Lot 280
  • 280

ANG KIUKOK | Black & White Still Life #4

Estimate
550,000 - 750,000 HKD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Ang Kiukok
  • Black & White Still Life #4
  • Signed and dated 72
  • Oil on canvas mounted on board
  • 87.5 by 87.5 cm; 34 1/4  by 34 1/4  in.

Exhibited

The Luz Gallery, 9-29 November 1972, No. 41565

Condition

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. This work could benefit from a light, professional cleaning, as there are small accretions on the work. There is a 2.6 cm vertical scratch and associated loss to the work at the lower left quadrant as well as some scuffs at the upper left quadrant. All other inconsistencies are due to the artist's working method. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no sign of restoration as viewed. Framed.
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

Executed in 1972, Black and White Still Life #4 is one of the Ang Kiukok’s signature technical studies on abstraction and perspective. Here, the artist chooses to paint the classical subject of the still-life but proceeds to reinterpret it and express it in his quintessential visual language. Kiukok was preoccupied with depicting still-life subjects, such that they chronicled his artistic evolution from his Modernist period to the Cubist-Expressionism that defined him. In the present lot, Kiukok deconstructs the objects, including a table, a possible tablecloth or fabric, and an ambiguous object on the table. He infers these elements of the real world through an abstract lens, reducing them to their most basic geometries and rearranging them spatially in the picture plane. Rather than assuming a fixed, single point of view, Kiukok’s cubist style combines multiple viewpoints into a single canvas, creating a kaleidoscope of rigid planes and lines. In this work, these organic and banal objects are now made almost unfamiliar. Once reduced, the enigmatic object perched on the table possesses an anthropomorphic quality, though it is most likely merely a reconstructed vase on top of fabric. 

Here, Kiukok’s palette is primarily monochromatic. The deliberately restrained color spectrum allows the artist to focus solely on form and shape, showcasing his attention to order and composition. Warmer browns provide a sense of depth to the cooler blacks, grays and whites in the composition. Black and White Still Life #4 is an example of Kiukok’s sweeping transformations of conventional art forms, and it exhibits his mastery of color theory, line, shape.

Ang Kiukok’s works are some of the most iconic to come out of the Philippines, cementing him in the pantheon of modern Southeast Asian art. Studying under Vicente Manansala, he boldly merged the fundamentals of Cubism, Surrealism and Expressionism to formulate a lasting visual language, carving out his own individual path with a compelling visual allegory. Kiukok was later inducted into the Order of National Artists for Visual Arts in 2001 in recognition of his innovation.