Tim Noble & Sue Webster

Modern Art, Inc., London
Sale: Christie's, New York, Post War and Contemporary Art, 5 February 2003, Lot 11
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Exhibition Catalogue, London, Chisenhale Gallery; Exeter, Spacex Gallery, The New Barbarians, 1999, n.p., illustration of another example in colour
Jeffrey Deitch and Norman Rosenthal, Tim Noble & Sue Webster: Wasted Youth, New York 2006, n.p., illustration of another example in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue are fairly accurate although the bulbs towards the base tend more to orange in the original. The illustration fails to convey the flashing quality of the blue and white bulbs in the original. Condition: This work is in good working order. There are a few scattered media accretions along the extreme lower left edge. There is a slight indentation to the backing board on the left tier second from the top.
"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."

Illuminated by hundreds of shimmering and flashing bulbs, the sophisticated sequencing of Excessive, Sensual Indulgence makes for a mesmerizing and seductive display of alternating colours that owes its potency and allure to the mechanics of the advertising industry. There is nothing subliminal about the mode of communication here; resplendent and glitzy, this theatrical crescendo of blinking bulbs in a carefully orchestrated chase effect is an altarpiece to decadence and desire. A brash and glaring hyperbole of kitsch, as the three words of the title Excessive, Sensual Indulgence suggest, it pays homage to the casino chintz of Las Vegas and its hyper-tacky British counterpart: the Blackpool illuminations. Growing up in the North, both Noble and Webster were familiar with this end-of-summer working-class ritual, when the seaside resort comes alive with flashing lights celebrating unashamed vulgarity. By scrutinising the more spectacular and vulgar aspects of contemporary culture in a manner clearly parodying that culture's attention grabbing style, Noble and Webster challenge the very norms of art and beauty. Deliberately positioning themselves astride the two ostensible antipoles - highbrow art on the one hand and consumer society's lowbrow kitsch on the other - their complex pastiche emphasises the surprising similarity between the two.

 

First exhibited in 1997 at their London debut, Excessive, Sensual Indulgence was a groundbreaker. Struggling to find representation with a London gallery, Noble and Webster teamed up with Stuart Shave to stage an exhibition of their work at their studio and home in Hoxton's Rivington Street. One of a trinity of works exhibited, one on each floor of the building, it was an astonishing debut that was greeted by a large audience and met with great critical acclaim, effectively launching their career on the international stage.

 

Webster's father was an electrician, and as a teenager she would help him repair cigarette vending machines which gave her the practical know-how with circuit-boards to fashion the complex electrical arrangements. An early prototype, Flash-Painting, 1993, which consisted of a three foot by 15 foot canvas surrounded by sequenced white fairground lights, was exhibited in a show they staged in a Brick Lane warehouse for their peers, among them Chris Ofili. These early experiments find their resolve for the first time in the present work. Simultaneously excessive and minimal, over the top and rigorously systemic, Excessive, Sensual Indulgence possesses the visual assault of a neon nightclub sign and the iconic symmetry of an elegant minimal sculpture. With Dan Flavin as a clear art historical referent, it overhauls minimalism by dragging it into the Pop vernacular. Logo-like, it has the instant legibility inherent to advertising, but like a punk rock concert it is choreographed into a high energy, high voltage performance: both are designed to seduce.