2012
2012 NARA
1
In the Milky Lake
2023 SOLD for HK$ 100M by Sotheby's
The little girl standing half submerged in a rippling puddle regularly appears in the works of Yoshitomo Nara. It expresses a rain that so invades his heart that its internal puddle of tears joins the surrounding lake in a path from vulnerability to happiness.
Painted in 1998, Haze Days is an early example, with a concerned face and the pink attire of a nice girl. A pink bandage wraps the head like an Easter egg, most likely as a reference to van Gogh's painful self portrait with bandaged ear. The luminous puddle-pond is an appeasing pastel cream. Please watch the video shared by the auction house before it was withdrawn from sale by Sotheby's on May 19, 2023, lot 12.
In 2011 Nara was much shocked by the ravage of the great earthquake and associated tsunami that created the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe. He could not work again as long as he could bring some help to the victims.
Painted in 2012, In the Milky Lake expresses the healing of the nature and of himself. No other work can be more positive. His small girl nearly got the proportions of a real child with rounded cheeks.
Her dress is a dark green which supersedes the simplistic symbols of pink and red. The expression is gently smiling and the wide eyes open to her intimate interior world. The dark orange hair brings a chromatic balance to the whole.
She is not half submerged in a puddle but in an unlimited lake painted in a milky color of extreme sweetness that increases the serene expression of a retrieved hope and peace. Nara confirmed : " Through painting, my soul gets transcended, then my negative feelings are gone.”
This acrylic on canvas 197 x 194 cm was sold for HK $ 100M from a lower estimate of HK $ 80M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2023, lot 1119. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Painted in 1998, Haze Days is an early example, with a concerned face and the pink attire of a nice girl. A pink bandage wraps the head like an Easter egg, most likely as a reference to van Gogh's painful self portrait with bandaged ear. The luminous puddle-pond is an appeasing pastel cream. Please watch the video shared by the auction house before it was withdrawn from sale by Sotheby's on May 19, 2023, lot 12.
In 2011 Nara was much shocked by the ravage of the great earthquake and associated tsunami that created the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe. He could not work again as long as he could bring some help to the victims.
Painted in 2012, In the Milky Lake expresses the healing of the nature and of himself. No other work can be more positive. His small girl nearly got the proportions of a real child with rounded cheeks.
Her dress is a dark green which supersedes the simplistic symbols of pink and red. The expression is gently smiling and the wide eyes open to her intimate interior world. The dark orange hair brings a chromatic balance to the whole.
She is not half submerged in a puddle but in an unlimited lake painted in a milky color of extreme sweetness that increases the serene expression of a retrieved hope and peace. Nara confirmed : " Through painting, my soul gets transcended, then my negative feelings are gone.”
This acrylic on canvas 197 x 194 cm was sold for HK $ 100M from a lower estimate of HK $ 80M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2023, lot 1119. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
2
Can't Wait 'til the Night comes
2019 SOLD for HK$ 93M by Christie's
During the sleepless nights, the infantile character by Yoshitomo Nara becomes an evil being. Displaying on her head the Christian cross, Midnight Vampire, acrylic 73 x 61 cm painted in 2010, was sold for HK $ 17.5M by Christie's on November 25, 2017. The little girl quietly closes her eyes but has the fangs of the cat.
On November 23, 2019, Christie's sold for HK $ 93M an acrylic on canvas 193 x 183 cm painted in 2012, lot 54 A. The cat's eyes prepare a nice wink and the expression is smiling, but a single fang comes out at one side of the mouth. The title of the work is the immediate threat by a vampire, confirming the treacherous malaise of the modern world : Can't Wait 'til the Night Comes.
On November 23, 2019, Christie's sold for HK $ 93M an acrylic on canvas 193 x 183 cm painted in 2012, lot 54 A. The cat's eyes prepare a nice wink and the expression is smiling, but a single fang comes out at one side of the mouth. The title of the work is the immediate threat by a vampire, confirming the treacherous malaise of the modern world : Can't Wait 'til the Night Comes.
3
Under the Hazy Sky
2021 SOLD for HK$ 69M by Sotheby's
Everything is getting worse in the real world. The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 took place near his hometown. Nara, who knew some victims, is at first tetanized. All the apparent social effort to make life pleasant is countered by our hostile planet and the sorcerer's apprentices of the nuclear energy. Later the restart of life over devastation encourages his creativity.
In 2012 the artist tries to offer a message of peace and hope amidst the threats of the world. The titles of his works directly address this increasingly tragic mood.
