LOT #10 in Phillips de Pury & Company's Contemporary Art Part I Auction, New York, May 14, 2009 … (read more)

LOT #10 in Phillips de Pury & Company's Contemporary Art Part I Auction, New York, May 14, 2009

Headlining the Contemporary Art sale is Robert Gober’s Untitled sculpture from 1993-4 representing a 6 foot 8 inch high Farina cereal box. Hand-painted in acrylic and meticulously constructed using wood and vinyl, this work is exemplary of the artist’s ability to render domestic products and details, and enlist the viewer to take a look at it anew. With the play in scale a nod to Surrealism, this work can at first appear as a benign, joyous presence. The image of the happy blond-haired boy exudes innocence and the product itself connotes warmth and wholesomeness. However, the enormous proportions of the piece lionize the symbols and call them into question, gently pointing to the fragility of youth and our mortality.

Phillips de Pury & Company established the current record for the artist in May 2008's auction in New York.

Robert Gober’s, Untitled, 1993-4 will be offered with a pre-sale estimate between $2,500,000 - $3,500,000.

Courtesy of Phillips de Pury & Company, condensed and adapted

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