Lot 209
  • 209

Brian Uhing

Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 HKD
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Description

  • Brian Uhing
  • In The Guerdoners Garden
  • Signed
  • Oil on canvas

Condition

The work is in very good condition overall as viewed. Framed.
"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

A plethora of images of a richly rewarded life suffuses the scene.  Pearl-studs, lush embroidery, and coifed silk adorn the regal finery of an elegant maiden. A solid imposing house nestl on flora beaming  with luscious  fruits,  as   lovebirds  roost beneath fair  weather clouds. 

Brian Uhing summons the visual language of his guild as he narrates allegories of his being and his yearnings.  His influences are pedigreed. The colors of Titian, the  whimsicality of Bruegel, and the enigma of Magritte.  Uhing labored countless hours   to quench  his   obsession for perfection by  employing  layers upon layers of   his glazing  technique  to  bequeath  human tone  on the skin,  bestow  verdant texture upon the  leaves, imbue   style and elegance  on the  garments and jewelry,   and conjure  dreams of puffy cotton balls  floating in the sky.

Underneath  the physicality of his  imageries,  Uhing  bares  the  exacting  nature of his art  which he personifies  in the likeness of  a Renaissance woman  who  demands resplendent perfection.  “I always see my art as a woman, and a demanding kind of a woman. I am a bit of a perfectionist, if I didn’t do it right, I will start  all over again.”  Uhing  shares that he sometimes  goes  penniless because he  will not  release a painting  unless he  feels absolutely  satisfied  of its  uncompromised completion.  For  In The Guerdoners Garden,   he spent more than  a thousand  hours glazing, drying, and   repeating  the  glazing  process again  six  times on end.

Uhing presents riddles in his visual figuration, leaving ample space  for the viewer to introspect on the rewards  of  faithful devotion to one’s passion. The artist sees the ephemeral fruits of passion   in the trimmings of affluence.  But his whole being   craves for the enduring rewards of the warmth of home, a tranquil sky,   and  abiding affection.

Guerdon is reward in medieval Latin.  Like the artists of yore, Brian Uhing’s  canvas  is his Guerdoners Garden