53
Louise Nevelson "Volcanic Magic XVII" 1985
1/9
Beschreibung
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988). Wood, paper, fabric, and metal assemblage titled "Volcanic Magic XVII." Signed and dated 1985 along the lower right. The labels from the Pace Gallery, Claude Bernard Gallery, Hokin Gallery Inc, and Dolly Fiterman Gallery are adhered to the verso.
Provenance: Estate of Dolly J. Fiterman
Dimensions: Height: 33 in x width: 41 in x depth: 4 in.
Condition: Good condition.
Lot essay: "I feel what people call by the word scavenger is really a resurrection. You're taking a discarded, beat-up piece that was no use to anyone and you place it in a position where it goes to beautiful places: museums, libraries, universities, big private houses... These pieces of wood have a history and drama... [a]nd someone comes along who sees how to take these beings and transform them into total being." -Louise Nevelson, Dawns and Dusks
Louise Nevelson was a powerhouse of modernist sculpture. Her bold constructions using found objects shook the art world, as did her often scandalous, larger than life persona. Her work was cutting-edge during her lifetime and remains relevant, her unique approach to storytelling and her breathtaking, gothic silhouettes as fascinating to modern viewers as they were to her contemporaries.
Louise Nevelson was born to a poor Jewish family in Kiev in what was then the Russian Empire in 1899, but immigrated to the United States with her family in 1901. The family settled in Rockland, Maine, where her father ran a lumberyard. She often played with the scraps as a child, taking an early interest in sculpture. In school, she had no aptitude for academics, but excelled in her art classes, and enjoyed creating whimsical clothing for herself, constructing hats and other items.
When she was eighteen, she was introduced to Charles Nevelson, a wealthy New Yorker, by his brother Bernard, with whom she had become friends when his work in the shipping business had taken him to Rockland. They married in 1918, and she moved to New York City. She was immediately enraptured by the city, and took full advantages of the opportunities it offered to a young woman with a thirst to learn: she took acting and music classes, attended concerts and lectures, and visited museums. Despite her love for her new home, Nevelson found herself very unhappy in her marriage, particularly after the birth of her son. She found escape in visiting museums, where she was inspired by things as diverse as Japanese Noh theater costumes and cubist artworks, and by attending art classes at the Art Students League.
Finally, in 1931, she left her husband and traveled to Munich to study with Hans Hofmann. Cubism as he taught it resonated with Nevelson, and had a major effect on shaping her later work. In her words,"[i]f you read my work, no matter what it is, it still has that stamp. The box is a cube" After traveling for a few more months, she returned to the United States to be with her family, but soon returned to Europe, eager to learn more in the art schools of Paris. After a brief stay there, she returned to the United States and the Art Students League. She soon met Diego Rivera, and began working as an assistant to him. She continued to take every opportunity to expand her art horizons, even taking up up modern dance as part of her ongoing fascination with space and the how space is occupied.
In 1941, Nevelson had her first show at Nierendorf Gallery, marking her breakthrough in the fine art world. She displayed sculptures created from boxes, leveraging her Cubist roots and obsession with space into something entirely new. She began receiving critical recognition, and continued expanding her work, moving literally outside the box. Around this time, Nevelson first began working with found objects. She felt that found objects already had stories of their own to tell, and assembling them as she was allowed her to contribute to those stories, and to keep the stories of discarded objects alive in a powerful way. While the way she manipulated these objects in her sculptures varied significantly throughout her career, their presence remained a constant.
In the mid-1940s, she began exhibiting her work regularly, and her success continued from there. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, her work was purchased by major museums, and she began receiving commissions to create the kinds of found-object sculptures for which she had become well known. These iconic sculptures were dark, monochromatic spires, disguising and making majestic the most mundane of objects. She was often grouped in exhibitions with the most influential artists of her time. Through the 1970s and 1980s, she received numerous honorary degrees and even had several books published on her.
She continued working and experimenting until her death in 1988, pushing the boundaries of color, texture, and form. She continued to try new sculptural media--though always admitting that wood was her favorite--along with making prints, designing costumes, and writing poetry. This piece, Volcanic Magic XVII, was part of one of the final series Nevelson made, and in many ways shows a rounding out of her career as an artist. This piece displays several of the most quintessential Nevelson elements: found objects, surprising textures, and a usage of space both carefree and confrontational. However, it shows less typical elements as well. It is not monochromatic , but instead a gradation of color, showing depth through shades of brown instead of though the massive forms of her earlier work. It is in some ways a flattened version of her classic box constructions, with the exaggerated frame serving as the sides of a simple wooden box, the kind she often favored. This piece shows Nevelson continuing her lifelong exploration of space in a subtle, sophisticated direction, creating the illusion of space rather than creating ways to occupy it.
