Nate Lowman

Maccarone Gallery, New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is very good condition. There is evidence of light handling in places. Close inspection reveals a faint diagonal impression in the top right corner of the left panel, and a few faint and unobtrusive media accretions to its upper overturn edge, not affecting the main image. Further very close inspection reveals two tiny turquoise scratches towards lower right corner of the right panel. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
"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."

Nate Lowman’s sculpture, installation, and paintings have for the past decade fixated on America’s trash culture, pop tropes and historical trauma. They hold a proximity that stylistically and conceptually recalls the present through using and reusing imagery from mass media, art history, and the environment in New York. Lowman is interested in reinterpreting historical ideas and images which spring to mind, in particular, artists such as Andy Warhol and Richard Prince. His choice of source materials-typically newspaper cuttings of disasters or high-profile personalities- says as much about the news stories and sensational events they reference as they reflect the artist's own background and subjectivities. In Same place Same Year Lowman has employed an image of two politicians who have deeply influenced the world's political and social dynamic, Kofi Annan and Jacques Chirac. Juxtaposing the image with a handwritten party invite leaves the viewer to reflect on the artist’s intentions. Describing Lowman's aesthetic, Gunnar B. Kvaran, Director of the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo where the artist had his first museum solo show in 2009, notes that "Lowman displays a stronger, clearer political commitment than most artists' of the previous generation. An acute sense of injustice often reveals itself in his layered narratives. There is no innocence or ambiguity in these works, noticeable both from his manner of presenting the images and from their content. But the overall mood is rarely an outrageous one, rather one of sadness or pessimism, mixed with sarcasm and dark humor." (Gunnar B. Kvaran, "The Natriot Act,"  Exhibition Catalogue, Oslo, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Nate Lowman, 2009, pp. 15 and 17)