Lot 25
  • 25

Sergio Camargo (1930-1990)

Estimate
700,000 - 900,000 USD
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Description

  • Sergio Camargo
  • Untitled (Relief No 289)
  • signed, dated Paris 70, and numbered no 289 on the reverse
  • painted wood construction
  • 47 1/4 by 39 3/8 in.
  • 120 by 100 cm

Provenance

Gimpel Fils, London
Sigmund E. Edelstone, Chicago
Thence by descent to the present owner

Condition

The panel is in excellent condition and appears structurally sound. The panel is clean and the paint is tightly bound. All of the painted dowels are well adhered and accounted for. No damage was noted on panel. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Wilson Conservation.)
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.

Catalogue Note

Axel Stein: Last season, you were very excited by the sale of a small sculpture, a rare jewel, Orée, 1964 by Sergio Camargo. Today we are honored to offer this rare and supremely attractive red Camargo from the prestigious Sigmund Edelstone Collection in Chicago. What does it bring to your mind?

Grégoire Billault: Minutes ago when I first saw the piece, I had the feeling I was looking at another world, another planet. Actually, the image that first came to my mind as a comparable for your catalogue was a photo of Mars.

AS: In the late 50´s and 60´s, Camargo was mostly influenced by the work of his mentor Fontana in which he found the seeds of his formal epiphany…

GB: He also looked at Manzoni. The line of work in Camargo -in essence monochromatic  and animated - is an indication of a potent will to create a new language far enough from Fontana´s slashed paintings but close to the spirit of his economy of means.

AS: There were other radical artists meeting in Paris. We think of Klein but also of his Op and Kinetic  friends…

GB: Of course. But, remember, it´s Paris in the 1960s. Poliakoff and Fautrier are leading the scene. There is a quest of a more radical approach. The non-figurative artists have of course seen the Cubists and the Abstracts from the early 20th century. But, for Camargo, as for others in his generation, the quest begins by denying the possibility of becoming just another consequence of the old order. Camargo proceeds backwards: he starts with a radical formal and chromatic reduction and by using these minimalistic building blocks, he creates a potent and expressive work of art. 

AS: What was Camargo expecting from the use of the red-rust color instead of his signature pure white for this large piece?

GB: In general, it is clear that Camargo wants to be recognized as an independent voice but he certainly does not want to be perceived as an artist who is telling his “petite histoire”.  Camargo only aims to the “big story” and he achieves this by creating another world, a world that has never been seen. With this large red relief, he literally landed us on Mars.

(Extract from a conversation between Axel Stein, Director, Sotheby’s Latin American Art with Grégoire Billault, Sotheby´s Contemporary Art Senior Specialist, September 2013)