Lot 47
  • 47

Christo

Estimate
350,000 - 500,000 USD
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Description

  • Christo
  • Store Front (Project)
  • signed, titled and dated 64; signed and dated 1964 on the reverse
  • pencil, charcoal, enamel paint, cut plywood, fabric, electric light, metal screen and plexiglas mounted on wood
  • 43 x 63 x 5 in. 109.2 x 160 x 12.7 cm.

Provenance

Galerie Le Clos de Sierne, Geneva
Daniel Varenne, Paris
Stefan T. Edlis and Gael Neeson, Chicago (acquired from the above)
Sotheby's, New York, November 16, 2000, Lot 281 (consigned by the above)
Acquired by the present owner from the above

Exhibited

Tokyo, Biennales de Paris, 1978, cat. no. 14, illustrated

Literature

The Martin Z. Margulies Collection: Painting and Sculpture, Miami, 2008, p. 320, illustrated in color

Condition

This work is in very good condition. There are minor chips to the wood resulting at points in paint loss scattered along the extreme edges and likely the result of handling in the installation and de-installation process of this unframed work. Along the window panes there is some minor lifting to the pigment associated with the nails and therefore an inherent result of the process of the work's construction. There is one area of more pronounced lifting in the white paint along the lower outer edge of the left-most pane, resulting in a 1" area of paint loss. Just right of center along the bottom edge there is a small chip in the wood, which is loose. The work is slightly dusty overall and wired for US electrical current.
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

"They were so generalized as to be universal–a kind of 'everystore.' There are no goods or activities to be glimpsed through the undraped margins of the windows. And there are no signs, emblems or addresses to particularize their location or function...Like Hopper, Christo distills specifics to arrive at a generalization, creating a mood of detachment, loneliness and vacancy. His stark store fronts also create a feeling of alienation.... Within these solid-looking facades, the illuminated show windows become isolated and significant voids—zones of unspecified activity or use. Voids and solids, transparency and opacity—all exist with equal importance." (David Bourdon, Christo, New York, 1970, p. 28)