Li Shan

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

This work is in good condition. The paint layers are intact. Upon close inspection, a thin vertical black line is visible along the right edge of the canvas, beginning in the middle and ending beyond the edge onto the stretcher, which is likely inherent to the artist's intention. No signs of retouching under UV light inspection.
"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."

About the Collector

Scrolling through Lawrence Schiller's photographic archive is like viewing a visual chronicle of America in the middle of the 20^th century.  There are dozens of luminous and historically significant subjects: Marilyn Monroe in a swimming pool, National Guards during the Watts riots in LA, Robert F. Kennedy sleeping on the floor of his jet during his final campaign, Lee Harvey Oswald, Muhammad Ali, Foreman, Redford, Newman and Streisand...

Born in Brooklyn in 1936, Lawrence Schiller grew up outside of San Diego, CA; Though a childhood accident left him with impaired vision in one eye, Schiller went on to become an obsessive photographer when he received his first camera in junior high school. Even while he attended Pepperdine College, his pictures had already appeared in major publications such as Life, Sport, Playboy, Glamour, and the Saturday Evening Post. Schiller's interests and ambitions soon developed into a profession in print journalism, documenting major stories for glossy magazines all over the world, including Life, Look, Newsweek, Time, Paris Match, Stern, and the London Sunday Times. His illustrious portfolio is tribute to his doggedness, ingenuity, and charm as well as to his technical proficiency.

His many book collaborations include the Pulitzer Prize-winning book with Norman Mailer, The Executioner's Song; and he has written five New York Times bestsellers. He has also directed seven motion pictures and miniseries for television; The Executioner's Song and Peter the Great won five Emmys. He is also the co-founder of The Norman Mailer Center & Writer's Colony in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Schiller's curiosity still drives him to seek out new friends and new experiences. In 2005, Schiller traveled to China and over two years built a collection of Chinese contemporary art, which numbers over 80 paintings and photographs. He now continues to collect Chinese contemporary art. The work on offer, Li Shan's Reading Series: Cubs, purchased directly from the artist, has been in his collection since 2006. Consistent with his earlier Reading Series of uncannily realistic representation of interspecies insects and flowers made of imagery of human body parts, the present work juxtaposes two distinct living beings – fish and leopard cub, posing the question of whether it is still possible to identify the boundaries between any particular organism and the world it inhabits.