patrons, it shifted in function to serve society.
she wears thick, richly golden rings. These are depicted in a most skilful way, reviving the technique of the Dutch Old Masters, and are the brightest part of the picture. It is as if
Semyon Faibisovich is a contemporary artist who embraces tradition in the most eminent
they concentrate the rich golden light that is pouring in through the window, and radiate
way. Having graduated as an architect in the 1970s, he began taking photographs of people
the warmth of the sunny midday scene outside. This landscape occupies the centre of the
on public transport, later enlarging them with a projector in order to paint large canvases.
picture and, indeed, dominates it. It is captured at the most beautiful time of a year, ‘golden
This was the technique used in American photorealism, although Faibisovich’s results were
autumn’, which is so full of allusions in Russian culture.
far from the cold and distantly enquiring look of typical of that style. During this period, the young artist was excited about the contradictions between propaganda and the life of real
There is a certain strangeness about the landscape: the golden-hued straw together with
people in the Soviet Union. But he was far from being an outright critic of the regime and
the golden-hued trees never, in reality, occur at the same time of year, and are always tinted
society, for his messages were complex and subtle. He developed a unique language of art,
with different tones of ochre. In this work the artist has chosen to paint the landscape
hyperreal and romantic at the same time, and there is an empathy towards the people of
in reflective gold, abandoning the naturalistic palette in order to reinforce this feeling of
this unhappy utopian society in his paintings of the 1970s and 1980s. Though not accepted
toska. By thus enveloping the living organisms in gold the artist points to varying notions
into official exhibitions of the USSR (he was forced to work as an architect and designer to
of life, death, value and wealth. In addition, the use of gold enables the artist to inject
support himself), these works were popular with the intelligentsia, who from 1977 to 1991
light and reflection into the work, once again referencing techniques of Dutch Old Master
could see them in the semi-underground gallery on Malaya Gruzinskaya.
painting. The light highlights the woman’s jewellery, making it a significant part of the picture. The jewellery reveals a truth about the Soviet economy, where elegant clothes were
The MKAD belongs to the most prolific period of the artist’s career, the early 1980s, a
inaccessible for the population, but real solid gold was easily affordable. The false ‘golden
time when his works possessed a poignant emotional charge. MKAD is a distinctive and
autumn’ landscape mocks the clichés of the official culture of Social Realism, which in
at the same time typical 1980s work by Faibisovich. It is a portrait of a woman, sitting in
turn was a false culture. Thus, the artist is playing a clever game, encoding social issues
front of a bus window, painted from a snapshot – as all the works of that period were. We
in the innocent image. The woman’s clothes look clumsy and a touch childish, but this
cannot see the woman’s face, which aids us in seeing her purely as a typical character of
detail, seemingly casual, reveals another important truth about Soviet society, which was infantile and patriarchal. We can see the severe characters of the woman’s contemporaries as shadows in the window’s reflection, underlining the fact that the woman is with other people in a public space yet at the same time all alone. The artist allows the viewer to enter into the woman’s personal toska. The slight gesture of her index finger against the side of her face suggests a possible tear. Every detail of the interior of the bus is reproduced with loving touches of the painter’s brush, especially the ticket machine, which is depicted in a detailed manner yet at the same time appears almost dissolved and dematerialised by the pouring golden light. The ticket machines in these buses were designed in order for people to control each other. The lid of the money-box was transparent so everyone could see how much money had been put in. To produce the ticket, one had to turn the handle and everyone would hear the coins drop into the box. It was a strange machine of utopian design for a utopian society ruled and controlled by its citizens.
society was both utopian and, simultaneously, very real. Its time has passed and will never return. Faibisovich’s works, of which the present lot is a prime example, powerfully captures this emotional state of toska experienced by people under the Soviet system. Gerhard Richter, Chinon, 1987
Dr. Elena Zaytseva
© Gerhard Richter 2011
The painting’s subtle undertones reference a collective portrait of Soviet society. That
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12 ZHAN WANG b. 1962 Artificial Rock, 2005 Stainless steel. 114 × 89 × 33 cm (44 7/8 × 35 × 13 in). Incised in Chinese and Pinyin and dated ÔZhan Wang 2001Õ and numbered of 8 one of the sides; further extensively incised in Chinese and English. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE Long March Space, Beijing Estimate £70,000 –90,000 $114,000 –147,000 €82,400 –106,000 ‡
ÒZhan Wang formed the notion of his idiosyncratic fake rock in 1995. He had found that traditional Chinese artificial rocks placed outside the entrances of new skyscrapers formed an interesting juxtaposition between old and new. To him, these rocks were fragments of the Western industrialized world that had been imported into Chinese society. Despite ChinaÕs attempts to modernize, traditional Chinese culture had undergone no fundamental change. This was enough to inspire Zhan Wang to create a series of fake rocks fabricated from stainless steel. Although their surfaces project a dazzling and cold industrial light, their forms were still Chinese in nature. As critics have remarked, Zhan WangÕs rock series is a Ôdialogue between new technologies and cultural traditionsÕ.Ó (Alice Wang, ÔZhan Wang: Master SculptorÕ, ArtZine, A Chinese Contemporary Art Portal)
ÔThe New Sky Patching Project In 1516, a rain of meteorolite landing on South of China, in the middle of the earth. In 1958, One of siderolite on 680kg weight was found. In 1992, This meteorolite was carried to Beijing Planetarium for collection. In 2001, an artiest Zhan Wang was planning to use the stainless steel to copy and take it. and was arranging to send it back to outer space.Õ Detail
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13 RAVINDER REDDY b. 1956 Untitled, 2006 Painted and gilt polyester, resin and fibreglass. 82 × 77 × 58 cm (32 1/4 × 30 1/4 × 22 7/8 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection Estimate £70,000 –90,000 $114,000 –147,000 €82,400 –106,000
Ravinder Reddy’s monumental sculptures of women are amongst the most visible and celebrated examples of contemporary South Asian Art. His sculptures of female heads, of which the present lot is a prime example, combine Hindu and Buddhist sculptural tradition with a contemporary Pop sensibility. Inspired by representations of classical Indian deities, together with the women he observes in the streets of New Delhi, Reddy reworks the image of a religious idol, giving it a Warholian makeover. Further emphasising this dichotomy of old and new, the artist shuns the traditional mediums of clay and plaster for fibreglass; the result is a highly decorative sculpture of masterful craft with its elaborate coiffure and lustrous gilded surfaces. The work is both vulgar and beautiful, kitsch and avant-garde. The woman’s face portrays a powerful strength of character and exudes sexual undertones, while her large open eyes project feminine tenderness and an air of serenity. As the artist has stated: “My life force is women: they are the source of growth and life in my work.”
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14 YUE MINJUN b. 1962 99 Idol Series, No. 84, 1996 Oil on canvas. 25.5 × 20 cm (10 × 7 7/8 in). Signed in Chinese and dated ÔYue Minjun 1996 Ð 84Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired directly from the above by the present owner EXHIBITED Beijing, Schoeni Art Gallery, Beijing Inaugural Exhibition/10th Anniversary Celebration, 16 March Ð 16 April 2002 LITERATURE Beijing Inaugural Exhibition/10th Anniversary Celebration, exh. cat., Schoeni Art Gallery, Beijing/Hong Kong, 2002 Estimate £50,000 – 80,000 $81,500 –130,000 €58,900 –94,200 ‡
ÒWe are in a world full of idols. We see them everywhere. Liu Hulan, Lei Feng, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Picasso, Stalin and so on and so forth. They stand erect in your heart and your life is under their influence and control. I discovered what each of these people as an idol share in common, spreading his or her own image everywhere. Just occasionally I simplify and use this method in my art, repeatedly idolizing myself. I long to be an idol, because once a person becomes an idol, he or she can enter into the blood veins of others and control their ideology.
ÒFrankly speaking, nowadays the phenomenon of idols has become extremely tiresome. People have such strong feelings for their idols that as soon as an image of great person flashes through their minds they feel nauseous. Life has become tasteless and absurd because of the idols. Do you not think one should counter and ridicule idols with a hearty laugh?
ÒI want simply to confront idols with idol, to allow society to become a little more interesting!Ó
(Yue Minjun, ÔSome thoughts about artÕ, from the artistÕs website)
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∆ 15 WANG GUANGYI b. 1957
Little Criticism: Fruits, 1992 Oil on canvas. 149.9 × 97.5 cm (59 × 38 3/8 in). Signed in English and Chinese and dated ‘1992 Wang Guang Yi’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist. LITERATURE G. Wang, Wang Guangyi, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 113 (illustrated); Wang Guangyi, Art Collecting, Volume 1, Beijing, 2002, p. 14 (illustrated) and 113; K. Smith, Nine Lives: The Birth of Avant-Garde Art in New China, Zurich, 2005, pp. 37–38 (illustrated) Estimate £40,000 – 60,000 $65,200 –97,800 €47,100 –70,600 ‡
Little Criticism: Fruits, executed in 1992, is one of the earliest examples of the Chinese Political Pop movement: a fundamental component in the evolution of Chinese contemporary art, and a reaction to the 1989 events in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The work depicts four figures in typical communist style appropriated from the visual tropes of propagandist art from the Cultural Revolution. Wang Guangyi combines these figures with crude renderings of fruit and their English spellings. These figurative elements have been reworked using the insistently two-dimensional, colourful style of American Pop Art and ostensibly float amongst each other against a rich blue hue. The banana, apple and pineapple may be read as the ‘fruits’ of mass industrial labour, the rewards fuelling the increasingly material obsessions of over a billion Chinese consumers. The artist further develops these ideas when later painting luxury consumer logos such as Rolex, BMW and Gucci, juxtaposed with classical communist workers in his widely acclaimed Great Criticism series. This particular piece acts as an intricate gateway work within Wang Guangyi’s oeuvre, bridging his Post-Classical series of the late 1980s with his Great Criticism series of the mid-1990s, reflecting two very diverse aesthetics and ideologies.
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16 T.V. SANTHOSH b. 1968 Your Terrorist, Our Freedom Fighter, 2004 Diptych: oil on canvas. 152.5 × 244 cm (60 × 96 in). Each signed ÔTV SanthoshÕ on the reverse of each panel. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New Delhi Estimate £100,000 –150,000 $163,000 –244,000 €118,000 –177,000 ‡
A Santhosh canvas is easily distinguishable. Most of them look like photographic negatives where specific details of a face or an object have been largely erased. What remains is the basic structure or outline Ð reminiscent of the works of the renowned American painter-photographer Man Ray. As the details get deleted, the eventÕs hidden implications surface; the local loses its specificity, making way for the universal to come to the fore.
In Your Terrorist, Our Freedom Fighter, he paints the same man twice, side by side, his face covered by a cloth and hands above the head, surrendering to his captors. The two figures receive different treatment Ð one has deep hues of green and red; the other is lost, almost distorted, in a mix of neon green and pink. The work questions the ambiguities inherent in notions of right and wrong, enemy and victim, evil and innocent: ambiguities that the media tends to paper over. Irony is integral to SanthoshÕs dialectic. ÒIt is the only way to deal with the unresolved nature of the happenings around the world today,Ó he says.
© Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London, 2011
(Sanjukta Sharma, ÔThe art of warÕ)
Man Ray, Untitled
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17 VIK MUNIZ b. 1961 The Dream, after Picasso from Pictures of Pigment, 2007 Digital colour coupler print, 243 × 180 cm (95 5/8 × 78 7/8 in). Signed and dated ‘Vik Muniz 2007’ on a gallery label affixed to the reverse. This work is an artist’s proof from an overall edition of 6 plus 4 artist’s proofs. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA Estimate £45,000 –55,000 $73,300 – 89,600 €53,000 – 64,800 ♠ ‡
Perhaps the most bewitching contemporary artist working within the realm of artistic
Brazilian background. A fleeting glance of Muniz’s The Dream would trick the viewer
appropriation, Vik Muniz, in his series Pictures of Pigment, presents photographs based
into believing that they are viewing a photograph of Picasso’s sensual portrait of his
upon well-known paintings. Close inspection unravels Muniz’s mystery of The Dream,
mistress and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter. A second and slightly longer look will lead
which is much more than a straight forward photograph of Picasso’s celebrated picture,
us to realise something isn’t quite right, and one may even begin to wonder if it is a
of the same title, dating from 1932. Muniz painstakingly created his composition by
photograph of a tapestry. Muniz playfully lures us in as a magician does by pulling a
meticulously pilling up layers of brilliant powered pigment onto a flat surface. This
rabbit out of his hat. The Dream disentangles itself from the 1932 painting by revealing
process, in which Muniz first creates a unique, ephemeral work, is just one element the
the lush and varied landscape of pigments that create the composition, which is quite
artist’s multi-layered methodology, which builds a bridge from the conceptual to the
independent from Picasso’s oil on canvas. As quoted in a New York Times article in
physical. After the composition has been completed, Muniz photographs these fleeting
October 2010, Muniz has stated: “I’m a product of a military dictatorship. Under a
creations. Although the resulting photographic image is the endgame of the artist’s
dictatorship, you cannot trust information or dispense it freely because of censorship.
process, it is also the making of the object that reveals the core of Muniz practice. The
So Brazilians become very flexible in the use of metaphors. They learn to communicate
artist’s philosophy is that seeing is believing, which he strongly feels that stems from his
with double meanings.”
Detail
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18 SERGIO CAMARGO 1930Ð1990 Homage to Brancusi, c. 1972 White marble. 84 × 28.5 × 28.5 cm (33 × 11 1/4 × 11 1/4 in). Incised ÔCamargoÕ on the base. This work is unique. PROVENANCE La Petite Galerie, Rio de Janeiro
© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011
Estimate £50,000 –70,000 $81,500 –114,000 €58,900 – 82,400 ‡
Constantin Brancusi, Endless Column, 1938
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19 SUBODH GUPTA b. 1964 There Is Always Cinema (IV), 2008 Found wooden door and cast brass. Wooden door: 178 × 71 × 10 cm (70 × 28 × 4 in); Brass door: 177 × 70 × 10 cm (69 3/4 × 27 1/2 × 4 in). PROVENANCE Galleria Continua Srl, San Gimignano Estimate £200,000 –300,000 $326,000 – 489,000 €235,000 –353,000 †
Subodh Gupta is best-known for sculptures made from accumulations of everyday objects such as antiquated machinery and stainless steel cooking utensils. In this work, There is Always Cinema (lV) from 2008, an old door found by the artist has been cast in brass and then placed beside the original, suggesting that even the most banal detritus can reveal an exotic or precious concealed identity. Raised in the rural area of Bihar, the artist calls on his own life experience to express the harsh contrasts typical of a country in which the simplicity of rural culture and increasing urban globalization exist side by side. By translating these experiences into art, he confronts the viewer with formal simplicity laced with a complex web of references. The wooden door is a found object from a room which was first a cinema and then a gallery. Playing with this relationship, Gupta takes the no longer needed door and places it in the gallery itself. Beside it, he placed its brass cast, further ensuring the preservation of the discarded object through its metallic monument. With such an act, past, present and future come together in physical continuity and temporal transcendence. Through the transformation of the door, Gupta raises question on how to maintain the past in a society that surges forward. Echoing equally in this clever, beautiful work are art historical references to
© ARS, NY and DACS, London, 2011
the ready-made, to minimal art with its seriality, and to appropriation art.
Bruce Nauman, A Cast of the Space under My Chair, 1965Ð68
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20 IVAN SERPA 1923Ð1973 Untitled No. 12 from the series Amazon, 1970 Oil on canvas. 22 × 27 cm (8 5/8 × 10 1/2 in). Signed and dated ÔIvan Serpa 01/06/1970Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £15,000 –20,000 $24,400 –32,600 €17,700 –23,500 ‡
Ivan Serpa was a key figure within the Brazilian post-war constructivist avant-garde. He first began painting in the abstract geometric genre in 1947 when, together with fellow
Untitled (c. 1953, lot no. 57) is demonstrative of SerpaÕs work
artists Almir Mavignier, Abraham Palatnik and the art critic
within the Grupo Frente, a group of artists from Rio de Janeiro
Mario Pedrosa, he worked as an art therapy tutor in the
gathered together by Serpa and working in loosely abstract
Engenho de Dentro Psychiatric Hospital in Rio de Janeiro.
geometric style; many were his students, and would later form
Astonished by the expressive power and ÔauthenticityÕ
the core membership of the Neo-Concrete movement. HŽlio
of the patientsÕ artwork, this group of artists found new
OiticicaÕs early work was very much influenced by SerpaÕs
approaches for their own production in constructive-
teaching, and this is particularly evident in OiticicaÕs Grupo
oriented art. SerpaÕs geometric work attracted attention
Frente work and in his Metaesquemas series, where strong
during the first edition of the S‹o Paulo Biennial in 1951,
compositional associations between the two artists can be
where he was awarded the young painter prize.
found. Informed by the increasing interest in concrete art in Brazil, particularly following Max BillÕs retrospective and
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s he worked as an artist
award-winning participation at the 1951 S‹o Paulo Biennial,
while also holding a critical role as an art educator. SerpaÕs
Untitled (c.1953) is indicative of SerpaÕs exploration of rhythmic
open classes took place at the Museum of Modern Art in
arrangements of lines in a rigid geometrical composition. It
Rio, transforming it into a progressive alternative to the
possesses compositional relationships with other celebrated
then-conservative art schools. He had a fundamental role
works of his, such as Quadrados em ritmos resultantes (Squares
in the formation of many significant artists over the period,
with Resultant Rhythms), also painted during the Frente Group
including the Oiticica brothers and, from 1960 onwards,
period. In 1957 Serpa was awarded the foreign travel prize at
many who would become involved in the new figuration
the VI Sal‹o Nacional de Arte Moderna of Rio de Janeiro, and
group, such as Anna Maria Maiolino. Antonio Manuel is
as a result spent two years in Italy and Spain, which perhaps
another important artist who emerged in the 1960s and
explains why he himself did not become associated with Neo-
acknowledges SerpaÕs significance, both through artistÕs
Concretism.
statements and artworks produced in homage. Upon his return to Brazil, Serpa resumed his courses at the museum and later participated in exhibitions which are now considered pivotal to the development of Brazilian art, such © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn and DACS, London 2011
as Opini‹o 65, which juxtaposed artists from France and Brazil
Josef Albers, Homage to the Square: Soft Spoken, 1969
working loosely with issues surrounding new figuration and Pop Art. During the 1960s Serpa began exploring parallel lines of aesthetic enquiry, including a strongly expressive and figurative mode. Untitled, Amazonas Series No. 12 shows the artist reaching a synthesis of these diverse modes of creative production. The constructivist influence remains, yet it is now ÔsoftenedÕ by curved lines that recall a pop aesthetic, and ÔtropicalÕ colours, a sign that Serpa was in tune with the radical Tropicalist ideals that began to cause shock waves in the Brazilian cultural milieu of the late 1960s.
Perhaps because of his early death, Serpa remains relatively unknown outside Brazil, yet in his home country his significance as both artist and educator is unquestioned.
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21 MIRA SCHENDEL 1919–1988 Untitled, 1965 Tempera on canvas. 70 × 50 cm (27 1/2 × 19 3/4 in). PROVENANCE Dr. Mário Schenberg Collection, Brazil; Private Collection, Brazil; Dr. Flavio Bauer Collection, Brazil Estimate £150,000 –250,000 $244,000 – 407,000 €177,000 –294,000 ‡
Born in Zurich in 1919, Mira Schendel grew up and was educated in Milan. Her father and maternal grandfather were Jewish, and she left Italy under duress during World War Two. Schendel lived in Sofia, Sarajevo and Rome before eventually applying for Brazilian citizenship. She settled in Porto Alegre in 1949 and moved to São Paulo in 1953.
Amongst her most celebrated works are the Monotipias, a series of monotype drawings on transparent rice paper produced in 1964–65, and occasionally mounted in series between sheets of acrylic. Schendel continued to produce painting on canvas, paper and wood throughout her career. Her paintings of the 1950s and early 1960s were still life, landscape and portraiture, thickly painted in oils on canvas or board. From 1962 onwards, she began to use tempera, and produced a series of works that occupy an interstice between abstraction and figuration, often titled Paisagem (landscape) or Fachada (façade). In this painting, as in several works of this period, the figurative is reduced to the lowest common denominator necessary to create the conditions for perception of space, namely the horizontal line establishing two differentiated planes.
The establishment of a productive and mutually transformative dialogue with writers and thinkers was of central importance to the process of Schendel’s work. Her partners in dialogue include the philosophers Vilém Flusser, Max Bense, Jean Gebser and Hermann Schmitz, as well as the theoretical physicist, collector, curator and critic Mario Schenberg, to whom this painting belonged. Like other noted theoreticians of modern physics, Schenberg sought out parallels between the altered conception of reality made possible by post-Newtonian physics and the understanding of the world inherent to non-Western philosophy. His reading of Schendel’s work was informed by a committed interest in oriental thought and its aesthetic articulation. In relation to Schendel’s paintings of the sixties, Schenberg was drawn consistently to their reconciliation of abstraction with figuration, a move that revealed, for him, that the findings of geometric abstraction and concrete art generated “new types of figurative imagery”.
Isobel Whitelegg
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22 AI WEIWEI b. 1957 6.3-4, 2006 Set of 24 colour coupler prints. Each: 100 × 142 cm (39 3/8 × 55 7/8 in). Each signed, dated and numbered of 6 lower right. This work is from an edition of 6. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London EXHIBITED London, Albion Gallery, Ai Weiwei, 16 October–14 November 2008 Estimate £70,000 –90,000 $114,000 –147,000 €82,400 –106,000 152
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AI WEIWEI, Ô6.3-4Õ, 2006 In this series of 24 photographs taken from the same vantage point, Ai Weiwei has documented the stages of construction of ChinaÕs Olympic Stadium, the BirdÕs Nest, by taking a photograph each hour for 24 hours. He started on the evening of 3 June 2006, hence the workÕs title, 6.3-4. This highly conceptual and systematic photographic exploration engages with issues of time, space, and memory. It is an attempt to capture the essence of the passing of time using a medium that by its very nature can only capture a moment frozen in time.
Commissioned by the Chinese authorities, Ai Weiwei collaborated with renowned Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron to design and build ChinaÕs Olympic stadium, the hub of the Beijing Olympics, and symbolic of a supposedly modern China open to the west and capitalism. A year after this work was executed however, Ai Weiwei publicly repudiated his involvement with the BirdÕs Nest project, slating it as a public relations farce. Since then, his campaigning against ChinaÕs totalitarian regime has caused severe trouble with the authorities and landed him under house arrest. But his outspoken political activities only add to the importance and significance of this work. His struggle is perfectly captured within these 24 photographs of the Olympic Stadium, a stadium which was meant to represent a rebirth but now, thanks to Ai WeiweiÕs protests, stands for corruption and a violation of human rights.
Looked at individually, each of the 24 photographs displays in rich detail the idiosyncratic features of the Olympic stadium construction site. However, when the 24 photographs are brought together and looked at as a group, they become interdependent. Formal aspects such as their equality of scale and consistent horizon line become emphasised, allowing the series to be read as an objective exploration of a photographerÕs compositional choices. The photographs therefore display a continual back-and-forth between individuality and uniformity, expressive subjectivity and purported objectivity. This systematic approach to the serial presentation of a particular subject matter is reminiscent of German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, and also brings to mind the work of Olafur Eliasson Ð an artist who, like Ai Weiwei, is very much concerned with architecture, design and the environment.
Ai WeiweiÕs conceptual approach to documenting his both work and place of work is reminiscent of the British artist Darren Almond, who has systematically photographed his studio over long periods of time. Ai WeiweiÕs approach, like AlmondÕs, is emotionally and physically demanding as he applies himself to photographing his subject each and every hour. The strain on his body and mind disorientates his notion of space and time, with the photographs becoming a documentation of that struggle.