The big headed little girl of Under the Hazy Sky has a sad gaze. Both her slender arms are stretched to hold a two leaf sprout, symbol of rebirth. Both sprouts are similar despite one of them is viewed over the dark orange dress and the other one over the light background. This acrylic on canvas 195 x 162 cm was sold for HK $ 69M by Sotheby's on October 9, 2021, lot 1126.
In 2012 the artist tries to offer a message of peace and hope amidst the threats of the world. The titles of his works directly address this increasingly tragic mood.
The big headed little girl of Under the Hazy Sky has a sad gaze. Both her slender arms are stretched to hold a two leaf sprout, symbol of rebirth. Both sprouts are similar despite one of them is viewed over the dark orange dress and the other one over the light background. This acrylic on canvas 195 x 162 cm was sold for HK $ 69M by Sotheby's on October 9, 2021, lot 1126.
2012 Promise Land by Bradford
2019 SOLD for $ 7.5M by Christie's
Consumerism and money, expressed by billboards, advertisements and other signage, have invaded all districts without considering that their inhabitants in poverty will never take any benefit of these virtual promises.
Within a signature city map background, Promise Land, executed by Mark Bradford in 2012, includes repetitive legible inscriptions such as SOBER/LIVING, WOMEN MEN, PROMISE LAND and some numerals, dispositioned in strictly horizontal lines in a half erased bleeding red. This legibility superseding the tiny paper fragments brings Bradford in the follow of the letter art by Ruscha, Basquiat and Wool.
This mixed media collage on canvas 260 x 370 cm was sold for $ 7.5M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Christie's on November 13, 2019, lot 4B.
Within a signature city map background, Promise Land, executed by Mark Bradford in 2012, includes repetitive legible inscriptions such as SOBER/LIVING, WOMEN MEN, PROMISE LAND and some numerals, dispositioned in strictly horizontal lines in a half erased bleeding red. This legibility superseding the tiny paper fragments brings Bradford in the follow of the letter art by Ruscha, Basquiat and Wool.
This mixed media collage on canvas 260 x 370 cm was sold for $ 7.5M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Christie's on November 13, 2019, lot 4B.
2012 STINGEL
Intro
With Felix Gonzalez-Torres and later with Rudolf Stingel the viewer participates in the creation. We remember a Gonzalez-Torres carpet of candies from which a young child innocent of art took some samples.
In an early series Stingel displays on the floor the carpets in which the visitors of his exhibitions leave the mark of their footsteps. The effect is improved when the boots are previously dipped in lacquer.
In two exhibitions in Chicago and New York in 2007 he covers the walls with Celotex insulation panels and invites the amused visitors to carve their emotions into soft aluminum walls. The artist then chooses some inscribed areas which he molds to carry out his final work, pushing away the conventional boundaries between art and its spectator.
Stingel is indeed a theorist who cares to reveal his intentions to better demystify the role of the artist in the creation of art. Recovering a message without consistency from the crowd, he goes beyond the proto-writing of Twombly.
In 2012 with the support of Gagosian he reuses the 2007 panels as screens for printing highly reflective gilded copper walls in assemblies of individual elements 120 x 120 cm and 4 cm thick. The gold finish is achieved through a nickel layer on an electrolytic copper substrate. Gold exacerbates the trivial message of the anonymous crowd in this collective creation where the artist is now a foreman responsible for the choice of the final assembly. The slightly undulating surface brings contrasts of light.
That art reminds the aesthetic of religious graffiti in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
In an early series Stingel displays on the floor the carpets in which the visitors of his exhibitions leave the mark of their footsteps. The effect is improved when the boots are previously dipped in lacquer.
In two exhibitions in Chicago and New York in 2007 he covers the walls with Celotex insulation panels and invites the amused visitors to carve their emotions into soft aluminum walls. The artist then chooses some inscribed areas which he molds to carry out his final work, pushing away the conventional boundaries between art and its spectator.
Stingel is indeed a theorist who cares to reveal his intentions to better demystify the role of the artist in the creation of art. Recovering a message without consistency from the crowd, he goes beyond the proto-writing of Twombly.
In 2012 with the support of Gagosian he reuses the 2007 panels as screens for printing highly reflective gilded copper walls in assemblies of individual elements 120 x 120 cm and 4 cm thick. The gold finish is achieved through a nickel layer on an electrolytic copper substrate. Gold exacerbates the trivial message of the anonymous crowd in this collective creation where the artist is now a foreman responsible for the choice of the final assembly. The slightly undulating surface brings contrasts of light.
