- 19
Abir Karmakar
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
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Description
- Abir Karmakar
- From my Photo Album - II
- Signed, dated and inscribed 'Abir / '05 / 'FROM MY PHOTO ALBUM' on reverse
- Oil on canvas
- 72 by 96½ in. (182.9 by 245.1 cm.)
Provenance
Galerie Mirchandani + Steinrucke, Mumbai
Exhibited
Mumbai, The Museum Gallery, from my photo album: Abir Karmakar, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinrucke, October 2005
Literature
Galerie Mirchandani + Steinrucke, from my photo album: Abir Karmakar, Mumbai, 2005, unpaginated, illus.
Condition
Good overall condition.
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.
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
Abir Karmakar is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished artists working in the medium of painting today. He deftly constructs photo-realist paintings, often placing himself as the central subject. There is a voyeuristic element within his paintings. As the viewer one witnesses a snapshot of a private moment, an insight into a solitary world. His works are not necessarily self portraits, but representations of a transgendered self. Much like Cindy Sherman, Karmakar uses his guise as a vehicle to address issues of identity and gender within contemporary society and the depiction of women in film and media. The artist describes his work as 'creating a world of virtual reality featuring his other self' with 'a need to complement one's concepts through masquerade and an enhancement of the feminine.' (Kamala Kapoor, from my photo album: Abir Karmakar, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinrucke, Mumbai, 2005, unpaginated).
In this painting one can draw parallels in terms of composition and subject-matter with that of Edouard Manet's masterpiece A Bar at the Folies Bergère. Karmakar like Manet, has placed a large wall-mirror behind the sitter that purposefully gives an inaccurate reflection. In both paintings the reflection reveals what the subject sees rather than the viewer and in turn imbues the work with an enigmatic sense of calm.