Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre - Photographs London Wednesday, May 18, 2016 | Phillips

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  • Literature

    Y. Marchand, R. Meffre, The Ruins of Detroit, Steidl, 2010, cover

  • Catalogue Essay

    Artist duo Marchand and Meffre characterise their photographic practice as the ‘ongoing and systematic investigation of modern ruins, especially industrial era relics’. It was precisely this type of exploration that led them to work on their Detroit series between 2005 and 2010. The present photograph, shot using a 4x5 camera in 2007, depicts the main façade of the abandoned Michigan Central Station, once dubbed the ‘Ellis Island of Detroit’. Struck by the notion of a neo-classical building rotting with modern decay, the artists saw this building as an expression of historical cycle and the double-edged nature of progress. As soon as they took this captivating image, they knew that it would be the cover of their monograph on the series, which was later published by Steidl in 2010.

    Their work has been exhibited internationally and is held in many prominent collections, including the JPMorgan Chase Art Collection, the Detroit Institute of Arts and la Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris.

Ultimate

61

Facade, Michigan Central Station, Detroit, USA from The Ruins of Detroit

2007
Chromogenic print, flush-mounted.
Image/Sheet: 150 x 190 cm (59 x 74 3/4 in.)
Frame: 153 x 194 cm (60 1/4 x 76 3/8 in.)

Signed in ink, printed title, date and number AP 1/2 on a gallery label affixed to the reverse of the flush-mount. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

This work is AP1 from the sold-out edition of 6 + 2 AP.

Estimate
£8,000 - 12,000 

Sold for £11,875

Contact Specialist
Genevieve Janvrin
Head of Photographs, Europe
+44 20 7318 4092

Photographs

London Auction 19 May 2016