Francis Alÿs - Latin America New York Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Galería Ramis Barquet, New York
    Private Collection

  • Literature

    T. Vischer, ed., Francis Alÿs: Sign Painting Project with Juan García, Emilio Rivera, Enrique Huerta, Göttingen, 2011, p. 161 (illustrated)

  • Artist Biography

    Francis Alÿs

    Belgian / Mexican • 1959

    Born in Belgium, Francis Alÿs traveled to Mexico in 1986 as part of a French program to assist in the aftermath of the tragic 1985 earthquake, and has lived there ever since. Throughout his career, the artist has analyzed facets of everyday urban life using a variety of media including video, drawing, installation and public action. Sign Painting Project (1993-'97) is a prime example of the artist's interest in the sprawling urbanization of Mexico City. In this early series, Alÿs drew inspiration from professional Mexican sign painters (rotúlistas) who painted large billboard advertisements throughout the city. In response to these large colorful compositions, Alÿs employed a similar style in creating small-scale paintings of familiar objects and places.  Alÿs asked various rotúlistas to copy and enlarge his paintings, displaying his work and that of the rotúlista side-by-side. This series, like many of Alÿs' other works, illustrates the artist's concerns with such themes as collaboration, banality and originality.

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BELGIAN

8

Untitled (Installation of two works, in collaboration with Emilio Rivera)

1996
i) collage and oil on canvas, laid on board; ii) airbrush on metal sheet
i) 6 1/8 x 8 1/8 in. (15.6 x 20.6 cm); ii) 36 x 51 1/4 in. (91.4 x 130.2 cm)
i) Signed and dated "F. Alÿs 1996" on the reverse. ii) Signed and dated "Emilio Rivera F. Alÿs ©1996" on the reverse.

Estimate
$300,000 - 500,000 

Sold for $314,500

Latin America

20 November 2012
New York