Jesús Rafael Soto

Galerie Denise René – Hans Mayer, Krefeld
Galerie Lauter, Mannheim
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner circa 1985

 

Krefeld, Galerie Denise René - Hans Mayer, Masterpieces of Modern Art, 1969

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is wear with some associated paint loss to the outer extreme corners and to the striped triangular element, notably along the extreme edges. There is a further tiny spot of wear on the left ledge towards the top tip. There is light wear to the metal rods and to the metal element that suspends the hanging elements. Upon close inspection, there is a hairline crack running diagonally through the striped half of the composition, with a few further minor cracks to this triangle. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"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."

Petite Losange Jaune is an exemplary work that embodies Jesús Rafael Soto's artistic exploration of movement within the pictorial plane. When in 1955 Denise René organised the historically acclaimed exhibition Le Mouvement at her Paris gallery, Soto along with contemporaries such as Pol Bury, Alexander Calder, Jean Tinguely and Victor Vasarely, marked the beginning of an new era in art based upon the concept of kinetic and optical movement. Through this new and innovative ideology, a fourth dimension could be experienced within which the viewer would become an integral participant. These artists committed themselves to the exploration of visual phenomena through investigating the principles of perception and the physical laws of light and optics, a methodology that would guide Soto throughout his career.  Soto however, occupies a unique position in relation to these movements in that his search for optical vibrations led to his inclusion of external elements that would allow him to establish a connection with the viewer's movement around the work.  As we see in the present example, whilst walking around Petite Losange Jaune, we are made aware that our movements determine the effects produced, and therefore we succumb to the artworks' ability to lure and absorb us into its optical energy, exempt from external or narrative references.

The vibrant and all-encompassing Petite Losange Jaune is an outstanding example of the artist's ground-breaking relief constructions that have magnificently incorporated the optical and physical effects of vibration of his best work. The spidery metallic elements somewhat obscuring a background of part tightly linear and part vibrant canary yellow, work together to combine contradictory restive block colour with animated hanging elements. Here, Soto questions the very physical experience of art and in turn, creates a revolutionary approach to painting and sculpture. By questioning the traditional fixity of an object, Soto creates a virtual optical space which exists beyond any realm. He explains, "The immaterial is the sensory reality of the universe [...] To become conscious of the immaterial in its state of pure structure is to make the final leap towards the absolute" (the artist cited in: Exhibition Catalogue, Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Rafael Soto, 1969, p. 26).