This fall, Sotheby’s is pleased to present A Life Among Artists: Contemporary Photographs from an Esteemed Private Collection. This tightly curated selection of nearly 60 photographs notably includes Cindy Sherman’s Untitled #425, the defining image from her 2003-04 Clown series, and Wolfgang Tillman’s Icestorm, a monumental ‘intervention’ piece from 2001.
This superb group of contemporary photographs reflects the collectors’ unique vision, honed by visiting artist studios, museums, and galleries over more than two decades. The sale includes seminal works from each photographer’s career, such as Matthew Barney’s self-portrait Cremaster 3: Entered Novitiate, Thomas Struth’s Audience 2, Catherine Opie’s Untitled No. 9 (Icehouses), and Christopher Williams’ Model No. 105-R59C Keystone Shower Door.
Reflecting an enduring commitment to championing women across media, the sale spotlights works by more than 20 female artists including Uta Barth, Louise Lawler, Sarah Charlesworth, Marina Abramović, and Hannah Wilke. Photographs by Laurie Simmons include both her early Black Bathroom/Self Portrait from 1997 and the more recent The Love Doll (Geisha Tattoo) from 2011. Roni Horn’s cerebral 2003-04 photo-installation Doubt By Water has been included in nearly every major publication and exhibition on the artist’s work.
In Her Own Words: Contemporary Women Photographers on the Female Gaze
These portraits and self-portraits – all taken by women photographers – demonstrate the collectors’ long-standing support of female artists. Each image is paired with the photographer’s own words to elucidate how and why she documented herself or other women.
