Jacob Kassay - Contemporary Art Evening Sale London Wednesday, June 26, 2013 | Phillips

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

London 27 June 2013 7pm

  • Provenance

    Eleven Rivington, New York

  • Catalogue Essay

    ‘The whole point is that the thing is being absolutely transformed, also that I was somehow removed in this process, all I had to do was develop a support for the catalyst and then it was then out of my hands.’ JACOB KASSAY

    Created in 2008, Untitled is a quintessential example of Jacob Kassay’s technique: electro-plated silver over a base of acrylic on canvas. After priming the canvas with wide brushstrokes of an acrylic base the painting is then electroplated in silver. Beyond the artist’s control, the surface experiences an intricate chemical metamorphosis, crystallizing inadvertent components of the canvas and creating eccentricities throughout. Dark and smokey edges appear on the metallic surface, a product of exposed areas of canvas that were burned in the plating process. Kassay’s mode production, also a derivative of archaic 19th century photographic techniques, transcends traditional aesthetic categories. Through his inventive style, Kassay creates luxurious paintings that appear to be gracefully beaten.

    In the present lot, there is an inherent performative aspect that is generated by both the interaction of colour, light, and movement and a juxtaposition of opaque and reflective qualities. Expecting to see a reflection in the looking glass, the viewer is instead confronted with an ethereal apparition. This playfulness encourages bystanders to ponder notions of perception as they stare into Kassay’s fictitious mirror. The soft and polished surface of the painting is susceptible to constant change by the wandering spectator; a shift of light is capable of modifying the original appearance of the painting. This sensitivity is meticulously crafted, carefully constructed to negate a single homogeneous image.

25

Jacob Kassay

Untitled

2008
acrylic and silver deposit on canvas
122 x 91.5 cm. (48 x 36 in.)
Signed and dated 'Kassay 08' on the reverse.

Estimate
£70,000 - 90,000 ‡

Sold for £104,500

Contact Specialist
Peter Sumner
Head of Contemporary Art Department
psumner@phillips.com
+44 207 318 4063

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

London 27 June 2013 7pm