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23 ZHANG HUAN b. 1965 Skin, 1997 Set of 20 colour coupler prints. Each: 40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in). Each signed in Chinese, dated ‘Zhang Huan 1997’ and numbered of 25 on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 25. PROVENANCE F2 Gallery, Beijing EXHIBITED New York, Asia Society and Museum, Zhang Huan: Altered States, 6 September 2007 – 20 January 2008 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Xunta de Galicia and Cotthen Gallery (ed.), Zhang Huan: A Pilgrim in Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, 2001, pp. 156–57 (another example illustrated); Zhang Huan, exh. cat., Hamburg, Kunstverein, 2002, pp. 62–65 (another example illustrated); Zhang Huan, exh. cat., Berlin, Galerie Volker Diehl, 2006, pp. 8–9 (another example illustrated); China International Gallery Exposition 2006, Beijing, Beijing Chinese Art Exposition’s Media Co. Ltd., 2006, p. 137 (another example of one work illustrated); Zhang Huan: Altered States, exh. cat., Asia Society, New York, 2007, pp. 108–23 (another example illustrated) Estimate £25,000 –35,000 $40,700 –57,000 €29,400 – 41,200 ‡
Detail
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(i)
© Succession H. Matisse/DACS 2011
24 VIK MUNIZ b. 1961 Two works: (i) Black Marilyn from Pictures of Diamond Dust, 2003; (ii) Reversal Black Marilyn from Pictures of Diamond Dust, 2003 Dye destruction prints. Each: 101 × 93 cm (39 3/4 × 36 3/8 in). These works are from an edition of 5 plus 3 artistÕs proofs. PROVENANCE Galerie Xippas, Paris; acquired from the above by the present owner
Estimate £50,000 –70,000 $81,500 –114,000 €58,900 – 82,400 ♠
Marcel Duchamp, L.H.O.O.Q, 1919
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(ii)
Ò[The process] incites [Muniz] to use the stereotypes of art history, or images stripped of meaning, delivering them over to their own fragility, to their capacity to disappear, if photography were not there to suspend them in the ambiguity between their deaths and appearances. Returning to the work of Andy Warhol, who undermined the stereotype by its displacement into painting, he redoubles the critical position of the American artist. Using his canvases which in their turn have become alienated reproductions, he places this whole critical set-up in a hall of mirrors, prolonging WarholÕs approach by his own, and defining a process that allows art to outwit the death of the work by the impoverishment of the image. Thus he draws the practical conclusions of Walter BenjaminÕs reflections.Ó (Olivier Kaeppelin, Metaphysical Games?, ÔVik Muniz: After WarholÕ, exh. cat., Galerie Xippas, Paris, 2000)
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25 RASHID RANA b. 1968 Veil IV, 2007 Colour coupler print, Diasec mounted in four parts. Each: 101.5 × 57 cm (40 × 22 1/2 in). This work is from an edition of 5. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Hong Kong EXHIBITED London, Albion Gallery, The Politics of Fear, 27 March–18 May 2007 Estimate £250,000 –300,000 $407,000 – 489,000 €294,000 –353,000 ‡
Veil IV depicts five women, each anonymous, standing side-by-side in serial succession. The shapes of their bodies blur beneath the voluminous folds of fabric and their facial expressions and feelings are deliberately effaced by the veils. Each wears the chador, hijab and niqab; and while the colours may vary as do, barely perceptibly, the heights of the women underneath, there are otherwise no individual characteristics by which to identify the subjects of the photograph. These subjects, however, are two-fold, as anyone aware of Rashid Rana’s work will know. On a macro level, five Muslim women, bodies fully obscured; on a micro level, hundreds of Western porn stars, limbs splayed for the camera, and anyone with access to a computer and the internet.
Much is made in the West of the veil, le voile, der Schleier. In repressing women’s bodies,
In juxtaposing these two seemingly opposed female types – veiled/Muslim and naked/
the argument goes, the woman herself is suppressed, her identity denied, her equality
Western – Rana instigates a contemplation of stereotypes and double standards in both
unhinged. While this may still hold sound, Rana equally exposes the hypocrisy of
directions. These shrunken women, displayed as tiny thumbnails in repetition, faces hidden
Western thought, whereby thousands of women are also suppressed and rendered
behind by penises or entirely cropped leaving only breasts, are no more recognisable than
faceless whilst wearing nothing at all: porn stars, the erotic oil of the billion-plus dollar
those hidden behind layers of traditional Muslim clothing. Simultaneously, Rana provokes
adult industry machine.
Muslim viewers to consider these ‘unclean’ women in relation to their own. Western women are frequently condemned as ‘easy’ or unchaste in the Muslim world: “Men in my part of the world have a very distorted image of the Western woman. They imagine that if they would land in Europe or America, there would be people having sex in the parks,” Rana has said. In a work considered blasphemous by some, Rana quite literally recreates the image of the Muslim woman, recasting her in the image of the porn star’s own and provoking the obvious question: are both women not exploited?
Detail
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26 SEMYON FAIBISOVICH b. 1949 The Vodka Line Series, 1990 Oil on canvas. 188 × 284.5 cm (74 × 112 in). Initialled in Cyrillic and dated ‘SF 90’ lower right; signed, titled and dated ‘Semyon Faibisovich The Vodka Line Series 1990’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED New York, Phyllis Kind Gallery, Semyon Faibisovich, 1990; New York, Museum of the Yeshiva University, Remembrance: Russian Post-Modern Nostalgia, 2003Ð2004, p. 133; London, Haunch of Venison, Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, 16 April–23 June 2010 LITERATURE S. Faibisovich,ed., Semyon Faibisovich: Art of the 1980s, Moscow 2001, p. 31 (illustrated in colour); ; Remembrance: Russian Post-Modern Nostalgia, exh. cat., Museum of the Yeshiva University, New York, 2003–04, p. 133 (illustrated in colour); Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, exh. cat., Haunch of Venison, London, 2010, pp. 106–07 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £150,000 –250,000 $244,000 – 407,000 €177,000 –294,000 ♠
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SEMYON FAIBISOVICH, ÔTHE VODKA LINE SERIESÕ 1990 Painted in 1990, this work depicts an ordinary Soviet scene of everyday life, a typical subject in the oeuvre of the internationally renowned Russian ÔunofficialÕ artist Semyon Faibisovich. The artist chooses to act as an observer of Russian society and creates symbolic work that is socially critical, subtly ironic and contemplative. Ilya Kabakov describes the origins of unofficial Russian art as Òan attempt to express the Ôpowerless existence that overwhelmed us allÕ by finding the means of reference to the content of our lives and to artistic form.Ó (Olga Sviblova, ÔSoviet Non-Conformist Art of the 1980s: Strategy of ApproachÕ, Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, London: Haunch of Venison, p. 25)
The work here depicts a scene in motion, a group of ordinary people waiting in line for vodka Ð a common sight in Soviet times, when queuing was an integral part of everyday life. The composition consists of mainly men and the occasional woman, portrayed with strained facial expressions and focused body language. The artist raises issues of social © Gerhard Richter 2011
alienation by exploring a subject that is familiar but which also exposes the hardship of life. The muted colour palette he has chosen conveys the paintingÕs grim mood and, in turn, can be extrapolated to the social atmosphere of the times it is referring to. The artist describes his discovery of the true nature of Soviet existence Ð a revelation which caused him start painting Ð as a Òbeautiful nightmare, resonating in my soul with a heartbreaking mixture of hatred, pity and elation.Ó (Vladimir Paperny, ÔSots-Art, Socrates, a Rabbit, and a PythonÕ,
Gerhard Richter, Group of People Personengruppe, 1965
Semion Faibisovich: Painting from the 1980s, Moscow: Regina Gallery, p.33)
The influence of 1960s American photorealism is evident in the artistÕs work. Like Richard Estes, who painted from photographs of New YorkÕs street life, and Gerhard Richter, who famously assembled the Atlas collection of newspaper clippings and photographs to use as source material for his photo-based paintings, Faibisovich uses snapshots captured by camera as the basis for his work. His friend, the Russian poet and essayist Mikhail Aizenberg, has praised Faibisovich for a unique vision that allows him to pick out subjects which would escape the attention of others, and for the gift of reflexivity which enables him to successfully combine direct visual experience with his personal perception of it. By recording the reality of vodka and sausage lines, demonstrations, the elderly, train passengers and what he himself calls the Òdepressing material of everyday lifeÓ, Faibisovich
Alexander Abaza, ÔDeliveredÉÕ, Chukotka, Anadyr, 1985. Collection of Moscow House of Photography Museum
© Franz Gertsch
©Alexander Abaza.
invites contemplation of both social and political existence in Soviet society.
Franz Gertsch, Kranenburg, 1970, Kunsthaus Aarau
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27 YIN ZHAOYANG b. 1970 Tianamen Square, 2007 Oil on canvas. 150 × 150 cm (60 × 60 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔYin Zhaoyang 2007Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Aura Gallery, Shanghai Estimate £60,000 – 80,000 $97,800 –130,000 €70,600 –94,200 ‡
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28 YANG SHAOBIN b. 1963 Untitled No. 15, 2000 Oil on canvas. 160 × 140 cm (63 × 55 1/8 in). Signed in Pinyin, titled and dated ÔNo. 15 YANG SHAOBIN 2000-8Õ lower left. PROVENANCE Alexander Ochs Galleries, Berlin; Acquired directly from the above by the previous owner; Private Collection, Switzerland LITERATURE Chinese Artists of Today: Yang Shaobin Ð Essence of Violence, China, 2006, p. 111 (illustrated) Estimate £120,000 –180,000 $196,000 –293,000 €141,000 –212,000 ‡
Much like the work of Francis Bacon, Yang ShaobinÕs powerful and often dark canvases lie on the cusp of abstraction and figuration. In this piece, a large-scale work from 2000, two ghostly figures evolve out of a cloud-like shape. The intense colours blur into one another, creating a dynamic and free movement of paint from which the artist fashions the two heads, building them up like a sculptor. Yang ShaobinÕs extraordinary talent lies in his masterful use oil paint, which he is able to apply thinly like traditional Chinese ink. The atmosphere he achieves is evocative, even alarming at times, but there is always a strong sense of the worksÕ painterly quality. The traditional Renaissance notion of sfumato (to shade) is used by Shaobin in an extreme and expressive way, inviting us to see the development from the ÔshadeÕ to the figure fully developed, reminding us of the very essence of painting, which at a detailed level is always abstract. Just as Leonardo da Vinci described sfumato as Òwithout lines or borders, in the manner of smoke or beyond the focus planeÓ (Irene Earls, Renaissance Art, A Topical Dictionary, 1987, p. 263), ShaobinÕs figures rely on the tension between figuration and abstraction. Yang ShaobinÕs fascinating works since 1993 have a mythical quality, about which the artist comments: ÒWhen I began my first series of large portraits, violence would not leave me alone. Since, in 1993, I went through some emotional difficulties, I no longer saw people in the same way. I had the feeling that all human relations were fragile; one could not trust in their stability. It was cruel. Add to that the atmosphere at Yuanmingyuan (the artistÕs village), the future terrified me. A terror that buried me under its long black veil and prevented me from breathing. It was time for me to hunt down violence. It was really that experience that permitted me to come into my own.Ó (Z. Xiaogang, quoted in Z. Qunsheng, ed., Yang Shaobin, Essence of Violence, Beijing, 2006, p. 31)
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29 OLEG TSELKOV b. 1934 Head with a Fork, 1983–84 Oil on canvas. 100 x 130 cm (39 3/8 x 51 1/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic ‘Oleg Tselkov’ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Russia LITERATURE S. Popov, Always Different Art. History of Contemporary Art in Russia. Collection of Viktor Bondarenko, Moscow: Knigi WAM, 2010, p. 296 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £60,000 – 80,000 $97,800 –130,000 €70,600 –94,200 ♠ ‡
“For over 40 years, day after day, I am painting my countless canvas, one after another. Something changed in them, with time, coming out of the light, or sinking into the darkness. But always - always! - these faces, these Portrait of the faces, repeat themselves.” (Oleg Tselkov, quoted from the artist’s website)
“The subject of mutation in Russian culture first appeared in the 1960s in the art by Oleg Tselkov, in his strange mannequins of a person whose flesh has lost its organic nature becoming reminiscent of phantasmagoric bubbles. They originate from Shakespeare’s Macbeth in which evil forces are manifested as ‘bubbles of the Earth’. In Tselkov’s pieces the grotesque emerges from the surrounding reality; the world of totalitarianism, a world of fear and violence pulses in his images, which are seductive in their ideal forms, expanding and bubbling.” (Virtual art museum, ART4.RU)
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30 LIU WEI b. 1965 You Like Me, Why Not Series No.21, 1996 Oil on canvas. 30 × 40 cm (11 7/8 × 15 3/4 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated ‘Liu Wei 1996’ lower left. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired from the above by the present owner Estimate £50,000 –70,000 $81,500 –114,000 €58,900 – 82,400 ‡
This work, painted in 1996, is from the You Like Me, Why Not series by Beijing artist Liu Wei, who is commonly associated with the post-1989 movement Cynical Realism. This sequence, however, belongs to the more poetic, contemplative part of the artist’s oeuvre. Liu’s work is highly expressive, a quality that he achieves and intensifies by combining abstraction and figuration, using vibrant saturated colours, and scribbling expressions onto the canvases that speak to the viewer’s basic desires. Nataline Colonnello believes Liu’s paintings “reveal not only the fusion of the outward forms but also a spiritual unity between the artist and his subjects” (N. Colonnello, Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection, Ostfildern, 2004, p. 314.). Through the use of violent brushstrokes, Liu questions the essence of the man’s existence, bares his creative nature and exposes the soul-searching he undergoes.
Liu’s art reveals repressed emotions and human urges, making it an extremely personal practice. In the artist’s own words: “I paint how I try to live – usually in a mess. I see many kinds of people, landscapes and animals; I listen to many different sounds that can cause me some problems, but I always smile. I am occasionally stuck by creativity, and try to paint as much as possible in my free time. Each piece of my art in my studio is like a fresh egg that has not had enough time to attract the flies who are ready to attack, nor has it had enough time to relax or be at ease. This is the time I most like the work, in this state of limbo when my paintings seem to coax me saying, ‘You like me. Why not!’.” (W. Liu, quoted on Schoeni Art Gallery website, http://www.schoeniartgallery.com)
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31 YAN PEI MING b. 1960 Visage, 1991 Oil on canvas. 41 × 33 cm (16 1/8 × 13 in). Signed and dated ÔYan Pei Ming 91Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Liliane & Michel Durand-Dessert, Paris Estimate £25,000 –35,000 $40,700 –57,000 €29,400 – 41,200 ♠
© The Artist
ÒArt is a tool for me to express personal feelings and opinions on issues, for instance wars, injustice, life and death etc É Human is the topic I always focus on and I use the portrait as a form to explore it.Ó YAN PEI MING
Frank Auerbach, Head of E.O.W. III, 1961
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32 THUKRAL & TAGRA b. 1976 & 1979 Somnium Genero - Aeris 02, 2006 Diptych: oil and acrylic on canvas. Each: 183 × 183 cm (72 × 72 in). Each signed, titled and dated ÔSOMNIUM GENERO Ð AERIS 02 SEPTEMBER 06 Thukral TagraÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris Estimate £25,000 –35,000 $40,700 –57,000 €29,400 – 41,200
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33 VLADIMIR DUBOSSARSKY & ALEXANDER VINOGRADOV b. 1964 & b. 1963 Lemons, 2003 Oil on canvas. 145 × 195 cm (57 × 76 1/2 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated ÔDubossarsky Vinogradov 2003Õ lower right; titled in Cyrillic ÔLemonsÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Fine Art Gallery, Moscow EXHIBITED Moscow, Fine Art Gallery, Summer Holidays, 9 JulyÐ25 August 2003 LITERATURE A. Obukhova, ed., Vladimir Dubossarsky Alexander Vinogradov Work 1994Ð2008, Moscow, 2009, p. 200, pl. 169 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £30,000 –50,000 $48,900 – 81,500 €35,300 –58,900 ♠ ‡
Vladimir Dubossarsky and Alexander Vinogradov began collaborating in 1994, the same year as their first solo exhibition in Moscow. Mixing their highly academic painting skills with the peculiarities and blurred realties gained from growing up behind the Iron Curtain, Dubossarsky and Vinogradov developed their own signature style: largescale paintings of pop-culture fantasy worlds referencing the kitsch state-sanctioned Soviet style, Socialist Realism. The painters also play games with scale, creating new perspectives and narratives on utopian worlds. Trained as classical painters, the duo compose sunlit landscapes and perfectly shadowed still-lifes with thick, fluid brushstrokes.
ÒThey were the only artists of the ninetiesÕ generation whose sphere of creative interest was not about some sort of phantom mega-idea such as Revolution, Academicism, Transparency and so on, but predominantly and specifically about art. And this provides us with yet another reason to dub them Ôthe artists of a generationÕ.Ó (V. Misiano, ÔVladimir Dubossarsky and Alexander Vinogradov: ÒThe artists of a generationÓÕ, Vladimir Dubossarsky, Alexander Vinogradov. Works 1994 Ð 2008, Moscow, 2009, p. 6)
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34 OLEG VASSILIEV b. 1931 After the Rain, 1993 Oil on canvas. 100.6 × 76.2 cm (40 × 30 in). Initialled in Cyrillic and dated ÔOV.93.Õ lower right; further signed, initialled, titled and dated ÔO. Vassiliev. / ÒAfter the RainÓ/ OV 93Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Flomehaft Gallery, New York; Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED London, Haunch of Venison, Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, 16 AprilÐ23 June 2010 LITERATURE Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, exh. cat., Haunch of Venison, London, 2010, pp. 228Ð29 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £40,000 – 60,000 $65,200 –97,800 €47,100 –70,600 ♠
Painted in 1993 by the nonconformist artist Oleg Vassiliev, this work depicts a typical Russian landscape on a rainy day. One of the finest examples from the artistÕs oeuvre, it demonstrates the continuance of the Russian 19th century tradition of nostalgic landscape painting, exemplified by Isaac Levitan. The importance of nature for Vassiliev is evident, and he lists it among the key subjects that he draws artistic inspiration from: ÒAgain and again, on the quest to establish my perception, I return to the principal themes: memories of home and houses, roads, forests, fields, to my friends, and my familyÓ. (Oleg Vassiliev, Oleg Vassiliev: Memory Speaks, Moscow, 2004, p. 83)
Painted after VassilievÕs relocation to New York, After the Rain exemplifies the tight connection to his native Russia that the artist never lost. His friend and fellow artist Eric Bulatov considers Vassiliev Òthe most Russian out of all living Russian artists, as he expresses not just one of the properties of Russian art, but its existential core from which the completely different qualities cultivateÓ. (Eric Bulatov, quoted in Oleg Vassiliev: Memory Speaks, Moscow, 2004, p. 114)
Isaac Levitan, Autumn Day. Sokolniki, 1879
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35 LI TIANBING b. 1974 Autoportrait Mauve No. 3, 2007 Oil on canvas. 150 × 150 cm (59 × 59 in). Signed and dated ÔTianbing Li 2007Õ lower left. PROVENANCE Kashya Hildebrand, New York Estimate £35,000 –55,000 $57,000 – 89,600 €41,200 – 64,800
ÒEach boy or girl today will have an album of his or her up-growth. But I only have these five small photos taken before the age of seven. This blank belongs not only to me, but also to the whole Chinese generation of mine. I tried to fill up this gap with my painting, and to purge the loneliness of my childhood. As a magic drug, it makes my childhood seem perfect. Therefore, in fact, this series is a complement to my family album.Ó (Statement by the artist)
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36 FENG ZHENGJIE b. 1968 Chinese Portrait Series no. 9, 2006 Oil on canvas. 209.5 × 299.7 cm (82 1/2 × 118 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated ÔFeng Zhengjie 2006Õ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £50,000 –70,000 $81,500 –114,000 €58,900 – 82,400
ÒSince starting the series China in 2000, Feng has been concentrating on iconic beauty and making his faked idols assume an element of reality. Auras are shining in the background to glamorize the falsity, while the colours are applied in the paintings like stage lights to embellish the expressions and gestures. At the same time the viewers are entertained and their needs and desires reflected. The helplessly unfocused eyes of the idols suggest the emptiness beneath the surface.Ó (From The Revolution Continues: New Art from China, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2008, p. 67)
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37 WANG QINGSONG b. 1966 China Mansion, 2003 Digitally manipulated colour coupler print. 127 × 1205.3 cm (50 × 474 1/2 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, dated ÔWang Qingsong.2003.Õ and numbered of 8 lower right. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London EXHIBITED Macau, Funda•‰o Oriente, Galeria de Casa Garden, 6 SeptemberÐ6 October 2002 (another example exhibited); Beijing, Courtyard Gallery, AprilÐMay 2004 and New York, Salon 94, Wang Qingsong, Romantique, MayÐJuly, 2004 (another example exhibited); Guangzhou, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou Photo Biennale 2005, JanuaryÐFebruary 2005 (another example exhibited); Arras, Wang Qingsong in Arras, MayÐJune 2005 (another example exhibited); London, Albion Gallery, Wang Qingsong, 6 JuneÐ7 July 2006 (another example exhibited); Memmingen, MEWO Kunsthalle, China: Past, Present and Future, February 2007 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Red Mansion Foundation, Dream 02, 2002, p. 41 (illustrated); Frich, ed., La photographie panaramique, Paris, 2003, pp. xxiiÐxxiii (illustrated); NY Arts Magazine, vol. 9, no. 7/8 (2004), p. 22 (illustrated); National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, Young Artists from Korea, China and Japan, 2004, pp. 150Ð51 (illustrated); Officina Asia, Bologna, 2004, pp. 168Ð69 (illustrated); Albertini and P. Marella, Out of the Red La Nuova Generazione Emergente dei Fotografi Cinese, Bologna, 2004, pp. 180Ð81 (illustrated); R. Vine, ÔThe Academy Strikes BackÕ, Art in America, June/July, 2004 (illustrated); ÔDining Out: Celebrating a Òwild modernityÓÕ, Guardian, London, 4 October 2004 (illustrated); T. Whisnand, ÔWang Qingsong: The Viewer and the ViewedÕ, Eyemazing, issue 5, The Netherlands, Winter 2004, pp. 36Ð37 (illustrated); H. Du, ÔA Lens on DiversityÕ, Artlink, Contemporary Art Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 4. (2004), pp. 54Ð55 (illustrated); A. Kotzan, ÔReich der MittelÕ, Photo Technik International, MAI/ JUNI, Germany, 2005, pp. 42Ð43 (illustrated); S. Bright, Art Photography Now, London, 2005, p. 100 (illustrated); B. Pollack, ÔEnter the DragonÕ, Modern Painters, June 2005, pp. 80Ð83 (illustrated); J. Cuzin and D. Salmon, eds., Ingres, Paris, 2006, pp. 252Ð53 (illustrated); Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, ed., Why Pictures Now, Vienna, 2006, pp. 142Ð43, (illustrated); Digitalis Foto Magazin, Budapest, June 2006, pp. 88Ð91 (illustrated); Le Monde diplomatique, Deustsche Ausgabe, October 2006, p. 1 (detail illustrated); N. Garcia, ÔWang QingsongÕ, H Magazine, no. 76, September 2006, pp. 74Ð75 (illustrated); K. Roach, ed., Wang Qingsong, London, 2006, pp. 92Ð93 (illustrated); ÔThe Sunday ReviewÕ, Independent on Sunday, London, 24 September 2006, pp. 28Ð29 (illustrated); M. Field, ÔNaked Capitalism Westem-style Consumerism is Sweeping ChinaÕ, Courrier Japon, vol. 27, 18 April 2007, pp. 69Ð70 (illustrated); ÔPortfolio: QingsongÕ, Photograph Magazine, Greece, January 2007, pp. 42Ð43 (illustrated) Estimate £40,000 – 60,000 $65,200 –97,800 €47,100 –70,600 186
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Detail
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38 BEATRIZ MILHAZES b. 1960 Carioca, 2008 Wool background, silk floral motif, tapestry. 200 × 200 cm (78 3/4 × 78 3/4 in). Signed ‘B. Milhazes’ on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 5. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London EXHIBITED London, The Dairy, Demons, Yarns & Tales, 10–22 November 2008; Miami, The Lift, 3–6 December 2008 LITERATURE Demons, Yarns & Tales, exh. cat., The Dairy, London,and Miami, The Lift, 2008, p. 43 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £30,000 –50,000 $48,900 – 81,500 €35,300 –58,900 ♠
“Ranging from ochres to rust, olive and grey, the autumnal colours of the tapestry are more sober, more English, than the vibrant palette she normally uses. Separated by fine purple lines, the interlocking shapes look like pieces of variously coloured wood inlaid in a marquetry panel. The purple also establishes a visual link with the purple, blue and grey silk petals of the large, central flower. The colour and density of the design remind me of wallpapers and textiles produced by William Morris. Was it her intention to refer to English pattern-making? ‘Not really’, she says. ‘What excited me about the tapestry was the opportunity to experience new possibilities, to draw a design for the completely different medium. I look at textile designs in general, though, and sometimes ideas emerge form them, and the colour combinations were consciously influenced by them.’
