Lot 128
  • 128

Eduard Gorokhovsky

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
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Description

  • Eduard Gorokhovsky
  • Red Flies
  • signed and dated 90; signed, titled and dated 1990 on the reverse
  • oil on canvas
  • 97 by 115.5 cm; 38 1/8 by 45 1/2 in.

Exhibited

Bologna, Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna, a Mosca… a Mosca…, 1992

Literature

Achille Bonito Oliva and Leonid Bazanov, Eds., a Mosca… a Mosca…, Verona 1992, ill. in colour p. 92

Condition

Excellent condition. Some very minor surface dirt along the left and right edges. Some very minor craquelure inside the symbol stamps.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Eduard Gorokhovsky was one of the first non-conformist artists to use photographs and serial imagery as the basis of his paintings. Often sourcing subjects from pre-Revolutionary tradition the artist combines intentionally ambiguous imagery to highlight inconsistencies inherent in Soviet realities. His work subtly touches on the political; the destruction of the family unit, relocation and loss of heritage associated with collectivisation and the communist experiment.

Completed after the fall of the Soviet Union, the presented lot depicts a girl in a pose reminiscent of pre-revolutionary portraits overlaid with red stamps of hammer and sickle, suggestively called Red Flies. Here, a meticulously painted beauty is juxtaposed to mechanically repeated political symbolism. The Soviet emblems can be seen to obstruct the view of the portrait, pestering as insects. Alternatively, they could be falling apart to give way to it, thereby suggesting Gorokhovsky’s belief in the new beginnings.