- 211
Renato L. Barja Jr.
Estimate
45,000 - 65,000 HKD
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Description
- Renato L. Barja Jr.
- Hero For Hire / Enteng
- Signed and dated 12; Signed, titled, and dated 2012 on the reverse; Incised with the initial of the artist and dated 10 and the label of the artist is affixed to the underside of the sculpture
- Oil on canvas / plastic resin found objects, in 2 parts
- Painting: 153 by 122 cm.; 60 by 48 in.; Sculpture: 34 by 27 by 15 cm.; 13 1/4 by 10 1/2 by 6 in.
Condition
The work is in good condition overall. The canvas is clear and taut. There are indications of light wear and handling around the edges. Under ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of retouching. Unframed, on stretcher. Upon close observation the sculpture showed indication of a slight repair on the right arm otherwise there are no ostensible conditional problems apparent.
"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."
"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
With his busted lip and swollen eye, Renato Barja Jr.’s Hero for Hire is a simple man who understands that might is right. He is a warrior who fights with his fists and holds his head “Invictus” style: bloody, but unbowed.
His face is the face that comes to mind when reading Raymond Chandler’s oft-quoted passage: “Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor—by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.”
Barja reveals two sides to this nameless and toothless hero. A resin sculpture shows him in barbarous action: his face distorted by rage, his muscles taut as he wields a crowbar. He is fulfilling the hero’s mandate to protect the weak and defend the powerless in the only way he knows how.
The companion painting, meanwhile, portrays a lucid moment. The battle frenzy has worn off and the bloodlust has faded. The beat-up mug of Barja’s hero is vulnerable instead of vicious. Beneath his stained undershirt, he hides a tattoo of a woman; the crown of her head peeks out, diminishing the violence of the hardboiled fighter’s existence.
Barja has always been a champion of discarded individuals. In Hero for Hire, the artist lionizes the indomitable spirit of a man living on mean streets where pride is fought for, tooth and nail.
His face is the face that comes to mind when reading Raymond Chandler’s oft-quoted passage: “Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor—by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.”
Barja reveals two sides to this nameless and toothless hero. A resin sculpture shows him in barbarous action: his face distorted by rage, his muscles taut as he wields a crowbar. He is fulfilling the hero’s mandate to protect the weak and defend the powerless in the only way he knows how.
The companion painting, meanwhile, portrays a lucid moment. The battle frenzy has worn off and the bloodlust has faded. The beat-up mug of Barja’s hero is vulnerable instead of vicious. Beneath his stained undershirt, he hides a tattoo of a woman; the crown of her head peeks out, diminishing the violence of the hardboiled fighter’s existence.
Barja has always been a champion of discarded individuals. In Hero for Hire, the artist lionizes the indomitable spirit of a man living on mean streets where pride is fought for, tooth and nail.