Volcanic Magic XVII includes an intriguing variety of found objects including the separated back and legs of a chair, a wooden oval, and fragments of paper, fabric, and a can. The chair back is well worn, with use-roughened edges and a mottled finish from loss of varnish--it is clear it has the kind of history Nevelson was so intrigued by. The placement of the chair legs causes the viewer to wonder whether these had once been part of the same chair, which had been dropped on to the frame, breaking in the process. Volcanic Magic XVII constantly brings these questions to the viewer's mind, involving them in the story, spinning new possible scenarios to connect these seemingly unrelated objects--is it a table setting, spinning in a cyclone? This is the true power in this work: Nevelson has chosen objects just right to keep their story continuing and changing, being speculated on and expanded upon by each viewer.
Auktionsdetails
Versand
AGB & Wichtige Informationen
Stellen Sie dem Verkäufer eine Frage
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988). Wood, paper, fabric, and metal assemblage titled "Volcanic Magic XVII." Signed and dated 1985 along the lower right. The labels from the Pace Gallery, Claude Bernard Gallery, Hokin Gallery Inc, and Dolly Fiterman Gallery are adhered to the verso.
Provenance: Estate of Dolly J. Fiterman
Dimensions: Height: 33 in x width: 41 in x depth: 4 in.
Condition: Good condition.
Lot essay: "I feel what people call by the word scavenger is really a resurrection. You're taking a discarded, beat-up piece that was no use to anyone and you place it in a position where it goes to beautiful places: museums, libraries, universities, big private houses... These pieces of wood have a history and drama... [a]nd someone comes along who sees how to take these beings and transform them into total being." -Louise Nevelson, Dawns and Dusks
Louise Nevelson was a powerhouse of modernist sculpture. Her bold constructions using found objects shook the art world, as did her often scandalous, larger than life persona. Her work was cutting-edge during her lifetime and remains relevant, her unique approach to storytelling and her breathtaking, gothic silhouettes as fascinating to modern viewers as they were to her contemporaries.
Louise Nevelson was born to a poor Jewish family in Kiev in what was then the Russian Empire in 1899, but immigrated to the United States with her family in 1901. The family settled in Rockland, Maine, where her father ran a lumberyard. She often played with the scraps as a child, taking an early interest in sculpture. In school, she had no aptitude for academics, but excelled in her art classes, and enjoyed creating whimsical clothing for herself, constructing hats and other items.
When she was eighteen, she was introduced to Charles Nevelson, a wealthy New Yorker, by his brother Bernard, with whom she had become friends when his work in the shipping business had taken him to Rockland. They married in 1918, and she moved to New York City. She was immediately enraptured by the city, and took full advantages of the opportunities it offered to a young woman with a thirst to learn: she took acting and music classes, attended concerts and lectures, and visited museums. Despite her love for her new home, Nevelson found herself very unhappy in her marriage, particularly after the birth of her son. She found escape in visiting museums, where she was inspired by things as diverse as Japanese Noh theater costumes and cubist artworks, and by attending art classes at the Art Students League.
Finally, in 1931, she left her husband and traveled to Munich to study with Hans Hofmann. Cubism as he taught it resonated with Nevelson, and had a major effect on shaping her later work. In her words,"[i]f you read my work, no matter what it is, it still has that stamp. The box is a cube" After traveling for a few more months, she returned to the United States to be with her family, but soon returned to Europe, eager to learn more in the art schools of Paris. After a brief stay there, she returned to the United States and the Art Students League. She soon met Diego Rivera, and began working as an assistant to him. She continued to take every opportunity to expand her art horizons, even taking up up modern dance as part of her ongoing fascination with space and the how space is occupied.
In 1941, Nevelson had her first show at Nierendorf Gallery, marking her breakthrough in the fine art world. She displayed sculptures created from boxes, leveraging her Cubist roots and obsession with space into something entirely new. She began receiving critical recognition, and continued expanding her work, moving literally outside the box. Around this time, Nevelson first began working with found objects. She felt that found objects already had stories of their own to tell, and assembling them as she was allowed her to contribute to those stories, and to keep the stories of discarded objects alive in a powerful way. While the way she manipulated these objects in her sculptures varied significantly throughout her career, their presence remained a constant.