(Demons, Yarns & Tales, exh. cat., The Dairy, London, and The Lift, Miami, 2008, p. 32)
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000
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BRIC
BRAZIL SALE
LOTS 39 Ð 68 AVAF 42 BRASIL, P. 60 CAMPANA, F. & H. 51, 52 D’ALMEIDA, N. & OITICICA, H. 43 DA SILVA MAVIGNIER, A. 59 DE LA ROCQUE, F. 39 DO ESPIRITO SANTO, I. 44 FRANÇA, H. 53, 56 GAIS 40 GÊMEOS, O. 41 LUDOLF, R. 61, 62 LYON, M. 64A MEIRELES, C. 46, 47, 48, 49 MUNIZ, V. 68 NOGUEIRA LIMA, M. 63 NOVO RUMO 54 OITICICA, H. & D’ALMEIDA, N. 43 ROCHA PITTA, M. 50 SALGADO, S. 65, 66, 67 SCAPINELLI, G. 55 SERPA, I. 57 SUED, E. 64 TENREIRO, J. 58 TUNGA 45
Opposite HŽlio Oiticica & Neville dÕAlmeida, 28/CC3 Maileryn from Cosmococa Programa-in-Progress, 1973, Lot 43
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39 FERNANDO DE LA ROCQUE b. 1979 Azulejo Colônias (Tile Colonies), 2010 Screenprint on 49 ceramic tiles. Each: 20 × 20 cm (3 1/8 × 3 1/8 in). PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist EXHIBITED Rio de Janeiro, Galeria A Gentil Carioca, Parede Gentil, 26 January–29 May 2008 Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð24,400 11,800 Ð17,700 à
Fernando de La Rocque’s series of drawings, sculptures, accumulated objects, videos and mixed media seek to restructure our notion of contemporary urban art through a variety of forms. He is continually drawn to explore forbidden subjects, and ways to subvert them; his erotic drawings have been applied to many media, from tiles to tea sets to clothing. By pairing traditionally controversial subject matter with such innocuous materials, he provokes discomfort, certainly – but also humour. The present lot is comprised of 49 ceramic tiles printed with orgiastic, erotic images coloured in colonial blue. Though initially resembling an abstract pattern, closer inspection may result in a laugh or a blush. The work was originally shown at Galeria A Gentil Carioca’s Parede Gentil project, in which 600 pieces were attached to the external wall of the gallery; the work has since appeared in the Jornal do Brasil, O Peru Molhado and on Canal Brasil.
Fernando de La Rocque at Galeria A Gentil Carioca, 2008
Detail
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40 GAIS Untitled, 2011 Acrylic on canvas. 100 × 140 cm (39 1/4 × 55 1/8 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection
Douglas Tavares Santos, known as Gais, has emerged from the slums of Rio de Janeiro
Estimate £8,000 Ð 12,000 $13,000 Ð19,600 9,400 Ð14,100 ♠ à
Rooted in Brazilian modernism, his work often depicts abstract cityscapes, and is infused
to become one of the Brazilian art world’s most prominent young talents. His first contact with art was as part of the Rio graffiti scene, creating works on the sides of buildings and underpasses; however he soon moved away from the city’s walls and into its galleries.
– like that of so many Rio artists – with the bold colour and rhythm of Carioca culture.
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41 OS GÊMEOS b. 1974 Untitled, 2008 Found wooden shelf, spraypaint on wood and Lava lamp. 70 × 31 × 25.5 cm (27 1/2 × 12 1/4 × 10 in). PROVENANCE Parra & Romero, Madrid; Private Collection, UK EXHIBITED Madrid, Parra & Romero, Os Gêmeos: Souhei Que Tinha Souhado, 12 February–31 March 2008 Estimate £8,000 Ð 12,000 $13,000 Ð19,600 9,400 Ð14,100 ♠
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42 AVAF (ASSUME VIVID ASTRO FOCUS) b, 1968 Aaxé vatapá alegria feijão, 2008 Wool, silk and metallic thread detail. 350 × 205 cm (137 3/4 × 80 3/4 in). Signed ‘avaf’ on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 5. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London EXHIBITED London, The Dairy, Demons, Yarns & Tales, 10–22 November 2008; Miami, The Lift, 3–6 December 2008 LITERATURE Demons, Yarns & Tales, exh.cat., The Dairy, London, and The Lift, Miami, 2008, p. 47 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £25,000 Ð 35,000 $40,700 Ð57,000 29,400 Ð 41,200 ♠
196
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43 HÉLIO OITICICA & NEVILLE D’ALMEIDA 1937–1980 & b. 1941 28/CC3 Maileryn from Cosmococa Programa-in-Progress, 1973 Colour coupler print, flush-mounted on aluminium, printed 2003. 76 × 114 cm (30 × 44 7/8 in). This work is from an edition of 12. PROVENANCE Galeria Fortes Vilaça, São Paulo LITERATURE C. Basualdo, Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-cinemas, Ostfildern, 2002, pp. 62–65, p. 146 (another example illustrated)
One of the lesser known aspects of Oiticica’s artistic development has to do with the nearly ten years he spent living in New York during the 1970s. During this time he experimented with the incorporation of cinematic principals into his art. The present lot comes from the Quasi-cinemas series and are know as the Cosmococas. The work was made up of 35mm slide projections, audio and a space architecturally modified through lighting, seating arrangements and, on one occasion, hammocks. The roots of these works can be found in the large-scale installations that Oiticica started in the late 60s, most significantly his
Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð32,600 17,700 Ð23,500 ♠
famous Whitechapel installation Tropicalia. But their unique place, and by extension their importance, within late 20th-century art has to do with Oiticica’s assimilation of the tools and vocabulary of the then nascent experimental video art movement. The Quasi-cinemas were as engaging and ultimately as revolutionary as any other accomplishments of Oiticica’s remarkable output. 197
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44 IRAN DO ESPIRITO SANTO b. 1963 Untitled, 2002 Painted concrete. 10 × 44 × 33 cm (4 × 17 1/4 × 13 in). Signed and dated ÔIran E. Santo 2002Õ on one edge. PROVENANCE Camargo Vila•a Galeria, S‹o Paulo Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð14,700 8,200 Ð10,600 ♠ à The present lot belonged to Marcantonio Vila•a, Iran Do Espirito SantoÕs first dealer, a legendary art world figure from Brazil who died at a young age. His gallery was called Camargo Vila•a, which is now Fortes Vila•a, the artistÕs current gallery. 198
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45 TUNGA b. 1952 Untitled, c. 1990. Lead and gold leaf. Approximately: 30 × 30 × 30 cm (11 3/4 × 11 3/4 × 11 3/4 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð32,600 17,700 Ð23,500 ♠ à
199
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Reverse
46
ÒZero Cruzeiro and Zero Centavo were born together, from a note I composed in 1974. They were born from the action of thinking about that pile of banknotes [Money Tree]. It was a rare thing, but when I had the occasion to contemplate a small pile, it was as if the work were forming itself in front of me and disappearing, because I had to buy lunch and, therefore, at that exact moment the sculpture would evaporate. The work possessed that flexibility, that universality where you could mount it anywhere, in any context.Ó
(The artist, in Cildo Meireles, exh. cat., Tate Modern, London, 2009, p. 78)
Reverse
47
46 CILDO MEIRELES b. 1948 Zero Centavos, 1978 Velvet box and metal coin. Box: 7 × 7 × 7 cm (2 3/4 × 2 3/4 × 2 3/4 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil EXHIBITED London, Tate Modern, Cildo Meireles, 12 October 2008 Ð 11 January 2009; Museu dÕArt Contemporani de Barcelona, 11 February Ð 3 May 2009; Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, 7 June Ð 27 September 2009; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 22 November 2009 Ð 7 February 2010; Art Gallery of Ontario, 27 March Ð 27 June 2010 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Cildo Meireles, exh. cat., Tate Modern, London, 2009, p. 78 (illustrated in colour; another example illustrated)
47 CILDO MEIRELES b. 1948 Zero Cruzeiro, 1978 Offset print on paper. 7 × 15 cm (2 3/4 × 5 7/8 in). Signed and dated ÔCildo Meireles 78Õ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil EXHIBITED London, Tate Modern, Cildo Meireles, 12 October 2008 Ð 11 January 2009; Museu dÕArt Contemporani de Barcelona, 11 February Ð 3 May 2009; Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, 7 June Ð 27 September 2009; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 22 November 2009 Ð 7 February 2010; Art Gallery of Ontario, 27 March Ð 27 June 2010 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Cildo Meireles, exh. cat., Tate Modern, London, 2009, p. 79 (illustrated in colour)
Estimate £3,000 Ð 4,000 $4,900 Ð 6,500 3,500 Ð 4,700 ♠ à Estimate £3,000 Ð 4,000 $4,900 Ð 6,500 3,500 Ð 4,700 ♠ à 200
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48
49
48 CILDO MEIRELES b. 1948 Camelo, 1998 Wooden box and miniature Jesus, rubber figurine and plastic sticks. Box: 38 × 29 × 7 cm (15 × 11 3/8 × 2 3/4 in). Incised signature, date and numbered on the underside. This work is from an edition of 1000. PROVENANCE Galeria Luisa Strina, S‹o Paulo; Private Collection, Brazil
49 CILDO MEIRELES b. 1948 Rosto, 2006 Gouache and pastel on cardboard. 32 × 24 cm (12 1/2 × 9 1/2 in). Signed and dated ÔCildo Meireles 2006Õ lower right PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð9,800 4,700 Ð7,100 ♠ à
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð5,900 ♠ à
201
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50 MATHEUS ROCHA PITTA b. 1980 Apprehension Table # 2 (Pyramid), 2008 Earth, tape, glass and wood. 102.5 × 180 × 110 cm (40 1/4 × 70 3/4 × 43 1/4 in). This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. Estimate £8,000 Ð 12,000 $13,000 Ð19,600 9,400 Ð14,100 ♠ 202
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51
52
52 FERNANDO & HUMBERTO CAMPANA b. 1961 & 1953 Mixed ÔBanqueteÕ Chair, 2007 Stuffed toy animals, brushed tubular steel. 102 cm (40 1/8 in) high. Manufactured by Estudio Campana, Brazil. Numbered 9 from an edition of 150. One stuffed toy embroidered with ÔCampanas N.09 2007Õ. PROVENANCE Albion Gallery, London LITERATURE Campana Brothers, Complete Works (So Far), New York, 2010, pp. 186Ð87 and p. 266 53
Estimate £18,000 Ð 22,000 $29,300 Ð35,800 21,200 Ð25,900 ♠
51 FERNANDO & HUMBERTO CAMPANA b. 1961 & 1953 ÔCartoonÕ chair, 2007 Stuffed toy animals, tubular stainless steel. 96 cm (37 3/4 in) high. Manufactured by Estudio Campana, Brazil. Number 5 from an edition of 25, plus 5 from the Disney Collection and 5 artistÕs proofs. One stuffed toy embroidered with ÔCARTOON CHAIR 05/25 CAMPANAS & DisneyÕ and one embroidered with Ô© DisneyÕ. PROVENANCE Albion Gallery, London LITERATURE Campana Brothers, Complete Works (So Far), New York, 2010, pp. 188Ð89
53 HUGO FRANÇA b. 1954 Mesa Mukaœ, 2010 Pequi wood. Produced by Atelier Hugo Fran•a, Brazil. 79 × 252 × 117 cm (30 5/8 × 97 1/8 × 49 5/8 in). PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist LITERATURE Hugo Fran•a: The Story of the Tree, New York, 2008, pp. 54Ð55 (similar example illustrated) Estimate £18,000 Ð22,000 $29,300 Ð35,800 21,200 Ð25,900 à
Estimate £20,000 Ð 30,000 $32,600 Ð 48,900 23,500 Ð35,300 ♠ 204
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54
55
54 NOVO RUMO Sideboards, c. 1950 Tropical wood. 93 × 299 × 53 cm (36 1/2 × 117 3/4 × 20 7/8 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð9,800 4,700 Ð7,100 ♠ 56
55 GIUSEPPE SCAPINELLI 1911Ð1982 Sideboards, c. 1950 Tropical wood. 77.5 × 270.5 × 47 cm (30 1/2 × 106 1/2 × 18 1/2 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð9,800 4,700 Ð7,100 ♠
56 HUGO FRANÇA b. 1954 Mesa Ju•ara, 2010 Pequi wood. 40 × 160 × 106 cm (17 3/4 × 62 7/8 × 41 3/4 in). Produced by Atelier Hugo Fran•a, Brazil. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist LITERATURE Hugo Fran•a: The Story of the Tree, New York, 2008, p. 31 (similar example illustrated) Estimate £12,000 Ð 16,000 $19,600 Ð26,100 14,100 Ð18,800 à
205
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57 IVAN SERPA 1923Ð1973 Untitled, 1953 Mixed media on paper. 80 × 60 cm (31 1/2 × 23 1/2 in). Signed and dated ÔSerpa 53Õ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £6,000 Ð 8,000 $9,800 Ð13,000 7,100 Ð9,400 à 206
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58 JOAQUIM TENREIRO 1906Ð1992 Galo, c. 1970 Gouache on cardboard. 77 × 57 cm (30 1/4 × 22 1/2 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Brazil Estimate £12,000 Ð18,000 $19,600 Ð29,300 14,100 Ð21,200 à
207
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59 ALMIR DA SILVA MAVIGNIER b. 1925 Composicion cinŽtique, 1968 Screenprint in colours on PVC. 172 × 87 cm (67 3/4 × 34 1/4 in). Signed, dated Ômavignier 68Õ and numbered of 25 on the lower overlap edge. This work is from an edition of 25. PROVENANCE Galerie Denise RenŽ, Paris Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð3,500 ♠
208
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(i)
(ii)
60 PAIVA BRASIL b. 1930 Two works: (i) Quadro objeto Ð zarc‹o, 2002; (ii) Quadro objeto, 2003 Acrylic on canvas laid on wood. (i) 64 × 122 cm (25 1/4 × 48 in); (ii) 70 × 110 cm (27 1/2 × 43 1/4 in). (i) Signed and dated ÔPaiva Brasil 02Õ on the reverse; (ii) signed, titled and dated ÔPaiva Brasil 2003 Òquadro objectoÓÕ on the reverse. These works are accompanied by a photo-certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner Estimate £2,500 Ð 3,500 $4,100 Ð5,700 2,900 Ð 4,100 ♠ 209
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61
62 61 RUBEM LUDOLF 1932Ð2010 Untitled, 1985 Oil on canvas. 140 × 140 cm (55 1/8 × 55 1/8 in). Signed and dated Ôrubem ludolf 85Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.
62 RUBEM LUDOLF 1932Ð2010 Untitled, 1984 Oil on canvas. 60 × 80 cm (23 5/8 × 31 1/2 in). Signed and dated Ôrubem ludolf 84Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner
Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð14,700 8,200 Ð10,600
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð5,900
210
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63
64 63 MAURICIO NOGUEIRA LIMA 1930Ð1999 Composi•‹o geomŽtrica, 1974 Acrylic on canvas laid on panel. 65 × 65 cm (25 1/2 × 25 1/2 in). Signed, titled and dated ÔMauricio N. Lima 1974 Composi•‹o geomŽtricaÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Bolsa de Arte, Rio de Janeiro
64 EDUARDO SUED b. 1925 Untitled, 1987 Oil on canvas. 90 × 155 cm (35 1/2 × 61 in). Signed and dated ÔSued 1987Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Bolsa de Arte, Rio de Janeiro
Estimate £3,500 Ð 4,500 $5,700 Ð7,300 4,100 Ð5,300
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð9,800 4,700 Ð7,100 ♠
211
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64A
65
64A MARCUS LYON b. 1965 Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro from the series BricÕs, 2008 Digital colour coupler print. 77 × 115 cm (30 5/16 × 45 1/4 in). Signed in ink, printed title, date and number 8/10 on a label accompanying the work. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
65 SEBASTIÃO SALGADO b. 1944 Serra Pelada Gold Mine (Backs), Brazil, 1986 Gelatin silver print, printed later. 50.8 × 36.8 cm (20 × 14 /2 in). Signed, titled ÔBrazilÕ and dated in pencil on the verso. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New York LITERATURE S. Salgado, Workers: Archaeology of the Industrial Age, London: Phaidon, 1993, p. 316 and back cover; S. Salgado, An Uncertain Grace, London: Thames and Hudson, 1990, p. 18 Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð9,800 4,700 Ð7,100 ♠ à
66 SEBASTIÃO SALGADO b. 1944 Church Gate Station, Bombay, India, 1995 Gelatin silver print, printed later. 36.8 × 50.8 cm (14 1/2 × 20 in). Signed, titled ÔIndiaÕ and dated in pencil on the verso. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New York
66
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð9,800 4,700 Ð7,100 ♠ à 212
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67
68 67 SEBASTIÃO SALGADO b. 1944 Dinka Cattle Camp of Amak, Southern Sudan, 2006 Gelatin silver print, printed later. 36.8 × 50.8 cm (14 1/2 × 20 in). Signed, titled ÔSudSudanÕ and dated in pencil on the verso. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New York LITERATURE M. Couto, Sebasti‹o Salgado: Africa, Kšln: Taschen, 2007, cover
68 VIK MUNIZ b. 1961 Untitled (PelŽ), 2003 Colour coupler print. 151 × 120 cm (59 1/2 × 47 1/4 in). Signed ÔPeleÕ lower centre. This work is from an edition of 25 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Eyestorm, London
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð5,900 ♠ à
Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 ♠
213
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BRIC
RUSSIA SALE
LOTS 69 Ð117
AES + F 111 ALBERT, Y. 107 AXENOFF, P. 114 BLUE NOSES GROUP 90 BRINKWORTH, K. 95 CHERNYSHEV, A. & SHULGIN, A. 88 CHTAK, V. 81 DEVIN, I. 101 DONTSOV, P. 115 DOU, O. 110, 117 DUBOSSARSKY, V. & VINOGRADOV, A. 91, 92 FILIPPOV, A. 80 GOROKHOVSKY, E. 71 GOST, R. 96 KHUDYAKOV, K. 112, 113 KOROTKOVA, T. 93 KOSHLYAKOV, V. 69, 75 KOSOLAPOV, A. 70, 74, 97 KUDRYASHOV, O. 86 KULIK, O. & ZVEZDOCHETOV, K. 87 MAGARIL, M. 76 MAMYSHEV-MONROE, V. 83, 84
MARKUSHEVICH, F. & SMIRNSKAYA, G. 116 MIKHAILOV, B. 98, 99, 100 MUKHIN, I. 108 NALBI 104, 105 OVCHINNIKOV, N. 79 PARCHIKOV, T. 102 PEPPERSTEIN, P. 73, 85 RAGIMOV, K. 94 RODCHENKO, A. 77 SHORIN, D. 106 SHULGIN, A. & CHERNYSHEV, A. 88 SMIRNSKAYA, G. & MARKUSHEVICH, F. 116 STRUCHKOVA, N. 89 SUNDUKOV, A. 72, 82 TARKOVSKY, A. 109 VOLKOV, S. 78 VINOGRADOV, A. & DUBOSSARSKY, V. 91, 92 YASTRZHEMBSKIY, S. 103 ZVEZDOCHETOV, K & KULIK, O. 87
Opposite Alexander Kosolapov, Mickey and Minnie, 2005, Lot 97 (detail)
215
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69 VALERY KOSHLYAKOV b. 1962 LeninÕs Motherland (Ulyanovsk), 2005 Acrylic, charcoal, oil pastel and paper collage on canvas. 151 × 200 cm (59 1/2 × 78 3/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic, dated and annotated in Cyrillic ‘V. Koshlyakov 2005 Ulyanovsk’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris Estimate £18,000 Ð 22,000 $29,300 Ð 35,800 21,200 Ð 25,900 ♠ 216
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217
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70 ALEXANDER KOSOLAPOV b. 1943 Cold Molotov Cocktail, 1991 Acrylic on canvas. 95 × 112.5 cm (37 3/8 × 44 1/4 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Alexander Kosolapov 91 Cold Molotov – Cocktail’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA Estimate £25,000 –35,000 $40,700 –57,000 €29,400 – 41,200 ♠ ‡ 218
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219
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220
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71 EDUARD GOROKHOVSKY 1929 – 2004 Untitled (Portrait of Erik Bulatov with his wife), 1988 Oil on canvas. 95.5 × 130 cm (37 5/8 × 51 1/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘E.Gorokhovsky 88’ lower right. PROVENANCE Livet Reichard Gallery, New York; Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED London, Haunch of Venison, Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, 16 April–23 June 2010 LITERATURE Glasnost: Soviet Non-Conformist Art from the 1980s, exh. cat., Haunch of Venison, London, 2010, pp. 118–19 (illustrated in colour) Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 221
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72 ALEKSEI SUNDUKOV b. 1952 Black Egg, 1991 Oil on wood. Egg: 47 × 22 × 28 cm (18 1/2 × 8 5/8 × 11 in); base: 26 × 24 × 24 cm (10 1/4 × 9 1/2 × 9 1/2 in). Signed in Cyrillic, monogrammed and dated ’91. A. Sundukov’ on the reverse of the base. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired from the above by the present owner Estimate £8,000 Ð 12,000 $13,000 Ð 19,600 9,400 Ð 14,100 ♠ à 222
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73 PAVEL PEPPERSTEIN b. 1966 Russia is more then the world, 2009 Acrylic on canvas. 90 × 70 cm (35 3/8 × 27 5/8 in). Initialled in Cyrillic and dated ‘P.P. 2009’ lower right. PROVENANCE Galerie Iragui, Moscow Estimate £12,000 Ð18,000 $19,600 Ð 29,300 14,100 Ð 21,200 ♠ à
223
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74 ALEXANDER KOSOLAPOV b. 1943 Lenin Coca-Cola, 1980 Lightbox. 91 × 121 × 9.5 cm (35 3/4 × 47 5/8 × 3 3/4 in). This work is from an edition of 3 plus 2 artist’s proofs. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £8,000 Ð 12,000 $13,000 Ð 19,600 9,400 Ð 14,100 ♠
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PROPERTY FROM THE KIT FINANCE COLLECTION 75 VALERY KOSHLYAKOV b. 1962 Three Rubles, 2005 Oil, acrylic and household gloss on canvas in two parts. Overall: 201 × 364.5 cm (79 1/8 × 143 1/2 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ‘V.Koshlyakov 2005 Three Rubles’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Marat Guelman Gallery, Moscow Estimate £15,000 Ð20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠ à 226
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76 MIKHAIL MAGARIL b. 1950 Belmor Ð mor (triptych), 1987 Oil on canvas. 76.2 × 228.6 cm (30 × 90 in). Each signed, titled and dated on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 ♠ à
227
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77 ALEXANDER RODCHENKO 1891–1956 On the Phone, 1928 Gelatin silver print, printed later. 23.5 × 17.5 cm (9 1/4 × 6 7/8 in). Stamped and annotated ‘H.r.T’ and ‘F 18’ in an unidentified hand in pencil on the verso. PROVENANCE Howard Schickler Fine Art, New York; Private Collection, New York Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 à 228
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78 SERGEY VOLKOV b. 1956 Bouey, 1987 Oil and sand on canvas. 201.9 × 151.8 cm (79 1/2 × 59 3/4 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ‘Volkov S. E. 1987 C-6 ‘Bouey’” on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠ à 229
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79 NIKOLAI OVCHINNIKOV b. 1958 La Passion Selon les Beaux-Arts, 1990 Oil and acrylic on canvas. 200 × 200 cm (78 3/4 × 78 3/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘N.Ovchinnikov 90’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France EXHIBITED Paris, Galerie Froment & Putman, Nikolai Ovchinnikov, 18 October – 24 November 1990 LITERATURE Nikolai Ovchinnikov, exh. cat., Galerie Froment & Putman, Paris, 1990 Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠ 230
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80 ANDREY FILIPPOV b. 1959 Section II from the Chapters series, 1990 Oil on canvas. 195 × 145 cm (76 4/5 × 57 1/8 in). Signed and titled in Cyrillic on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner EXHIBITED Cologne, Krings-Ernst Galerie, Zwei im Quadrat, 1990 Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600 ♠
231
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81 VALERY CHTAK b. 1981 The Birth, 2010 Acrylic on canvas. 150 × 200 cm (59.1 × 78.7 in). Signed, titled and dated ÔCHTAK>>THE BIRTH<<2010Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, London EXHIBITED London, Orel Art UK, Valery Chtak: Painting is a Dead Language, 25 June Ð 13 August 2010 Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 ♠ 232
