Charles Ryan Becker, RCA Degree Show, MA Sculpture 2025
(Enquiries)
charlesrbecker1@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/charlesryanbecker/
(Text)
(excerpt from upcoming essay) In After the Party, it’s the Afterparty, Becker utilizes framework grounded in the lineage of appropriation art. Inspired by the notion that all art is interconnected through webs of influence, the works in this exhibition re-present imagery that demonstrates the idea of art as the root of artistic inspiration. Becker meticulously combines this imagery with the idea of the toy–and its perceived innocence–to create an educational object which questions the authenticity of images, positing an alternative method for disseminating art history.
Recontextualized images are paired with playful characters as a means to question idea propagation. Images are minimized and repeated to obscure meaning, creating scenes in which they are contemplated as an afterthought. Through this deliberate falsification, the images subconsciously affect the viewer and highlight the distinction between information that is knowingly consumed and that which is fed and signaled as possible propaganda.
(Titles)
1. Sunset translations (after Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), ‘Objets mobiles et muets (Lust 1)’, lithograph, 1931, on Marais, signed in pencil, numbered 'H.C.' aside from the edition of 30, published by La Revue du Surréalisme, with margins, pale discoloration mainly at the extreme sheet edges, otherwise generally in very good condition. L. 260 x 430mm., S. 330 x 504mm. ALBERT GIACOMETTI The following 40 lots comprise one of the most important groups of prints by Alberto Giacometti to have appeared at auction in recent times. It spans nearly his entire graphic career, starting with his first print in 1931, and finishing with his last and perhaps greatest work, the illustrated book Paris sans Fin. The collection embodies all his major pictorial themes and provides a welcome opportunity to follow Giacometti's development as a graphic artist. Whilst Giacometti's early career saw a close involvement with the Surrealist movement - his first recorded print, a lithograph, Moving, Mute Object (lot 125) produced for La Revue du Surréalisme clearly shows this influence - he quickly developed his own unique and instantly recognisable style. From the outset Giacometti was driven by a desire to represent his personal vision of the external world. In making this vision real he made use of the widest range of techniques, switching from sculpture to painting, drawing to printing. His first contact with printmaking came through drawing when, age 13, he copied Dürer, Rembrandt and the Japanese masters. It is interesting to note that he learned the art of etching at Stanley Hayter's Atelier 17, when it was based in Paris before its move to New York. Giacometti's graphic oeuvre has three constant and recurrent themes, mirroring his sculpted and painted works: the bust, the human figure - either standing or walking - and interiors. But these subjects were not anonymous, the models were most of the time his close family and the interiors were his own domestic surroundings. His working method, in whatever medium, was to study the same subject again and again - thus we have his wife, Annette, in the Studio (lot 127) and in bust length (lot 132). His mother, Annetta is seen seated (lot 138) and reading (lot 141). The interiors, usually his studio, are filled with the tools of his trade as one would expect, such as paintings and maquettes: The Studio (lot 121); Bust in the Studio (lot 128); and Heads and Stool (lot 130). However, his desire, one might say his obsessive desire, to produce a faithful record of his surroundings, drives to depict simple subject such as his stove (lot 143); his lampshade and even his alarm clock (lot 145). The overall effect is one of intense observation, but one tempered by a love for the things that surrounded him. One is almost reminded of Morandi, a fellow Italian, who also felt able to express his ideas within a narrow range of subjects. 1957 saw the start of his most important graphic project, which would represent almost half his entire graphic output. The publisher Tériade approached him with the idea of making an illustrated book with Paris as its subject. The project was discussed, as usual, in one of the popular Parisian cafes, and it was when leaving that Giacometti looked at the scene spread before him and exclaimed 'Ah! Paris… Paris sans Fin!'. To which Tériade replied 'Vous avez votre titre.' In Paris sans Fin Giacometti chose the medium of lithography in order to achieve the greatest spontaneity. His technique was to use lithographic crayon on transfer paper rather than to draw on the stone. As such he could work quickly and there was no room for any erasure or rework, which was both a challenge and a great tool for the artist. In a strange echo of the title, the book was left unfinished when Giacometti died in 1966. THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTOR. Price realised GBP 2,151. Estimate: GBP 2,000 – GBP 3,000. Closed: 3 Jul 2002), Wood sticks, acrylic paint, graphite, marker, epoxy adhesive, PVA, gold glitter, super glue, UV print on plywood, and inkjet print on paper mounted on plywood, 2025.
2. Information guide (after Alberto Savinio, ‘Monumento ai giocattoli’, oil on canvas, 1930 80.5 x 65.5 cm), House paint, graphite, marker, foam, balsa wood, found wood, epoxy glue, super glue, hot glue, painted dowel, ballpoint pen, and inkjet print on paper mounted on found wood panel, 2025.
3. The disillusionment of being (after (clockwise, from center) (Hans Bellmer, ‘La Poupée’, Date 1935 (printed 1983), Dimensions Paper: 13 5/8 x 11 3/8 in. (34.6 x 28.9 cm) Image: 10 x 10 1/8 in. (25.4 x 25.7 cm) Mat: 14 9/16 x 12 7/8 in. (37 x 32.7 cm), Print Medium Photo-Gelatin Silver, Credit Line: Gift of Mr. Herbert Lust, 1987 Accession No. 206.1987), and (Hans Bellmer, German, born Poland ca. 1934, Title: ‘La Poupée’, Artists: Hans Bellmer (German (born Poland), Katowice 1902-1975 Paris), Date: ca.1934, Medium: Gelatin silver print, Dimensions: 25.3 x 32.7 cm (9 15/16 x 12 7/8in.), Classification: Photographs, Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987, Object Number: 1987.1100.261, Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York)), Epoxy resin, house paint, satin varnish, graphite, marker, ballpoint pen, canvas, sharpie, inkjet print on cardstock, and gem stickers mounted on plywood, 2025.
4. Figuration 101 (after Hans Bellmer, ‘La Poupée’, Gift of Mr. Herbert Lust, 1987, Accession No. 210.1987, Photo-Gelatin silver, 1938 (printed 1983), Paper: 13 5/8 x 11 3/8 in. (34.6 x 28.9 cm), Image: 10 x 10 1/8 in. (25.4 x 25.7 cm), Mat: 14 9/16 x 12 7/8 in. (37 x 32.7 cm), collection of International Center of Photography), Balsa wood, satin varnish, PVA glue, glitter, acrylic paint, marker, graphite, resin, found wood, ballpoint pen, sticker, and inkjet print on cardstock mounted on found wood panel, 2025.
5. Stick man wants love (after Mike Kelley, Extracurricular Activity Projective Reconstruction #26A Pink Curtain, 2004-5, Mixed media with projection and photographs, Pinault Collection, Paris, X82018), Acrylic paint, canvas, found wood, dowels, stickers, screws, laser prints on cardstock, found cardboard hand, found skeleton hand, and staples on plywood, 2024.
6. Sunshine desire (after Joaquin Torres-Garcia, ‘Figure’, 1930.), Hot glue, marker, house paint, wood, and inkjet print on paper mounted on found wood, 2025.