In the mid-1940s, she began exhibiting her work regularly, and her success continued from there. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, her work was purchased by major museums, and she began receiving commissions to create the kinds of found-object sculptures for which she had become well known. These iconic sculptures were dark, monochromatic spires, disguising and making majestic the most mundane of objects. She was often grouped in exhibitions with the most influential artists of her time. Through the 1970s and 1980s, she received numerous honorary degrees and even had several books published on her.
She continued working and experimenting until her death in 1988, pushing the boundaries of color, texture, and form. She continued to try new sculptural media--though always admitting that wood was her favorite--along with making prints, designing costumes, and writing poetry. This piece, Volcanic Magic XVII, was part of one of the final series Nevelson made, and in many ways shows a rounding out of her career as an artist. This piece displays several of the most quintessential Nevelson elements: found objects, surprising textures, and a usage of space both carefree and confrontational. However, it shows less typical elements as well. It is not monochromatic , but instead a gradation of color, showing depth through shades of brown instead of though the massive forms of her earlier work. It is in some ways a flattened version of her classic box constructions, with the exaggerated frame serving as the sides of a simple wooden box, the kind she often favored. This piece shows Nevelson continuing her lifelong exploration of space in a subtle, sophisticated direction, creating the illusion of space rather than creating ways to occupy it.
Volcanic Magic XVII includes an intriguing variety of found objects including the separated back and legs of a chair, a wooden oval, and fragments of paper, fabric, and a can. The chair back is well worn, with use-roughened edges and a mottled finish from loss of varnish--it is clear it has the kind of history Nevelson was so intrigued by. The placement of the chair legs causes the viewer to wonder whether these had once been part of the same chair, which had been dropped on to the frame, breaking in the process. Volcanic Magic XVII constantly brings these questions to the viewer's mind, involving them in the story, spinning new possible scenarios to connect these seemingly unrelated objects--is it a table setting, spinning in a cyclone? This is the true power in this work: Nevelson has chosen objects just right to keep their story continuing and changing, being speculated on and expanded upon by each viewer.
Fine and Decorative Arts
Auktionsdatum
Ort der Versteigerung
550 Vandalia Street
Suite 304
St Paul
Minnesota
55114
United States
Generelle Versandinformationen vom Auktionshaus verfügbar
Removal
Property purchased from Revere Auctions by a successful bidder will not be released to such bidder until the full payment of the total purchase price (including the buyer’s premium and online bidding service fee, and all applicable sales taxes) has been made. In addition to other remedies available to us by law, we reserve the right to impose from the date of sale a late charge of 1.5% per month of the total purchase price if payment is not made in accordance with these conditions. Please note that Revere Auctions reserves the right to refuse to accept payment from a source other than the buyer of record. The purchaser must remove all property from the auction premises at his/her expense the day following the auction. Allproperty must be collected within ten (10) days of the auction. If you fail to retrieve the purchased property within thirty (30) days after the Sale Date (such that the 30-day period is termed the “Retrieval Period”) Revere Auctions reserves the right to charge a minimum storage and handling fee of $20 per lot per day. Revere Auctions also reserves the right to send the property to a public warehouse for the account and at the risk and expense of the purchaser, to be released only after payment in full of all removal, storage, handling, insurance, and any other costs incurred, together with payment of all other amounts due to us. It is the purchaser’s sole responsibility to arrange to collect or ship the property and to identify and obtain any necessary export, import, firearm, endangered species, or other permit for the lot. Revere Auctions and the consignor make no representations or warranties as to whether any lot is or is not subject to export or import restrictions or embargoes. Purchasers are reminded that Revere Auctions' liability for loss or damage to sold property shall cease no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the auction, and immediately upon removal from Revere Auctions’ facility if removal takes place within thirty (30) days after the date of sale.
Shipping
Revere Auctions offers in-house shipping for eligible orders and referrals to third-party shippers for all other orders. Customers with eligible orders will receive an email from ShippingSaint.com within two business days after an auction informing you of eligibility. Please allow 7-10 business days after submitting payment for your order for Revere Auctions to begin packaging your order. Eligible orders will include but are not limited to, unframed artwork, framed artwork, jewelry, coins, and decorative objects. Ineligible orders include but are not limited to, furniture, oversized lots, and any lot that must be shipped by a third party.
As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping to third-party shipping vendors. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in-transit items is the responsibility of the buyer. The buyer must reach out to a third-party shipping vendor to arrange shipping.