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82 ALEKSEI SUNDUKOV b, 1952 Dye is Cast, 1991 Oil on canvas. 100 × 78 cm (39 1/4 × 30 3/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic, monogrammed and dated ‘91. A. Sundukov’ lower right. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired from the above by the present owner Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 ♠ à 233
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83 (i)
83 (ii)
84
83 VLADISLAV MAMYSHEV-MONROE b. 1969 Two works: (i) Jesus from the series The Life of Remarkable Monroe, 1995; (ii) Napoleon from the series The Life of Remarkable Monroe, 1995 Two colour coupler prints, Diasec mounted. (i) 72 × 59 cm (28 1/4 × 23 1/4 in); (ii) 72 × 58.5 cm (28 1/4 × 23 in). Each signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘1995 V. Mamyshev’ and numbered of 10 on the reverse. These works are from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris EXHIBITED 1 Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, 28 January – 28 February 2005
84 VLADISLAV MAMYSHEV-MONROE b. 1969 Black Square (Hommage a Malevitch), 2004–05 Lambda print, flush-mounted. 125 × 166 cm (49 1/4 × 65 1/4 in). This work is from an edition of 3. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Paris Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 ♠
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠ 234
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8 5 PAVEL PEPPERSTEIN b. 1966 Yankee go home!, 2006 Indian ink and watercolour on paper. 55 × 70 cm (21 3/4 × 27 5/8 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘P. Pepperstein 2006’ lower right. PROVENANCE Galerie Iragui, Moscow Estimate £5,000 – 7,000 $8,100 – 11,400 €5,900 – 8,200 ♠ ‡
235
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86 OLEG KUDRYASHOV b. 1932 Kazan Railway, 1981 Gouache and graphite on paper. 39 × 30 × 19 cm (15 3/8 × 12 × 7 1/2 in). Signed and dated ‘Oleg Kudryashov 81’ lower right. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, London EXHIBITED London, Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, Oleg Kudryashov, 1 April – 21 April 1991 Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠ 236
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87 KONSTANTIN ZVEZDOCHETOV & OLEG KULIK b. 1958 & b. 1961 DogÕs Playground, 2005 Oil on canvas. 200 × 200 cm (78 3/4 × 78 3/4 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ‘K. Zvezdochetov 2005 “Dog’s Playground”’; further signed in English and inscribed in Cyrillic ‘Oleg Kulik I drew the lady with the tits by myself’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠
237
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88 ARISTARKH CHERNYSHEV & ALEXEI SHULGIN b. 1969 & b. 1963 The Way I See It!, 2006–07 MP3 player, speakers, camera, screens, plastic, Sintra, screws, and electrical hardware. 38.1 × 121.9 × 19.1 cm (15 × 48 × 7 1/2 in). Signed, titled, dated ‘The Way I See It! 2007–2006, Aristarkh Chernyshev and Alexei Shulgin’ and numbered of 7 on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 7. PROVENANCE XL Gallery, Moscow EXHIBITED Moscow, Moscow Museum of Art, CRITI-POP, 19 September – 19 October 2008 Estimate £8,000 – 12,000 $13,000 – 19,600 €9,400 – 14,100 ♠ Ω
Alternative view
238
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PROPERTY FROM THE KIT FINANCE COLLECTION 89 NATASHA STRUCHKOVA b. 1968 Futurussia #1, 2006 Acrylic on canvas. 200 × 250.2 cm (78 3/4 × 98 1/2 in). Signed, titled, annotated in Cyrillic and dated ‘Struchkova Natasha Futurussia # 1 Moscow 2006’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Regina Gallery, Moscow Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠ à
239
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90
91
90 BLUE NOSES GROUP b. 1962 & b. 1965 Five works: Sex-Suprematism 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, 2003 Five colour coupler prints. Each: 51 × 64.5 cm (20 × 25 3/8 in). Each signed in English and Cyrillic, titled, dated, sequentially numbered 1–5 ‘THE BLUE NOSES GROUP (V. Mizin, A. Shaburov) SEX-SUPREMATISM 2003’ and numbered of 10. These works are from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection. Paris LITERATURE N. Milovzorova, A. Shaburov, ed., Blue Noses, Moscow: Marat Guelman Art Foundation, 2006, pp. 188–91 (illustrated in colour)
91 VLADIMIR DUBOSSARSKY & ALEXANDER VINOGRADOV b. 1964 & b. 1963 Nude, 2000 Acrylic on paper. 63.5 × 93.5 cm (25 × 36 3/4 in). Signed and dated ‘Dubossarsky Vinogradov 2000’ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA Estimate £12,000 Ð 18,000 $19,600 Ð 29,300 14,100 Ð 21,200 ♠ à
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠ 240
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92
92 VLADIMIR DUBOSSARSKY & ALEXANDER VINOGRADOV b. 1964 & b. 1963 Arny-3, 1998 Oil on canvas. 71 × 91 cm (28 × 35 3/4 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Dubossarsky V Vinogradov A <<ARNY-3>> 1998’ on the reverse; further signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘Dubossarsky Vinogradov 98’ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 ♠
241
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93 TAISIA KOROTKOVA b. 1980 Technology 4 from the series Technology, 2008 Tempera on wood. 50 × 40 cm (19 3/4 × 15 3/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated “TASIA 08’ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Germany Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠ Kandinsky Prize Winner 2010, ‘Young Artist. Project of the Year’ 242
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94
94 KERIM RAGIMOV b. 1970 BMW × 5, 2003 Oil on canvas. 18 × 18 cm (7 × 7 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Kerim Ragimov BMW × 5 2003’ on the reverse; signed and dated ‘Ragimov 2003’ lower edge. PROVENANCE Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg; Acquired from the above by the present owner Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð 3,500 ♠
95 KATE BRINKWORTH b. 1977 Triple Distilled, 2010 Oil on canvas. 130 × 90 cm (51 1/8 × 35 1/2 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Kate Brinkworth 2010 Triple Distilled’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠
95 243
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96 REY GOST b. 1966 Sounds Great!, 2010 Inkjet print on canvas. 150 × 150 cm (59 1/8 × 59 1/8 in). Signed, titled and dated ÔREY GOST 2010 Sounds great!Õ on the reverse. This work is unique. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
244
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97 ALEXANDER KOSOLAPOV b. 1943 Mickey and Minnie, 2005 Bronze and steel base. Sculpture: 69 × 50 × 49 cm (27 1/8 × 19 5/8 × 19 1/4 in); base: 111 × 27.5 × 64 cm (43 3/4 × 10 7/8 × 25 1/8 in). Incised ‘A. Kosolapov 2005’ and numbered of 10 on the base. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠
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98 BORIS MIKHAILOV b. 1938 Untitled from the series Luriki, 1976–81 Handcoloured gelatin silver print. 49.5 × 59.4 cm (18 1/2 × 23 3/8 in). Signed and dated “Mikhailov 1976–1981” on the reverse. This work is unique. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner EXHIBITED Berlin, DAAD Gallery, Photomania, 1997; Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Boris Mikhailov, 1998; Paris, Centre National de la Photographie, Boris Mikhailov, 1999; Göteborg Art Museum, Hasselblad Center, Boris Mikhailov 2000 Hasselblad Award Winner, 25 November 2000 – 21 January 2001 Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 246
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99
100
99 BORIS MIKHAILOV b. 1938 Untitled (Red Series), 1970–82 Colour coupler print. 30.2 × 20.3 cm (11 7/8 × 8 in). Signed and dated on the verso. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner EXHIBITED Boris Mikhailov, Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, 21 October – 3 December 1995; Kunsthalle Zurich, 13 January 1995 – 10 March 1996 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE B. Kölle, Boris Mikhailov, Stüttgart, 1995, p. 34
100 BORIS MIKHAILOV b. 1938 Untitled (Red Series), 1975–82 Colour coupler print. 30.2 × 20.3 cm (11 7/8 × 8 in). Signed and dated on the verso. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner EXHIBITED Boris Mikhailov, Portikus Frankfurt am Main, 21 October – 3 December 1995, and Kunsthalle Zurich, 13 January 1995 – 10 March 1996 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE B. Kölle, Boris Mikhailov, Stüttgart, 1995, p. 32
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100 Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
247
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101
102 (i)
102 (ii)
101 ILYA DEVIN b. 1981 Fog in Verona # 4, 2008 Gelatin silver print. 40 × 60 cm (15 3/4 × 23 5/8 in). Signed, dated and titled on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist
102 TIM PARCHIKOV b. 1983 Two works: (i) Camargue, 2006; (ii) Camargue, 2009 Two colour coupler prints, Diasec mounted. Each: 120 × 180 cm (47 1/4 × 70 7/8 in). Signed, titled, dated and numbered on the reverse. These works are from an edition of 5. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 à Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100 à 248
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103 SERGEY YASTRZHEMBSKIY b. 1953 DÕOpya river valley, Toscana, Italy, Europe, 2007 Colour coupler print, Diasec mounted. 120 × 180 cm (47 1/4 × 70 7/8 in). PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist LITERATURE V. Shtrik, ed., Aeroimpressionism: Sergey Yastrzhembskiy, Moscow: GeoPhoto, 2008, p. 126 (illustrated) Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 à 249
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104 NALBI b. 1965 Landscape 21.06.10, 2010 Oil on canvas. 140 × 120 cm (55 × 47 1/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘Nalbi 10’ lower left; further titled in Cyrillic ‘“Composition 21.06.10”’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Moscow Estimate £10,000 Ð 12,000 $16,300 Ð 19,600 11,800 Ð 14,100 ♠ à 250
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105 NALBI b. 1965 Composition 22.08.10, 2010 Oil on canvas. 150 × 110 cm (59 × 43 1/4 in). Signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘Nalbi 10’ lower right; further titled in Cyrillic ‘“Composition 22.08.10”’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Moscow Estimate £10,000 Ð 12,000 $16,300 Ð 19,600 11,800 Ð 14,100 ♠ à 251
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106 DMITRY SHORIN b. 1971 Parents out in the countryside, 2010 Oil on canvas. 146 × 198 cm (57 1/2 × 78 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ÔÒParents out in the countrysideÓ Shorin D. 2010Õ lower edge. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Fine-Art Gallery, Moscow; Private Collection, Russia EXHIBITED Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Dmitry Shorin: Festivals, 5 March Ð 3 April 2011 LITERATURE Dmitry Shorin: Festivals, exh. cat., Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, 2011, p. 31; ArtChronika Magazine, No. 3, 2011, p. 17 Estimate £6,000 Ð 8,000 $9,800 Ð 13,000 7,100 Ð 9,400 ♠ à 252
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107 YURI ALBERT b. 1959 Abstraktwist, 1993 Acrylic and paper collage on canvas. 200 × 149.5 cm (78 3/4 × 58 7/8 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Y Albert ‘Abstraktwist’ 1993’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600 ♠
253
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PROPERTY FROM THE KIT FINANCE COLLECTION 108 IGOR MUKHIN b. 1961 My Moscow and Monuments, 1989 – 2004 Forty-one gelatin silver prints. Each approximately 30 × 40 cm (11 7/8 × 15 3/4 in). Each signed and variously titled in English and Cyrillic, variously dated and numbered, copyright, all in pencil on the verso. One from an edition of 7, nine from an edition of 10, twenty-five from an edition of 15 and four from an edition of 25. PROVENANCE XL Gallery, Moscow Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 ♠ à
254
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109 ANDREI TARKOVSKY 1932–1986 Polaroids, 1979-84 Twenty-five colour coupler prints. Twenty 30.5 × 30.2 cm (12 1/8 × 11 7/8 in), five 22.5 × 30.2 cm (8 7/8 × 11 7/8 in) or the reverse. White Space Gallery/Tarkovsky Foundation: Tarkovsky Foundation blindstamp in the margin; each signed and numbered of 12 in ink on the reverse; each further numbered of 12 and sequentially numbered in pencil on the paper sleeve. Contained in a box. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London EXHIBITED London, White Space Gallery, Bright Bright Day Ð Polaroids by Andrey Tarkovsky, 22 November 2007 – 20 January 2008 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Bright Bright Day Ð Polaroids by Andrey Tarkovsky, exh. cat., London: White Space Gallery Ltd and The Tarkovsky Foundation, 2007 Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600 255
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110 OLEG DOU b. 1983 Nun, 2007 Colour coupler print, Diasec mounted. 100 × 100 cm (39 3/8 × 39 3/8 in). Signed ‘Oleg Dou’ on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 6. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Moscow Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 ♠ à 256
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111 AES + F b. 1955, b. 1958, b. 1957, b. 1956 King of the Forest: New York, 2003 Inkjet print on canvas. 120 × 148 cm (47 1/4 × 58 1/4 in). This work is from an edition of 7 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artists. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £12,000 Ð 18,000 $19,600 Ð 29,300 14,100 Ð 21,200 ♠ 257
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112 KONSTANTIN KHUDYAKOV b. 1945 The Sacrifice, 2010 Stereo light panel. 70 × 100 cm (27 1/2 × 39 1/4 in). This work is unique and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Moscow Estimate £20,000 Ð 30,000 $32,600 Ð 48,900 23,500 Ð 35,300 ♠ à
258
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113 KONSTANTIN KHUDYAKOV b. 1945 The Last Supper, 2007 Ultrachrome print on canvas. 110 × 220 cm (43 1/4 × 86 5/8 in). Signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated ‘Konstantin Khudyakov The Last Supper 2007’ on the reverse. This work is unique and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Moscow Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 ♠ à 259
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114
115
114 PETR AXENOFF b. 1976 Wonder Bag, 2009 Marble. 50 × 60 cm (19 3/4 × 23 5/8 in). Incised ‘AXENOFF’ and numbered of 7 on the reverse of the base. This work is from an edition of 7. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; RuArts Gallery, Moscow; Private Collection, Russia EXHIBITED Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Petr Axenoff ÒDEAD BRANDÓ, 22 May – 21 June 2009; London, Holster Project Gallery, Frozen Reality, 13 October – 8 November 2009; Moscow, RuArts Gallery, Duel, 9 February – 9 March 2010 LITERATURE Petr Axenoff ÒDEAD BRANDÓ, exh. cat., Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, 2009
PROPERTY FROM THE KIT FINANCE COLLECTION 115 PHILIPP DONTSOV b. 1972 3D2R from the series Birth Certificate , 2008 Acrylic glass and fluorescent light. 163 × 65 × 43 cm (64 1/8 × 25 1/2 × 17 in). Signed in Cyrillic, titled and dated ‘3D2R Philipp Dontsov 2008’ on the reverse. This work is unique. PROVENANCE Aidan Gallery, Moscow Estimate £5,000 – 7,000 $8,100 – 11,400 €5,900 – 8,200 ♠ Ω
Estimate £3,000 – 4,000 $4,900 – 6,500 €3,500 – 4,700 ♠ ‡ 260
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116
117
116 FEDOR MARKUSHEVICH & GALINA SMIRNSKAYA b. 1976 & b. 1967 With Great Pleasure, 2009 Colour coupler print. 80 × 60 cm (31 1/2 × 23 1/2 in). Signed and titled and dated ‘Fedor Markushevich, Galina Smirnskaya’ on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 6. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Moscow
117 OLEG DOU b. 1983 Bodysmoker, 2006 Colour coupler print, Diasec mounted. 78.3 × 78.3 cm (30 3/4 × 30 3/4 in). Signed ‘Oleg Dou’ on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠ à
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 ♠ à
261
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BRIC
INDIA
SALE
LOTS 118 Ð146 AKHILESH 145 DAWOOD, S. 140 DODIYA, A. 122 DUBE, A. 125 GUPTA, P. 134 GUPTA, S. 144 HALL, T. 143 HUSAIN, M. F. 123 KALLAT, J. 124 KALLAT, R. S. 128, 129 KOMU, R. 120 KUMAR, B. 118 MAITY, S. 136 MARTIN, G. 137 MUCKERJEE, R. 139 PANDA, J. 130 PUSHKALE, M. 146 RANA, R. 126 SEN, M. 132, 133 SHARMA, D. 138 SHETTY, S. 119 THOMAS, ROY 135 THUKRAL & TAGRA 127, 131 UPADHYAY, C. 141 UPADHYAY, H. 121
Opposite Mithu Sen, Untitled, 2007, Lot 133 (detail)
263
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118 BARI KUMAR b. 1966 Demofuckracy, 2008 Oil on canvas. 91.5 × 91.5 cm (36 × 36 in). Signed and dated ‘Bari Kumar 2008’ lower right. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Bose Pacia, New York EXHIBITED New Delhi, Nature Morte Annex Shivalik, Bari Kumar & Radhika Khimji, 31 January – 21 February 2009 Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 à 264
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119 SUDARSHAN SHETTY b. 1961 Black Velvet Globe, 2004 Wood, brass and cloth. 104.1 × 42 × 42 cm (41 × 16.5 × 16.5 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Mumbai EXHIBITED Mumbai, Chemould Prescott Road, Sudarshan Shetty, 9–27 August 2004 Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 à
265
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120 RIYAS KOMU b. 1971 Pouch Full of Stories (I Carry the Weapon of Your Name), 2002 Oil, acrylic and marble grain on canvas. 121.5 × 243.8 cm (47.9 × 96 in). Signed and dated ‘Riyas KOMU 2002’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Mumbai EXHIBITED Mumbai, The Guild Gallery, Words and Images, 2002 Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 à 266
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000
267
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121 HEMA UPADHYAY b. 1972 Untitled - 1, 2007 Gouache, acrylic, dry pastels and photograph collage on paper. 183 × 225 cm (72 × 88 1/2 in). PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 268
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122 ATUL DODIYA b. 1959 Destination, 1984 Oil and beeswax on canvas. 127.5 × 152.1 cm (50 1/4 × 59 1/2 in). Signed and dated ‘ATUL 84’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Mumbai Estimate £25,000 Ð 35,000 $40,700 Ð 57,000 29,400 Ð 41,200 à 269
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123 MAQBOOL FIDA HUSSAIN b. 1915 Self-Portrait, 2006 Acrylic on canvas. 60 × 60 cm (23 5/8 × 23 5/8 in). Signed and dated ‘Husain 006’ upper right. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £25,000 Ð 35,000 $40,700 Ð 57,000 29,400 Ð 41,200 à “First, he dynamizes and completely fills pictorial or artistic space; he casts it in motion, making it an occasion for acts of transformation. Second, when he uses colour he employs brilliant colours to envelop space with symbolic and expressive value as opposed to serving as a filter for light. Third, he models the human form in distinctly Indian ways, in accord with lessons learned from his study of the Gupta period of sculpture and what he knows of Indian miniature and from his knowledge of Indian poetry a capacity to turn artworks, especially works on paper, into lyrical and poetically resonating intimacies.”
(D. Herwitz, Hussain: drawings, paintings, watercolors, graphic, sculpture, photography, tapestry, Bombay, 1988, p. 27) 270
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271
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124
125
124 JITISH KALLAT b. 1974 Rainbow Pictures (As You Can While You Can) from Humiliation Tax, 2005 Six digital prints, each flush-mounted. Each: 43.2 × 33 cm (17 × 13 in). Each signed, dated, numbered of 5 and copyright in ink in the margin; sequentially numbered ‘1–6’ in ink on the reverse of the frame. This work is from an edition of 5 plus 1 artist’s proof. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 à 272
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125 ANITA DUBE b. 1958 Offering, 2000 Triptych: digital colour coupler prints. Each: 23 × 38 cm (9 × 15 in). This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris EXHIBITED Anita Dube: Illegal: New Delhi, Nature Morte, 19 March – 9 April 2005 (another example exhibited); New York, Bose Pacia, 14 May – 25 June 2005 (another example exhibited); Venice Biennale, iCON/India Contemporary at the Venice Biennale, 12 June – 6 November 2005; Mumbai, Bombay Art Gallery, Photographs by Anita Dube, November 2005 (another example exhibited)
LITERATURE Anita Dube: Illegal, exh. cat., Bose Pacia and Nature Morte, New York, New Delhi, 2005, unpaginated (another example illustrated); iCON/India Contemporary, Bose Pacia, New York, 2005, p. 25 (another example illustrated)
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900 273
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(i)
(ii)
126 RASHID RANA b. 1968 Three works: (i) Veil-I, 2004; (ii) Veil-II, 2004; (iii) Veil-III, 2004 Three colour coupler prints. Each: 51 × 51 cm (20 × 20 in). (i) Signed, titled, dated ‘Veil – I Rashid Rana 2004’ and numbered of 20 on the reverse; (ii) signed, titled, dated ‘Veil – II Rashid Rana 2004’ and numbered of 20 on the reverse; (iii) signed, titled, dated ‘Veil – III Rashid Rana 2004’ and numbered of 20 on the reverse. These works are from an edition of 20. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Mumbai EXHIBITED Rashid Rana: Identical Views: New Delhi, Nature Morte, 10 – 31 July 2004; Mumbai, Chatterjee & Lal, 13 – 26 February 2005 (another example exhibited); New York, Bose Pacia, Subodh Gupta, Rashid Rana & L.N. Tallur, 19 July – 20 August 2005 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Rashid Rana: Identical views, exh. cat., Nature Morte, Chatterjee & Lal and Bose Pacia, New Delhi, Mumbai and New York, 2004, p. 25 (another example illustrated)
In Veil-I, Veil-II, Veil-III, Rana depicts in his characteristic pixellated format three women masked in veils, traditional Muslim headwear. Feminism and the growing conflict between modern society and Islamic traditions are recurring themes in Rana’s work, the present lot being a particularly resonant example.
“The justification for the veil traditionally has been the protection of women from the lustful gazes of men but what is controlled is the sight of women not the vision of men. The veiled woman is one of the most common tropes of art from the Islamic world. Rana’s work adds a new and discordant note to this chorus. His close-ups of the heavily shrouded, dehumanized faceless faces are, amazingly composed of hard-core pornography downloaded from the internet. In the encounter, the images are both shocking and beautiful. And when one recognizes the pixels, one thinks of the unlikely juxtaposition first as opposites, and then, numbingly as the same. The thousands of naked women are as depersonalized as the woman behind the veil.”
