Francis Alÿs - Contemporary Art Part II New York Friday, November 17, 2006 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Galeria Oscar Roman, Mexico City; Private collection, New York; Stellan Holm Gallery, New York

  • Exhibited

    México City, Salón de Arte Bancomer, Fundación Cultural Bancomer, Group Show, October 1995 (illustrated, p. 21)

  • 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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144

Sexuality is a Fight Against Daily Erosion

1991
Oil and encaustic on linen with bone and rubber encased in a metal and wooden frame.
12 x 21 1/8 x 2 1/4 in. (30.5 x 53.7 x 5.7 cm).
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ""sexuality is a fight against daily erosion' thought Rover Francis Alÿs Mexico 1991" on the reverse.

Estimate
$50,000 - 70,000 

Sold for $66,000

Contemporary Art Part II

17 Nov 2006, 10am & 2pm
New York