Explosion #17

Details

Charles Gaines (B. 1944)
Explosion #17
(i) titled 'Explosion #17' (lower left), signed and dated 'Charles Gaines 2006' (lower right)
graphite on paper, in two parts
(i) 64 x 39 ¼in. (162.6 x 101cm.)
(ii) 8 ½ x 11in. (21.6 x 27.9cm.)
Executed in 2006

Provenance

Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles.
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2006.

Exhibited

Los Angeles, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Drawings for the 'Explosion' and the 'Randomized Texts' Series, 2006.

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Lot Essay

The politically inclined nature of Charles Gaines’ work is evident in the diptych Explosion #17. One image is comprised of a meticulously hand-rendered depiction of a nuclear bomb explosion, resulting in a mushroom cloud that drifts beyond the bounds of the picture plane. This drawing is paired with a fragment of text that chronicles the circumstances behind the Spanish-American War. The coupling of these two drawings suggests a corollary between that historical moment and the present.

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