Jean Tinguely

Galerie Bonnier, Genève 
Rachel Adler Gallery, New York
Collection particulière, Etats-Unis (acquis en 1986)

Los Angeles, Dwan Gallery, Tinguely, mai - juin 1963
New York, Iolas Gallery and Los Angeles, Dwan Gallery, Meta No. 11, mars 1965
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tinguely 1960 - 1968, 2 mars - 7 avril 1968

Pontus Hulten, Jean Tinguely-Méta, Berlin, 1972, p.257, illustré
Christina Bischofberger, Jean Tinguely, Catalogue Raisonné, Sculptures and Reliefs 1954-1968, Tome I, Zürich, 1982, p. 219, no. 319, illustré

The mechanism works, although it needs a revision of the electrical circuit. Aside from some wears and oxidation - notably on the base – and inherent to the artist's technique, this work is in very good original condition.
"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."

Provenant d'une importante collection particulière du Midwest des Etats-Unis

Cette importante collection privée américaine reflète l’esthétique protéiforme du XXe siècle à travers un élégant ensemble de sculptures contemporaines. Composante essentielle de l’art occidental, la sculpture a permis aux artistes de tout temps, plus que nul autre procédé, de démontrer leur capacité à manier et marier les matériaux pour donner vie à des formes émotionnellement chargées. Chacune des œuvres de cette collection, qu’elle soit abstraite ou figurative, qu’elle soit apparentée à des courants artistiques aussi variés que le surréalisme, le minimalisme, le dadaïsme, le nouveau réalisme ou l’art conceptuel, évoque les grands thèmes de l’histoire de l’art du XXe siècle, tels que le singulier et l’universel, le quotidien et l’extraordinaire, le matériel et le spirituel.

Cette remarquable collection est d’autre part surprenante à plus d’un titre. Tout d’abord parce qu’elle a été assemblée au cours des années 1970 et 1980, par un visionnaire qui avait compris très tôt l’importance du deuxième art -bien avant que la sculpture prenne les lettres de noblesse qu’elle a acquise ses dernières année. Ensuite parce qu’elle réunit des pièces emblématiques de nombreux courants artistiques du XXe siècle, ce qui aurait pu sembler incohérent à première vue, mais est en fait la preuve d’un savant éclectisme.  Et enfin parce qu’elle défie toute convention, plaçant le geste et le génie créatif bien au-dessus de toute qualité décorative.

Sotheby’s a le grand honneur de disperser cette prestigieuse collection du Midwest américain offrant de nombreuses œuvres d’art impressionniste, moderne et contemporain ainsi que quelques photographies et multiples à travers plusieurs ventes qui auront lieu jusqu’à la fin de l’année et l’année prochaine en Europe et aux Etats-Unis.

Property from a Private Midwest Collection

This notable and elegantly composed collection truly celebrates the breadth of artistic vision in the Twentieth Century and affirms the role of sculpture as an essential component in the canon of Western art. With sculpture forming the predominant focus, this collection demonstrates the capacity of media like bronze and welded steel to fuse contrasting artistic refrains into powerfully physical formations, aligning the corporeal with the spiritual, the quotidian with the sublime, and form with space. Likewise, the individual works presented here hark back to the diverse fields of Surrealist, Minimalism, Dadaism, Conceptualism, Abstraction and Figuration amongst others. Yet the eclectic paradow of artistic sentiments is resolved using a common aesthetic language to form a dialogue between established masters and subsequent luminaires. The fact that the collection was largely assembled in the 1970s and early 1980s further attests to the shrewd eye of the collector who acquired works with passion and integrity at a time when sculpture was yet to be held with the same justified prestige as it is today.

This truly remarkable collection offers us a ceaseless array of surprises. It makes apparent links between artistic movements where some might easily have found contradictions and so too does it present us with rare, early works that demonstrate the burgeoning creativity and intellectual rigor of the individual artists. This is an assemblage of significant pieces which defy conventional categorization; instead each work is allowed to form an open dialogue about artistic influence that may more truly reflect the nature of creativity. It is with great honor that Sotheby's will be offering works from his distinguished Midwest Collection across Impressionist and Modern Art, Contemporary Art, American Art, Latin American, Swiss Art, Photography and Prints sales in both America and Europe throughout the 2015-16 auction seasons.