MICHAEL RAY CHARLES | Forever Free, One and Another

Private Collection, Spain
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2010

This work is in excellent condition overall. There is evidence of very light wear and handling to the edges. Under close inspection and raking light, there are some subtle fibrous accretions in the lower left corner beneath the figure's proper left heel. The affixed penny in the lower right corner is well secured. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. 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.

Since the early nineties, African-American artist Michael Ray Charles has explored the cultural impact of racial visual codes. Similar to his contemporaries Kara Walker and Kerry James Marshall, Michael Ray Charles unveils the complex historical development of racial identity in America. He confronts the viewer with a variety of images that depict African American stereotypes and the way they have shaped our collective memory. Forever Free, One and Another encourages the viewer to dive beyond the surface in search for a deeper meaning, a hallmark of Michael Ray Charles’s painterly practice. The paradoxical setting of the nighttime seascape underlit by an undetectable source of light on the two towering figures semi-immersed by the rising water, demonstrates the impact and destruction of Hurricane Katrina on the citizens of New Orleans. The intense, emotionally-charged scene further accentuates the solitude and plight of the figures, isolating them in an imprecise, undesirable world. The monochromatic color palette, predominantly driven by blues and blue-greens, recalls the visual vocabulary of Pablo Picasso´s Blue period. The viewer is immersed in an unreal cosmos beyond time and space.

It was around 2002 that Charles’ art underwent a refreshing change; his compositions became more harmonious, immersive, pure and mature and are reduced to the essential. Due to his regular visits to Europe, specifically Belgium where his second studio is based, Charles’ work evolved to focus and comment on issues as globalization, technologic evolution, migration, politics, inequality and its effects on minorities. As Spike Lee stated, “Michael Ray Charles attacks some serious issues and with a deft humor, which is very hard to do. He makes you laugh while he’s killing you. That’s a real artist” (Spike Lee in Exh. Cat., New York, Tony Shafrazi Gallery, Michael Ray Charles, New Paintings, 1997, p. 3).