R.H. Quaytman

Vilma Gold, London
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2010

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and handling to the edges and corners of the panel, resulting in some light surface soiling. There is evidence of scattered hairline craquelure running vertically across the panel, most noticeably 10 inches from the left edge, which is only visible under very close inspection. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is evidence of pinpoint inpainting in the corners of the panel. Unframed.
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.

Chapter 12: iamb (Red Checkers With Edges) was part of R. H. Quaytman’s critically acclaimed show at Miguel Abreu Gallery and Vilma Gold in 2008. As she had been doing since 2001, Quaytman presented a body of work in her innovative form known as ‘Chapters’. Each piece in a ‘Chapter’ relates to a central theme whilst also standing alone as a unique and captivating work of art. The theme usually relates to the setting of the exhibition and one often notices architectural motifs or photographs appearing in her work. Roberta Smith, when reviewing the exhibition, noted that, "The paintings in R. H. Quaytman’s exhibition are cerebral, physically thought out and resolutely optical. They engage painting on every level in a restrained way; they also engage one another" ("Art in Review," New York Times, January 22, 2009). The present lot demonstrates these qualities in abundance. One is confronted with a mesmerizing pattern of checkers which evoke ‘Op-Art’ but is then grounded by the layering of a silkscreened image of wood. The imagery of wood is one that is found in many of Quaytman’s most important pieces and is perhaps one of her most enduring motifs. Quaytman explains, "I was always painting on wood, since the beginning. I never liked a surface with bounce. I also wanted the picture plane to have a very precise edge. With canvas, the edge is foundationally disconnected to the support. The problem, since the very beginning, upon leaving art school, was how to reinvent some rules, how to continue with abstraction but also introduce perspective. This led me to the next problem: how to paint a painting that was not founded on its bounded oneness but contingent upon different structures, whether they be architectural, optical, historical, or biographical" (R. H. Quaytman, quoted in Museo Magazine, 2010). This layering of the wood motif on top of the checkers makes more explicit the methodology of the perceptual processing of a painting by a viewer. The wood motif is in fact taken from the sides of the wooden support structure on which Quaytman paints. Quaytman thus takes a physical quality of her pictorial support and places it centrally as the main visual element on the front of Chapter 12: iamb (Red Checkers With Edges). In the use of such pictorial devices and interplay, Quaytman deliberately destabilizes the act of viewing. The trompe l’oeil effect forces the viewer to question and investigate their own act of perception and contemplate the entire language of painting. 2008, and this exhibition in particular, represented a landmark moment for Quaytman. Her work is now found in many of the most important public collections of contemporary art including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art (who own several pieces from the same Chapter as Chapter 12: iamb (Red Checkers With Edges)), Tate Modern, and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and there can be no doubting of her place as one of the most innovative and engaging artists of her generation.