John Chamberlain

Xavier Fourcade Galley, New York
Sotheby's, New York, February 19, 1988, Lot 82
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

New York, Xavier Fourcade Inc., John Chamberlain: New Sculpture, February - March 1984, n.p., illustrated in color

Julie Sylvester, John Chamberlain: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Sculpture 1954-1985, New York, 1986, cat. no. 714, p. 21, illustrated in color (two alternative views) and p. 196, illustrated in color

This work is in generally excellent condition overall. The colors are vibrant and the scultpure is well-balanced and rests squarely on a solid surface. The constituent elements are sound and the juncture points are secure and stable. The corrosion, abrasions and topical irregularities apparent in the surface are inherent to the material and the artist's working method. This work consists of two independent components that may be disassembled. There is some evidence of minor dust residue on the surface, otherwise, there are no condition problems with this work.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The artistic proposition of John Chamberlain is ensconced in the aesthetic canon of Abstract Expressionism. Beginning in the late 1950s, his three-dimensional forms enveloped space and volume as never before seen, and the materials he sourced were revolutionary for their commonality – as Chamberlain essentially created his own artist supplies, utilizing discarded crushed metal from cars found in junkyards.  By the 1980's, Chamberlain's sculptures became more monumental standing on their own at an enormous scale or confined to a wall, often dominating any space. Bent Tynes, 1983, is impressively volumetric and possesses a confident alignment that recalls many of the artist's earlier works. The structure, color, line, plane, shape and surface all verge at crumbling points countermanding the layers of steel that move gently upwards as the sculpture flattens and rounds out displaying richness of color and unbridled order through callous metallic materials. Bent Tynes, 1983, is an explosive and majestic topography of color and form that recalls the opulence characterized by the artistic moorings of the Baroque. The eponymous title also plays with the suggestive puns long favored by the artist, at once suggesting the winding Tyne river in northern England that flows into the North Sea, along with the other definition of the word, which means to become lost. Justly so, as Bent Tynes, along with Chamberlain's other works, there is no front or back, no preferential view, and the fractured forms yield very different viewpoints that could very well be perceived as different works altogether. This chameleonic tendency, at once effortless and calculated, allows Chamberlain to remain on the cutting edge of postwar Art and among one of the most influential sculptures of a generation.