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Sunday, October 20, 2019

Chouette (Wood Owl) Ceramic Vase by Pablo PIcasso, 1969


Chouette (Wood Owl) Vase, 1969; Partially glazed white earthenware vase painted in colors; Numbered 105/500; Inscribed 'EDITION PICASSO' and 'R-148 MADOURA', with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and the 'EDITION PICASSO' pottery stamps on the underside; Size - Wood Owl Vase: 11 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"; Catalogue Raisonne: A.R. 605.


During the late 1940s, Pablo Picasso spent the summers on the Cote d'Azur in the South of France. There the artist visited Vallauris for the annual pottery exhibition in 1946. He was impressed by the quality of the Madoura works and was introduced to the owners, Suzanne and Georges Ramié. The Ramiés welcomed the famous artist into their workshop and gave him access to all the tools and resources the he needed in order to work in the medium of ceramics. In exchange, the Ramié family would produce and sell his limited edition ceramic works and this relationship spanned 25 years. It was also at the Madoura factory in 1953 that Picasso met Jacqueline Roque, who would become his second wife in 1961.


Side view of the Chouette (Wood Owl) Vase by Pablo Picasso


Back view of the Chouette (Wood Owl) Vase by Pablo Picasso


Front view of the Chouette (Wood Owl) Vase by Pablo Picasso

The Market for Picasso ceramics has been steadily rising as outlined by a recent article:
"Over the past 10 years, the market for Picasso ceramics has steadily grown, with seasoned collectors and new buyers alike vying for Picasso's editioned and unique ceramics at auction. This market is stable, with a steady high sell-through rate around 89% (87% in 2004, 89% in 2005, 87% in 2011, and 90% in 2012), and prices that are still lower than the rest of Picasso's work. The broad range of estimates and sales prices help make this market attractive to many collectors, but also explain the high average sales prices, which are skewed by a few exceptional pieces. In the previous two years, more than 60 exceptional ceramic works sold for over US$100,000: 34 in 2011 and 29 in 2012 (vs. six in 2004 and 2005)." - The Story Behind Picasso Ceramics, by Fanny Lakoubay and Conner Williams, 2013


Inscribed 'EDITION PICASSO' and 'R-148 MADOURA', with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and the 'EDITION PICASSO' pottery stamps on the underside


Inscribed 'EDITION PICASSO' and 'R-148 MADOURA', with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and the 'EDITION PICASSO' pottery stamps on the underside

The famed artist Georges Bloch stated of Picasso’s ceramic works:
 "…in approach, material and technique is as novel as it is interesting. Pottery, gleaming white discs with relief designs, monochrome or brightly coloured ovals, dishes and even jugs and vases here serve as bearers of compositions whose themes express the joyous, life-loving side of Picasso’s work. They are printed from blocks and stamps fashioned by the master over a period of more than twenty years in the Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris.”

From Charles Mathes's site valuethoughts.com:
"In 1946 Picasso was staying near Antibes in the South of France and decorating the walls of what would become the Musée Picasso. A small owl with an injured claw that had been found in a corner ended up living with him and his lover, Francois Gilot. According to Gilot in her book “Life With Picasso” the owl was an ill-tempered creature who smelled awful and ate only mice. The owl would snort at Picasso and bite his fingers; Picasso would reply with a string of obscenities just to show the bird who was the most ill-tempered. Clearly bad manners were the way to Picasso’s heart for not only did he do a number of paintings, drawings and prints of owls, he created numerous ceramics."

Picasso would use the owl in paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and ceramics for the rest of his life. After Picasso's death, drawings were found that illustrate that the form used for the owl ceramics had been made during the time in 1946 when the wood owl first appeared in Picasso's atelier. This is a wonderful owl vase ceramic created in 1969, and the painting of the vessel is beautifully rendered in natural browns, black, and cream colors. The brushstrokes are consistent with free form feathers making up the wings, head, and feet. This is a spectacular piece of original Picasso artwork and a great addition for any art collection!

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Self-Defense (Positive), circa 1985-1986 by Andy Warhol


Self-Defense (Positive), circa 1985-1986; Acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas; Stamped three times with the Estate of Andy Warhol stamp; Stamped twice with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts stamp; Numbered twice 'PA10.432 VF' on the overlap; Numbered 'PA10.432 VF' on the stretcher; Size - Canvas: 20 x 16", Frame 22 x 18"; Framed using a black wood frame and plexiglass.


"My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat - or in film's case 'run on' - manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing." - Andy Warhol 

In the 1980's Andy Warhol began a series of primarily black and white ad paintings whose source material was derived from advertisements, maps, diagrams, and illustrations found in newspapers and magazines. For Warhol, this was a return to lowbrow print subject matter that he had utilized in the 1960's and at the same time served as artistic commentary on American consumer culture. He kept to a monochromatic palette of black and white, thereby retaining the origin and style of the original advertisements.


"Self-Defense (Positive)" verso


Close up of the Estate of Andy Warhol stamps, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts stamp, and 'PA10.432 VF' number verso on the overlap.


Close up of the Estate of Andy Warhol stamp, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts stamp, and 'PA10.432 VF' number verso on the overlap..

"Self-Defense" was originally adapted from a black and white advertisement which read: "SELF-DEFENSE - SECRETS REVEALED - PROTECT YOURSELF AND FAMILY FROM MUGGING - RAPE - ROBBERY - HOODLUMS - WIN ANY FIGHT WITH EASY TO LEARN SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES - FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL AGES!" Warhol kept the bold graphic text but deleted both letters and words that allowed for a very balanced and well composed image. The all capital lettering played against an illustrative taller male figure with his hands grasped around a shorter woman's neck. The block text is declarative in it's stark black and white, laid bare on the canvas with only minor black shading; which allows the viewer to focus on the explicit visual language of the artist. The mechanical printed text with the surrounded brushstrokes allows for a blend between man and machine; thereby subverting the distinction between painting and photographic reproduction. The meaning of the text that remains; declares that through this self-defense training class, secrets will be revealed that will allow the student to protect his/her self from a wide range of harm. Warhol, throughout his artistic career, was a master of satirizing commercialization. He also was interested in mass conformation noting "I'm for mechanical art. When I took up silk screening, it was to more fully exploit the preconceived image through the commercial techniques of multiple reproduction."


Original advertisement source material for "Self-Defense (Positive)" by Andy Warhol


Framed "Self-Defense (Positive)" circa 1985-1986 by Andy Warhol

This is an absolutely fantastic unique work on canvas by the great Pop artist Andy Warhol and would be a great addition to any art collection!