Estimate £40,000 Ð 60,000 $65,200 Ð 97,800 47,100 Ð 70,600 à
(Kavita Singh, Rashid Rana; Identical Views, Gallery Nature Morte, New Delhi, 2005, p.24)
274
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(iii)
275
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276
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127 THUKRAL & TAGRA b. 1976 & b. 1979 Homosapiens-Brainstorm-2, 2008 Diptych: acrylic, ink and oil on canvas. Each: 183 × 122.5 cm (72 × 48 1/4 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Thukral Tagra HOMOSAPIENS-BRAINSTORM-2 JANUARY 2008’ on the reverse of the left panel. PROVENANCE Bose Pacia, New York Estimate £25,000 Ð 35,000 $40,700 Ð 57,000 29,400 Ð 41,200
277
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128 REENA SAINI KALLAT b. 1973 Penumbra Passage (Canine Cases), 2006 Acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame, wooden box, glass, velvet, 32 marble powder and FRP carvings and stainless steel stand. Painting: 137.5 × 91 cm (54 1/8 × 35 3/4 in); vitrine: 68 × 122 × 77.5 cm (26 3/4 × 48 × 30 1/2 in). PROVENANCE New Art World, London Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700
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129
130
129 REENA SAINI KALLAT b. 1973 Memoria Corona, 2006 Ivory duco paint on FRP. 115 × 96 × 96 cm (45 1/4 × 37 3/4 × 37 3/4 in). This work is from an edition of 3 plus 1 artist’s proof. PROVENANCE Bodhi Art, New Delhi
130 JAGANNATH PANDA b. 1970 Rest, 2006 Cloth laid on fibreglass. 42 × 68.5 × 43 cm (16.5 × 27 × 17 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Rest, Jagannath Panda, 2006’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New Delhi
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
Estimate £18,000 Ð 22,000 $29,300 Ð 35,800 21,200 Ð 25,900 à
279
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131 THUKRAL & TAGRA b. 1976 & b. 1979 Weekend Bonanza 2, 2007 Diptych: oil and acrylic on canvas. Overall: 175 × 365 cm (68 7/8 × 143 3/4 in). Signed, titled and dated on the reverse. PROVENANCE Nature Morte, New Delhi Estimate £15,000 Ð 25,000 $24,400 Ð 40,700 17,700 Ð 29,400
280
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281
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132
133
132 MITHU SEN b. 1971 Untitled, 2006 Mixed media on handmade paper. 209 × 105 cm (82 1/4 × 41 1/4 in). Signed and dated ‘Mithu Sen ‘06’ lower right. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Paris
133 MITHU SEN b. 1971 Untitled, 2007 Mixed media on handmade paper. 103 × 70 cm (40 1/2 × 27 1/2 in). Signed and dated ‘Mithu Sen 2007’ on the reverse of the backing. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Asia
Estimate £6,000 Ð 8,000 $9,800 Ð 13,000 7,100 Ð 9,400
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
282
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THIS LOT IS SOLD WITH NO RESERVE 134 PROBIR GUPTA b. 1960 Eggs and Anxiety, 2006 Acrylic on canvas. 198.2 × 193 cm (78 × 76 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Eggs & Anxiety ‘06 Probir’ on the reverse. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. PROVENANCE Bodhi Art, Mumbai EXHIBITED New York, Bodhi Art, Probir Gupta: To Whomsoever it may concern, 16 May – 16 June 2007 Estimate £12,000 Ð 18,000 $19,600 Ð 29,300 14,100 Ð 21,200
¥ 283
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135
136
135 ROY THOMAS b. 1966 Silent Scream, 2008 Oil on canvas. 152.5 x 152.5 cm (60 x 60 in). Signed and dated ‘ROY THOMAS ‘08’ lower right; further signed and dated ‘ROY THOMAS ‘08’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Arushi Arts, New Delhi
136 SNEHASHISH MAITY b. 1970 Mind Game, 2008 Oil on canvas. 122 x 183 cm (48 x 72 in). Signed and dated ‘Snehashish Maity 2008’ on the reverse; further signed and dated ‘Snehashish Maity 2008’ on the stretcher. PROVENANCE Arushi Arts, New Delhi
Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 à
Estimate £3,500 Ð 4,500 $5,700 Ð 7,300 4,100 Ð 5,300 284
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137
138
137 GEORGE MARTIN b. 1973 Sediments from a Broken Crucible, 2008 Watercolour on paper. 149.7 x 106.7 cm (59 x 42 in). Signed ‘George Martin 2008’ lower right. PROVENANCE Arushi Arts, New Delhi Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
138 DILIP SHARMA b. 1974 Scissors, 2007 Watercolour on paper. 180.5 x 122 cm (71 x 48 in). Signed and dated ‘Dilip 07’ lower left. PROVENANCE Arushi Arts, New Delhi Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð 3,500
139 RAHUL MUCKERJEE b. 1978 Underlined Ð 8, 2007 Acrylic on canvas. 122 x 152.5 cm (48 x 60 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘“UNDERLINED-8”, 2007 RAHUL MUKHERJEE’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Arushi Arts, New Delhi Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900
139 285
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140 SHEZAD DAWOOD b. 1974 Paradise, 2001 Graphite and colour pencil on paper. 81 × 56 cm (31 7/8 × 22 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Shezad Dawood “Paradise” 2001’ on the reverse of the mount. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð 3,500 ♠
286
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141 CHINTAN UPADHYAY b. 1972 Smart Alec, 2007 Oil and acrylic on canvas. 152 × 152 cm (59 3/4 × 59 3/4 in). Signed, titled and dated ÔChintan 2007 ÒSmart AlecÓÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France Estimate £18,000 – 22,000 $29,300 – 35,800 €21,200 – 25,900
287
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143
142 NO LOT
143 TIM HALL b. 1966 Dressing by the Ganges from Pilgrimage, 2002 Archival pigment print. 101.6 × 101.6 cm (40 × 40 in). Signed, titled, dated ‘2011’ and numbered 2/5 in pencil on the verso. This work is from an edition of 5 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London Estimate £1,500 Ð 2,500 $2,400 Ð 4,100 1,800 Ð 2,900 288
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144 SHILPA GUPTA b. 1976 Untitled-4, 2006 Colour coupler print. 178 × 305 cm (70 × 120 in). This work is from an edition of 5 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist EXHIBITED Turin, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Subcontingente, 29 June – 8 October 2006; Lueneberg, Kunstraum der Universitaet, All Our Tomorrows: The Culture of Camouflage, 25 November 2006 – 14 January 2007; New Delhi, Apeejay Media Gallery, Recent works by Shilpa Gupta, 9 February – 11 February 2007; London, Albion Gallery, Politics of Fear, 27 March – 18 May 2007; Mumbai, Sakshi Gallery, Recent works by Shilpa Gupta, 3 March – 14 March 2007 LITERATURE E. Navarra, Made by Indians, Paris: Editions Galerie Enrico Navarra, 2006, pp. 121–24; E. Navarra, LÕArt ˆ la Plage, Paris: Editions Galerie Enrico Navarra, 2006, pp. 115–19; Beaux-Arts Magazine, October 2006, p. 76; Shilpa Gupta, exh. cat., Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, 2007, pp. 41–48; Johan Pijnappel, ‘Interview with Shilpa Gupta’, Art it Magazine, vol. 5, no. 4, Winter/Spring 2007, cover and pp. 50–51 Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 289
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145 AKHILESH b. 1956 Blue can go after Red, 2009 Acrylic on canvas. 85 × 114.5 cm (33 1/2 × 45 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Akhilesh “Blue can go after red” 2009’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 à 290
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146 MANISH PUSHKALE b. 1973 Untitled Ð 1, 2009 Oil in canvas. 61 × 76.2 cm (24 × 30 in). Signed, titled and dated ‘Manish Pushkale 2009 Untitled – 1’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 à 291
BRIC_UK_April_2011_Lots_INDIA_262-291_V2.indd 291
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000
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BRIC
CHINA
SALE
LOTS 147 Ð 203
BAI, Y. 153 CAI, G. 174 CHEN, J. 176 CUI, X. 165, 166 FENG, Z. 173, 175 GAO BROTHERS 187, 193 GAO, Q. 189 GUO, W. 156 HAN, Y. 168 HUANG, Y. 192, 201 LI, T. 199 LIN, T. 196, 197 LIN, T. & WANG, GONGXIN 172 LIU, B. 159 LIU, D. 191, 202 LUO BROTHERS 182, 185 MA, H. 188 MA, L. 151, 160, 162 MALEONN 177 QIU, Z. 147, 161 RIBOUD, M. 163, 164 SHEN, L. 203
TU, H. 167 WANG, GUANGYI 158 WANG, GONGXIN & LIN, T. 172 WANG, K. 171 WANG, Q. 181, 183 WANG, Z. 157 WENG, F. 178, 179 XIA, X. 170 XIAO, B. 190 XIAOXIA 150 YANG, S. 152 YANG, Y. 180 YI, Z. 186 ZHANG, HUAN 148, 154, 155 ZHANG HUI 198, 200 ZHANG, D. 149 ZHENG, D. 195 ZHENG, L. 184 ZHOU, J. 169 ZHOU, T. 194
Opposite Yang Shaobin, Police Series, No. 67, 1996, Lot 152 (detail)
293
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147 QIU ZHIJIE b. 1969 Tattoo II, 1994 Colour coupler print. 61 × 50.5 cm (24 × 19 7/8 in). Signed, titled in Chinese and Pinyin, dated and numbered of 10 in ink on the recto. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France LITERATURE Artists Publishing Co., Between the Boundaries Ð A Journey to Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan, 2001, p. 54; C. Buci-Glucksmand and J. Marc Decrop, ModernitŽs chinoises, Paris: Skira, 2003, p. 31; Mi Shu Chu Ban She, Qiu Zhijie, Fu Jian, China, 2004, p. 120; CINA: Prospettive DÕarte Contemporanea, Milan: Skira, 2005, p. 90; Made in China, exh. cat., Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humleb¾k, Denmark, 2007, p. 94 Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 294
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148 ZHANG HUAN b. 1965 12 Square Meters, 1994 Gelatin silver print. 150.1 × 100.1 cm (59 1/8 × 39 1/4 in). Signed, titled, dated and numbered of 15 on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 15. PROVENANCE Private Collection, London
Zhang HuanÕs performance 12 Square Meters was a reaction to the squalor of his village, and
Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500
fish oil and honey to attract the flies in the villageÕs public convenience. He sat on the toilet,
a reference to a specific experience in a filthy public bathroom. The site of the performance was Dong Cun, later christened by the artist the East Village, as by 1993 the garbage-filled district in the east side of Beijing was the home of the growing artistic community. 12 Square Meters was a performance in which Zhang Huan covered his body in a potent concoction of
almost immobile, for an hour. Eventually, his body was covered with flies.
295
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149 ZHANG DALI b. 1963 AK-47 (134), 2006 Acrylic on vinyl. 137 × 109 cm (54 × 42 7/8 in). Signed in Pinyin and Chinese, titled and dated ÔAK-47 (134) 2006 Zhang DaliÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500 296
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150 XIAOXIA The Mind, 1992 Oil, ink and gold leaf on canvas. 180 × 154 cm (70 7/8 × 60 5/8 in). Signed on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Switzerland
When a young boy, Xiaoxia demonstrated great promise as a painter and was
Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500
this period, at the peak of his career, that he chose to return to his homeland. The
heavily influenced by his father and traditional Chinese painting. On maturing, his fascination with contemporary art led to his relocation to Europe. It was here he started to receive artistic recognition and ultimately was able to forge his career. Xiaoxia was widely accepted and praised during his time in Europe. It was during
artist turned his back on a rich exhibition schedule and shifted his focus to the study of traditional Chinese painting. XaioxiaÕs paintings incorporate both eastern and western influences, classical and modern traditions. His control of such conflicting trans-cultural systems has led to a much-celebrated and rich oeuvre. 297
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151 MA LIUMING b. 1969 Painting No. 11, 2006 Oil on canvas. 292 × 200 cm (115 × 78 3/4 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, titled and dated ÔMa Liuming No. 11 2006Õ on the reverse. This work is accompanied by a certifcate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500
298
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152 YANG SHAOBIN b. 1963 Police Series, No. 67, 1996 Oil on canvas. 41 × 33 cm (16 × 13 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin ÔYANG SHAOBINÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired from the above by the present owner Estimate £20,000 Ð30,000 $32,600 Ð 48,900 23,500 Ð35,300 à
299
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153 BAI YILUO b. 1968 Animal Destiny, 2005 Twelve colour coupler prints. Each: 67 × 100 cm (26 3/8 × 39 3/8 in). Each signed, titled in Chinese, dated ÔAnimal Destiny Bai Yiluo 2005Õ and numbered of 10 on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 10 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. PROVENANCE Primo Marella Gallery, Milan EXHIBITED Beijing, Marella Gallery, Bai Yiluo Solo Show: Animal Destiny, 26 November 2005 Ð 6 Janurary 2006 (another example exhibited); Lugano, BSI Lugano, Free Zone China: BSI Art Collection, 3 April Ð 6 June 2008 (another example exhibited); Milan, Palazzo Reale, China: Contemporary Revival, 10 December 2009 Ð 7 February 2010 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Free Zone China: BSI Art Collection, exh, cat., BSI Lugano, 2008; China: Contemporary Revival, exh, cat., Palazzo Reale, Milan, 2009, p. 127 (illustrated) Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 300
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154
155 154 ZHANG HUAN b. 1965 My Boston 2, 2005 Colour coupler print. 80 × 130 cm (31 1/2 × 51 1/4 in). Signed in Pinyin and Chinese, dated in English and Chinese ÔZhang Huan 2005Õ and numbered of 8 on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED Berlin, Galerie Volker Diehl, Zhang Huan, 21 March Ð 25 April 2006 (another example exhibited) Estimate £6,000 – 8,000 $9,800 – 13,000 €7,100 – 9,400
155 ZHANG HUAN b. 1965 My America Ð Performance: Hard to Acclimatize, November 1999, Seattle Art Museum, 1999 Colour coupler print. 101 × 150 cm (39 3/4 × 59 in). This work is from an edition of 6 plus 2 artistÕs proofs. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £5,000 – 7,000 $8,100 – 11,400 €5,900 – 8,200
My Boston is a performance piece which is a manifestation of a past memory/ experience. It is based upon Zhang HuanÕs mother urging her young son to read, and on his inability to focus at school. Alas, books put him to sleep and he would concoct ways to stay awake, including biting himself. Eventually, the artist had the idea to ingest a page of a book daily and later defecate it out. The artist has stated that Boston is the city that made him feel the most inferior, with its intellectual atmosphere and Ivy League Universities, which is why he chose the city to stage this performance. 301
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156 GUO WEI b. 1960 Splash Series No.26, 1996 Oil on canvas. 40 × 30 cm (15 3/4 × 11 3/4 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔGuo Wei 96Õ lower right. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong; acquired from the above by the present owner Estimate £6,000 Ð 8,000 $9,800 Ð 13,000 7,100 Ð 9,400 à
302
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157
158
157 WANG ZIWEI b. 1963 Mao with Tear, 2007 Acrylic on canvas. 180 × 180 cm (70 7/8 × 70 7/8 in). Signed on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA Estimate £20,000 Ð 30,000 $32,600 Ð 48,900 23,500 Ð 35,300 à
158 WANG GUANGYI b. 1957 Great Criticism Ð Coca Cola, 2006 Colour lithograph on Rives BFK paper. 75 × 66.5 cm (29 1/2 × 26 1/8 in). Signed in Chinese ÔWang GuangyiÕ and numbered of 199 in the lower margin, published by Idem, Paris (with their blindstamp). This work is from an edition of 199. PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA
Wang Ziwei was among the 13 Chinese artists who took part in the first Chinese
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100 à
participation at the Venice Biennale in 1993. The others artists included Yu Youhan, Li Shan, Wang Guangyi, Zhang Peili, Geng Jianyi, Xu Bing, Liu Wei, Fang Lijun, Yu Hong, Feng Mengbo, Sun Liang and Song Haidong. As a student of Yu Youhan, Ziwei honed his political Pop-art style using acrylic over oil, an unusual medium at the time, and he is reputed to have inspired his mentor to incorporate the figure of Mao in his own works. 303
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159
160
159 LIU BOLIN b. 1973 Hide in the city #90, National Day, 2010 Lambda print. 80 × 120 cm (31 1/2 × 47 1/4 in). Signed, titled, dated and numbered of 8 on the reverse of the flush-mount. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe
160 MA LIUMING b. 1969 Fen-Ma Liuming in Geneva, 1999 Gelatin silver print. 119 × 240 cm (46 7/8 × 94 1/2 in). This work is from an edition of 20. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200
Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900
304
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161
162
161 QIU ZHIJIE b. 1969 Tattoo 1, 2000 Colour coupler print. 102 × 78 cm (40 1/8 × 30 3/4 in). Signed in Chinese, titled ÔQiu Zhijie TATTOO IÕ and numbered of 10 on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France
162 MA LIUMING b. 1969 Fen-Ma LiumingÕs Lunch I, 1994 Gelatin silver print. 57 × 36.5 cm (22 1/2 × 14 3/8 in). Signed in Chinese, dated ÔMa Liuming 1994Õ and numbered of 10 in the lower margin. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Cheng Xin Gallery, Beijing
Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200
Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð 3,500 One of Ma LiumingÕs first performances is called Fen-Ma LiumingÕs Lunch, a collaboration with Zhang Huan and Zhu Ming in 1994. He sat, completely nude, sucking a plastic tube that was attached to his penis. In 1994, Ma Liuming was arrested for a period of two months because of works like this. Many of the artists of the Beijing East Village fled in response to this police action. 305
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163
164
163 MARC RIBOUD b. 1923 Propaganda Poster, Shanghai, 1965 Baryte print, printed later. 30 × 45 cm (11 3/4 × 17 3/4 in). Signed, titled, dated in ink in the margin; credit stamp on the verso. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe LITERATURE O. Schell, Visions of China: Photographs by Marc Riboud 1957Ð1980, Random House, 1981, pl. 81; Daniel, Marc Riboud in China: Forty Years of Photography, London, 1997, p. 73
164 MARC RIBOUD b. 1923 Impassioned support for Ho Chi Minh, Peking, 1965 Baryte print, printed later. 30 × 45 cm (11 3/4 × 17 3/4 in). Signed, titled, dated in ink in the margin; credit stamp on the verso. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe LITERATURE O. Schell, Visions of China: Photographs by Marc Riboud 1957Ð1980, Random House, 1981, pl. 7; J. Daniel, Marc Riboud in China: Forty Years of Photography, London, 1997, p. 52
Estimate £1,000 Ð 1,500 $1,600 Ð 2,400 1,200 Ð 1,800 ♠
Estimate £1,000 Ð 1,500 $1,600 Ð 2,400 1,200 Ð 1,800 ♠
306
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165
166 165 CUI XIUWEN b. 1970 One Day in 2004 no. 4, 2004 Digital colour coupler print. 120 × 150 cm (47 1/2 × 59 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, titled in Chinese and English, dated ÔCui Xiuwen one day in 2004 No, 4Õ and numbered of 6 on a label affixed to the reverse. This work is from an edition of 6 and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. PROVENANCE Primo Marella Gallery, Milan EXHIBITED Beijing, Marella Gallery, Cui Xiuwen Solo Show: Angel, 21 October Ð 30 November 2005 (another example exhibited); Milan, Marella Gallery, Out of the Red – 2: The photographic session, 2005 (another example exhibited); Los Angeles, DF2 Gallery, Cui Xiuwen: Angel, 2006 (another example exhibited); Milan, Palazzo Reale, China: Contemporary Revival, 10 December 2009 Ð 7 February 2010 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE Out of the Red – 2: The photographic session, exh. cat., Marella Gallery, Milan, 2005; Cui Xiuwen Solo Show: Angel, exh. cat., Marella Gallery, Beijing, 2006; Cui Xiuwen: Angel, exh. cat., DF2 Gallery, Los Angeles, 2006; China: Contemporary Revival, exh, cat., Palazzo Reale, Milan, 2009 p. 135 (illustrated)
166 CUI XIUWEN b. 1970 The Three Realms (Sanjie), 2009 Digital colour coupler print. 40.6 × 139.7 cm (16 × 55 in). Signed in Chinese and dated ÔCui Xiuwen, 2009.9.14Õ lower right; further numbered of 30 lower left. This work is from an edition of 30 plus 5 artistÕs proofs. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New York Estimate £2,500 Ð 3,500 $4,100 Ð 5,700 2,900 Ð 4,100 à
Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 307
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167
168
167 TU HONGTAO b. 1976 Untitled, 2007 Oil on canvas. 100 × 80 cm (39 3/8 × 31 1/2 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔTutu.07Õ lower middle. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900
168 HAN YAJUAN b. 1980 Kingdom of Milk No. 19, 2006 Oil on canvas. 79.5 × 79.5 cm (31 1/4 × 31 1/4 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔHAN YA JUAN 2006Õ lower right; further signed and titled in Chinese and dated ÔKingdom of Milk No. 19 Han Ya Juan 2006Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Andrew James Art, Shanghai Estimate £6,000 Ð £8,000 $9,800 Ð 13,000 7,100 Ð 9,400
169 ZHOU JINHUA b. 1978 Recluse, 2006 Oil on canvas. 85 × 65 cm (33 1/2 × 25 1/2 in). Signed and dated ÔZhou 2006Õ lower left; further signed, titled and dated in Chinese ÔZhou Jinhua Recluse 2006Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900
169 308
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170
171
170 XIA XING b. 1974 05.7.17.XX, 2005 Oil on canvas. 70 × 99.5 cm (27 1/2 × 39 1/8 in). Titled Ô05.7.17.XXÕ upper turnover edge. PROVENANCE Galerie Urs Meile, Lucerne Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900
171 WANG KE b. 1982 Fierce Animal, 2007 Acrylic on canvas. 200 × 160 cm (78 3/4 × 63 in). Initialled and dated ÔK00.07.9Õ lower right. PROVENANCE Chinese Contemporary, Beijing EXHIBITED Beijing, Chinese Contemporary, Wang Ke: Big Face, 28 October Ð 28 November 2007 Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100 309
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172
173
172 WANG GONGXIN & LIN TIANMIAO b. 1960 and b. 1961 Here? Or There?, 2002 Fifteen digital colour coupler prints. Each: 30.2 × 38.1 cm (11 7/8 × 15 in). Each signed and sequentially numbered Ô1Ð15Õ in pencil on the verso. Accompanied by a portfolio case, signed, numbered of 50 and Ô1Ð15Õ in pencil. PROVENANCE Private Collection EXHIBITED Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai Biennale, 22 November 2002 Ð 20 January 2003 (another example exhibited) LITERATURE He Hao, ed., Wang Gongxin & Lin Tianmiao: Here? Or There?, Beijing: Timezone 8, 2005, pp. 117Ð31
173 FENG ZHENGJIE b. 1968 Untitled, 2007 Bronze. 88 × 30 × 30 cm (34 5/8 × 11 7/8 × 11 7/8 in). Signed and numbered of 9 on the underside. This work is from an edition of 9 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700
Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700 à 310
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174
175
174 CAI GUOTAI b. 1964 Workshop with Railway, 2006 Oil on canvas in two parts. Overall: 240 × 380 cm (94 1/2 × 149 1/2 in). PROVENANCE Alexander Ochs, Berlin; Private Collection, London LITERATURE Cai Guotai 2003Ð2005, White Space Gallery, 2005, p. 45 (illustrated)
175 FENG ZHENGJIE b. 1968 Untitled, 2007 Colour screenprint on wove paper. 114 × 114 cm (44 7/8 × 44 7/8 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, dated ÔFeng Zhengjie 2007Õ and numbered of 58 on the lower edge. This work is from an edition of 58. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100 Estimate £3,000 Ð 5,000 $4,900 Ð 8,100 3,500 Ð 5,900
311
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176
177
176 CHEN JIAGANG b. 1962 Temptation #23, Memories, 2009 Lambda print, flush-mounted. 99.7 × 165.1 cm (39 1/4 × 65 in). Signed in English and Chinese, titled in Chinese, dated and numbered of 12 in ink in the margin. This work is from an edition of 12. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe
177 MALEONN (MA LING) b. 1972 Postman #4, 2008 Lambda print. Flush-mount. 90 × 135 cm (35 7/16 × 53 1/8 in). Signed, titled, dated and numbered of 6 on the reverse of the flush mount. This work is from an edition of 6 and is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe
Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600
Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð 3,500 312
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178 (i)
178 (ii)
178 WENG FEN (WENG PEIJUN) b, 1961 Two works: (i) Staring at the Sea No. 6, 2003; (ii) BirdÕs Eye View, Shangai, 2005 Colour coupler prints. Each: 78.1 × 101 cm (30 3/4 × 39 3/4 in). (i) Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔWeng PeiJun 2003Õ and numbered of 10 in the lower margin; (ii) signed in Pinyin and dated ÔWeng PeiJun 2005Õ and numbered of 10 in the lower margin. These works are from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, New York Estimate £3,000 Ð 4,000 $4,900 Ð 6,500 3,500 Ð 4,700 à
179
179 WENG FEN (WENG PEIJUN) b, 1961 On the Wall-Haikou, 2003 Colour coupler print. 80 × 99 cm (31 1/2 × 39 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔWeng Peijun 2003Õ and numbered of 10 in the lower margin. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France Estimate £3,000 Ð 4,000 $4,900 Ð 6,500 3,500 Ð 4,700
180 YANG YI b. 1971 Uprooted #1, Sleeping Buddha Road, Fruit CompanyÕs Dormitory, 2007 Lambda print, flush-mounted. 105 × 150 cm (41 5/16 × 59 in). Signed, titled, dated and numbered of 6 on a label affixed to the reverse of the frame. This work is from an edition of 6 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
180 313
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181 (i)
181 (ii)
181 WANG QINGSONG b. 1966 Two works: (i) White Peony; (ii) Red Peony, 2003 Two colour coupler prints. Each: 109 × 49.5 cm (42 7/8 × 19 1/2 in). Each signed in Pinyin and Chinese, dated ÔWang Qingsong 2003Õ and numbered of 20 with artistÕs stamp on the reverse. These works are from an edition of 20. PROVENANCE
182
Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200 ÒIn the winter of 2003, I created a series of Ôfake flowersÕ. The main flower I chose is the peony, popular symbol in China of national brilliance and prosperity, and therefore our national flower. I made the petals of my ÔpeoniesÕ out of fresh vegetables, and raw slices of mutton and beef. I shot one set when they were all nice and fresh. I later reshot the same ÔflowersÕ after putting the peonies in a deep freezer for a week. This work records a literal depiction of the transition from prosperity to decay, along with my hope of freezing such materialistic decadence made from fleshy desires.Ó (Wang Qingsong)
182 LUO BROTHERS b. 1963, b. 1964 & b. 1972 Welcome to the WorldÕs Most Famous Brands, 1997 Lacquer on wooden panel. 55.5 × 65 cm (21 7/8 × 25 1/2 in). PROVENANCE Galerie Loft, Paris Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200
183 WANG QINGSONG b. 1966 The Glory of Hope, 2007 Digital colour coupler print. 222.5 × 174 cm (87 1/2 × 68 1/2 in). This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe EXHIBITED London, Albion Gallery, The Glory of Hope, 8Ð28 April 2008 (another example exhibited) Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600
183 314
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184
185
184 ZHENG LU b. 1978 Mao Never Down, 2007 Resin. 75 × 45 × 40 cm (29 1/2 × 17 3/4 × 16 in). Signed in Chinese, dated ÔZheng Lu 2007Õ and numbered of 8 on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE F2 Gallery, Beijing
185 LUO BROTHERS b. 1963, b. 1964 & b. 1972 Two works: Welcome to the WorldÕs Most Famous Brands, 2008 Lacquer on wooden panel. Each: 46 × 39 cm (18 1/8 × 15 3/8 in). Each signed in Chinese and dated ÔLuo Brothers 2008.1Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France
Estimate £3,000 Ð 4,000 $4,900 Ð 6,500 3,500 Ð 4,700
Estimate £6,000 Ð 8,000 $9,800 Ð 13,000 7,100 Ð 9,400
315
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186
186 YI ZHOU b. 1978 The End of Communism, 2003 Flash animation, DVD. Duration: 15 seconds. This work is an artistÕs proof from an edition of 3 plus 1 artistÕs proof. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist
187
Estimate £5,000 – 7,000 $8,100 – 11,400 €5,900 – 8,200 ÒThe End of Communism is one of my very first works that I have done for the Whitney Biennial online project. The title seems to be controversial, in reality itÕs not about wishing communism to end, in reality itÕs about the idea that a new type of communism with economical special treatment will replace the previous decadesÕ communism in China. So, itÕs a playful 15-second view about the idea of the Chinese flag, which has been the central symbol of the Chinese educational system to introduce communism to the children in school. The playfulness of the piece introduces the idea of hope for change and transition within the same regime.Ó (Yi Zhou)
187 GAO BROTHERS b. 1956 & b. 1962 The Interview, 2007 Digital colour coupler print. 117 × 150 cm (46 1/16 × 59 1/16 in). Signed, dated and numbered of 10 in the margin. This work is from an edition of 10. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £7,000 – 9,000 $11,400 – 14,700 €8,200 – 10,600
188 MA HAN b. 1968 China Dream No. 7, 2006 Painted fibreglass. Overall: 48 × 53 × 127 cm (18 7/8 × 20 7/8 × 50 in). Signed in Pinyin and Chinese, titled in Chinese and English and dated ÔChina Dream No. 7 Ma Han 2006Õ on the underside of both parts; one part additionally numbered of 12 on the underside. This work is from an edition of 12. PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe Estimate £6,000 – 8,000 $9,800 – 13,000 €7,100 – 9,400
188 316
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189
190
189 GAO QIANG b. 1962 Mao, 2008 Oil on canvas. 140 × 200 cm (55 1/8 × 78 3/4 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated ‘2008 Gao.Qiang’ lower right and further on the reverse. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist LITERATURE China Ð Inside the Dragon, National Geographic, May 2008, p. 100 (illustrated)
190 XIAO BO b. 1977 Visiting 3, 2007 Triptych: oil on canvas. Each: 92 × 72 cm (36 1/4 × 3/8 in). Each initialled and dated ‘X B. 07’ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Private Collection, United Kingdom Estimate £6,000 – 8,000 $9,800 – 13,000 €7,100 – 9,400 †
Estimate £4,000 – 6,000 $6,500 – 9,800 €4,700 – 7,100 317
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(i)
(ii)
(iii)
191 LIU DING b. 1976 Three works: (i) Choice; (ii) Cultural Violence; (iii) To Escape This World, 2007 Colour coupler prints. Each: 168 × 120 cm (66 1/8 × 47 1/4 in). Each signed and numbered of 6. These works are numbered of 6 and are each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe Estimate £3,000 Ð 6,000 $4,900 Ð 9,800 3,500 Ð 7,100
318
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192
193
192 HUANG YAN b. 1966 Flower, Sex and Star 1, 2005 Digital colour coupler print. 100 × 300 cm (39 3/8 × 118 1/8 in). Signed, dated ÔHuang Yan 2005Õ and numbered of 6 upper left. This work is from an edition of 6 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe
193 GAO BROTHERS b. 1956 & b. 1962 Chinese Ark, 2000 Lambda print, flush-mounted. 125.5 × 152 cm (49 3/8 × 59 3/4 in). Signed in Chinese and English, dated ÔGao Brothers 2000Õ and numbered A.P. lower margin. This work is an artistÕs proof. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist
Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600
319
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194 ZHOU TIEHAI b. 1966 Flora, 2001 Airbrushed acrylic on canvas. 157 × 126 cm (61 3/4 × 49 1/2 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔZHOU TIEHAI 2001Õ on the reverse. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe Estimate £15,000 Ð 20,000 $24,400 Ð 32,600 17,700 Ð 23,500
320
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195 ZHENG DELONG b. 1976 Cheng Du in China 07-11, 2007 Oil on canvas. 180 × 180 cm (70 7/8 × 70 7/8 in). Signed, titled in Pinyin and Chinese and dated Ô07-11 Cheng Du in China Zheng DelongÕ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Han Ji Yun Contemporary Space, Beijing Estimate £12,000 Ð 18,000 $19,600 Ð 29,300 14,100 Ð 21,200
321
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196
196 LIN TIANMIAO b. 1961 MotherÕs No. 1, 2008 Polyester, thread, silk and Plexiglas. Overall: 37 × 160 × 65 cm (14 1/2 × 63 × 25 1/2 in). This work is from an edition of 7. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France Estimate £10,000 Ð 15,000 $16,300 Ð 24,400 11,800 Ð 17,700
197 LIN TIANMIAO b. 1961 Seeing Shadows No.38, 2008 Digital print and thread on canvas. 144 × 283 cm (56 3/4 × 111 1/2 in). This work is unique. PROVENANCE Private Collection, France Estimate £20,000 Ð 30,000 $32,600 Ð 48,900 23,500 Ð 35,300
197 322
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323
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199
198
198 ZHANG HUI b. 1969 Beijing Wa Wa Ð Mermaid, 2006 Painted fibreglass. 103.9 × 39.9 × 33 cm (41 × 15 3/4 × 13 in). Signed in Chinese, titled, dated in Chinese and English ÔBEIJING WA WA Ð Mermaid Zhang Hui 2006Õ and numbered of 8 on the reverse. This work is from an edition of 8 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe Estimate £5,000 Ð 7,000 $8,100 Ð 11,400 5,900 Ð 8,200
THIS LOT IS SOLD WITH NO RESERVE 199 LI TIANBING b. 1974 Nature Morte Chinoise No. 6, 2002 Oil on canvas. 96.5 × 130 cm (38 × 51 1/4 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, titled and dated ÔTianbing Li 2002 NMC # 6Õ on the reverse. PROVENANCE Galerie Loft, Paris Estimate £4,000 Ð 6,000 $6,500 Ð 9,800 4,700 Ð 7,100
¥
200 ZHANG HUI b. 1969 Beijing Wawa, 2006 Painted fibreglass. 96 × 47 × 36 cm (37 3/4 × 18 1/2 × 14 1/8 in). Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, titled and dated in Chinese and English ÔBEIJING WAWA ZHANG HUI 2006Õ and numbered of 8 on the underside. This work is from an edition of 8. PROVENANCE Private Collection, UK Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600
200 324
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201 (i)
201 (ii)
201 HUANG YAN b. 1978 Two works: (i) One Line Shan-shui (red), 2007; (ii) One Line Shan-shui (black), 2007 Oil on canvas. Each: 40 × 120 cm (15 3/4 × 47 1/4 in). Each signed in Pinyin and dated ÔHuang Yan 07Õ centre right. These works are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe
202
Estimate £7,000 Ð 9,000 $11,400 Ð 14,700 8,200 Ð 10,600
202 LIU DING b. 1976 Power, 2007 Porcelain, aluminium, acrylic and fluorescent light. 106 × 60 × 40 cm (41 3/4 × 23 1/2 × 15 3/4 in). Signed in Pinyin and dated ÔLiu Ding 2007Õ on the underside. This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity provided by Primo Marella Gallery, Milan. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist; Private Collection, Europe Estimate £3,000 Ð 4,000 $4,900 Ð 6,500 3,500 Ð 4,700
203 SHEN LIANG b. 1976 Opera 9-30, 2005 Oil on canvas. 140 × 160 cm (55 1/8 × 63 in). PROVENANCE L.A. Gallery, Beijing; Private Collection, London Estimate £2,000 Ð 3,000 $3,300 Ð 4,900 2,400 Ð 3,500
203 325
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INDEX
AES + F
111
Ai, W.
