Anish Kapoor

The Artist
Michael Hue-Williams, London
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1990

Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall, Spatiotemporal: Works from the Collection ’88-98, Part I, March - October 1998, n.p., illustrated
Stockholm, National Museum, The Deluded Eye. Five Centuries of Deception, September 2008 -January 2009, pp. 71, 85 & 202, illustrated in color
Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall, Otherworldly, September - June 2014

This work is in very good condition overall. There is a consistent, varied surface texture throughout, due to the artist's intent. The edge around the rim of the disc is also rough and irregular, due to the artist's working method. The surface is very matte and the blue powdered pigment is somewhat loose on the surface, which appears inherent to the medium. There is evidence of light dust accumulation throughout the surfaces. Upon very close inspection there are some unobtrusive scattered pinpoint pigment losses noted throughout. At the exterior center-right side of the work, near the edge there is some minor wear and associated pigment loss. In the interior of the disc at the left center there is a small darkened area.
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.
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“The spatial questions it seemed to ask were not about deep space but about present space, which I began to think about as a new sublime. If the traditional sublime is in deep space, then this is proposing that the contemporary sublime is in front of the picture plane, not beyond it. I continue to make these works because I feel this is a whole new spatial adventure” (Exh. Cat., Boston, Institute of Contemporary Art, Anish Kapoor, 2008, p. 52).

Void IV is an exquisite example of Anish Kapoor’s ongoing investigation into the possibilities of spatial manipulation. Conceived in 1989, the present work was created at a time when Kapoor was experimenting with a range of different media and forms, and the result brilliantly epitomizes the sculptor’s exploration of alternative space and the innovative use of materials. Perhaps a forerunner to the iconic mirrored voids that Kapoor is most famously known for, Void IV is fashioned from fiberglass and pigment. Unlike the reflective surfaces of the later counterparts, the present work carries a velvety texture and dark, mysterious hues that induce the sensation of looking into an abyss.

The manipulation of space has been one of Kapoor’s primary concerns throughout his career to date, and the artist has sought to investigate the non-material possibilities of emptiness and the potential of the void through his diverse body of work. The space contained within the circle invites associations with the idea of the void, a concept that has been of abiding interest for Kapoor throughout his career to date: “The void is not silent. I have always thought of it more as a transitional space, an in-between space. It’s very much to do with time. I have always been interested as an artist in how one can somehow look again for that very first moment of creativity where everything is possible and nothing has actually happened. It’s a space of becoming… something that dwells in the presence of the work… that allows it or forces it not to be what it states it is in the first instance.” (cited in a conversation with Homi K. Bhabha in Exh. Cat, London, Hayward Gallery, Anish Kapoor, 1998, p. 35) This alteration of perspective encourages the onlooker to view the world around them afresh, imbuing the everyday with a sense of the marvelous and fantastical. By placing themselves in front of Void IV, viewers are drawn to the epicenter of the concavity and become engulfed in the endless darkness emanating from the work, and such interaction between sculpture and viewer is an integral part of Kapoor’s works.

There is a sense of timelessness and continuity inherent within Void IV that induces a feeling of meditation and contemplation within the onlooker. Truly a pinnacle of Kapoor’s sculptural oeuvre, the present sculpture is a glorious evocation of the transcendental and unquantifiable nature of the infinite. It represents a perfect balance between the visible and the spiritual, the concrete material of a work and its idea and the form and the void.