Christo

Meshulam Riklis, Beverly Hills
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is in good condition overall. There is an undulation to the sheet. There are some graphite smudges and some scattered adhesive residue, which appear inherent to the artist's working method. There is time staining to the sheet, particularly toward the edges. Framed in a Plexiglas box.
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.

Dr. Mona Ackerman was a gifted clinical psychologist. She was a popular columnist for the Huffington Post. She was a renowned philanthropist. She was a celebrated hostess. She was a mother, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, an aunt and a girlfriend. She collected art the way she did friends – choosing what she liked regardless of fashion. This collection is who she was: eclectic, tasteful and zestfully unpredictable.

Mona was not a collector. She was an appreciator. She had a keen and disciplined eye – she was an early admirer of Bridget Riley – but she also had a wandering eye. If it was good, if it spoke to her, she wanted it, and she was able to meld different periods isolating what they had in common. In her home, she arranged her pieces – paintings, sculptures, etc. – so that they flowed into one another. The artists created the art. Mona created the continuity.

Mona Ackerman was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and came to America as a child. She was raised in New Mexico, Ohio, Minnesota and finally New York. She studied abroad, she traveled the world. She worked as a book editor and a movie executive. Ultimately, she received her doctorate in psychology and after working at Bellevue Hospital and as a school psychologist, she opened a practice on the Upper East Side. She thrived – and so, from all accounts, did her patients.

Whatever it is that is essential to life –energy, soul, joy, exuberance and of course love – Mona Ackerman had in abundance. In whatever she did – whether it was one of her celebrated Chinese banquets for 40 or a one-on-one session in her office – she brought a special and rare joy. She embraced life and it seemed all of life embraced her in return. She is sorely missed.

- Richard Cohen