“Oversized lots” are objects such as furniture, andirons, floor vases, sculptures, or any other item whose safe packing will exceed the limits of common carriers. The delivery of oversized, large, exceedingly heavy, or high-value objects is not an inexpensive proposition and we urge you to consider this before bidding.
The buyer must fill out the Shipping Release Form in order for their items to be released to a third-party shipper. This is to ensure that the won item(s) are given to the proper shipping company and reach their final destination safely. This form can be found here: revereauctions.com/shipping-release-authorization/
For a list of referrals for third-party shipping vendors, please see our Shipping Information page for more details. revereauctions.com/shipping-information/
Wichtige Informationen
A wonderful sale featuring works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Gorg Jensen, and Alphonse Mucha, among many others. 28% buyer's premium.
AGB
The following Conditions of Sale and Terms of Guarantee constitute the entire agreement with the purchaser relative to the property listed by Revere Auctions LLC. Hereinafter, Revere Auctions LLC is referred to Revere Auctions.
Revere Auctions acts as owner or as an agent for various owners and consignors. Revere Auctions reserves the right to change the terms of sale by oral announcement. Any such change shall become part of the Condition of Sale. By bidding at auction (whether present in person, by agent, by telephone, by absentee bid instruction, or though a live internet bidding platform) you agree to be bound by these terms.
Before the Sale
Prospective buyers are strongly advised to personally examine any property in which they are interested before the auction takes place. Condition reports are usually available on request, on lots with a low estimate of $500 and above.
All lots are sold 'AS IS' and without recourse and neither Revere Auctions, nor its consignor(s) makes any warranties or representations, express or implied with respect to such lots. Revere Auctions makes a limited warranty only to the original buyer of record concerning the authenticity of each lot for a period of 14 days after bidder's receipt of the purchased lot. If a buyer is not satisfied that the lot purchased is genuine, the buyer may, at his or her own expense, obtain the opinion of two mutually agreed upon recognized experts in the field of the disputed lot. If these experts determine that the item is not genuine, the buyer's sole and exclusive remedy shall be the rescission of the sale and refund of the amount paid for the item. It is specifically understood and agreed that the rescission of the sale and refund is exclusive and in lieu of any other remedy which might otherwise be available as a matter of law or in equity, and such remedy is conditioned upon the buyer returning the property in the same condition as at the time of sale. Revere Auctions shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages. All sales are final, with no returns or refunds except as provided in this limited warranty. The limited warrantee does not extend to the lots identified as attributions, school, circle, manner, or after.
Reserves
Some of the lots in this sale are offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum price below which the lot will not be sold. A reserve shall not be greater than the low estimate of the lot. A representative of Revere Auctions will execute such reserves by bidding on behalf of the consignor.
Withdrawl
Revere Auctions in its sole and exclusive discretion, reserves the right to withdraw any property, at any time, before the fall of the hammer.
Buyers Premium
A buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price and is payable by the purchaser as part of the total purchase price. The buyer's premium is 25% of the hammer price. An additional fee will be charged on any purchase made using live online bidding. Those bidding live online or leaving absentee bids on Invaluable.com, liveauctioneers.com or any related site will pay an additional fee of 3% on the total hammer price of successful purchases. All purchases regardless of bidding method are subject to the Buyer's Premium and appropriate Sales Tax.
Bidding
The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer shall be the buyer. The auctioneer has the right to reject any bid, to advance the bidding at his absolute discretion and in the event of any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer shall have the sole and final discretion either to determine the successful bidder or to re- offer and resell the article in dispute. If any dispute arises after sale, the Revere Auction sale record shall be conclusive in all respects. 7 If the auctioneer determines that any opening or later bid or any advance bid is not commensurate with the value of the Property offered, he may reject the same and withdraw the Property from sale.
Hammer
Upon the fall of the hammer, title to any offered lot or article will immediately pass to the highest bidder as determined in the exclusive discretion of the auctioneer, subject to compliance by the buyer with these Conditions of Sale. Buyer thereupon assumes full risk and responsibility of the property sold, agrees to sign any requested confirmation of purchase, and agrees to pay the full price, plus Buyer's Premium, therefore or such part, upon such terms as Revere Auctions may require. Title in a purchased lot will not pass until Revere Auctions has received in full the total purchase price in cleared funds. Unless exempted by law, the purchaser will be required to pay Minnesota state sales tax as applicable, any applicable local sales tax, and any applicable compensating use tax of another state. Sale tax will not be collected on any lot that is shipped out of state.
