Günther Förg - 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Association with Poly Auction Hong Kong Sunday, June 6, 2021 | Phillips

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  • "The objective is not so much to merely apply a coat of paint but rather to avoid an artistic handwriting in the sense of artistic mannerism." —Günther Förg

     

    This work is a part of a series by German abstract artist Günther Förg produced between 2003 and 2007. Comprising small works on wood, Förg transforms his expansive large-scale paintings to miniature compositions of formal reprise. These works derive from different periods spanning the breadth of his career, from his Lead, Window and Color-Field paintings to his Grid and Spot paintings.

     

    Förg’s artistic approach in Untitled is intriguingly elusive and purposefully abstract. He references the expressionist techniques and tropes of the paintings of modernist masters such as Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko, and Jasper Johns. As Albert Oehlen describes, Förg “creates sublime works from something that is already sublime”. [1] The stark white background has been intentionally left visible beneath the composition, appearing almost illuminated as it peeks out from the exuberant paint strokes that overlap it. The style of the red, orange and amber-hued scribbles brings to mind the iconic hatchings of Jasper Johns, as Förg skillfully achieves a delicate balance between finesse and coarseness. The composition conveys a stunning contradiction - harmonious and yet in disarray at the same time, conjuring a sense of depth and yet simultaneously transcending its material boundaries.

     

    [1]  Albert Oehlen, quoted in Andreas Schlaegl, “Günther Förg: Galerie Max Hetzler”, Frieze, Spring 2012, online

    • Provenance

      Gio Marconi, Milan
      Acquired from the above by the present owner

Property from a Prominent Private Collection

131

Untitled

signed and dated 'Förg 07' upper right
acrylic on wood
55 x 45 cm. (21 5/8 x 17 3/4 in.)
Painted in 2007, this work is recorded in the archive of Günther Förg as no. 07 B 0032.

We thank Mr Michael Neff from the Estate of Günther Förg for the information he has kindly provided on this work.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
HK$200,000 - 300,000 
€21,200-31,800
$25,600-38,500

Sold for HK$1,033,200

Contact Specialist

Danielle So
Associate Specialist, Head of Day Sale
DanielleSo@phillips.com

20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Association with Poly Auction

Hong Kong Auction 7 June 2021