Lot 2
  • 2

Etel Adnan

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description

  • Etel Adnan
  • California 
  • signed and dated Adnan '82; signed, titled and dated on the stretcher
  • oil on canvas
  • 20.5 by 25.2cm.; 7 7/8 by 10in.

Provenance

Collection of the Artist, California
Collection of Jean Rigg, New York City (acquired directly from the above in the 1980s)
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2015 

Condition

Condition: This work is in very good condition. Some minute paint chips on the fold of the stretcher alongside the bottom right edge. Some light areas of dust across the light green top edge. Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are accurate. The blue tends towards a lighter sea blue, the olive green tends towards a stronger mustard green.
"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

In her landscape paintings, Adnan uses the paint to reach its fullest opaque density; heavy impasto is a must. She aims to have the oil paint establish its own presence and give physical weight to the abstract shapes and forms. There is a spatial energy in the relationship of colours with one another, a bit like music - Adnan always tried to juxtapose colour notes with contemporary jazz music which she has been fond of. 

While her vibrant, expressive paintings do not make explicit references to political and social issues, they reflect Adnan’s call for an intense engagement with the world. The rapid, thick strokes of her palette knife chronicle scenes of personal importance to the artist, particularly Mount Tamalpais near her home in California as well as the Mediterranean Sea with some painted from memory. The landscape’s distinct forms—mountains, horizon, sea, sun—are knitted together, recording minute shifts of sensory experience and offering an empathetic response to the natural world against to violence and indifference.