MICHAEL DWECK | The Duke’s Mermaid (from Sculptural Forms)

archival pigment print on silk, mounted to polyester foam, the whole coated with fiberglass and resin, signed, titled, dated, and editioned '10/10' in ink on the reverse and with custom aluminum hanging bracket, 2015, fabricated in 2018

cf. Michael Dweck, Mermaids (New York, 2008), unpaginated

This handmade multi-media object, accompanied by a custom aluminum hanging bracket of the photographer's design, is in generally excellent condition. There are a few tiny white deposits of indeterminate nature along the lower edges of the surfboard and scattered, faint, superficial hairline scratches visible only under raking light; this is likely inherent to fabrication and does not detract in any way from the overall impressive quality of this object. The underside features a slot for attaching a fin. Please contact the department for additional photographs.
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.

In 2015, Michael Dweck began experimenting with the creation of handcrafted surfboard-shaped objects featuring his photographs of graceful silhouetted swimming figures. The fabrication of these photographic sculptures is extremely labor intensive. First, his image is printed in archival pigments on silk and wrapped around a sculpted polyester foam shape. The object is then coated with fiberglass and 7 layers of high-gloss resin. Dweck’s photographs from this series are named after surfing legends; the title of the present work, ‘The Duke’s Mermaid,’ refers to native Hawaiian surfer and Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, who is widely credited with popularizing surfing.