22
Akhilesh
145
Albert, Y.
107
AVAF
Salgado, S.
42
Axenoff, P. Bai, Y.
114
153
Blue Noses Group Brasil, P. Bulatov, E.
95
10
174 2, 18
Campana, F. & H. 51, 52
196, 197 172
Chtak, V.
55
Schendel, M.
21
Sen, M.
132, 133
Serpa, I.
20, 57
Liu, B. 159
Shen, L.
203
Liu, D. 191, 202
Shetty, S.
119
Liu, W.
Shorin, D.
106
3, 30 61, 62
Shulgin, A. & Chernyshev, A.
165, 166
Smirnskaya, G. & Markushevich, F.
Lyon, M.
Struchkova, N.
64A
59
DÕAlmeida, N. & Oiticica, H. Dawood, S.
Ma, H.
188
Ma, L.
151, 160, 162
Sundukov, A.
Magaril, M.
Da Silva Mavignier, A.
43
76
Maity, S.
136
Maleonn
177
Tenreiro, J.
39
Martin, G.
101 44
109 58
Thomas, R. 135 83, 84
Markushevich, F. & Smirnskaya, G.
Do Espirito Santo, I.
137
Thukral & Tagra 116
Tselkov, O.
32, 127, 131
29
Tu, H. 167
Meireles, C.
46, 47, 48, 49
Mikhailov, B.
98, 99, 100
Tunga
45
Dodiya, A.
122
Milhazes, B. 7, 38
Upadhyay, C. 141
Dontsov, P.
115
Muckerjee, R.
Upadhyay, H. 121
Dou, O.
110, 117
Dube, A.
125
Dubossarsky, V. & Vinogradov, A. 11, 26
108
Muniz, V.
17, 24, 68
Filippov, A.
80
Fran•a, H.
53, 56
Vassiliev, O.
33, 91, 92
Volkov, S. 1
Wang, Guangyi 15, 158
Nogueira Lima, M. Novo Rumo
54
Oiticica, H.
5
63
Wang, Z. 157
187, 193
Ovchinnikov, N.
41
Panda, J. 130
Gorokhovsky, E.
71
Parchikov, T.
102
Gost, R.
96
Pepperstein, P.
Guo, W.
156
Pushkale, M.
Gupta, P.
134
43
Weng, F. 178, 179
79
189
G•meos, O.
Xia, X.
170
Xiao, B.
190
Xiaoxia 150
73, 85
146
Yan, P. 31 Yang, S. 28, 152
Gupta, Shilpa
144
Gupta, Subodh
19
Qiu, Z. 147, 161
Yang, Y.
180
Yastrzhembskiy, S. Ragimov, K.
94
Yi, Z.
186
Hall, T.
143
Rana, R.
25, 126
Yin, Z.
27
Han, Y.
168
Reddy, R.
13
Yue, M.
14
Riboud, M.
163, 164 8
Huang, Y.
192, 201
Husain, M. F. Kabakov, I.
172
Wang, K. 171
Oiticica, H. & DÕAlmeida, N.
Gao, Q.
Wang, Gongxin & Lin, T. Wang, Q. 37, 181, 183
40
Gao Brothers
34
78
104, 105
Neto, E.
36, 173, 175
139
Mukhin, I.
Nalbi Faibisovich, S.
Gais
123 9
Rocha Pitta, M.
50
Zeng, F.
Rodchenko, A.
77
Zhan, W.
103
12
Zhang, D. 149
Kallat, J. 124
Zhang, Hui
Kallat, R. S. 128, 129
Zhang, Huan 23, 148, 154, 155
Kher, B.
Zheng, D. 195
6
Khudyakov, K.
112, 113
Komar & Melamid Komu, R.
Zheng, L.
4
Zhou, T. 93
Koshlyakov, V.
69, 75
Kosolapov, A.
70, 74, 97
Kudryashov, O.
86
Kulik, O. & Zvezdochetov, K.
198, 200
184
Zhou, J. 169
120
Korotkova, T.
Kumar, B.
116
89 72, 82
Tarkovsky, A.
Mamyshev-Monroe, V.
140
De La Rocque, F.
Feng, Z.
88
Luo Brothers 182, 185
Sued, E. 64 88
81
Devin, I.
16
Scapinelli, G.
Sharma, D. 138
176
Chernyshev, A. & Shulgin, A. Cui, X.
Lin, T.
Ludolf, R.
Camargo, S. Chen, J.
35, 199
Lin, T. & Wang, Gongxin
Brinkworth, K.
Cai, G.
90
60
Li, T.
65, 66, 67
Santhosh, T.V.
194
Zvezdochetov, K & Kulik, O.
87
87
118
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GUIDE FOR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS
specialists assess the condition in a manner appropriate to the estimated value of the property and the nature of the auction in which it is included. While condition reports are
BUYING AT AUCTION
prepared honestly and carefully, our staff are not professional restorers or trained
The following pages are designed to offer you information on how to buy at auction at
conservators. We therefore encourage all prospective buyers to inspect the property at
Phillips de Pury & Company. Our staff will be happy to assist you.
the pre-sale exhibitions and recommend, particularly in the case of any lot of significant value, that you retain your own restorer or professional advisor to report to you on the
CONDITIONS OF SALE
property’s condition prior to bidding. Any prospective buyer of photographs or prints
The Conditions of Sale and Authorship Warranty which appear later in this catalogue
should always request a condition report because all such property is sold unframed,
govern the auction. Bidders are strongly encouraged to read them as they outline the legal
unless otherwise indicated in the condition report. If a lot is sold framed, Phillips de Pury
relationship between Phillips de Pury & Company, the seller and the buyer and describe the
& Company accepts no liability for the condition of the frame. If we sell any lot unframed,
terms upon which property is bought at auction. Please be advised that Phillips de Pury &
we will be pleased to refer the purchaser to a professional framer.
Company generally acts as agent for the seller. Pre-Auction Viewing BUYERÕS PREMIUM
Pre-auction viewings are open to the public and free of charge. Our specialists are available
Phillips de Pury & Company charges the successful bidder a commission, or buyer’s
to give advice and condition reports at viewings or by appointment.
premium, on the hammer price of each lot sold. The buyer’s premium is payable by the buyer as part of the total purchase price at the following rates: 25% of the hammer price up to and
Electrical and Mechanical Lots
including £25,000, 20% of the portion of the hammer price above £25,000 up to and including
All lots with electrical and/or mechanical features are sold on the basis of their decorative
£500,000, and 12% of the portion of the hammer price above £500,000.
value only and should not be assumed to be operative. It is essential that, prior to any intended use, the electrical system is verified and approved by a qualified electrician.
VAT Value added tax (VAT) may be payable on the hammer price and/or the buyer’s premium.
Symbol Key
The buyer’s premium may attract a charge in lieu of VAT. Please read carefully the ‘VAT
The following key explains the symbols you may see inside this catalogue.
AND OTHER TAX INFORMATION FOR BUYERS’ section in this catalogue. O Guaranteed Property 1 PRIOR TO AUCTION
The seller of lots with this symbol has been guaranteed a minimum price. The guarantee
Catalogue Subscriptions
may be provided by Phillips de Pury & Company, by a third party or jointly by us and a
If you would like to purchase a catalogue for this auction or any other Phillips de Pury &
third party. Phillips de Pury & Company and third parties providing or participating in a
Company sale, please contact us at +44 20 7318 4010 or +1 212 940 1240.
guarantee may benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold successfully and may incur a loss if the sale is not successful. A third party guarantor may also bid for the guaranteed
Pre-Sale Estimates
lot and may be allowed to net the financial remuneration received in connection with the
Pre-sale estimates are intended as a guide for prospective buyers. Any bid within the high
guarantee against the final purchase price if such party is the successful bidder.
and low estimate range should, in our opinion, offer a chance of success. However, many lots achieve prices below or above the pre-sale estimates. Where ‘Estimate on Request’
In this catalogue, if property has O◊ next to the lot number, the guarantee of minimum price
appears, please contact the specialist department for further information. It is advisable to
has been fully financed by third parties.
contact us closer to the time of the auction as estimates can be subject to revision. Pre-sale estimates do not include the buyer’s premium or VAT.
∆ Property in which Phillips de Pury & Company has an Ownership Interest Lots with this symbol indicate that Phillips de Pury & Company owns the lot in whole or in
Pre-Sale Estimates in US Dollars and Euros Although the sale is conducted in pounds sterling, the pre-sale estimates in the auction catalogues may also be printed in US dollars and/or euros. Since the exchange rate is that at the time of catalogue production and not at the date of auction, you should treat estimates in US dollars or euros as a guide only.
part or has an economic interest in the lot equivalent to an ownership interest.
•
No Reserve
•
Unless indicated by a , all lots in this catalogue are offered subject to a reserve. A reserve is the confidential value established between Phillips de Pury & Company and the seller and below which a lot may not be sold. The reserve for each lot is generally set at a percentage
Catalogue Entries
of the low estimate and will not exceed the low pre-sale estimate.
Phillips de Pury & Company may print in the catalogue entry the history of ownership of a work of art, as well as the exhibition history of the property and references to the work in art
♠ Property Subject to the ArtistÕs Resale Right
publications. While we are careful in the cataloguing process, provenance, exhibition and
Lots marked with ♠ are subject to the Artist’s Resale Right calculated as a percentage of
literature references may not be exhaustive and in some cases we may intentionally refrain
the hammer price and payable as part of the purchase price as follows:
from disclosing the identity of previous owners. Please note that all dimensions of the property set forth in the catalogue entry are approximate.
Portion of the Hammer Price (in EUR)
Royalty Rate
From 0 to 50,000
4%
Condition of Lots
From 50,000.01 to 200,000
3%
Our catalogues include references to condition only in the descriptions of multiple works
From 200,000.01 to 350,000
1%
(e.g., prints). Such references, though, do not amount to a full description of condition.
From 350,000.01 to 500,000
0.5%
The absence of reference to the condition of a lot in the catalogue entry does not imply
Exceeding 500,000
0.25%
that the lot is free from faults or imperfections. Solely as a convenience to clients, Phillips de Pury & Company may provide condition reports. In preparing such reports, our
The Artist’s Resale Right applies where the hammer price is EUR 1,000 or more, subject to a
IMPORTANT NOTICES Items sold under temporary admission
• Where the buyer is a Non-EU business, we require evidence of the business status
We wish to draw your attention to changes recently made to items sold under temporary
by means of the company identification, Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of
admission (originally called temporary importation). The cancelling or refunding of
Association, or government-issued documents showing that the company exists.
applicable VAT is now subject to items being exported from the European Union within 30 days of payment, rather than 90 days from the date of sale as previously required. For
• Where the buyer is an EU VAT registered business, we require the above as well as
up-to-date information on this matter, please see the ‘VAT and Other Tax Information for
the business’s VAT registration number in the form of a government-issued document
Buyers’ section below.
or paperwork from the local EU tax/VAT office showing the VAT number.
Identification of business or trade buyers
These details can be scanned and emailed to us, or alternatively they can be faxed or mailed.
As of January 2010 in the UK, HMRC have made it an official requirement for auction houses to hold evidence of a buyer’s business status, due to the revised VAT rules regarding
If these requirements are not met, we will be unable to cancel or refund any
buyer’s premium for lots with symbols for businesses outside the UK.
applicable VAT.
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maximum royalty per lot of EUR 12,500. Calculation of the Artist’s Resale Right will be based
3 THE AUCTION
on the pounds sterling/euro reference exchange rate quoted on the date of the sale by the
Conditions of Sale
European Central Bank.
As noted above, the auction is governed by the Conditions of Sale and Authorship Warranty. All prospective bidders should read them carefully. They may be amended by
†, §, ‡, or Ω Property Subject to VAT
saleroom addendum or auctioneer’s announcement.
Please refer to the section entitled ‘VAT AND OTHER TAX INFORMATION FOR BUYERS’ in this catalogue for additional information.
Interested Parties Announcement In situations where a person allowed to bid on a lot has a direct or indirect interest in such
∑ Endangered Species
lot, such as the beneficiary or executor of an estate selling the lot, a joint owner of the lot or
This property may require an export, import or endangered species license or permit.
a party providing or participating in a guarantee on the lot, Phillips de Pury & Company will
Please refer to Paragraph 4 of the Guide for Prospective Buyers and Paragraph 11 of the
make an announcement in the saleroom that interested parties may bid on the lot.
Conditions of Sale. Consecutive and Responsive Bidding 2 BIDDING IN THE SALE
The auctioneer may open the bidding on any lot by placing a bid on behalf of the seller.
Bidding at Auction
The auctioneer may further bid on behalf of the seller up to the amount of the reserve by
Bids may be executed during the auction in person by paddle or by telephone or prior to the
placing consecutive bids or bids in response to other bidders.
sale in writing by absentee bid. Proof of identity in the form of government-issued identification will be required, as will an original signature. We may also require that
4 AFTER THE AUCTION
you furnish us with a bank reference.
Payment Buyers are required to pay for purchases immediately following the auction unless other
Bidding in Person
arrangements have been agreed with Phillips de Pury & Company in writing in advance of
To bid in person, you will need to register for and collect a paddle before the auction begins.
the sale. Payments must be made in pounds sterling either by cash, cheque drawn on a UK
New clients are encouraged to register at least 48 hours in advance of a sale to allow
bank or wire transfer, as noted in Paragraph 6 of the Conditions of Sale. It is our corporate
sufficient time for us to process your information. All lots sold will be invoiced to
policy not to make or accept single or multiple payments in cash or cash equivalents in
the name and address to which the paddle has been registered and invoices cannot be
excess of the local currency equivalent of US$10,000.
transferred to other names and addresses. Please do not misplace your paddle. In the event you lose it, inform a Phillips de Pury & Company staff member immediately. At the end of the
Credit Cards
auction, please return your paddle to the registration desk.
As a courtesy to clients, Phillips de Pury & Company will accept Visa, MasterCard and UK-issued debit cards to pay for invoices of £50,000 or less. A processing fee will apply.
Bidding by Telephone If you cannot attend the auction, you may bid live on the telephone with one of our
Collection
multilingual staff members. This service must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance of
It is our policy to request proof of identity on collection of a lot. A lot will be released to the
the sale and is available for lots whose low pre-sale estimate is at least £500. Telephone
buyer or the buyer’s authorized representative when Phillips de Pury & Company has received
bids may be recorded. By bidding on the telephone, you consent to the recording of your
full and cleared payment and we are not owed any other amount by the buyer. After the auction,
conversation. We suggest that you leave a maximum bid, excluding the buyer’s premium and
we will transfer all lots to our fine art storage facility located near Wimbledon and will so advise
VAT, which we can execute on your behalf in the event we are unable to reach you
all buyers. If you are in doubt about the location of your purchase, please contact the Shipping
by telephone.
Department prior to arranging collection. We will levy removal, interest, storage and handling charges on uncollected lots.
Absentee Bids If you are unable to attend the auction and cannot participate by telephone, Phillips de Pury
Loss or Damage
& Company will be happy to execute written bids on your behalf. A bidding form can be
Buyers are reminded that Phillips de Pury & Company accepts liability for loss or damage to
found at the back of this catalogue. This service is free and confidential. Bids must be
lots for a maximum of five days following the auction.
placed in the currency of the sale. Our staff will attempt to execute an absentee bid at the lowest possible price taking into account the reserve and other bidders. Always indicate
Transport and Shipping
a maximum bid, excluding the buyer’s premium and VAT. Unlimited bids will not be
As a free service for buyers, Phillips de Pury & Company will wrap purchased lots for hand
accepted. Any absentee bid must be received at least 24 hours in advance of the sale. In the
carry only. We do not provide packing, handling or shipping services directly. However, we
event of identical bids, the earliest bid received will take precedence.
will coordinate with shipping agents instructed by you in order to facilitate the packing, handling and shipping of property purchased at Phillips de Pury & Company. Please refer to Paragraph 7 of the Conditions of Sale for more information.
Employee Bidding Employees of Phillips de Pury & Company and our affiliated companies, including the auctioneer, may bid at the auction by placing absentee bids so long as they do not know the
Export and Import Licences
reserve when submitting their absentee bids and otherwise comply with our employee
Before bidding for any property, prospective bidders are advised to make independent
bidding procedures.
enquiries as to whether a licence is required to export the property from the United Kingdom or to import it into another country. It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to comply
Bidding Increments
with all import and export laws and to obtain any necessary licences or permits. The denial
Bidding generally opens below the low estimate and advances in increments of up to 10%,
of any required licence or permit or any delay in obtaining such documentation will not
subject to the auctioneer’s discretion. Absentee bids that do not conform to the increments
justify the cancellation of the sale or any delay in making full payment for the lot.
set below may be lowered to the next bidding increment. Endangered Species UK£50 to UK£1,000
by UK£50s
Items made of or incorporating plant or animal material, such as coral, crocodile, ivory,
UK£1,000 to UK£2,000
by UK£100s
whalebone, rhinoceros horn or tortoiseshell, irrespective of age, percentage or value, may
UK£2,000 to UK£3,000
by UK£200s
require a licence or certificate prior to exportation and additional licences or certificates
UK£3,000 to UK£5,000
by UK£200s, 500, 800 (i.e., UK£4,200, 4,500, 4,800)
upon importation to any country outside the European Union (EU). Please note that the
UK£5,000 to UK£10,000
by UK£500s
ability to obtain an export licence or certificate does not ensure the ability to obtain an
UK£10,000 to UK£20,000
by UK£1,000s
import licence or certificate in another country, and vice versa. We suggest that prospective
UK£20,000 to UK£30,000
by UK£2,000s
bidders check with their own government regarding wildlife import requirements prior to
UK£30,000 to UK£50,000
by UK£2,000s, 5,000, 8,000
placing a bid. It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to obtain any necessary export or import
UK£50,000 to UK£100,000
by UK£5,000s
licences or certificates as well as any other required documentation. The denial of any
UK£100,000 to UK£200,000
by UK£10,000s
required licence or certificate or any delay in obtaining such documentation will not justify
above UK£200,000
at the auctioneer’s discretion
the cancellation of the sale or any delay in making full payment for the lot.
