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Ay Tjoe Christine
Description
- Ay Tjoe Christine
- Prerequisite For Second Studio
- Signed and dated 12; signed, titled and dated 2012 on the reverse
- Oil on canvas
- 150 by 125 cm.; 59 by 49 1/4 in.
Condition
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Prerequisite For Second Studio exemplifies Ay Tjoe Christine’s constant preoccupation with lines and structure, which can be observed as early as 2002, in her Bangunan (Building) series, where it manifested visually as architectural elements, all the way to the Lama Sabakthani works (2010), where structure is no longer a visual aesthetic but part of the creation process.
The way Ay Tjoe melds figuration and abstraction shows the importance of how each element is conceived and how they engage with one another visually. Hidden behind the evocative strokes and semblance of indeterminacy is in fact, a heightened sense of logic and clairvoyance. Indeed, her enigmatic titles gives her mysterious compositions an additional intellectual depth. Indeed, Ay Tjoe once confided that she has a penchant for organization and neatness, placing the scattered objects lying around her home inside boxes. The activity is perhaps Ay Tjoe’s idiosyncratic way of expressing her fascination with the methodology of arranging things, whether literal or symbolic, into their place.
In Prerequisite For Second Studio, Ay Tjoe articulates the perpetual push and pull to seek balance between emotion and reason, as well as the heart and the mind. No matter how these fragments are stacked and pressured together, there are parts that inevitably spill over, seeping ever so slightly but inexorably, into the empty white background. A powerful visualization of the journey of the soul, the present painting is austere, intense and emotionally gripping, but it is also emblematic of the power of passion and life which Ay Tjoe holds close to her heart.