Rachel Whiteread

Acquired directly from the artist

This work is very good condition over. There is variation in the color of the plaster, particularly at the sides, which is inherent to the artist's working method. There is scattered evidence of minor but stable cracking to the plaster most notable on the extreme underside of the bottom shelf and at the extreme back right of the top shelf. There are a few scattered minor chips to the surface, most notably is a 3/4 inch chip located on the extreme top edge of the lower shelf approximately 9 inches from the left edge.
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.

Acclaimed for her plaster casts of everything from bathtubs to bedrooms to buildings, Rachel Whiteread depicts the unseen and the absent and the unspoken. Her work exemplifies a sculptural reversal in which the object depicted speaks less about its own presence than of the ghosts of objects no longer present.  Untitled (Sequel I), 2002, is from her series of cast bookshelves begun in the late 1990s, is the epitome of her ability to capture the transience of objects through their absence. The work is a negative cast of bookshelves whose colorful indentations of varying length and texture suggest the lost presence of a library. The plaster captures the nuance of paper edges and color dyes of each book as Rachel Whiteread reminds us of the literary treasures once held by the absent shelves. Her allusions to the different sizes and colors of the books pay tribute to the individuality of their creators and their distinctive lives, styles and stories. The books and the authors are honored as ghosts on Whiteread's empty shelves. Untitled (Sequel I) electrifies the hollow space contained within the materiality of the lost shelves and vivifies its silence, its history and its unconscious.