The auctioneer may vary the increments during the course of the auction at his or her own discretion.
BRIC_UK_April_2011_backmatter_326-341.indd 328
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Yue Minjun, A-maze-ing Laughter, 2009
Gao Brothers
Choi Tae Hoon
Javier Marin
Join us on April 30, 2011 for a gathering of art collectors from around the world in a city of remarkable beauty. The Vancouver Biennale invites you to a spectacular grand finale GALA + AUCTION featuring sculptures and maquettes from the 2009-2011 exhibition by some of the most internationally renown and breakthrough contemporary artists of our time.
TICKETS + CATALOGUES:
+1 (604) 682-1289 info@vancouverbiennale.com www.vancouverbiennale.com Private purchase by enquiry Fully hosted weekends available upon request
Dan Fairchild photography
BRIC_UK_April_2011_backmatter_326-341.indd 329
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VAT AND OTHER TAX INFORMATION FOR BUYERS
• The import VAT charged on the hammer price and an amount in lieu of VAT on
The following paragraphs provide general information to buyers on the VAT and certain
symbol) under the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme.
the buyer’s premium for property sold under temporary admission (i.e., with a ‡ or a Ω other potential tax implications of purchasing property at Phillips de Pury & Company. This information is not intended to be complete. In all cases, the relevant tax legislation
In each of the above examples, where the appropriate conditions are satisfied, no VAT
takes precedence, and the VAT rates in effect on the day of the auction will be the rates
will be charged if, at or before the time of invoicing, the buyer instructs Phillips de Pury &
charged. It should be noted that, for VAT purposes only, Phillips de Pury & Company is not
Company to export the property from the EU. If such instruction is received after payment, a
usually treated as agent and most property is sold as if it is the property of Phillips de Pury
refund of the VAT amount will be made.
& Company. In the following paragraphs, reference to VAT symbols shall mean those symbols located beside the lot number or the pre-sale estimates in the catalogue (or
Where the buyer carries purchases from the EU personally or uses the services of a third
amending saleroom addendum).
party, Phillips de Pury & Company will charge the VAT amount due as a deposit and refund it if the lot has been exported within the timelines specified below and either of
1 PROPERTY WITH NO VAT SYMBOL
the following conditions are met:
Where there is no VAT symbol, Phillips de Pury & Company is able to use the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme, and VAT will not normally be charged on the hammer price.
• For lots sold under the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme or the normal VAT rules, Phillips de Pury & Company is provided with appropriate documentary proof of
Phillips de Pury & Company must bear VAT on the buyer’s premium. Therefore, we will
export from the EU within three months of the date of sale. Buyers carrying their
charge an amount in lieu of VAT at 20% on the buyer’s premium. This amount will form part
own property should obtain hand-carry papers from the Shipping Department to
of the buyer’s premium on our invoice and will not be separately identified.
facilitate this process.
2 PROPERTY WITH A † SYMBOL
• For lots sold under temporary admission, Phillips de Pury & Company is provided
These lots will be sold under the normal UK VAT rules, and VAT will be charged at 20%
with a copy of the correct paperwork duly completed and stamped by HM Revenue &
on both the hammer price and buyer’s premium.
Customs which shows the property has been exported from the EU via the UK within 30 days of payment date. It is essential for shippers acting on behalf of buyers to
Where the buyer is a relevant business person in the EU (non-UK) or is a relevant business
collect copies of original import papers from our Shipping Department. HM Revenue
person in a non-EU country then no VAT will be charged on the buyer’s premium. This is
& Customs insist that the correct customs procedures are followed and Phillips de
subject to Phillips de Pury & Company being provided with evidence of the buyer’s VAT
Pury & Company will not be able to issue any refunds where the export documents do
registration number in the relevant Member State (non-UK) or the buyer’s business status
not exactly comply with governmental regulations. Property subject to temporary
in a non-EU country such as the buyer’s Tax Registration Certificate. Should this evidence
admission must be transferred to another customs procedure immediately if any
not be provided then VAT will be charged on the buyer’s premium.
restoration or repair work is to be carried out.
3 PROPERTY WITH A § SYMBOL
Buyers carrying their own property must obtain hand-carry papers from the Shipping
Lots sold to buyers whose registered address is in the EU will be assumed to be remaining
Department, for which a charge of £20 will be made. The VAT refund will be processed once
in the EU. The property will be invoiced as if it had no VAT symbol. However, if an EU buyer
the appropriate paperwork has been returned to Phillips de Pury & Company. Phillips de
advises us that the property is to be exported from the EU, Phillips de Pury & Company will
Pury & Company is not able to cancel or refund any VAT charged on sales made to UK or EU
re-invoice the property under the normal VAT rules.
private residents unless the lot is subject to temporary admission and the property is exported from the EU within 30 days of payment date. Any refund of VAT is subject to a
Lots sold to buyers whose address is outside the EU will be assumed to be exported from
minimum of £50 per shipment and a processing charge of £20.
the EU. The property will be invoiced under the normal VAT rules. Although the hammer price will be subject to VAT, the VAT will be cancelled or refunded upon export. The buyer’s
Buyers intending to export, repair, restore or alter lots under temporary admission should
premium will always bear VAT unless the buyer is a relevant business person in the EU
notify the Shipping Department before collection. Failure to do so may result in the import
(non-UK) or is a relevant business person in a non-EU country, subject to Phillips de Pury &
VAT becoming payable immediately and Phillips de Pury & Company being unable to refund
Company receiving evidence of the buyer’s VAT registration number in the relevant Member
the VAT charged on deposit.
State (non-UK) or the buyer’s business status in a non-EU country such as the buyer’s Tax Registration Certificate. Should this evidence not be provided VAT will be charged on the
6 VAT REFUNDS FROM HM REVENUE & CUSTOMS
buyer’s premium.
Where VAT charged cannot be cancelled or refunded by Phillips de Pury & Company, it may be possible to seek repayment from HM Revenue & Customs (‘HMRC’). Repayments in this manner
4 PROPERTY SOLD WITH A ‡ OR Ω SYMBOL
are limited to businesses located outside the UK and may be considered for example for Import
These lots have been imported from outside the EU to be sold at auction under temporary
VAT charged on the hammer price for lots sold under temporary admission.
admission. Property subject to temporary admission will be offered under the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme and will be subject to import VAT of either 5% or 20%, marked by ‡ and Ω
All claims made by customers located in another member state to the UK will need to be
respectively, on the hammer price and an amount in lieu of VAT at 20% on the buyer’s
made under a new mechanism from 1 January 2010. The process prior to 1 January 2010 is no
premium. Anyone who wishes to buy outside the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme should
longer in operation.
notify the Client Accounting Department before the sale. If you are located in an EU member state other than the UK you will now need to apply for a Where lots are sold outside the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme and the buyer is a relevant
refund of UK VAT directly to your local tax authority. This is done via submission of an
business person in the EU (non-UK) or is a relevant business person in a non-EU country
electronically based claim form which should be accessed through the website of your local
then no VAT will be charged on the buyer’s premium. This is subject to Phillips de Pury &
tax authority. As a result, your form may include VAT incurred in a number of member
Company receiving evidence of the buyer’s VAT registration number in the relevant Member
states. Furthermore, from 1 January 2010 you should only submit one form per year, rather
State (non-UK) or the buyer’s business status in a non-EU country such as the buyer’s Tax
than submitting forms throughout the year.
Registration Certificate. Should this evidence not be provided VAT will be charged on the buyer’s premium.
Please note that the time limits by which you must make a claim have been extended. When making a claim for VAT incurred in another EU member state any claim will still be
5 EXPORTS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
made on a calendar year basis but must now be made no later than 30 September
The following types of VAT may be cancelled or refunded by Phillips de Pury & Company on
following that calendar year. This effectively extends the time by which claims should be
exports made within three months of the sale date if strict conditions are met:
made by three months (e.g. for VAT incurred in the year 1 January to 31 December 2010 you should make a claim to your local tax authority no later than 30 September 2011). Once you
• The amount in lieu of VAT charged on the buyer’s premium for property sold under
have submitted the electronic form to your local tax authority it is their responsibility to
the Auctioneer’s Margin Scheme (i.e., without a VAT symbol).
ensure that payment is obtained from the relevant member states. This should be completed within four months. If this time limit is not adhered to you may receive interest
• The VAT on the hammer price for property sold under the normal VAT rules
on the unpaid amounts.
(i.e., with a † or a § symbol). If you are located outside the EU you should apply for a refund of UK VAT directly to HMRC The following type of VAT may be cancelled or refunded by Phillips de Pury & Company
(the rules for those located outside of the EU have not changed). Claim forms are only
on exports made within 30 days of payment date if strict conditions are met:
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EVENiNG
EDITIONS AuCTioN 21 APRIL 2011 450 PArK AVENuE Viewing 12 Ð 21 April
Phillips de Pury & Company 450 Park Avenue New York 10022 Enquiries +1 212 940 1220 | editions@phillipsdepury.com Catalogues +1 212 940 1240 | +44 20 7318 4039
PhilliPsdEPury.Com PABLO PICASSO Grand vase aux danseurs, (A.R. 114; G.R. 690; G.B. 19) 1950 Red earthenware bellied vase with large neck, from the edition of 25, 27 1/2 x 12 3/4 x 12 3/4 in. (69.9 x 32.4 x 32.4 cm) Estimate $200,000-400,000
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available from the HMRC website. Go to http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/index.htm, and follow
CONDITIONS OF SALE
Quick Links, then Find a Form. The relevant form is VAT65A. Completed forms should be returned to:
The Conditions of Sale and Authorship Warranty set forth below govern the relationship between bidders and buyers, on the one hand, and Phillips de Pury & Company and sellers,
HM Revenue & Customs
on the other hand. All prospective buyers should read these Conditions of Sale and
VAT Overseas Repayment Directive
Authorship Warranty carefully before bidding.
Foyle House Duncreggan Road
1 INTRODUCTION
Londonderry
Each lot in this catalogue is offered for sale and sold subject to: (a) the Conditions of Sale
Northern Ireland
and Authorship Warranty; (b) additional notices and terms printed in other places in this
BT48 7AE
catalogue, including the Guide for Prospective Buyers, and (c) supplements to this catalogue or other written material posted by Phillips de Pury & Company in the saleroom,
(tel) +44 2871 305100
in each case as amended by any addendum or announcement by the auctioneer prior to the
(fax) +44 2871 305101
auction.
You should submit claims for VAT to HMRC no later than six months from the end of the 12
By bidding at the auction, whether in person, through an agent, by written bid, by telephone
month period ending 30 June (e.g. claims for the period 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 should
bid or other means, bidders and buyers agree to be bound by these Conditions of Sale, as
be made no later than 31 December 2010).
so changed or supplemented, and Authorship Warranty.
Please note that refunds of VAT will only be made where VAT has been incurred for a business
These Conditions of Sale, as so changed or supplemented, and Authorship Warranty contain all
purpose. Any VAT incurred on articles bought for personal use will not be refunded.
the terms on which Phillips de Pury & Company and the seller contract with the buyer.
7 SALES AND USE TAXES
2 PHILLIPS de PURY & COMPANY AS AGENT
Buyers from outside the UK should note that local sales taxes or use taxes may
Phillips de Pury & Company acts as an agent for the seller, unless otherwise indicated in
become payable upon import of lots following purchase. Buyers should consult their
this catalogue or at the time of auction. On occasion, Phillips de Pury & Company may own a
own tax advisors.
lot, in which case we will act in a principal capacity as a consignor, or may have a legal, beneficial or financial interest in a lot as a secured creditor or otherwise. 3 CATALOGUE DESCRIPTIONS AND CONDITION OF PROPERTY Lots are sold subject to the Authorship Warranty, as described in the catalogue (unless such description is changed or supplemented, as provided in Paragraph 1 above) and in the condition that they are in at the time of the sale on the following basis. (a) The knowledge of Phillips de Pury & Company in relation to each lot is partially dependent on information provided to us by the seller, and Phillips de Pury & Company is not able to and does not carry out exhaustive due diligence on each lot. Prospective buyers acknowledge this fact and accept responsibility for carrying out inspections and investigations to satisfy themselves as to the lots in which they may be interested. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we shall exercise such reasonable care when making express statements in catalogue descriptions or condition reports as is consistent with our role as auctioneer of lots in this sale and in light of (i) the information provided to us by the seller, (ii) scholarship and technical knowledge and (iii) the generally accepted opinions of relevant experts, in each case at the time any such express statement is made. (b) Each lot offered for sale at Phillips de Pury & Company is available for inspection by prospective buyers prior to the auction. Phillips de Pury & Company accepts bids on lots on the basis that bidders (and independent experts on their behalf, to the extent appropriate given the nature and value of the lot and the bidderÕs own expertise) have fully inspected the lot prior to bidding and have satisfied themselves as to both the condition of the lot and the accuracy of its description. (c) Prospective buyers acknowledge that many lots are of an age and type which means that they are not in perfect condition. As a courtesy to clients, Phillips de Pury & Company may prepare and provide condition reports to assist prospective buyers when they are inspecting lots. Catalogue descriptions and condition reports may make reference to particular imperfections of a lot, but bidders should note that lots may have other faults not expressly referred to in the catalogue or condition report. All dimensions are approximate. Illustrations are for identification purposes only and cannot be used as precise indications of size or to convey full information as to the actual condition of lots. (d) Information provided to prospective buyers in respect of any lot, including any pre-sale estimate, whether written or oral, and information in any catalogue, condition or other report, commentary or valuation, is not a representation of fact but rather a statement of opinion held by Phillips de Pury & Company. Any pre-sale estimate may not be relied on as a prediction of the selling price or value of the lot and may be revised from time to time by Phillips de Pury & Company at our absolute discretion. Neither Phillips de Pury & Company nor any of our affiliated companies shall be liable for any difference between the pre-sale estimates for any lot and the actual price achieved at auction or upon resale. 4 BIDDING AT AUCTION (a) Phillips de Pury & Company has absolute discretion to refuse admission to the auction or participation in the sale. All bidders must register for a paddle prior to bidding, supplying such information and references as required by Phillips de Pury & Company.
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© STRENGER & FRIENDS COMMUNICATION INTERNATIONAL, 2011. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Charity Auction • AWST & WALTHER • BAAL • Eliška Bartek • Tjorg Douglas Beer Norbert Bisky • Ina Viola Blasius • Anna Borowy • Joe Bradley • Sebastian Burger For the benefit of KIZ - Kind im Zentrum e.V. • Amaru Cholango • Mariechen Danz April 30th | 12pm • Roberto de Paolis • Ralf Dereich • Uros Djurovic • Markus Draper Literaturhaus Berlin • Hannes Eddelbüttel • Juliane Eirich • Gerrit Engel • Eva & Adele Fasanenstraße 23 | 10719 Berlin-Charlottenburg • EVOL • Valerie Favre • Biene Feld Tatiana Echeverri Fernandez • Tom Fleischhauer • Mark Flood • Linda Franke Museum Exhibition • Philipp Fürhofer • GAMA • Amparo Garrido • Albrecht Genin April 15th – April 28th • Karl Görlich • Andreas Golder • Andrea Good • Maike Gräf Georg-Kolbe-Museum, Berlin • Marc Gröszer • Philip Grözinger • Marc Grümmert Sensburger Allee 25 | 14055 Berlin-Westend • Claus Gutsche • Volkmar Haase Eberhard Havekost • Uwe Henneken • Gregor Hildebrandt • Stefan Hirsig Herbert Hoffmann • Olaf Holzapfel • Alexandra Hopf • Leiko Ikemura • Karen Irmer Gunilla Jähnichen • Christian Jankowski • Michelle Jezierski • Klaus Jörres Daniel Kannenberg • Carsten Kaufhold • Thomas Kemper • Rolf Kirsch • Alexei Kostroma Clemens Krauss • Peter Kröning • Klaus Küster • Christian Larsson • Jeong-Eun Lee Christopher Lehmpfuhl • Helge Leiberg • Andrei Loginov • Jörg Lohse • Robert Lucander Valentin Magaro • Knut Wolfgang Maron • Jonathan Meese • Herbert Mehler Egbert Mittelstädt • Ulrik Møller • Jaybo Monk • Sebastian Nebe • Olaf Nicolai Regina Nieke • Heide Nord • Ursula Oberhauser • Thomas Offhaus • Jürgen Paas Christian Pilz • Marco Reichert • Cornelia Renz • Bernd Ribbeck • Ulrich Riedel Achim Riethmann • Stefan Rinck • Tal R. • Dennis Rudolph • Antonio Santín • Götz Sambale Oliver Scharfbier • Luisa Schatzmann • Steve Schepens • Cornelia Schleime • Moritz Schleime Oskar Schmidt • Norbert Schwontkowski • Tanja Selzer • Ulrike Seyboth • Pola Sieverding Angela Stauber • Tommy Støckel • Jaro Straub • www.artkapital-auktion.de • Katja Strunz Frank Thiel • Bernd Trasberger • Sadik Uslu • Iva Vacheva • Marcel van Eeden • Jorinde Voigt Ruprecht von Kaufmann • Alessia von Mallinckrodt • Gabriel Vormstein • Marcel Walldorf Claudia Wieser • Marcus Wittmers • Maik Wolf • Michael Wutz • XOOOOX • Janet Zeugner
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(b) As a convenience to bidders who cannot attend the auction in person, Phillips de Pury &
(b) VAT is payable in accordance with applicable law. All prices, fees, charges and
Company may, if so instructed by the bidder, execute written absentee bids on a bidderÕs
expenses set out in these Conditions of Sale are quoted exclusive of VAT.
behalf. Absentee bidders are required to submit bids on the ÔAbsentee Bid FormÕ, a copy of which is printed in this catalogue or otherwise available from Phillips de Pury & Company.
c) If the ArtistÕs Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to the lot, the buyer agrees to pay to us
Bids must be placed in the currency of the sale. The bidder must clearly indicate the
an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those regulations and we undertake to
maximum amount he or she intends to bid, excluding the buyerÕs premium and value added
the buyer to pay such amount to the artistÕs collection agent. In circumstances where (i) we
tax (VAT). The auctioneer will not accept an instruction to execute an absentee bid which
are on notice that the resale royalty is payable or (ii) we have not been able to ascertain the
does not indicate such maximum bid. Our staff will attempt to execute an absentee bid at
nationality of the artist, we will identify the lot with the symbol ♠ next to the lot number and
the lowest possible price taking into account the reserve and other bidders. Any absentee
will invoice the resale royalty to the buyer. If we subsequently determine that the nationality
bid must be received at least 24 hours in advance of the sale. In the event of identical bids,
of the artist does not entitle him/her to the resale royalty on the lot, we will arrange a refund
the earliest bid received will take precedence.
to the buyer of the amount of the royalty paid to us. If, after a sale in which we did not collect
(c) Telephone bidders are required to submit bids on the ÔTelephone Bid FormÕ, a copy of
the resale royalty on a particular lot, we become aware that information provided to us prior
which is printed in this catalogue or otherwise available from Phillips de Pury & Company.
to the auction concerning an artistÕs nationality was incorrect and the artist is entitled to the
Telephone bidding is available for lots whose low pre-sale estimate is at least £500. Phillips
resale royalty on the lot, the buyer shall pay the resale royalty to us upon receipt of an
de Pury & Company reserves the right to require written confirmation of a successful bid
invoice.
from a telephone bidder by fax or otherwise immediately after such bid is accepted by the auctioneer. Telephone bids may be recorded and, by bidding on the telephone, a bidder
(d) Unless otherwise agreed, a buyer is required to pay for a purchased lot immediately
consents to the recording of the conversation.
following the auction regardless of any intention to obtain an export or import licence or other permit for such lot. Payments must be made by the invoiced party in pounds
(d) When making a bid, whether in person, by absentee bid or on the telephone, a bidder
sterling either by cash, cheque drawn on a UK bank or wire transfer, as follows:
accepts personal liability to pay the purchase price, as described more fully in Paragraph 6 (a) below, plus all other applicable charges unless it has been explicitly agreed in writing
(i) Phillips de Pury & Company will accept payment in cash provided that the total amount
with Phillips de Pury & Company before the commencement of the auction that the bidder is
paid in cash or cash equivalents does not exceed the local currency equivalent of
acting as agent on behalf of an identified third party acceptable to Phillips de Pury &
US$10,000.
Company and that we will only look to the principal for such payment.
(ii) Personal cheques and bankerÕs drafts are accepted if drawn on a UK bank and the buyer provides to us acceptable government-issued identification. Cheques and bankerÕs drafts
(e) Arranging absentee and telephone bids is a free service provided by Phillips de Pury &
should be made payable to ÒPhillips de Pury & Company LimitedÓ. If payment is sent by post,
Company to prospective buyers. While we undertake to exercise reasonable care in
please send the cheque or bankerÕs draft to the attention of the Client Accounting
undertaking such activity, we cannot accept liability for failure to execute such bids except
Department at Howick Place, London SW1P 1BB and ensure that the sale number is written
where such failure is caused by our wilful misconduct.
on the cheque. Cheques or bankerÕs drafts drawn by third parties will not be accepted. (iii) Payment by wire transfer may be sent directly to Phillips de Pury & Company. Bank
(f) Employees of Phillips de Pury & Company and our affiliated companies, including the
transfer details will be provided on the Invoice for purchased lots.
auctioneer, may bid at the auction by placing absentee bids so long as they do not know the reserve when submitting their absentee bids and otherwise comply with our employee
(e) As a courtesy to clients, Phillips de Pury & Company will accept Visa, MasterCard and
bidding procedures.
UK-issued debit cards to pay for invoices of £50,000 or less. A processing fee will apply.
5 CONDUCT OF THE AUCTION (a) Unless otherwise indicated by the symbol
¥
(f) Title in a purchased lot will not pass until Phillips de Pury & Company has received the , each lot is offered subject to a reserve, which
Purchase Price for that lot in cleared funds. Phillips de Pury & Company is not obliged to
is the confidential minimum selling price agreed by Phillips de Pury & Company with the
release a lot to the buyer until title in the lot has passed and appropriate identification has
seller. The reserve will not exceed the low pre-sale estimate at the time of the auction.
been provided, and any earlier release does not affect the passing of title or the buyerÕs unconditional obligation to pay the Purchase Price.
(b) The auctioneer has discretion at any time to refuse any bid, withdraw any lot, re-offer a lot for sale (including after the fall of the hammer) if he or she believes there may be error or
7 COLLECTION OF PROPERTY
dispute and take such other action as he or she deems reasonably appropriate.
(a) Phillips de Pury & Company will not release a lot to the buyer until we have received payment of its Purchase Price in full in cleared funds, the buyer has paid all outstanding
(c) The auctioneer will commence and advance the bidding at levels and in increments
amounts due to Phillips de Pury & Company or any of our affiliated companies, including
he or she considers appropriate. In order to protect the reserve on any lot, the
any charges payable pursuant to Paragraph 8 (a) below, and the buyer has satisfied such
auctioneer may place one or more bids on behalf of the seller up to the reserve without
other terms as we in our sole discretion shall require, including completing any anti-money
indicating he or she is doing so, either by placing consecutive bids or bids in response
laundering or anti-terrorism financing checks. As soon as a buyer has satisfied
to other bidders.
all of the foregoing conditions, he or she should contact us at +44 (0) 207 318 4081 or +44 (0) 207 318 4082 to arrange for collection of purchased property.
(d) The sale will be conducted in pounds sterling and payment is due in pounds sterling. For the benefit of international clients, pre-sale estimates in the auction catalogue may be
(b) The buyer must arrange for collection of a purchased lot within five days of the date of the
shown in US dollars and/or euros and, if so, will reflect approximate exchange rates.
auction. After the auction, we will transfer all lots to our fine art storage facility located near
Accordingly, estimates in US dollars or euros should be treated only as a guide.
Wimbledon and will so advise all buyers. Purchased lots are at the buyerÕs risk, including the responsibility for insurance, from (i) the date of collection or (ii) five days after the auction,
(e) Subject to the auctioneerÕs reasonable discretion, the highest bidder accepted by the
whichever is the earlier. Until risk passes, Phillips de Pury & Company will compensate the
auctioneer will be the buyer and the striking of the hammer marks the acceptance of the
buyer for any loss or damage to a purchased lot up to a maximum of the Purchase Price paid,
highest bid and the conclusion of a contract for sale between the seller and the buyer. Risk
subject to our usual exclusions for loss or damage to property.
and responsibility for the lot passes to the buyer as set forth in Paragraph 7 below. (c) As a courtesy to clients, Phillips de Pury & Company will, without charge, wrap (f) If a lot is not sold, the auctioneer will announce that it has been ÔpassedÕ, ÔwithdrawnÕ,
purchased lots for hand carry only. We do not provide packing, handling, insurance or
Ôreturned to ownerÕ or Ôbought-inÕ.
shipping services. We will coordinate with shipping agents instructed by the buyer, whether or not recommended by Phillips de Pury & Company, in order to facilitate the packing,
(g) Any post-auction sale of lots offered at auction shall incorporate these Conditions of
handling, insurance and shipping of property bought at Phillips de Pury & Company. Any
Sale and Authorship Warranty as if sold in the auction.
such instruction is entirely at the buyerÕs risk and responsibility, and we will not be liable for acts or omissions of third party packers or shippers.
