Antony Micallef, B. 1975

Laz Inc., London
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2006

London, Laz Inc., It's a Wonderful World, 2006

The looseness of the media surrounding the figure is intrinsic to production. This work is in good original condition
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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."

Anthony Micallef's trip to Japan in 1999 changed everything. An artist with exquisite draughtmanship skills and an uncanny ability to get to the heart of the human figure found himself overwhelmed by the maelstrom of noise and colour that permeates the streets of Tokyo; "Japan was a complete visual overload for me. It allowed me to find myself as a painter and come to terms with what I am interested in and what excites me as a visual artist." The change in direction that came as a direct result is epitomised by his delight in introducing contrasting elements of light and dark to create uncanny results. The pink bow gracing the top of a Bacon-esque and bleakly featureless face subvert the viewer's instincts as do the canary yellow and candy pink of the Happy Meal bag. Here again we find a striking leitmotif of the artist's iconography; undermining the power of logos by including them in unsettling images. Both the present lot and lot 513 take the image of the child angel and bedeck them with Macdonald's bags and nike trainers, raising questions of morality and consumerism in an uncertain time. By clothing the cherub in Angel with a super-brand Micallef uses the power of visual imagery to articulate his deep unease with the perceived glibness of contemporary culture and by arming him he points to something altogether more unsettling. "The trouble with pop is that it doesn't really go deeper than the surface. For me, this isn't enough substance. You have to drag it down and make it more interesting. when you put two contrasting images together, it causes friction and that's the bit I'm interested in."

Both of the present lots are superb examples of the artist's more recent work; gone is the focus on portraiture that defined his early work, replaced by a compelling virtuosity in front of the canvas and a confidence in his technique to assimilate diverse cultures and styles. With influences ranging from Manga to Mantegna it is clear that contrast defines these works:  pink and black, angels and weapons, technical beauty and smearing all work with one another to create a series of delicately poised tensions and a unique style that the artist has labelled 'Sick Glamour'.