Beschreibung:

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT NEW YORK COLLECTION Fred Tomaselli Sep. 4 2010 gouache on printed watercolor paper sheet 8 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. (21 x 27.3 cm.) Signed and dated "Tomaselli 2010" lower right.
Provenance James Cohan Gallery, New York Catalogue Essay Fred Tomaselli employs the use of collage renderings and kaleidoscopic gouaches to a revolutionary degree. His most renowned work is the reimagining of the usually monochromatic pages of The New York Times, which he decorates with vibrant patterns of daring palettes, almost always executed with stunning precision and detail. Tomaselli launches the mundane materials of print media into a new realm, where the exuberant aesthetics make for a bold, and occasionally cathartic, viewing experience. Sep. 4 2010 refers to the date of his surrogate canvas , the picture in the periodical laying dormant below Tomaselli’s layers of pulsating artistic energy. The present lot is a subtle commentary on the media, redirecting our gaze from the unfortunate power of its headlines to the visual spectacle that Tomaselli has created over its feature photograph. Hypnotic concentric circles in bright purples obscure the chaos underneath, allowing the viewer to find a placid satisfaction in the entropy around him. In the end, Tomaselli gives us the gift of meditation, where our escapism can grant us peace: “I think that maybe the Times collages are quietly political, in that I can riff on anything I want, while the horrors of the world become the background buzz. Maybe I’m saying that the world may be going to hell, but I still keep painting.” Read More