7. Untitled (after General Idea, ‘AIDS’, 1987, Acrylic on canvas, 182.9 x 182.9 cm, Private collection, Chicago, Robert Indiana, ‘LOVE’, 1966–99, polychrome aluminum, 365.7 x 365.7 x 182.9 cm, various locations. Indiana’s ‘LOVE’ first appeared as paintings and small sculptures in 1966. In 1970 the first monumental ‘LOVE’ sculpture, made of Cor-Ten steel, was constructed for the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Since then ‘LOVE’ sculptures have been installed around the world. The sculpture pictured is located in New York and dates from 2000. ‘AIDS’ marked a significant shift in General Idea’s practice, leading to other works focused on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The painting mimics American Pop art painter Robert Indiana’s (b. 1928) 1966 work ‘LOVE’. For General Idea ‘LOVE’ exemplified the spirit of universal love, an ethos that was the foundation of the 1960s.1 Indiana’s red, blue, and green rendering of the word “LOVE” became ubiquitous, appearing on goods, including key chains, cocktail napkins, and a United States postage stamp.2 Attracted by the fluidity of this image, which travelled internationally, General Idea made a visually similar painting, but replaced the word “LOVE” with “AIDS.” The group created this work in response to an invitation from their gallery Koury Wingate (previously International With Monument) to contribute to a June, 1987 exhibition in support of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). “Our intention with this logo was that it would…play the part of a virus itself,” Bronson explained, “that it would spread within the culture and create a…visibility for the word ‘AIDS,’ so it couldn’t be swept under the carpet, which was…what was happening.”3 General Idea envisioned their AIDS logo as a larger publicity campaign that would spread awareness and combat the stigma and fear surrounding the disease. They created iterations of the logo in a range of media, including sculpture, painting, wallpaper, posters, and multiples.4 Public poster campaigns were initiated in cities including New York City, Toronto, Berlin, and San Francisco.5 Though the 1987 painting was not poorly received, the subsequent poster version was criticized by a younger generation of AIDS activists in New York, in part, for its coded approach and for not including information on safe sex.6 AA Bronson later acknowledged, “It was about as bad taste as you could get at that moment to do that. That attracted us to a certain extent.”7 The topic of AIDS was taboo and given the context of the pandemic, General Idea’s logo was shocking in its cheerful visualization and allusions to promiscuity.8 The significance and activist dimension of General Idea’s AIDS logo cannot be understated, especially during a period in which great fear and a lack of information surrounded the disease. The group’s attention to the AIDS pandemic took on more significance when Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal were diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1989 and 1990, respectively.9 The majority of the group’s work in the late 1980s and early 1990s addressed this issue. The group’s activity ended in 1994 due to the deaths of Zontal and Partz from AIDS-related causes.) Wood sticks, wood, acrylic paint, super glue, graphite, oil pastels, marker, plywood, and canvas mounted on plywood, 2025.
8. Rainbow skin (after John Water’s ‘Pink Flamingos’ and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ‘Theorem’), Satin varnish, mahogany wood stain, inkjet prints on cardstock, and graphite mounted on plywood, 2025.
9. Flower wallpaper (after (John Water’s ‘Pink Flamingos’ after Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ‘Theorem’) ( Joaquin Torres-Garcia, ‘Figure’, 1930) (Charles Ryan Becker, The individual in a collective, 2025) (Hans Bellmer, ‘La Poupée’, Gift of Mr. Herbert Lust, 1987, Accession No. 210. 1987, Photo-Gelatin silver, 1938 (printed 1983), Paper: 13 5/8 x 11 3/8 in. (34.6 x 28.9 cm), Image: 10 x 10 1/8 in. (25.4 x 25.7 cm), Mat: 14 9/16 x 12 7/8 in. (37 x 32.7 cm), collection of International Center of Photography) (Sturtevant, ‘Warhol Flowers’, 1969, Synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas, 22 x 22 1/10 in.) (Richard Pettibone, ‘Warhol Flowers 1964’, 1970, Silkscreen and oil/acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame, 3.25 x 3.25 in.) (Troy Brauntuch, Untitled, 1976. Silkscreen and offset lithograph, 50 x 40.) (Sherrie Levine, Sons and Lovers, 1976-77. Five of thirty-six drawings, fluorescent tempera on graph paper, each 22 x 28".) (Hanna Höch, ‘DaDa Dolls’, 1916) (MAURIZIO CATTELAN, Untitled (Zorro),Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari (TOILETPAPER), Untitled (Zorro), acrylic on canvas, 70.2 by 70.2 cm. 27 5/8 by 27 5/8 in., Executed in 1997, Provenance Galleria Massimo de Carlo, Milan, Private Collection, Milan, Christie's, London, 24 October 2004, Lot 72, Acquired from the above by the present owner, Literature Francesco Bonami, Nancy Spector and Barbara Vanderlinden, Eds., Maurizio Cattelan, Hong Kong 2000, p. 41, illustrated in colour, Condition, Colour: The colour in the catalogue illustration is fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly lighter and brighter and fails to convey the metallic quality of the gold paint. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are some tiny spots of fraying to the cuts which look to be original. Extremely close inspection reveals some minute media accretions to the centre of the right hand edge and a short and faint scuff to the lower centre of the left hand edge. Very close inspection reveals some faint stretcher bar marks to all four edges. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light. ‘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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Maurizio Cattelan has been the art world’s premier enfant terrible from the earliest days of his practice, and Untitled (Zorro) from 1997 demonstrates – with a typified formal modesty – the superb, cognisant wit of the Italian artist. Born in Padua in 1960, Cattelan would come of age in his native Italy dogged by social and political upheaval. The Zorro motif thus appears in Cattelan’s practice as a complex symbol that overlays the pop culture of Hollywood and the anarchism that marked Cattelan’s youth, with a wry parody of the vaunted monochromes of Lucio Fontana. Executed in a warm gold, Untitled (Zorro) is a unique painting in a series of monochrome Zorro works that Cattelan initiated in 1993. Taking its formal cues from the Concetti Spaziali (1949-1960) of Fontana, the present work appropriates the iconic ‘slashing’ method by which the artist is known, refashioning the archetypal modernist incisions as the calling card of the vigilante hero Zorro. Alluding to the simplicity of Fontana’s gesture and his seniority as the forefather of Italian Modernism, Cattelan both lampoons and lionises Fontana, deriding his method whilst hijacking his identity as a masked hero of contemporary art. Cattelan’s artistic style is indivisible from his comedic style: reactive, versatile, unbridled, and acutely aware, his matter-of-fact delivery always belies the complex associations, biographic slant and art-historical narratives that form the inner workings of his practice. Cattelan’s cultivated persona is itself integral to his art practice. ‘We live in the empire of marketing, spectacle and seduction,’ the artist says, ‘so one of the roles of artists and curators is to deconstruct those strategies, to resist their logic, to use them, and/or find new means of activism against them” (Maurizio Cattelan cited in: ‘I Want to Be Famous – Strategies for Successful Living; Interview with Barbara Casavecchia’, in: Francesco Bonami, Nancy Spector and Barbara Vanderlinden, Eds., Maurizio Cattelan, London 2000, p. 136). Exemplified by Cattelan’s intervention at the Museum of Modern Art in 1998 – where a hired actor masqueraded as Pablo Picasso in an oversize, moulded caricature head – the institutions and idols of contemporary art are only challenged and advanced through their reclamation, repurposing and critique; a process that Cattelan implements through a tragi-comic, self-sacrificial humour. Untitled (Zorro) seamlessly blends the aesthetics of Modernism with the brilliant, comedic nuance that Cattelan has become famous for. Not only does the pierced canvas wonderfully epitomise Cattelan’s own reputation as a rebellious anti-authoritarian, but it also extends its subtle critique to the idea of the artist-as-hero and the glorification of the artist-signature. In an oeuvre that has included coordinating a fictitious biennial, installing a gold toilet at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and exhibiting his gallerist, Massimo De Carlo, attached to the wall with adhesive tape, the present work is emblematic of Cattelan’s distinguished career as one of the most innovative and lauded contemporary artists.) (Duchamp, ‘L.H.O.O.Q.’, Here is the story of this ‘work of art’ : in 1919, at the height of Dada activities in Paris, Duchamp took an inexpensive colour reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, enhanced her smile with a moustache and goatee, on which he pencilled five letters : L.H.O.O.Q. (a pun – ‘Elle a chaud au cul’), although Duchamp himself once politely translated it as "There is fire down below". Duchamp's fellow dada co-conspirator, Francis Picabia, hoped to publish it in his magazine 391, couldn't have waited for the artifact to come back on time from New York, so he himself drew the moustache on Mona Lisa but forgot the goatee! But Picabia wrote at the bottom ‘tableau Dada par Marcel Duchamp’. Duchamp of course was the first one to discover the missing goatee and this became a subject for his teasing of his friend. Some twenty years passed before he would be given the opportunity to rectify this omission. In the early 1940's, the original Picabia replica of L.H.O.O.Q. mysteriously resurfaced, found in a bookstore by Jean Arp, another dada artist. Duchamp seized the opportunity to ‘complete’ the image by carefully adding in black ink the goatee and using a blue fountain pen to write ‘moustache par Picabia / barbiche par Marcel Duchamp / avril 1942’.) (The Doll, Hans Bellmer German, born Poland, 1934–35, Not on view. Bellmer's obsession with dolls-his endless fabrication, reconstitution, and photographic presentation of them-was an effort to construct objects that would articulate his tortured desires in material form. The bizarre, robotic temptress in this negative print has an eerie electric aura. To love her, one would have to have, as the Surrealist poet Pierre Reverdy wrote, a ‘short circuit in the heart-system.’ Title: The Doll. Artist: Hans Bellmer (German (born Poland), Katowice 1902–1975 Paris. Date: 1934–35. Medium: Gelatin silver print. Dimensions: 29.5 x 19.4 cm (11 5/8 x 7 5/8 in.). Classification: Photographs. Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987. Object Number: 1987.1100.15. Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York) (The Doll, Hans Bellmer, Original Title: Die Puppe, Date: 1934, Genre: photo) (Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), ‘Objets mobiles et muets (Lust 1)’, lithograph, 1931, on Marais, signed in pencil, numbered 'H.C.' aside from the edition of 30, published by La Revue du Surréalisme, with margins, pale discoloration mainly at the extreme sheet edges, otherwise generally in very good condition. L. 260 x 430mm., S. 330 x 504mm. ALBERT GIACOMETTI The following 40 lots comprise one of the most important groups of prints by Alberto Giacometti to have appeared at auction in recent times. It spans nearly his entire graphic career, starting with his first print in 1931, and finishing with his last and perhaps greatest work, the illustrated book Paris sans Fin. The collection embodies all his major pictorial themes and provides a welcome opportunity to follow Giacometti's development as a graphic artist. Whilst Giacometti's early career saw a close involvement with the Surrealist movement - his first recorded print, a lithograph, Moving, Mute Object (lot 125) produced for La Revue du Surréalisme clearly shows this influence - he quickly developed his own unique and instantly recognisable style. From the outset Giacometti was driven by a desire to represent his personal vision of the external world. In making this vision real he made use of the widest range of techniques, switching from sculpture to painting, drawing to printing. His first contact with printmaking came through drawing when, age 13, he copied Dürer, Rembrandt and the Japanese masters. It is interesting to note that he learned the art of etching at Stanley Hayter's Atelier 17, when it was based in Paris before its move to New York. Giacometti's graphic oeuvre has three constant and recurrent themes, mirroring his sculpted and painted works: the bust, the human figure - either standing or walking - and interiors. But these subjects were not anonymous, the models were most of the time his close family and the interiors were his own domestic surroundings. His working method, in whatever medium, was to study the same subject again and again - thus we have his wife, Annette, in the Studio (lot 127) and in bust length (lot 132). His mother, Annetta is seen seated (lot 138) and reading (lot 141). The interiors, usually his studio, are filled with the tools of his trade as one would expect, such as paintings and maquettes: The Studio (lot 121); Bust in the Studio (lot 128); and Heads and Stool (lot 130). However, his desire, one might say his obsessive desire, to produce a faithful record of his surroundings, drives to depict simple subject such as his stove (lot 143); his lampshade and even his alarm clock (lot 145). The overall effect is one of intense observation, but one tempered by a love for the things that surrounded him. One is almost reminded of Morandi, a fellow Italian, who also felt able to express his ideas within a narrow range of subjects. 1957 saw the start of his most important graphic project, which would represent almost half his entire graphic output. The publisher Tériade approached him with the idea of making an illustrated book with Paris as its subject. The project was discussed, as usual, in one of the popular Parisian cafes, and it was when leaving that Giacometti looked at the scene spread before him and exclaimed 'Ah! Paris… Paris sans Fin!'. To which Tériade replied 'Vous avez votre titre.' In Paris sans Fin Giacometti chose the medium of lithography in order to achieve the greatest spontaneity. His technique was to use lithographic crayon on transfer paper rather than to draw on the stone. As such he could work quickly and there was no room for any erasure or rework, which was both a challenge and a great tool for the artist. In a strange echo of the title, the book was left unfinished when Giacometti died in 1966. THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTOR. Price realised GBP 2,151. Estimate: GBP 2,000 – GBP 3,000. Closed: 3 Jul 2002), Inkjet print on paper and PVA, 2025.
