- 794
Motonaga Sadamasa Untitled
Estimate
1,000,000 - 2,000,000 HKD
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Description
- Motonaga Sadamasa
- Untitled
- signed in English and dated 90
- acrylic on canvas
- 193 by 258.5 cm.; 76 by 101¾ in.
signed in English and dated 90
Provenance
Private American Collection
Condition
This work is generally in good condition. Having examined the work under ultraviolet light, there appears to be no evidence of restoration.
"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
In the Name of Water
Motonaga Sadamasa
Motonaga Sadamasa was a self-taught artist who was part of the eminent Gutai group between the years 1955 to 1971. Among other things, Motonaga was a sculptor who experimented with various media, making sculptures out of a mélange of organic and industrial materials, including rocks, wood, water, nails, and plastic. His oeuvre is primarily abstract in its style, and spreads across sculptures, canvases and installations. During a brief sojourn in New York from 1966 to 1967, the artist scrutinised form, and created works filled with shapes featuring hard-edges, with bold and saturated colours. These were created by his newly developed technique of using an airbrush filled with acrylic paint. In many ways these works developed out of Motonaga's ruminations on fluidity from previous inspirations taken from a traditional Japanese technique called tarashikomi ("dripping"), which involves dripping or applying varying coloured paints upon others before they are wholly dry. The effect created mirrors that of ripples in water, or of flower petals. This preoccupation led to works that featured circles of paint laid atop one another, with various rings of colourful hues. In the present lot, Untitled (Lot 794), one sees a combination of both investigations, founded upon the notion of concreteness versus fluidity. In the present lot, one sees various colourful shapes placed atop each other, which can be read as solid reflections of the tarashikomi technique previously produced. The overlapping colours are also reminiscent of a large-scale installation named Work (Water) (left photo) that Motonaga produced in 1956—a piece created with pieces of brightly coloured vinyl tubes suspended in mid-air, mimicking flowing water, which was recreated and reshown at the Guggenheim's recent seminal exhibition, Gutai: Splendid Playground. Prior to the Guggenheim show, Motonaga's bright colours and fantastical shapes have been exhibited at renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, Centre Georges Pompidou, and Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.
Motonaga Sadamasa
Motonaga Sadamasa was a self-taught artist who was part of the eminent Gutai group between the years 1955 to 1971. Among other things, Motonaga was a sculptor who experimented with various media, making sculptures out of a mélange of organic and industrial materials, including rocks, wood, water, nails, and plastic. His oeuvre is primarily abstract in its style, and spreads across sculptures, canvases and installations. During a brief sojourn in New York from 1966 to 1967, the artist scrutinised form, and created works filled with shapes featuring hard-edges, with bold and saturated colours. These were created by his newly developed technique of using an airbrush filled with acrylic paint. In many ways these works developed out of Motonaga's ruminations on fluidity from previous inspirations taken from a traditional Japanese technique called tarashikomi ("dripping"), which involves dripping or applying varying coloured paints upon others before they are wholly dry. The effect created mirrors that of ripples in water, or of flower petals. This preoccupation led to works that featured circles of paint laid atop one another, with various rings of colourful hues. In the present lot, Untitled (Lot 794), one sees a combination of both investigations, founded upon the notion of concreteness versus fluidity. In the present lot, one sees various colourful shapes placed atop each other, which can be read as solid reflections of the tarashikomi technique previously produced. The overlapping colours are also reminiscent of a large-scale installation named Work (Water) (left photo) that Motonaga produced in 1956—a piece created with pieces of brightly coloured vinyl tubes suspended in mid-air, mimicking flowing water, which was recreated and reshown at the Guggenheim's recent seminal exhibition, Gutai: Splendid Playground. Prior to the Guggenheim show, Motonaga's bright colours and fantastical shapes have been exhibited at renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, Centre Georges Pompidou, and Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.