Tony Cragg

Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2006

Paris, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Tony Cragg: New Works, May - June 2005

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. The surface is clean and reflective and has recently benefited from a light surface cleaning and polishing by Wilson Conservation LLC. There are fine scattered abrasions and evidence of scattered pitting. The base exhibits scattered spots of mild discoloration. Otherwise, there are no apparent condition problems with this 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Executed in 2005, Divide, Tony Cragg's swirling monument, spirals jaggedly from floor to ceiling like a ribbon of mercury. Following its curvature, with layered ripples and bulging twists, it is a mesmerizing opportunity to practice visual logic - to trace its sinuous edges requires a rigorous sort of optical continuity. The sculpture's stainless steel form is finished to mirrored perfection, and observing it is an intoxicating visual experience—not least of all because from the reflective surface, in which the viewer encounters his or her own face, emerges many faces of its own.

This interplay between the viewer's own physical sense of self, seen in a work that so uncannily seems to possess its own amorphous lifelike being, creates a vital dialogue between the audience and the artwork. Cragg spoke of the potential for this relationship with conviction: "There is this idea that sculpture is static, or maybe even dead, but I feel absolutely contrary to that," said Cragg in a 2007 interview. "I'm not a religious person—I'm an absolute materialist—and for me material is exciting and ultimately sublime. When I'm involved in making sculpture, I'm looking for a system of belief or ethics in the material. I want that material to have a dynamic, to push and move and grow," ("The AI Interview: Tony Cragg." Interview by Robert Ayers, Art Info, May 10, 2007).