10. The individual in a collective, Satin varnish, mahogany wood stain, inkjet prints on cardstock, graphite, and highlighter mounted on plywood, 2025.
11. Flowers (after Charles Ryan Becker, Flower wallpaper (after (John Water’s ‘Pink Flamingos’ after Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ‘Theorem’) ( Joaquin Torres-Garcia, ‘Figure’, 1930) (Charles Ryan Becker, The individual in a collective, 2025) (Hans Bellmer, ‘La Poupée’, Gift of Mr. Herbert Lust, 1987, Accession No. 210.1987, Photo-Gelatin silver, 1938 (printed 1983), Paper: 13 5/8 x 11 3/8 in. (34.6 x 28.9 cm), Image: 10 x 10 1/8 in. (25.4 x 25.7 cm), Mat: 14 9/16 x 12 7/8 in. (37 x 32.7 cm), collection of International Center of Photography) (Sturtevant, ‘Warhol Flowers’, 1969, Synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas, 22 x 22 1/10 in.) (Richard Pettibone, ‘Warhol Flowers 1964’, 1970, Silkscreen and oil/acrylic on canvas in artist’s frame, 3.25 x 3.25 in.)(Troy Brauntuch, Untitled, 1976. Silkscreen and offset lithograph, 50 x 40.) (Sherrie Levine, Sons and Lovers, 1976-77. Five of thirty-six drawings, fluorescent tempera on graph paper, each 22 x 28".) (Hanna Höch, ‘DaDa Dolls’, 1916) (MAURIZIO CATTELAN, Untitled (Zorro),Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari (TOILETPAPER), Untitled (Zorro), acrylic on canvas, 70.2 by 70.2 cm. 27 5/8 by 27 5/8 in., Executed in 1997, Provenance Galleria Massimo de Carlo, Milan, Private Collection, Milan, Christie's, London, 24 October 2004, Lot 72, Acquired from the above by the present owner, Literature Francesco Bonami, Nancy Spector and Barbara Vanderlinden, Eds., Maurizio Cattelan, Hong Kong 2000, p. 41, illustrated in colour, Condition, Colour: The colour in the catalogue illustration is fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly lighter and brighter and fails to convey the metallic quality of the gold paint. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are some tiny spots of fraying to the cuts which look to be original. Extremely close inspection reveals some minute media accretions to the centre of the right hand edge and a short and faint scuff to the lower centre of the left hand edge. Very close inspection reveals some faint stretcher bar marks to all four edges. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light. ‘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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Maurizio Cattelan has been the art world’s premier enfant terrible from the earliest days of his practice, and Untitled (Zorro) from 1997 demonstrates – with a typified formal modesty – the superb, cognisant wit of the Italian artist. Born in Padua in 1960, Cattelan would come of age in his native Italy dogged by social and political upheaval. The Zorro motif thus appears in Cattelan’s practice as a complex symbol that overlays the pop culture of Hollywood and the anarchism that marked Cattelan’s youth, with a wry parody of the vaunted monochromes of Lucio Fontana. Executed in a warm gold, Untitled (Zorro) is a unique painting in a series of monochrome Zorro works that Cattelan initiated in 1993. Taking its formal cues from the Concetti Spaziali (1949-1960) of Fontana, the present work appropriates the iconic ‘slashing’ method by which the artist is known, refashioning the archetypal modernist incisions as the calling card of the vigilante hero Zorro. Alluding to the simplicity of Fontana’s gesture and his seniority as the forefather of Italian Modernism, Cattelan both lampoons and lionises Fontana, deriding his method whilst hijacking his identity as a masked hero of contemporary art. Cattelan’s artistic style is indivisible from his comedic style: reactive, versatile, unbridled, and acutely aware, his matter-of-fact delivery always belies the complex associations, biographic slant and art-historical narratives that form the inner workings of his practice. Cattelan’s cultivated persona is itself integral to his art practice. ‘We live in the empire of marketing, spectacle and seduction,’ the artist says, ‘so one of the roles of artists and curators is to deconstruct those strategies, to resist their logic, to use them, and/or find new means of activism against them” (Maurizio Cattelan cited in: ‘I Want to Be Famous – Strategies for Successful Living; Interview with Barbara Casavecchia’, in: Francesco Bonami, Nancy Spector and Barbara Vanderlinden, Eds., Maurizio Cattelan, London 2000, p. 136). Exemplified by Cattelan’s intervention at the Museum of Modern Art in 1998 – where a hired actor masqueraded as Pablo Picasso in an oversize, moulded caricature head – the institutions and idols of contemporary art are only challenged and advanced through their reclamation, repurposing and critique; a process that Cattelan implements through a tragi-comic, self-sacrificial humour. Untitled (Zorro) seamlessly blends the aesthetics of Modernism with the brilliant, comedic nuance that Cattelan has become famous for. Not only does the pierced canvas wonderfully epitomise Cattelan’s own reputation as a rebellious anti-authoritarian, but it also extends its subtle critique to the idea of the artist-as-hero and the glorification of the artist-signature. In an oeuvre that has included coordinating a fictitious biennial, installing a gold toilet at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and exhibiting his gallerist, Massimo De Carlo, attached to the wall with adhesive tape, the present work is emblematic of Cattelan’s distinguished career as one of the most innovative and lauded contemporary artists.) (Duchamp, ‘L.H.O.O.Q.’, Here is the story of this ‘work of art’ : in 1919, at the height of Dada activities in Paris, Duchamp took an inexpensive colour reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, enhanced her smile with a moustache and goatee, on which he pencilled five letters : L.H.O.O.Q. (a pun – ‘Elle a chaud au cul’), although Duchamp himself once politely translated it as "There is fire down below". Duchamp's fellow dada co-conspirator, Francis Picabia, hoped to publish it in his magazine 391, couldn't have waited for the artifact to come back on time from New York, so he himself drew the moustache on Mona Lisa but forgot the goatee! But Picabia wrote at the bottom ‘tableau Dada par Marcel Duchamp’. Duchamp of course was the first one to discover the missing goatee and this became a subject for his teasing of his friend. Some twenty years passed before he would be given the opportunity to rectify this omission. In the early 1940's, the original Picabia replica of L.H.O.O.Q. mysteriously resurfaced, found in a bookstore by Jean Arp, another dada artist. Duchamp seized the opportunity to ‘complete’ the image by carefully adding in black ink the goatee and using a blue fountain pen to write ‘moustache par Picabia / barbiche par Marcel Duchamp / avril 1942’.) (The Doll, Hans Bellmer German, born Poland, 1934–35, Not on view. Bellmer's obsession with dolls-his endless fabrication, reconstitution, and photographic presentation of them-was an effort to construct objects that would articulate his tortured desires in material form. The bizarre, robotic temptress in this negative print has an eerie electric aura. To love her, one would have to have, as the Surrealist poet Pierre Reverdy wrote, a ‘short circuit in the heart-system.’ Title: The Doll. Artist: Hans Bellmer (German (born Poland), Katowice 1902–1975 Paris. Date: 1934–35. Medium: Gelatin silver print. Dimensions: 29.5 x 19.4 cm (11 5/8 x 7 5/8 in.). Classification: Photographs. Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987. Object Number: 1987.1100.15. Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York) (The Doll, Hans Bellmer, Original Title: Die Puppe, Date: 1934, Genre: photo) (Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), ‘Objets mobiles et muets (Lust 1)’, lithograph, 1931, on Marais, signed in pencil, numbered 'H.C.' aside from the edition of 30, published by La Revue du Surréalisme, with margins, pale discoloration mainly at the extreme sheet edges, otherwise generally in very good condition. L. 260 x 430mm., S. 330 x 504mm. ALBERT GIACOMETTI The following 40 lots comprise one of the most important groups of prints by Alberto Giacometti to have appeared at auction in recent times. It spans nearly his entire graphic career, starting with his first print in 1931, and finishing with his last and perhaps greatest work, the illustrated book Paris sans Fin. The collection embodies all his major pictorial themes and provides a welcome opportunity to follow Giacometti's development as a graphic artist. Whilst Giacometti's early career saw a close involvement with the Surrealist movement - his first recorded print, a lithograph, Moving, Mute Object (lot 125) produced for La Revue du Surréalisme clearly shows this influence - he quickly developed his own unique and instantly recognisable style. From the outset Giacometti was driven by a desire to represent his personal vision of the external world. In making this vision real he made use of the widest range of techniques, switching from sculpture to painting, drawing to printing. His first contact with printmaking came through drawing when, age 13, he copied Dürer, Rembrandt and the Japanese masters. It is interesting to note that he learned the art of etching at Stanley Hayter's Atelier 17, when it was based in Paris before its move to New York. Giacometti's graphic oeuvre has three constant and recurrent themes, mirroring his sculpted and painted works: the bust, the human figure - either standing or walking - and interiors. But these subjects were not anonymous, the models were most of the time his close family and the interiors were his own domestic surroundings. His working method, in whatever medium, was to study the same subject again and again - thus we have his wife, Annette, in the Studio (lot 127) and in bust length (lot 132). His mother, Annetta is seen seated (lot 138) and reading (lot 141). The interiors, usually his studio, are filled with the tools of his trade as one would expect, such as paintings and maquettes: The Studio (lot 121); Bust in the Studio (lot 128); and Heads and Stool (lot 130). However, his desire, one might say his obsessive desire, to produce a faithful record of his surroundings, drives to depict simple subject such as his stove (lot 143); his lampshade and even his alarm clock (lot 145). The overall effect is one of intense observation, but one tempered by a love for the things that surrounded him. One is almost reminded of Morandi, a fellow Italian, who also felt able to express his ideas within a narrow range of subjects. 1957 saw the start of his most important graphic project, which would represent almost half his entire graphic output. The publisher Tériade approached him with the idea of making an illustrated book with Paris as its subject. The project was discussed, as usual, in one of the popular Parisian cafes, and it was when leaving that Giacometti looked at the scene spread before him and exclaimed 'Ah! Paris… Paris sans Fin!'. To which Tériade replied 'Vous avez votre titre.' In Paris sans Fin Giacometti chose the medium of lithography in order to achieve the greatest spontaneity. His technique was to use lithographic crayon on transfer paper rather than to draw on the stone. As such he could work quickly and there was no room for any erasure or rework, which was both a challenge and a great tool for the artist. In a strange echo of the title, the book was left unfinished when Giacometti died in 1966. THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTOR. Price realised GBP 2,151. Estimate: GBP 2,000 – GBP 3,000. Closed: 3 Jul 2002), Digital print on matt vinyl, 2025.