Beschreibung:

David Salle Snowflake 2003 diptych: oil and acrylic on canvas and linen each 90 1/2 x 56 in. (229.9 x 142.2 cm.) overall 90 1/2 x 112 in. (229.9 x 284.5 cm.) Signed, titled and dated "David Salle, Snowflake, 2003" on the stretcher of the right panel.
Provenance Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris and Salzburg Private Collection Dorotheum, Zeitgenössische Kunst, May 13, 2009, lot 275 Acquired at the above sale by the present owner Exhibited Paris, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, David Salle Paris Opera Paintings, 2004 Literature P. Dagen, Paris Opera Paintings, exh. cat., Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, 2004 Catalogue Essay David Salle’s paintings are energetic, colorful, and often characterized by the juxtaposition of disparate images. Salle draws from sources varied from Parisian opera to highly-stylized Japanese Manga drawings. He expertly juxtaposes the two disparate worlds in a single image, creating a work whose meaning is not immediately discernible. In Salle’s Snowflake, 2003, images collide and coexist, conversing in similar time, yet transformed by the drama of his visual story. The girl in the red tank top seems to be moving towards the viewer, while the opera performer draped in the fabric of her costume retreats backwards – their hierarchical poses forming yet another study in contrasts.Top of Form Salle explores the intangible relationships between subjects. His images float in a fragmented world of simultaneity and unexpected equilibrium. Drawing his images from a variety of sources, Salle combines them into a painting as if creating a collage using scraps of paper – yet his connections do not seem forced. With the profusion of iconography jostling for attention, it is unapparent whether Salle is reflecting on the images with irony, indifference, or nostalgia. Similar to the paintings of John Baldessari Salle’s paintings lack obvious narrative logic in their dualism. The comparison of multiple aesthetics obscures the purpose of Salle’s work. Salle’s Paris Opera Paintings draw on the rich history of Parisian opera and ballet and illuminate his fascination with theatrical sets and costumes. In the tradition of artists such as Picasso and Karen Kilimnik Salle has made forays into set design for the Paris Opera and the Joyce Theater in New York, in addition to painting. Salle’s Snowflake, 2003, is an exploration of images that captivate, whether in advertising, performance, or pop culture. Salle’s work is a testament to the evolution of popular culture over time, across genres and societies. Salle examines what these images communicate and how their impact is changed when juxtaposed against each other. Read More