Sigmar Polke

Private Collection (acquired directly from the artist)
Sale: Christie's, New York, Post-War and Contemporary Art, 14 November 2007, Lot 180
Thomas Ammann Fine Art, Zürich

Zürich, Thomas Ammann Fine Art, Abstract Vision, 2008

Condition: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall totality is brighter and more vibrant in the original. The catalogue illustration fails to fully convey the glistening irredescence of the top layer of paint apparent in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. The sheet is held within the frame and undulates slightly. Upon extremely close inspection there are some minor tiny rub marks and unobtrusive media accretions to the larger white elements.
"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."

Throughout his illustrious career, Sigmar Polke was to obsessively manipulate and reshape his approach to visual culture through deconstructing the illusions and paradoxes of painting and contemporary media. Embodying the artist's post-war, modernist view of the world as an unpredictable place full of intrigue permeated with irony, Polke probes the role of image-maker, dancing around figuration and abstraction, conceptual and perceptual art.

 

In the 1990s and in his later years of production, Polke's inquiries turned more to a sustained investigation into alchemy; the reactive possibilities of diverse materials and the mastery of colour. Beautifully rendered here in Untitled, Polke fuses acrylic with the iridescent qualities of dispersion, achieving a magical serenity on the surface of the work. Deliberating upon the subject of idealized beauty, Untitled questions the very mechanics of the art of painting.  Whilst often rooted in ancient mythology, philosophy and chemistry, Polke's experimental investigations retain a freshness and originality, never capable of categorization. 

 

The viewer is confronted in Untitled not only by its impressive dominance of scale, but by the overwhelming power of colour and composition. Polke masterfully highlights the fragility of perception and the inherent constraints of assigning fixed meaning. He not only challenges the viewer to define exactly what they are seeing, but also questions the very authority of the image and its role as a tool of communication by critiquing issues of perception. The jewel-like properties of Polke's pigments resonate throughout Untitled, ensuring the viewer's desire of engagement.