Bertrand Lavier

Galleria Massimo Minini, Brescia
Collection particulière, France

Paris, Galerie Eric Fabre, Bertrand Lavier, Cinq pièces faciles, 1981
Bruxelles, Palais des Beaux-Arts, J.P.3, 1981; catalogue
Turin, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea; Rivoli, Castello di Rivoli, Bertrand Lavier, 1996
Genève, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain, Bertrand Lavier, Expositions 1976-2001, 2001 

Michel Gauthier, Bertrand Lavier, depuis 1969, Paris, 2012, p.136, illustré 

The colours are fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration. The work is in good original condition with few paint losses at the back revealing original Roneo piece of furniture.
"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."

The English translation of this note follows the French

Notice de catalogue
"En novembre 1980, à l’occasion d’une exposition organisée à The Clocktower (New York), Lavier présente plusieurs pièces d’une nouvelle série : cinq objets – un poste de radio, une perceuse, un ventilateur, un réveil et un extincteur – peints par l’artiste en respectant leurs couleurs d’origine au moyen d’une épaisse peinture acrylique affichant, à la Van Gogh, la touche du pinceau qui l’applique. L’exposition Cinq pièces faciles, à la Galerie Éric Fabre (Paris), confirmera quelques mois plus tard avec des objets plus volumineux – trois meubles de rangement, un réfrigérateur et un piano – l’importance du chantier qui venait de s’ouvrir. La date de ces premiers objets peints n’est pas neutre. 1980 est en effet l’année du triomphe de la Trans-avant-garde à la Biennale de Venise. Une opération de retour à une peinture figurative soucieuse du passé et de la tradition est conduite à l’échelle internationale. C’est dans ce contexte que ces objets peints de Lavier apparaissent en revendiquant, eux aussi, une dimension figurative, qui se manifeste cependant d’une façon tout à fait inhabituelle : la peinture recouvre l’objet même qu’elle représente."

Michel Gauthier, Bertrand Lavier, depuis 1969, Paris, Centre Pompidou Editions, 2012, p.33

Catalogue note
“In November 1980, on the occasion of an exhibition organised at The Clocktower (New York), Lavier presented several pieces from a new series: five objects – a radio set, a drill, a fan, an alarm clock and a fire extinguisher – painted by the artist in their original colours and using thick acrylic paint displaying, in Van Gogh like fashion, the stroke of the paintbrush. The exhibition Cinq pièces faciles at the Eric Fabre Gallery (Paris), confirmed a few months later and with more voluminous objects – three cupboards, a fridge and a piano – the importance of the work just begun. The date of these first painted objects is not insignificant, 1980 was indeed the year of the triumph of the Trans-avant-garde at the Venice Biennale. A return to figurative painting mindful of the past and tradition was taken to an international level. It was in this context that these painted objects by Lavier appeared by also asserting themselves in a figurative dimension which was however demonstrated in a very unexpected fashion: the paint covers the very object it presents.”

Michel Gauthier, Bertrand Lavier, depuis 1969, Paris, 2012, p. 33