Lot 196
  • 196

MIKE KELLEY | Hermaphrodite War Victim

Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Mike Kelley
  • Hermaphrodite War Victim
  • graphite, ink and collage on paper
  • 87 by 177 cm. 35 1/4 by 69 5/8 in.
  • Executed in 2006.

Provenance

Gagosian Gallery, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Exhibited

London, Gagosian Gallery, Mike Kelley Hermaphrodite Drawings, February - March 2007, n.p., no. XII, illustrated in colour

Condition

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is lighter and brighter in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. The sheet is attached verso to the backing mount in several places. The sheet is irregularly cut and undulates slightly. All collaged elements are stable. There is evidence of handling throughout, as well as some small spots of fraying in places, a small number of tears and creases towards the edges and corners of the collaged sheets, all of which are in keeping with the artist's choice of media and working process.
"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

"I do think my works are becoming more and more sexual. Earlier, I kept away from the sexual, or it was very buried. Now its buriedness is obvious, so that you know you’re looking at sublimated objects. They reek of sex, yet nothing is openly erotic. I’ve always been interested in the signs of repressed sex" (Mike Kelley in conversation with Isabelle Graw, in: Georges Bataille, Charles Fort and Isabelle Graw, Mike Kelley, London 1999, p. 23).