Florian Maier-Aichen

Blum & Poe, Los Angeles
Acquired by the present owner from the above

Los Angeles, Blum & Poe, Florian Maier-Aichen, July - August 2004

This work appears in excellent overall condition. There are no apparent condition problems with this work. Framed under Plexiglas – not examined out of frame.
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.

Florian Maier-Aichen has refined the way we see contemporary photography in the 21st century. Combining traditional photographic techniques with computer imaging, Maier-Aichen creates an oeuvre that is both classical and sci-fi, mystical and eerie, romantic and bizarre. 

Maier-Aichen begins with a number of traditional images captured on film, generally from extreme angles or aerial views and then through a process similar to combine-painting, he tirelessly weaves the disparate elements together, perpetually altering and manipulating them until he is left with a seamless image.  As demonstrated by comparing the present depiction of Saddle Peak with its comparable image, an untouched photograph of the same location, Maier- Aichen is a wizard, capable of turning the real into the sublime. Pastoral brown and green hues become fiery shades of red while the pale blue sky becomes Technicolor vivid. These manipulated colors and oblique camera angles manipulate our sense of depth and perception so that suddenly the horizon line is within arm's reach while the bottom of the valley is incalculable. The viewer is left disoriented and dislocated, lost in an impossibly manicured world with crystal clear lighting and unnatural colors. Miles away from Saddle Peak, we are on the road to Maier-Aichen's Oz.