Dan Flavin - 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale New York Wednesday, May 17, 2017 | Phillips
  • Provenance

    Estate of the Artist
    Private Collection (acquired from the above)
    Christie’s, New York, May 9, 2012, lot 464
    Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

  • Exhibited

    New York, Leo Castelli Gallery, untitled (to Barnett Newman) 1970 from Dan Flavin, November 21 - December 12, 1970
    Toronto, Jared Sable Gallery, Dan Flavin, September 1974

  • Literature

    Collection Sonnabend, exh. cat., Bordeaux, 1988, p. 178 (another example illustrated)
    La Collezione Sonnabend: Dalla Pop Art in poi, exh. cat., Milan, 1989, p. 114 (another example illustrated)
    Passions privées: Collections pariculières d’art moderne et contemporain en France, exh. cat., Paris, 1995, p. 494 (another example illustrated)
    Germano Celant, Madly in Love: The Luigi and Peppino Agrati Collection, Milan, 2002, p. 378 (another example illustrated)
    Michael Govan and Tiffany Bell, Dan Flavin, The Complete Lights 1961-1996, New York, 2004, no. 262, p. 295 (another example illustrated)

  • Catalogue Essay

    "Regard the light and you are fascinated - practically inhibited from grasping its limits at each end. While the tube itself has an actual length...its shadow cast from the supporting pan has but illusively dissolving ends. This waning cannot really be measured without resisting consummate visual effects. Realizing this, I knew that the actual space of a room could be disrupted and played with by careful, thorough composition of the illuminating equipment. For example if a 244cm (8ft) fluorescent lamp be pressed into a vertical corner, it can completely eliminate that definite juncture by physical structure, glare and doubled shadow. A section of wall can be visually disintegrated into a separated triangle by placing diagonal of light from edge to edge on the wall: that is, side to floor, for instance"

    Dan Flavin, quoted in "...in daylight or cool white" lecture, Brooklyn Museum School of Art, New York, December 18, 1964, published in ArtForum, December 1965

  • Artist Biography

    Dan Flavin

    American • 1933 - 1996

    Dan Flavin employed commercially-sold fluorescent light tubes in order to produce what he liked to call "situations" or installations. His minimalist approach transcended simplicity through his use of neon colors and thoughtful compositions. With straight-edged light beams, Flavin would often create dynamic arrangements reminiscent of Fred Sandback's work with yarn.

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION

217

untitled (to Ileana and Michael Sonnabend)

blue, yellow and pink flourescent light
96 in. (243.8 cm.)
Executed in 1970, this work is number 5 from an edition of 5, and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.

Estimate
$300,000 - 400,000 

Sold for $346,000

Contact Specialist
John McCord
Head of Day Sale
New York
+1 212 940 1261

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale

New York Auction 17 May 2017