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Property from the George Hartman and Arlene Goldman Collection
Mark Bradford (B. 1961)
Tony
Details
Mark Bradford (B. 1961)
Tony
paper collage box, in two parts
overall: 48 1/8 x 43 x 15¼ in. (122 x 109.2 x 38.7 cm.)
Executed in 2007.
Tony
paper collage box, in two parts
overall: 48 1/8 x 43 x 15¼ in. (122 x 109.2 x 38.7 cm.)
Executed in 2007.
Provenance
Sikkema Jenkins & Co,, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2008
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2008
Further Details
Mark Bradford, one of the most critically celebrated painters working today, has experimented with sculpture sporadically throughout his career. The present lot features Bradford’s innovative painting style, transposed into three dimensions via two stacked cardboard boxes. The piece features clear imagery, which is somewhat unusual given Bradford’s proclivity for abstraction. The upper element features images of washing machines, a motif that references the materials of the sculpture itself, while the lower box features what appears to be the steering wheel of a car. The top of the sculpture contains the title of the work, ‘Tony,’ adding yet another element of self-reference to the piece.
Bradford’s other forays into sculpture have included a large paneled ark, a bag of painted soccer balls, as well as larger box pieces. This is a particularly fine example of his sculptural body of work, not least because it features prime examples of his painting. The present lot features potent specimens of Bradford’s celebrated use of media ephemera, including magazine clippings and advertisements. Tony features an advertisement for a recently released CD, as well as what appears to be a Sony product; possibly the very same one formerly contained by the lower element. Bradford’s work is often ambiguous, esoteric and warmly welcomes speculation as to the associations between his subject matter and the layers upon layers of clippings that often make up the surface of the work. The present lot is no exception. The relationship between the upper title panel, the side panels of the top box and the side panels of the lower box is curious, and the two elements seem to at once interact with one another and remain autonomous, conversing from a distance or even not at all.
Bradford’s use of ‘Pop’ materials such as washing machine boxes and advertisements alludes to another artist who used such items in his work, Andy Warhol. Just as Warhol’s boxes are an important addition to his oeuvre, so are Bradford’s—permitting a fascinating new insight into this artist’s thoughts, processes and intentions.
Bradford’s other forays into sculpture have included a large paneled ark, a bag of painted soccer balls, as well as larger box pieces. This is a particularly fine example of his sculptural body of work, not least because it features prime examples of his painting. The present lot features potent specimens of Bradford’s celebrated use of media ephemera, including magazine clippings and advertisements. Tony features an advertisement for a recently released CD, as well as what appears to be a Sony product; possibly the very same one formerly contained by the lower element. Bradford’s work is often ambiguous, esoteric and warmly welcomes speculation as to the associations between his subject matter and the layers upon layers of clippings that often make up the surface of the work. The present lot is no exception. The relationship between the upper title panel, the side panels of the top box and the side panels of the lower box is curious, and the two elements seem to at once interact with one another and remain autonomous, conversing from a distance or even not at all.
Bradford’s use of ‘Pop’ materials such as washing machine boxes and advertisements alludes to another artist who used such items in his work, Andy Warhol. Just as Warhol’s boxes are an important addition to his oeuvre, so are Bradford’s—permitting a fascinating new insight into this artist’s thoughts, processes and intentions.
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Edward Tang