- 453
John Baldessari
Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- John Baldessari
- 3 Voided Persons
- black and white photograph and enamel paint
- Framed: 58 by 49 1/4 in. 147.3 by 125.1 cm.
- Executed in 1999.
Provenance
Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2000
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2000
Condition
This work is in good condition overall. The sheet is mounted to the backing board. There is evidence of wear and handling along the edges of the work, which is only visible when unframed. There is a 1/2 inch horizontal tear at the bottom edge 7 ½ inches from the left edge, which is only visible when the work is unframed. Pigment from the frame has transferred onto the print along the edges of the sheet, which is also only visible when unframed. There is an area of mild discoloration along the right edge, located 5 inches from the top edge, measuring 2 inches long and ½ inch wide. There is a minor area of paint loss in upper right circle approximately 2 inches from the top and 3 inches from the right edge. Framed under Plexiglas.
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
"...I think on the one hand I was a little bit worried about using someone's face, as I did not want to get sued and I didn't know exactly where these photographs were coming from, so I used stickers I had lying around to obliterate the faces; and I felt so good I just kept on doing it." - John Baldessari
The rupture of continuity is a prevalent theme in Baldessari's artistic output. In his photoworks, elements of the composition are often times broken up or blotted out. Such manipulation of ordinary photographs, many of which are found and collected by the artist, create complex visual paradoxes that transcend the realm of photography. What started out as a simple copyright concern evolved into a medium in which the artist explored issues of the individual's identity within a whole as well as a deeper theme of the unknown. Coosje van Bruggen compared Baldessari's blotting out of faces to a dream, pointing out how "in our sleep we can switch the emphasis of our attention from upsetting events to trivial details whose origins are hard to trace. Baldessari shifts the emphasis from the identification of individuals to that of generic types." (Exh. Cat., Los Angeles, The Museum of Contemporary Art, John Baldessari, March - June 1990, p. 188)
The rupture of continuity is a prevalent theme in Baldessari's artistic output. In his photoworks, elements of the composition are often times broken up or blotted out. Such manipulation of ordinary photographs, many of which are found and collected by the artist, create complex visual paradoxes that transcend the realm of photography. What started out as a simple copyright concern evolved into a medium in which the artist explored issues of the individual's identity within a whole as well as a deeper theme of the unknown. Coosje van Bruggen compared Baldessari's blotting out of faces to a dream, pointing out how "in our sleep we can switch the emphasis of our attention from upsetting events to trivial details whose origins are hard to trace. Baldessari shifts the emphasis from the identification of individuals to that of generic types." (Exh. Cat., Los Angeles, The Museum of Contemporary Art, John Baldessari, March - June 1990, p. 188)