Alexander Mackenzie

Sale, Phillips London, 22nd June 1993, lot 133
Jonathan Clark Fine Art, London, where acquired by David Bowie, December 1993

London, Austin/Desmond Fine Art, Alexander Mackenzie: Paintings, Collages and Drawings, 19th May - 10th June 1999 (ex. cat.).

Not examined out of the frame. The board appears sound. There are one or two very tiny nicks and scuffs around the extreme outer edges of the board. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in excellent overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of fluorescence or retouching. The board is float mounted onto the Artist's prepared backing board and presented in a simple painted wooden frame, held under glass. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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 the abstract idiom he practised consistently from the early 1950s until his death in 2002, Mackenzie seems often to be referencing patterns of field walls or hill contours as though they were calligraphy in a lost language, interpretable only through meditation on the marks themselves'
(Michael Bird, Alexander Mackenzie (exh. cat.), Austin/Desmond Fine Art, London, 2007, pp.8-10).