Wade Guyton & Kelley Walker

Greene Naftali, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is in very good condition overall. There are stray paint and residual drips on the sides of both canvases, which are inherent to the artists' working methods. The overlap of the black/white canvas has a one-inch tear near the upper right corner, which is only visible when viewed from behind and thus does not interfere with the work. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration.
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.

Belonging to the series of works Guyton\Walker: Empire Strikes Back, the present work brilliantly encapsulates the high-profile collective’s signature style of found imagery and DIY aesthetic. Composed from small clusters of paint cans, reminiscent of Warhol’s Brillo boxes, and two canvases bearing layers of printed Ketel One Vodka ads superimposed with images of kitchen knives and their trademark checkered pattern, Untitled conveys a chic homeliness via its fusion of high and low-brow culture and unfinished, chaotic pictorial language.
Established in 2004, Guyton\Walker is considered a single artistic voice and creative entity by members Wade Guyton and Kelley Walker. The three artistic personas were recently at the forefront of three simultaneous highly acclaimed solo exhibitions at the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Wade Guyton, Guyton\Walker and Kelley Walker. In their individual practices, both Wade Guyton and Kelley Walker draw on Pop Art’s legacy by incorporating found pictures and imagery borrowed from the advertising world and popular culture, as well as more contemporary modes of digital and analogue reproduction. Further emulating the Pop heritage when asked if they drank Ketel One Vodka, Guyton replied “Actually I do drink Ketel One, but only since we started using the advertisements in our work. I think it's important to be a good consumer. I like to give back” (Guyton\Walker in conversation with Rainald Schumacher, “What’s inside a can? A Conversation via E-mail with Wade Guyton and Kelley Walker, April 2006”, Exhibition Catalogue, Munich, Goetz Collection, Imagination Becomes Reality Part IV: Borrowed Images, 2006, n.p.).
Similarly, in Guyton\Walker’s work, the artist’s hand is concealed through the use of unorthodox production technologies, such as computers and flatbed scanners. The result of layers and layers of lurid tones and graphic images channels a spectacular sense of photographic depth and exquisite painterliness, as evident in the present work.