That art reminds the aesthetic of religious graffiti in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
1
six element wall
2017 SOLD for $ 6.9M by Sotheby's
The six element wall 240 x 360 cm overall is an exceptional configuration in that series. It was sold twice by Sotheby's for the same price, $ 6.9M, on May 18, 2017, lot 5 and on November 14, 2019, lot 32.
2
four element wall
2018 SOLD for £ 5.7M by Phillips
A four element wall 240 x 240 cm overall by Stingel was sold for £ 5.7M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Phillips on March 8, 2018, lot 21.
3
four element wall
2017 SOLD for $ 6.7M by Christie's
A four element wall by Stingel was sold for $ 6.7M from a lower estimate of $ 4.5M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 45 B.
4
four element wall
2017 SOLD for $ 6.4M by Phillips
A four element wall by Stingel was sold for $ 6.4M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Phillips on November 16, 2017, lot 10.
A similar set had been sold for $ 4.8M by Phillips on May 14, 2015, lot 10.
A similar set had been sold for $ 4.8M by Phillips on May 14, 2015, lot 10.
5
Untitled (Picasso)
2019 SOLD for $ 6.5M by Christie's
Rudolf Stingel questions the deep nature of art and the role of the artist.
Using hyperrealistic techniques, he executes over life size paintings from photographs, copying painstakingly all the scratches and stains of the original document.
In 2006 After Sam is a series of four untitled selfies displaying the questioning of the artist about his own fate while reaching 50 years old. One of them with a sad pensive face was sold for $ 10.6M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 35B.
A painting from an old photo of the Tyrolean Alps from his native village dramatically questions truth and fake of the memory. This untitled oil on canvas 335 x 460 cm executed in 2009 was sold for £ 4.7M by Sotheby's on March 7, 2018, lot 19.
In 2012 Stingel now in his mid fifties continues to question the social role of the artist. He recuperates an undated photo of Picasso at about the same age. Looking at the photographer, the serious Picasso in dark suit has a cigarette in his hand and the other in his pocket.
The unique painting of that image, black and white oil on canvas 240 x 193 cm, was sold for $ 6.5M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Christie's on May 15, 2019, lot 33B.
The superseding of a painting to a photo for a portrait is indeed in total opposition of the trend of gtaphic art
Using hyperrealistic techniques, he executes over life size paintings from photographs, copying painstakingly all the scratches and stains of the original document.
In 2006 After Sam is a series of four untitled selfies displaying the questioning of the artist about his own fate while reaching 50 years old. One of them with a sad pensive face was sold for $ 10.6M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 35B.
A painting from an old photo of the Tyrolean Alps from his native village dramatically questions truth and fake of the memory. This untitled oil on canvas 335 x 460 cm executed in 2009 was sold for £ 4.7M by Sotheby's on March 7, 2018, lot 19.
In 2012 Stingel now in his mid fifties continues to question the social role of the artist. He recuperates an undated photo of Picasso at about the same age. Looking at the photographer, the serious Picasso in dark suit has a cigarette in his hand and the other in his pocket.
The unique painting of that image, black and white oil on canvas 240 x 193 cm, was sold for $ 6.5M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Christie's on May 15, 2019, lot 33B.
The superseding of a painting to a photo for a portrait is indeed in total opposition of the trend of gtaphic art
2012 Face by Grotjahn
2013 SOLD for $ 6.5M by Christie's
Succeeding to the butterflies, the Face series by Mark Grotjahn invites the visitor to extract figurative elements such as eyes or nose within an abstract jungle of brightly colored thick impasto deposed with a knife.
The description leads or misleads the visitor. Untitled (Standard Lotus No. II, Bird of Paradise, Tiger Mouth Face 44.01, is dominated by the saturated colors of swirling plants or feathers around a vertical stem.
This oil on unprimed cardboard mounted on linen 185 x 136 cm executed in 2012 was sold for $ 6.5M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Christie's on May 13, 2013, lot 9.
The description leads or misleads the visitor. Untitled (Standard Lotus No. II, Bird of Paradise, Tiger Mouth Face 44.01, is dominated by the saturated colors of swirling plants or feathers around a vertical stem.
This oil on unprimed cardboard mounted on linen 185 x 136 cm executed in 2012 was sold for $ 6.5M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Christie's on May 13, 2013, lot 9.
