Lot 35
  • 35

Sergio Camargo (1930-1990)

Estimate
275,000 - 325,000 USD
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Description

  • Sergio Camargo
  • Orée
  • signed, dated Paris 64 and indistinctly inscribed on the underside
  • painted wood construction
  • 11 3/4 by 7 1/8 by 6 3/4 in.
  • 30 by 18 by 17 cm

Provenance

Gallerie Gromholt, Oslo
Private Collection, Scandinavia
Thence by descent 
Sale: Sotheby's, Latin American Art, May 28, 2013, lot 36, illustrated
Private Collection, New York

Exhibited

Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, Op-Kunst, March 30-April 28, 1968, no. 27

Condition

This work is in very good condition, taking its age into account. All of the wooden elements are stable and safely secured, and the media layer overall is stable. Very fine craquelure is present.
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

As it was the case with fellow Brazilian artists Lygia Clark and Helio Oiticica, Sergio Camargo found the creative energy of 1960s Paris irresistible. As part of a select group of Latin Americans, he lived in Paris from 1961 to 1974, attending the Sorbonne and studying philosophy under Gaston Bachelard. It was here when he began a series of monochrome works composed of cylindrical pieces of diagonally cut wood.

These reliefs, now recognized as some of his most compelling work, resemble "crystalline growth," and generate a sensorial play of light and shadow; what critic Guy Brett referred to as a "chiaroscuro effect" across their surface. Inherently organic, these radically experimental works explore the rhythmic disposition of the wooden pieces. Their simplicity of means and matte emulsion finish serve to highlight the natural material roughness of the wood creating an experiential dialogue between the organic textures of nature and the carefully crafted character of art.