Margaret DePatta

a unique object, mounted, signed and dated in pencil on the mount, 1939

This photogram is on double-weight paper with a nearly matte surface. Lustrous silvering is visible overall. Upon very close examination, a tiny, shiny, black deposit of indeterminate nature is visible in the upper right quadrant. Extending from the lower edge of the print is a one-inch sharp vertical crease, which likely occurred prior to, or as a result of, mounting. The print is lifting from the mount slightly at its lower corners. This photogram is mounted to slick, beige board. The corners of the mount are bumped, and the upper edge is ever-so-slightly warped. At the print's periphery, there is a thin border of yellowed adhesive on the mount. On the reverse of the mount, 'MDP 005' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil.
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.

This unique photogram is the work of the California jewelry designer Margaret DePatta, a key figure in the American studio jewelry movement and the subject of the recent retrospective, Space-Light-Structure: The Jewelry of Margaret DePatta, organized by the Oakland Museum of California and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City.  Trained in painting and metalwork, DePatta met László Moholy-Nagy in 1939 and enrolled at the Chicago Institute of Design the following year.  Her experience there, translating her photograms and light-modulator studies into three-dimensional jewelry forms, informed her artistic output for the rest of her career.