R.H. Quaytman

Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2009

Boston, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Momentum 15: R.H. Quaytman, November 2009 - March 2010

This work is in very good condition overall. There is a very minor loss along the left edge in the top corner, which is only visible under close inspection. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
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R.H. Quaytman’s subtle interlacing of narrative through a dialogue between images and materials has gained widespread critical acclaim as one of the most interesting artistic practices of recent years. Her intriguing ‘paintings’ of silkscreen images on a wooden surface offer a fascinating self-reflexive perspective not only on the material and representational qualities of the works themselves, but also on how narrative is constructed between the individual works and the wider context of the artist’s exhibitions.

Exhibition Guide, Chapter 15 (ICA Archive 4, Art For U.S. Embassies) was originally conceived for Quaytman’s exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston, where the fifteenth chapter of her work was exhibited in 2009-10. Each piece in a ‘Chapter’ relates to a central theme whilst also standing alone as a unique and captivating work of art. The theme usually relates to the setting of the exhibition and one often notices architectural motifs or photographs appearing in her work. Characteristic of the self-reflexive nature of her oeuvre, the work introduces a complex set of references: the space for which the exhibition was conceived is shown in the silkscreened archival image of the ICA, and the historical context of the space is referenced through a geometric abstract painting that was once in the Art for U.S. Embassies exhibition. Moreover, similar images are used in the other works from this chapter, weaving a narrative about past exhibitions at the ICA throughout the chapter.