Lot 215
  • 215

Janet Balbarona

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 HKD
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Description

  • Janet Balbarona
  • Selective Prey No. 4
  • SIGNED AND DATED 01012011 LOWER RIGHT
  • OIL ON CANVAS

  • 152.5 BY 122 CM.; 60 BY 48 IN.

Condition

The painting is in good condition, as is the canvas, which is clear and taut. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no indication of retouching. The paint layers are intact.
"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."

Catalogue Note

For Janet Balbarona, painting has always been a way of sifting through the emotional debris of personal experiences. Her practice is part spiritual exploration, part confessional autobiography. Selective No. 4, a cathartic piece filled with personal iconography, is the first work Balbarona painted after emerging from a recent depression.
One of the many roles of the artist is to capture universal truths in the particular and specific.  Even if the main subject of Selective Prey No. 4 is Balbarona herself, its imagery is open-ended enough to accommodate multiple interpretations.


Balbarona depicts herself twice over as both bikini-clad predator and prey. As the latter, she stares imploringly from the bottom-right corner of the canvas, where she sits underwater. Her twisted pose emphasizes her vulnerability and sensitivity—emotions that we have all felt and drowned in.


Bamboo shoots, representing growth and renewal, sprout in the surrealist beach setting. A bird alights on a branch and alludes to the transience of emotions, the fleeting nature of human pathos.
On the upper left, Balbarona's second depiction of herself swims upward and away from the seated figure. The swimmer's head has broken through the surface, representative of renewal. Selective Prey No. 4 more "complete" than Balbarona's previous works, which deliberately possessed unfinished, sketch-like qualities. For the first time, the artist fills the entire canvas. Although the symbols she uses are deeply personal, Balbarona's themes are universal: hope after loss, the resilience of the human spirit.