Beschreibung:

Ryan McGinleyb. 1977 Night Sky (Sand Castle Mountain) 2014Chromogenic color print72 by 48 in. (182.88 by 121.9 cm)ProvenanceCourtesy of Ratio 3Catalogue noteAlthough they resonate with photographs by Nan Goldin and the films of Larry Clark and Gus Van Sant McGinley’s works eschew the tragedy and impending doom his predecessors often conveyed in their depictions of marginalized subcultures. Instead, his photos suggest a glee and freedom in keeping with the quintessential notion of youth testing the boundaries of life. In his early works in particular, McGinley seems to evoke Dionysus—the god of wine, art, and ecstasy surrounded by naked, androgynous youths whom he liberates by allowing them to thwart convention and unselfconsciously indulge in pleasure. McGinley’s work has evolved from making documentary photographs to orchestrating scenes where he directs people according to his creative vision. What began as a summer road trip to Vermont where he took photos of friends in the backwoods spawned several annual summer cross-country road trips. With the vast American landscape as the backdrop, Sun and Health (2006) shows his friends carefree while boating, rolling down sand dunes, and running through open fields. In I Know Where the Summer Goes (2008), his team gaily traverses nude across the great outdoors, and the scenes are aided by special effects such as fireworks and fog machines, which add a sense of surrealism to the photos. Moonmilk (2009) captures a group exploring America’s uncharted underground caves that drip with multicolored crystal deposits. For Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (2010), McGinley took intimate, high-gloss, digital black-and-white shots of mostly strangers, while Animals (2012) features portraits of wild animals paired with nude models against bright, sorbet-colored backgrounds. Yearbook (2014) retains the studio look of Animals, featuring over five hundred nude portraits, all with brightly colored, generic backdrops, installed to cover every inch of the gallery’s walls and ceiling. Ryan McGinley was born in 1977 in Ramsey, New Jersey. At the age of 25, McGinley became the youngest artist in 30 years to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. His work has been exhibited all over the world, including the P.S.1 Contemporary Arts Center, Queens; MUSAC, Spain; Ratio 3, San Francisco; Team Gallery, New York, and many others. In addition to his personal work, McGinley has provided editorial and advertising work for clients such as Vice magazine, Levi’s, and The New York Times Magazine, among others. Please note that while this auction is hosted on Sothebys.com, it is being administered by the Aspen Art Museum, and all post-sale matters (inclusive of invoicing and property pickup/shipment) will be handled by the Aspen Art Museum. As such, Sotheby’s will share the contact details for the winning bidders with the Aspen Art Museum so that they may be in touch directly post-sale.