DEBORAH KASS (B. 1952) | OY/YO, 2011

painted aluminum on aluminum base; signed and dated with the artist's signature on the underside; stamped with the artist's signature, dated '2011,' number '24/25,' and foundry mark

Jim Kempner Fine Art , NY
Cheryl Hazan Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. All elements are present and stable. There is a surface layer of dust and scattered faint accretions throughout. There are superficial surface scratches to the base.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

'OY/YO' embodies many of the most important themes in Deborah Kass’ body of work, appropriating a male-dominated visual idiom to investigate the role of identity politics in representation. Transcending media, Kass’ practice has long used the vernacular of Pop Art, a movement well integrated into the art historical canon and affirmed by the market, to address the role of women, as well as racial and religious minorities, in the art world and society at large. First conceived as a public installation in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the present work finds its basis in Ed Ruscha’s iconic 'OOF,' now at the Museum of Modern Art. Taking Ruscha’s foundational treatise in Pop Conceptualism and inserting her own identity as a Jewish woman and New Yorker into the work, Kass’ sculpture can alternatively be read as the Yiddish exclamation “oy” or the oft-heard informal greeting “yo.” With its multiplicity of meaning and root in the parlance of advertising, 'OY/YO' attests to Kass’ commitment to critiquing the homogeneity of the art world and insistence on the legibility of her practice to a diversity of audiences.