S otheby’s fourth annual Contemporary Photographs auction in New York showcases significant, cutting-edge contemporary works by Cindy Sherman, Darren Almond, Thomas Struth, Dinh Q. Lê, Matthew Brandt, Rineke Dijkstra, Anne Collier, Louise Lawler, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, and many more. Online bidding will be open from September 21–October 1, with a pre-sale exhibition by appointment at Sotheby’s New York, September 26–30. Please contact the Photographs Department for more information about lots in the sale or bidding assistance.
Landscape photography brings far-flung geographic locations to life. From Lynn Davis’s majestic image of a receding iceberg to Matthew Brandt’s electrifying view of Wyoming backcountry, these contemporary artists place the entire world within our field of vision.
A lavish dining table set for a party of 8; a crumbling staircase in old Havana; the hushed atmosphere of a magnificent Beaux-Arts library reading room: photographers such as Louise Lawler, Michael Eastman, Ahmet Ertug, and others open the door so we can see inside spaces both sacred and profane.
Self-portraiture can be an allusive affair. From Paul Mpagi Sepuya’s fractured view of his own body to Sam Taylor-Johnson’s symbolic self-portrait, these photographers urge us to look closely.
Decidedly American images that capture the nation’s cultures and traditions include Roe Ethridge’s Thanksgiving scene, Paul Pfeiffer’s professional basketball player, Joel Meyerwitz’s tattered American flag, and David Levinthal’s homage to Westerns. Each points to objects, events, and entertainment that are particularly American.
Sometimes two images are better than one; diptychs by Sigmar Polke, Uta Barth, Robert Cumming, and other artists use a bipartite format to document the passage of time, capture the effects of light, and comingle textual and visual information.
A multi-part work creates a dialogue between various pictures in order to elicit an idea that a single image cannot express. William Wegman, Friedrich Kunath, Waleed Beshty, and Darren Almond use seriality to meditate on the passage of time, the structure of language, and the slippery nature of portraiture.
Whether cutting, pasting, or weaving, these contemporary artists use the cumulative effects of collage to bring forth their visions of the world.