Payment
Revere Auctions accepts checks (personal or business check in US dollars certified by a US bank, a cashier's/banker's check drawn on a US bank or US money order), cash (US currency not to exceed $10,000 in a single or multiple related payments). Visa, Discover, American Express or MasterCard may be used and are subject to a 2.5% convenience fee. The purchaser's obligation to pay immediately the full purchase price is absolute and unconditional and is not subject to any defenses, setoffs or counterclaims of any kind whatsoever. Revere Auctions is not obligated to release a lot to the purchaser until title to the lot has passed. The purchaser agrees to pay Revere Auctions handling charge of $30 for any check dishonored by the drawee.
Removal
Property purchased from Revere Auctions by a successful bidder will not be released to such bidder until the full payment of the total purchase price (including the buyer's premium and online bidding service fee, and all applicable sales taxes) have been made. In addition to other remedies available to us by law, we reserve the right to impose from the date of sale a late charge of 1.5% per month of the total purchase price if payment is not made in accordance with these conditions. Please note that Revere Auctions reserves the right to refuse to accept payment form a source other than the buyer of record. The purchaser must remove all property from the auction premises at his/her expense the day following the auction. If the property is not picked up within 10 days of the auction, Revere Auctions reserves the right to charge a minimum storage and handling charge of $20 per lot per day. Revere Auctions also reserves the right to send the property to a public warehouse for the account and at the risk and expense of the purchaser, to be released only after payment in full of all removal, storage, handling, insurance and any other costs incurred, together with payment of all other amounts due to us. It is the purchaser's sole responsibility to arrange to collect or ship the property and to identify and obtain any necessary export, import, firearm, endangered species or other permit for the lot. Revere Auctions and the consignor make no representations or warranties as to whether any lot is or is not subject to export or import restrictions or embargoes. Purchasers are reminded that Revere Auctions liability for loss or damage to sold property shall cease no later than 10 days after the date of the auction.
Shipping
As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer
Remedies
If the purchaser fails to fulfill or comply with any of the conditions herein, the purchaser shall be in default and, in addition to all legal remedies available to the Revere Auctions and the consignor by law, including, without limitation, the right to hold the purchaser liable for the total purchase price, including all fees, charges and expenses more fully set forth herein, Revere Auctions, at its option, may: a) cancel the sale of that, or any other lot or lots sold to the defaulting purchaser at the same auction or any other auction, and retain all payments made by the purchaser as liquidated damages; b) resell the purchased property whether at public auction or by private sale, for the account of the purchaser, in which case the purchaser shall be liable to Revere Auctions for all its costs and damages, including the commissions for both auctions; c) remove the property to a public warehouse for the account and at the risk and expense of the purchaser; d) charge interest at such rate as we shall reasonably select, or e) effect any combination thereof. In any case, the purchaser will be liable for any deficiency and any and all costs, handling charges, late charges, expenses of both sales, our commissions on both sales at our regular rates, legal fees and expenses, collection fees and incidental damages. Payment will not be deemed to have been made in full until we have collected good funds. In the event that purchaser fails to pay any or all of the total purchase price for any lot and Revere Auctions nonetheless elects to pay the consignor any portion of the sale proceeds, the purchaser acknowledges that Revere Auctions shall have all of the rights of the consignor to pursue the purchaser for any amounts paid to the consignor, whether at law, in equity, or under these conditions of sale. In addition, defaulting purchaser will be deemed to have granted and assigned to Revere Auctions a continuing security interest of first priority in any property or money of or owing to such purchaser in our possession, custody or control, in each case whether at the time of the auction, the default or if acquired at any time thereafter, and we may retain and apply such property or money as collateral security for the obligations due to us.
Limited Liability
In no event will our liability to a purchaser with respect to an item of property exceed the purchase price actually paid by such purchaser for such item. If any part of these
Copyright
The copyright in all images, illustrations and written material produced by or for Revere Auctions relating to a lot, including the contents of this catalogue, is, and shall remain at all times, the property of Revere Auctions and shall not be used by the buyer nor by anyone else, without our prior written consent. Revere Auctions reserves the right to reproduce any image of the lots sold in this catalogue.
The rights and obligations of the parties with respect to these Conditions of Sale, the conduct of the auction and any matters connected with any of the foregoing shall be governed and interpreted by the laws of the jurisdiction in Minnesota. If any part of these Conditions of Sale is found by any court to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that part shall be discounted and the rest of the conditions shall continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.
