Keith Coventry

The Fine Art Society, London, where acquired by the present owner in December 2006

Original canvas. There is a faint line of discolouring along the very left edge, the corners are slightly creased and there is a small indentation by the bottom right edge, otherwise the work is in excellent overall condition. Under ultraviolet light there appear to be no signs of retouching. Mounted in a white painted wood box frame under glass; unexamined out of frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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."

Carlton Court Estate belongs to Coventry's most well known and important series of works entitled Estate Paintings. Based on the multi-coloured maps that are displayed at the entrance to local council housing estates and in particular, those in the area of South London where he lives, the works from the series explore social idealism and utopia in a modern day reality where housing estates and community projects are characterised by decline, disfunction and disrepair.

Stylistically, the works from the series are deliberately reminisicent of Russian Suprematism and the present work is no exception. The simple yet bold contrast of the black rectangle against a luminous white background specifically recalls the monochromatic intensity of Malevich's Black Square (1913, State Russian Museum, St Petersburg) whilst the angled position of the rectangle evokes his Suprematisim with Eight Red Rectangles (1915, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam).