Piotr Uklański - Under the Influence New York Thursday, September 20, 2012 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Private Collection

  • Catalogue Essay

    Born in Warsaw in 1968, Polish artist Piotr Uklański emerged on the New York art scene in the mid-90’s as one of the most emblematic artists of his generation. After studying painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in London and photography at the Cooper Union School in New York City, he has carved out a name for himself on the international art market with his outspoken symbolism and multi-faceted approach to artistic creation.

    Known for constructing a multifarious array of culturally inspired art while utilizing an astonishing variety of media, Uklański’s work exudes conflict while capturing a genuine sense of innate artistic ingenuity. His work is paradoxical, unencumbered by the trappings of normative modernist artistic practice, yet forthright in acknowledging the importance of its visual concepts.
    The present lot coincides with Uklański’s ideology of undermining the esoteric nature of “high art.” By using pencil shavings as the primary medium, he is playing on the notion that art is not a finite but rather an intermediary discipline. Uklański transforms the shavings into cathartic discharge emphasizing the aftermath of the creative process. Moreover, his impeccable craftsmanship and complex compositions turn his use of overtly conventional art materials into an intricate visual apparatus void of common convictions. As the artist states, “The craft becomes compensation for the consumer for having to put up with the banality of the content.” Always irreverent towards mainstream movements, Uklański allows his viewers to determine his artwork’s ultimate meaning.

102

Untitled (NIAMH)

2008
pencil shavings in painted wood and Plexiglas frame
28 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. (72.4 x 72.4 cm)
Signed, titled, and dated "Untitled (NIAMH), 2008 Piotr Uklanski" on the reverse.

Estimate
$80,000 - 120,000 

Sold for $104,500

Under the Influence

20 September 2012
New York