6 PURCHASE PRICE AND PAYMENT (a) The buyer agrees to pay us, in addition to the hammer price of the lot, the buyerÕs
(d) Phillips de Pury & Company will require presentation of government-issued
premium, plus any applicable value added tax (VAT) and any applicable resale royalty
identification prior to release of a lot to the buyer or the buyerÕs authorized representative.
(the ÔPurchase PriceÕ). The buyerÕs premium is 25% of the hammer price up to and including £25,000, 20% of the portion of the hammer price above £25,000 up to and including £500,000
8 FAILURE TO COLLECT PURCHASES
and 12% of the portion of the hammer price above £500,000.
(a) If the buyer pays the Purchase Price but fails to collect a purchased lot within 30 days of the auction, the buyer will incur a late collection fee of £50, storage charges of £10 per day
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PART II CONTEMPORARY ART AuCTioN 13 MAY 2011 450 PArK AVENuE Viewing 30 April - 12 May 2011 450 West 15 street
Phillips de Pury & Company 450 Park Avenue New York 10022 Enquiries +1 212 940 1260 Catalogues +1 212 940 1240 | +44 20 7318 4039
PhilliPsdEPury.Com John Wesley Three Sunbathers, 1982 (detail) estimate $250,000-350,000
BRIC_UK_April_2011_backmatter_326-341.indd 335
15-03-11 08.56
and pro rated insurance charges of 0.1% of the Purchase Price per month on each
regulations of the countries concerned. It is solely the buyer’s responsibility to comply with
uncollected lot. Additional charges may apply to oversized lots.
these laws and to obtain any necessary export, import and endangered species licences or permits. Failure to obtain a licence or permit or delay in so doing will not
(b) If a purchased lot is paid for but not collected within six months of the auction, the buyer
justify the cancellation of the sale or any delay in making full payment for the lot.
authorizes Phillips de Pury & Company, upon notice, to arrange a resale of the item by auction or private sale, with estimates and a reserve set at Phillips de Pury & Company’s
12 DATA PROTECTION
reasonable discretion. The proceeds of such sale will be applied to pay for storage charges
(a) In connection with the management and operation of our business and the marketing
and any other outstanding costs and expenses owed by the buyer to Phillips de Pury &
and supply of auction related services, or as required by law, we may ask clients to provide
Company or our affiliated companies and the remainder will be forfeited unless collected by
personal information about themselves or obtain information about clients from third parties
the buyer within two years of the original auction.
(e.g., credit information). If clients provide us with information that is defined by law as ‘sensitive’, they agree that Phillips de Pury & Company and our affiliated companies may use it
9 REMEDIES FOR NON-PAYMENT
for the above purposes. Phillips de Pury & Company and our affiliated companies will not use or
(a) Without prejudice to any rights the seller may have, if the buyer without prior agreement
process sensitive information for any other purpose without the client’s express consent. If you
fails to make payment of the Purchase Price for a lot in cleared funds within five days of the
would like further information on our policies on personal data or wish to
auction, Phillips de Pury & Company may in our sole discretion exercise one or more of the
make corrections to your information, please contact us at +44 20 7318 4010. If you would
following remedies: (i) store the lot at Phillips de Pury & Company’s premises or elsewhere
prefer not to receive details of future events please call the above number.
at the buyer’s sole risk and expense; (ii) cancel the sale of the lot, retaining any partial payment of the Purchase Price as liquidated damages; (iii) reject future bids from the buyer
(b) In order to fulfil the services clients have requested, Phillips de Pury & Company may
or render such bids subject to payment of a deposit; (iv) charge interest at 12% per annum
disclose information to third parties such as shippers. Some countries do not offer
from the date payment became due until the date the Purchase Price is received in cleared
equivalent legal protection of personal information to that offered within the European
funds; (v) subject to notification of the buyer, exercise a lien over any of the buyer’s property
Union (EU). It is Phillips de Pury & Company’s policy to require that any such third parties
which is in the possession of Phillips de Pury & Company and instruct our affiliated
respect the privacy and confidentiality of our clients’ information and provide the same level
companies to exercise a lien over any of the buyer’s property which is in their possession
of protection for client information as provided within the EU, whether or not they
and, in each case, no earlier than 30 days from the date of such notice arrange the sale of
are located in a country that offers equivalent legal protection of personal information.
such property and apply the proceeds to the amount owed to Phillips de Pury & Company or
By agreeing to these Conditions of Sale, clients agree to such disclosure.
any of our affiliated companies after the deduction from sale proceeds of our standard vendor’s commission, all sale-related expenses and any applicable taxes thereon; (vi) resell
13 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
the lot by auction or private sale, with estimates and a reserve set at Phillips de Pury &
(a) Subject to sub-paragraph (e) below, the total liability of Phillips de Pury & Company, our
Company’s reasonable discretion, it being understood that in the event such resale is for
affiliated companies and the seller to the buyer in connection with the sale of a lot shall be
less than the original hammer price and buyer’s premium for that lot, the buyer will remain
limited to the Purchase Price actually paid by the buyer for the lot.
liable for the shortfall together with all costs incurred in such resale; (vii) commence legal proceedings to recover the hammer price and buyer’s premium for that lot, together with
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Paragraph 13, none of Phillips de Pury & Company,
interest and the costs of such proceedings;
any of our affiliated companies or the seller (i) is liable for any errors or omissions, whether
or (viii) release the name and address of the buyer to the seller to enable the seller to
orally or in writing, in information provided to prospective buyers
commence legal proceedings to recover the amounts due and legal costs.
by Phillips de Pury & Company or any of our affiliated companies or (ii) accepts responsibility to any bidder in respect of acts or omissions, whether negligent or otherwise,
(b) The buyer irrevocably authorizes Phillips de Pury & Company to exercise a lien over the
by Phillips de Pury & Company or any of our affiliated companies in connection with the
buyer’s property which is in our possession upon notification by any of our affiliated
conduct of the auction or for any other matter relating to the sale of any lot.
companies that the buyer is in default of payment. Phillips de Pury & Company will notify the buyer of any such lien. The buyer also irrevocably authorizes Phillips de Pury & Company,
(c) All warranties other than the Authorship Warranty, express or implied, including any
upon notification by any of our affiliated companies that the buyer is in default of payment,
warranty of satisfactory quality and fitness for purpose, are specifically excluded by Phillips
to pledge the buyer’s property in our possession by actual or constructive delivery to our
de Pury & Company, our affiliated companies and the seller to the fullest extent permitted by
affiliated company as security for the payment of any outstanding amount due. Phillips de
law.
Pury & Company will notify the buyer if the buyer’s property has been delivered to an affiliated company by way of pledge.
(d) Subject to sub-paragraph (e) below, none of Phillips de Pury & Company, any of our affiliated companies or the seller shall be liable to the buyer for any loss or damage beyond
(c) If the buyer is in default of payment, the buyer irrevocably authorizes Phillips de Pury &
the refund of the Purchase Price referred to in sub-paragraph (a) above, whether such loss
Company to instruct any of our affiliated companies in possession of the buyer’s property
or damage is characterised as direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential, or for
to deliver the property by way of pledge as the buyer’s agent to a third party instructed by
the payment of interest on the Purchase Price to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Phillips de Pury & Company to hold the property on our behalf as security for the payment of the Purchase Price and any other amount due and, no earlier than 30 days from the date of
(e) No provision in these Conditions of Sale shall be deemed to exclude or limit the liability
written notice to the buyer, to sell the property in such manner and for such consideration
of Phillips de Pury & Company or any of our affiliated companies to the buyer in respect of
as can reasonably be obtained on a forced sale basis and to apply the proceeds to any
any fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation made by any of us or in respect of death or
amount owed to Phillips de Pury & Company or any of our affiliated companies after the
personal injury caused by our negligent acts or omissions.
deduction from sale proceeds of our standard vendor’s commission, all sale-related expenses and any applicable taxes thereon.
14 COPYRIGHT The copyright in all images, illustrations and written materials produced by or for Phillips
10 RESCISSION BY PHILLIPS de PURY & COMPANY
de Pury & Company relating to a lot, including the contents of this catalogue, is and shall
Phillips de Pury & Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, to rescind a sale
remain at all times the property of Phillips de Pury & Company and, subject to the provisions
without notice to the buyer if we reasonably believe that there is a material breach of the
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, such images and materials may not be used
seller’s representations and warranties or the Authorship Warranty or an adverse claim is
by the buyer or any other party without our prior written consent. Phillips de Pury &
made by a third party. Upon notice of Phillips de Pury & Company’s election to rescind the
Company and the seller make no representations or warranties that the buyer of a lot will
sale, the buyer will promptly return the lot to Phillips de Pury & Company, and we will then
acquire any copyright or other reproduction rights in it.
refund the Purchase Price paid to us. As described more fully in Paragraph 13 below, the refund shall constitute the sole remedy and recourse of the buyer against Phillips de Pury &
15 GENERAL
Company and the seller with respect to such rescinded sale.
(a) These Conditions of Sale, as changed or supplemented as provided in Paragraph 1 above, and Authorship Warranty set out the entire agreement between the parties with
11 EXPORT, IMPORT AND ENDANGERED SPECIES LICENCES AND PERMITS
respect to the transactions contemplated herein and supersede all prior and
Before bidding for any property, prospective buyers are advised to make their own enquiries
contemporaneous written, oral or implied understandings, representations and
as to whether a licence is required to export a lot from the United Kingdom or
agreements.
to import it into another country. Prospective buyers are advised that some countries prohibit the import of property made of or incorporating plant or animal material, such as
(b) Notices to Phillips de Pury & Company shall be in writing and addressed to the
coral, crocodile, ivory, whalebone, rhinoceros horn or tortoiseshell, irrespective of age,
department in charge of the sale, quoting the reference number specified at the beginning
percentage or value. Accordingly, prior to bidding, prospective buyers considering
of the sale catalogue. Notices to clients shall be addressed to the last address notified by
export of purchased lots should familiarize themselves with relevant export and import
them in writing to Phillips de Pury & Company.
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CONFE S SIONS OF DANGEROUS MIND S Contemporary Art from Turkey Curated by Artnesia EXHIBITION 16–30 APRIL 2011 LONDON Phillips de Pury & Company Space at The Saatchi Gallery Duke of York’s HQ King’s Road London SW3 4SQ Enquiries +44 20 7318 4078 | rlepine@phillipsdepury.com | info@artnesia.com Catalogues +44 20 7318 4039 | +1 212 940 1240
PHILLIPSDEPURY.COM NAZIF TOPCUOGLU Murder Mystery, 2009 –10
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(c) These Conditions of Sale are not assignable by any buyer without our prior written
AUTHORSHIP WARRANTY
consent but are binding on the buyer’s successors, assigns and representatives. Phillips de Pury & Company warrants the authorship of property in this auction catalogue (d) Should any provision of these Conditions of Sale be held void, invalid or unenforceable
for a period of five years from date of sale by Phillips de Pury & Company, subject to the
for any reason, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. No failure by
exclusions and limitations set forth below.
any party to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, any right or remedy under these Conditions of Sale shall act as a waiver or release thereof in whole or in part.
(a) Phillips de Pury & Company gives this Authorship Warranty only to the original buyer of record (i.e., the registered successful bidder) of any lot. This Authorship Warranty does not
(e) No term of these Conditions of Sale shall be enforceable under the Contracts (Rights of
extend to (i) subsequent owners of the property, including purchasers or recipients by way
Third Parties) Act 1999 by anyone other than the buyer.
of gift from the original buyer, heirs, successors, beneficiaries and assigns; (ii) property created prior to 1870, unless the property is determined to be counterfeit (defined as a
16 LAW AND JURISDICTION
forgery made less than 50 years ago with an intent to deceive) and has a value at the date of
(a) The rights and obligations of the parties with respect to these Conditions of Sale and
the claim under this warranty which is materially less than the Purchase Price paid; (iii)
Authorship Warranty, the conduct of the auction and any matters related to any of the
property where the description in the catalogue states that there is a conflict of opinion on
foregoing shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with English law.
the authorship of the property; (iv) property where our attribution of authorship was on the date of sale consistent with the generally accepted opinions of specialists, scholars or
(b) For the benefit of Phillips de Pury & Company, all bidders and sellers agree that the
other experts; or (v) property whose description or dating is proved inaccurate by means of
Courts of England are to have exclusive jurisdiction to settle all disputes arising in
scientific methods or tests not generally accepted for use at the time of the publication of
connection with all aspects of all matters or transactions to which these Conditions of Sale
the catalogue or which were at such time deemed unreasonably expensive or impractical to
and Authorship Warranty relate or apply. All parties agree that Phillips de Pury & Company
use.
shall retain the right to bring proceedings in any court other than the Courts of England. (b) In any claim for breach of the Authorship Warranty, Phillips de Pury & Company reserves (c) All bidders and sellers irrevocably consent to service of process or any other documents
the right, as a condition to rescinding any sale under this warranty, to require the buyer to
in connection with proceedings in any court by facsimile transmission, personal service,
provide to us at the buyer’s expense the written opinions of two recognized experts
delivery by mail or in any other manner permitted by English law, the law of the place of
approved in advance by Phillips de Pury & Company. We shall not be bound by any expert
service or the law of the jurisdiction where proceedings are instituted at the last address of
report produced by the buyer and reserve the right to consult our own experts at our
the bidder or seller known to Phillips de Pury & Company.
expense. If Phillips de Pury & Company agrees to rescind a sale under the Authorship Warranty, we shall refund to the buyer the reasonable costs charged by the experts commissioned by the buyer and approved in advance by us. (c) Subject to the exclusions set forth in subparagraph (a) above, the buyer may bring a claim for breach of the Authorship Warranty provided that (i) he or she has notified Phillips de Pury & Company in writing within three months of receiving any information which causes the buyer to question the authorship of the lot, specifying the auction in which the property was included, the lot number in the auction catalogue and the reasons why the authorship of the lot is being questioned and (ii) the buyer returns the lot to Phillips de Pury & Company in the same condition as at the time of its auction and is able to transfer good and marketable title in the lot free from any third party claim arising after the date of the auction. (d) The buyer understands and agrees that the exclusive remedy for any breach of the Authorship Warranty shall be rescission of the sale and refund of the original Purchase Price paid. This remedy shall constitute the sole remedy and recourse of the buyer against Phillips de Pury & Company, any of our affiliated companies and the seller and is in lieu of any other remedy available as a matter of law. This means that none of Phillips de Pury & Company, any of our affiliated companies or the seller shall be liable for loss or damage beyond the remedy expressly provided in this Authorship Warranty, whether such loss or damage is characterized as direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential, or for the payment of interest on the original Purchase Price.
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PART I CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTION 12 May 2011 450 PARK AVENUE Viewing 30 april - 11 May
Phillips de Pury & Company 450 Park avenue New york 10022 Enquiries +1 212 940 1260 Catalogues +1 212 940 1240 | +44 20 7318 4039
PhIllIPsdEPURy.COm RICHARD PRINCE Crashed ÒWayward Nurse,Ó 2006-10 (detail) Estimate $4,000,000-6,000,000
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PHILLIPS de PURY & COMPANY
Chairman
Directors
Advisory Board
Simon de Pury
Sean Cleary
Maria Bell
Finn Schouenborg Dombernowsky
Janna Bullock
Patricia G. Hambrecht
Lisa Eisner
Alexander Payne
Lapo Elkann
Olivier Vrankenne
Ben Elliot
Chief Executive Officer Bernd Runge
Lady Elena Foster H.I.H. Francesca von Habsburg Marc Jacobs
Senior Directors
Ernest Mourmans
Michael McGinnis
Aby Rosen
Dr. Michaela de Pury
Christiane zu Salm Juergen Teller Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis Jean Michel Wilmotte Anita Zabludowicz
INTERNATIONAL SPECIALISTS
Berlin Brussels
Shirin Kranz, Specialist, Contemporary Art +49 30 880 018 42 Olivier Vrankenne, International Senior Specialist +32 486 43 43 44 Katherine van Thillo, Consultant +32 475 687 011
Buenos Aires & London
Brooke de Ocampo, International Specialist, Contemporary Art +44 777 551 7060
Geneva
Katie Kennedy Perez, Specialist, Contemporary Art +41 22 906 8000
London
Dr. Michaela de Pury, International Senior Director, Contemporary Art +49 17 289 73611
Los Angeles Milan Moscow
Maya McLaughlin, Specialist, Contemporary Art +1 323 791 1771 Laura Garbarino, International Senior Specialist, Contemporary Art +39 339 478 9671 Svetlana Marich, Specialist, Contemporary Art +7 495 225 88 22
GENERAL COUNSEL
MANAGING DIRECTORS
Patricia G. Hambrecht
Finn Schouenborg Dombernowsky, London/Europe Sean Cleary, New York
WORLDWIDE OFFICES
NEW YORK
LONDON
BERLIN
450 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022, USA
Howick Place, London SW1P 1BB, United Kingdom
Auguststrasse 19, 10117 Berlin, Germany
tel +1 212 940 1300 fax +1 212 940 1227
tel +44 20 7318 4010 fax +44 20 7318 4011
tel +49 30 8800 1842 fax +49 30 8800 1843
NEW YORK
PARIS
GENEVA
450 West 15 Street, New York, NY 10011, USA
6 avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, 75008 Paris, France
23 quai des Bergues, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
tel +1 212 940 1200 fax +1 212 924 5403
tel +33 1 42 78 67 77 fax +33 1 42 78 23 07
tel +41 22 906 80 00 fax +41 22 906 80 01
MOSCOW TSUM, Petrovska str., 2, office 524, 125009 Moscow, Russia tel +7 495 225 88 22 fax +7 495 225 88 87
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SPECIALISTS AND DEPARTMENTS CONTEMPORARY ART Michael McGinnis, Senior Director +1 212 940 1254 and Worldwide Head, Contemporary Art
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY EDITIONS NEW YORK Cary Leibowitz, Worldwide Co-Director +1 212 940 1222 Kelly Troester, Worldwide Co-Director +1 212 940 1221
LONDON Peter Sumner, Head of Sales, London +44 20 7318 4063 George OÕDell, Head of Day Sale +44 20 7318 4093 Judith Hess Matt Langton Raphael Lepine Ivgenia Naiman
+44 20 7318 4075 +44 20 7318 4074 +44 20 7318 4078 +44 20 7318 4071
Paul de Bono Henry Highley Helen Rohwedder Charlotte Salisbury
+44 20 7318 4070 +44 20 7318 4061 +44 20 7318 4042 +44 20 7318 4058
Joy Deibert Jannah Greenblatt
PHOTOGRAPHS Vanessa Kramer +1 212 940 1243 Worldwide Director, Photographs LONDON Lou Proud, Head of Photographs, London +44 20 7318 4018 Sebastien Montabonel +44 20 7318 4025 Alexandra Bibby Rita Almeida Freitas Emma Lewis
NEW YORK Zach Miner, Head of Evening Sale +1 212 940 1256 Sarah Mudge, Head of Day Sale +1 212 940 1259 Roxana Bruno Jeremy Goldsmith Timothy Malyk Jean-Michel Placent
+1 212 940 1229 +1 212 940 1253 +1 212 940 1258 +1 212 940 1263
Peter Flores Alexandra Leive Winnie Scheuer Alyse Serrell Amanda Stoffel Roxanne Tahbaz
+1 212 940 1223 +1 212 940 1252 +1 212 940 1226 +1 212 940 1303 +1 212 940 1261 +1 212 940 1292
LONDON Domenico Raimondo +44 20 7318 4016 Ben Williams +44 20 7318 4027 Marine Hartogs +44 20 7318 4021 Marcus McDonald
+44 20 7318 4014
Megan McGee
+44 20 7318 4023
Deniz Atac Carol Ehlers, Consultant Sarah Krueger
+1 212 940 1268 +1 212 940 1266
Alexandra Gilbert Allison Condo
+1 212 940 1266 +1 212 940 1268
+1 212 940 1245 +1 212 940 1245 +1 212 940 1245
BERLIN Christina Scheublein +49 30 886 250 57 JEWELS Nazgol Jahan, Worldwide Director +1 212 940 1283 NEW YORK Carmela Manoli +1 212 940 1302 Sharla Phernetton
+1 212 940 1365
LONDON Ardavan Ghavami, Head of Jewelry, Europe +44 20 7318 4064 Rose Curran +44 20 7318 4032 THEME SALES Henry Allsopp, Worldwide Director +44 20 7318 4060 LONDON Arianna Jacobs +44 20 7318 4054 Lisa de Simone +44 20 7318 4090
NEW YORK Alex Heminway, New York Director +1 212 940 1269 Marcus Tremonto Meaghan Roddy
+44 20 7318 4087 +44 20 7318 4087 +44 20 7318 4092
NEW YORK Shlomi Rabi +1 212 940 1246 Caroline Shea +1 212 940 1247
PARIS Edouard de Moussac + 33 1 42 78 67 77 DESIGN Alexander Payne, Director +44 20 7318 4052 and Worldwide Head, Design
+1 212 940 1333 +1 212 940 1332
Eleanor Crabtree Tamila Kerimova
+44 20 7318 4040 +44 20 7318 4085
NEW YORK Corey Barr +1 212 940 1234 Steve Agin, Consultant +1 908 475 1796 Stephanie Max
PARIS Johanna Frydman +33 1 42 78 67 77
+1 212 940 1301
PRIVATE SALES LONDON Anna Ho +44 20 7318 4044
BERLIN Christina Scheublein +49 30 886 250 57
OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN Anna Furney, New York +1 212 940 1238 Harmony Johnston, London +44 20 7318 4099
EDITORIAL Karen Wright, Senior Editor Iggy Cortez, Assistant to the Editor
ART AND PRODUCTION Mike McClafferty, Consultant Art Director LONDON Mark Hudson, Deputy Art Director Andrew Lindesay, Sub-Editor Tom Radcliffe, Production Director
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS LONDON Giulia Costantini, Head of Communications Fiona McGovern, Communications Assistant NEW YORK Trish Walsh, Marketing Manager Anne Huntington, Communications Manager
NEW YORK Andrea Koronkiewicz, Studio Manager Steven Mosier, Graphic Designer Orlann Capazorio, US Production Manager
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SALE INFORMATION AUCTION Thursday 14 April, 7pm Friday 15 April, 10am VIEWING Saturday 9 April, 2pm Ð 6pm Sunday 10 April, 10am Ð 6pm Monday 11 Ð Thursday 14 April, 10am Ð 6pm VIEWING & AUCTION LOCATION Howick Place, London SW1P 1BB WAREHOUSE & COLLECTION LOCATION 110Ð112 Morden Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4XB SALE DESIGNATION When sending in written bids or making enquiries, please refer to this sale as UK000111 or BRIC THEME SALES & ENQUIRIES London +44 20 7318 4054 New York +1 212 940 1234 themes@phillipsdepury.com CATALOGUES Leslie Pitts +44 20 7318 4039 +1 212 940 1240 catalogues@phillipsdepury.com Catalogues $35/25/£22 at the Gallery
AM .J ST
GREEN PARK
ABSENTEE & TELEPHONE BIDS tel +44 20 7318 4045 fax +44 20 7318 4035
Buyer and seller account enquiries +44 20 7318 4010
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CLIENT SERVICES Natalie McFarlane +44 20 7318 4010 KNIG
WAREHOUSE & SHIPPING Cl‡udia Gon•alves + 44 20 7318 4026 PHOTOGRAPHY
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CONSTITUTION HILL
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Peter Hepplewhite
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BRAZIL edition Front cover HŽlio Oiticica, Relevo Espacial, 1959, constructed 1991, Lot 5 (detail) Back cover Beatriz Milhazes, Eu s— queria entender por que ele fez isso, 1989, Lot 7 (detail) RUSSIA edition Front cover Ilya Kabakov, Holidays #10, 1987, Lot 9 (detail) Back cover Komar & Melamid, Double Self-Portrait, 1984, Lot 4 (detail) INDIA edition Front cover Bharti Kher, Invisible People, 2006, Lot 6 (detail) Back cover Ravinder Reddy, Untitled, 2006, Lot 13 CHINA edition Front cover Zeng Fanzhi, The Mask Series No. 21, 1994, Lot 8 (detail) Back cover Liu Wei, Untitled (Worker), 1992, Lot 3 (detail)
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Printed in the United Kingdom, Phillips de Pury & Company
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LOT 25. RASHID RANA
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P H I L L I P S D E P U RY.C O M
cover x pdf finali.indd 2
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