Kim Baek Ki

signed and titled in English and dated 2006 on a plaque affixed to the work

There is minor paint loss to two corners of the work, probably due to wear and handling. Otherwise, the work is in very good condition overall.
"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."

This work is unique.

 

Boasting a versatile repertoire of work, Kim Baek Ki discovers inspiration in a spectrum of stimuli. Previously a successful product designer, Kim has extrapolated from former projects and allowed his repository of past experiences to inform his current endeavours. The series Domestic Perspectives is an effort to link and conflate collective elements in the medium of furniture.[1] Out of this series emerges the beautiful Positives=Negatives (Lot 976), a lacquered wooden object that adopts its flaring contours from the roof of a traditional Korean house. Ingenuity, though, does not end at appropriating forms followed by reassigning functions. "Everything has two sides,"[2] the designer has declared—the positive and the negative aspects of the work manifest themselves in its dual orientation. As is displayed in the lot image, it is a bench, a low-height desk. When flipped upside down, it becomes a rack, a shelf. A brilliant conflation has thus been achieved. Clean contours and symmetrical cavities make up the shape of the piece. Coated lastly with an unexpected burst of bright orange, Positives=Negatives secures its place as a product of the contemporary.

[1] Artist's statement.
[2] Ibid.