Gunther Gerzso (1915-2000)

Gift of the artist (1959)

This work is in good condition. It does not appear to have been restored. The Masonite is flat and the paint layer is stable. However, one’s eye is immediately caught by the orange marks of pigment in the upper center and upper left and in the paler colors in the lower center and lower left. These are not damages or restorations. While they are unusual for the artist, there is technically no reason that they are not original. There is a very thin scratch over the date in the lower right, a small scratch in the lower left, and a similar scratch in the upper left. There are a handful of slightly darker spots in the pale area in the lower left quadrant that could be retouched. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

When I traveled to Mexico in 1946 I discovered pre-Columbian art. I discovered it in the emotional sense, in the same way as someone who says, “I finally understood Mozart or Bach.” I didn’t care whether the art belonged to the Mayan, Aztec or Totonacan culture. The fact was that I was very impressed by most of those objects. I guess this could sound ridiculous because my mother was German and my father Hungarian. What did I have to do with pre-Columbian art? And yet I was attracted to it in a tremendously emotional way. I began collecting it. I can’t explain it: I felt that I had something in common with the artists who had created these objects. And I also told myself, I live in Mexico and up to this moment I have been creating a sort of European Surrealist art influenced by Max Ernst, Tanguy, Dalí and others. Why don’t I make something that belongs to this country?

As a result of this I first painted a piece that was merely intuitive. I still work that way. To begin a painting I initially draw many lines on the canvas. Sometimes nothing comes out. Suddenly, I draw lines in the place where they belong, and there it is: a being that was underwater comes to the surface and slowly comes to life. Then I see it the next day and choose what stays and what goes, until I convince myself that the piece is ready, alive. I’ve been working the same way since 1946. In painting you can’t have much control over the outcome because sometimes one thing comes out and other times something else happens. You have to obey inspiration, despite my dislike of the term. There have been times when I’ve thought a work was done, and then I’ve looked at it again and decided to add more elements to it in order to make it stronger. Given my technique, I can’t erase anything; all elements need to be added and this is the biggest challenge.

Gunther Gerzso in conversation with José Antonio Aldrete-Haas
Poetry in Architecture Symposium, 1991