Dan Flavin

Karsten Schubert, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1988

Munich, Galerie Tanit, Dan Flavin, Don Judd, Sol LeWitt, March - May 1985, no. 111
London, Karsten Schubert, Dan Flavin: Early Works, May - June 1988, no. 111

Michael Govan and Tiffany Bell, Dan Flavin: The Complete Lights, 1961-1996, New Haven and London 2004, p. 251, no. 112, illustrated in colour (artist's diagram)

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly deeper in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition and in full working order. Close inspection reveals a few accretions and signs of light wear to the fixtures.
"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."

"There was no need to compose this lamp in place; it implanted itself directly, dynamically, dramatically in my workroom wall—a buoyant and relentless gaseous image which, through brilliance, betrayed its physical presence into approximate invisibility."
Dan Flavin
Cited in: '... in daylight or cool white', Artforum, December 1965, online.

Dan Flavin’s use of light tubes as an autonomous medium has cemented his place as a pioneer of light art. Restricting his visual vocabulary to a limited palette of colours, the artist’s neon lights are among the most recognisable pieces of American Minimalist Art.  Executed in 1966, Untitled (to Annette Borgman) is a geometrical arrangement of Flavin’s ‘primary colours’: pink, yellow and blue. This outstanding wall piece surrounds the space with breath-taking light, reminiscent of a Mondrian composition.

The present piece has a particularly interesting history. In 1966, two copies of Untitled (to Annette Borgmann) were created for an exhibition at Galerie Rudolf Zwirner in Cologne. Both pieces were dedicated to the wife of Thomas Borgmann, who at the time worked at the gallery when Flavin installed his exhibition there. The Italian gallerist Gian Enzo Sperone acquired one of the works, and a year later in 1967 it was included in an exhibition at his gallery in Milan. As Flavin did not install the piece himself and did not recognise the exhibition, he later reconstructed the present work for the Italian collector who purchased the work from Galleria Sperone. The drawing accompanying the work is inscribed “for Anna and Gian Maria / with best regards / Dan Flavin / reconstruction to situation / 3/14/68”. The work is further accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.