Details

Provenance

Collection Thordis Moeller, New York Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Exhibited

Cologne, Heiner Friedrich GmbH, John Chamberlain , 1978 Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Reliefs/Formprobleme zwischen Malerei und Skulptur im 20. Jahrhundert , 1980, p. 242, no. 161, illustrated Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle, Borofsky, Chamberlain, Dahn, Knoebel , 1983 Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, De Statua , 1983 Madrid, Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Retiro, John Chamberlain/Esculturas , 1984, p. 31, illustrated in colour Cologne, Galerie Karsten Greve, John Chamberlain , 1989 Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Wolfsburg, Art Museum Wolfsburg, John Chamberlain: Sculpture , 1996, p. 22, illustrated Münster, Museum for Printart, Baby Tycoons - Sculptures by John Chamberlain , 1997

Literature

John Chamberlain, 'Journal', Du , no. 11, 1979, p. 83, illustrated Julie Sylvester, John Chamberlain: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Sculpture 1954 - 1985, New York 1986, p. 153, no. 561, illustrated in colour Condition Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate.<br><br>Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals a network of very thin and stable hairline cracks along the highest ridges of the bent metal to the yellow and red pigments, toward the top of the left-most yellow panel. These appear to be original and inherent to the artist's use of found materials. No restoration is apparent under ultraviolet light. "In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Executed in powerfully twisted and contorted steel, Full Quartz is a superb example of John Chamberlain’s wall mounted sculptures. Encapsulating Chamberlain’s characteristic utilisation of crushed car parts to masterful effect, Full Quartz exudes an impact of visceral strength, authoritatively dominating the space in which it is placed. Vibrant yellow and vivid red contrast with the gleaming silver of the chromium-plated steel grills, whilst exuberant sweeps of green and pink adorn a section of the curved steel, reflecting Chamberlain’s growing interest in the possibilities of graffiti during this period. Klaus Kertess makes reference to Chamberlain’s renewed interest in colour and painterly elements within the work of the late 1970s following the sculptor’s re-discovery of steel as a medium after a hiatus of seven years: “In the past Chamberlain had occasionally added to or modified the pre-existing colour of a component; now he took the liberty of applying his own paint: multi-coloured splatters and drips, bursting with the euphoria of mark-making” (Klaus Kertess, ‘Colour in the Round and Then Some: John Chamberlain’s Work, 1954-1985,’ in Julie Sylvester, John Chamberlain, A Catalogue Raisonn é of the Sculpture1954-1985 , New York 1986, p. 37). Full Quartz stands at the apex of Chamberlain’s investigations into the creation of an entirely innovative artistic language; one that could be viewed as a sculptural equivalent of the physical and strongly textural style of Abstract Expressionist painters such as Willem de Kooning. Chamberlain first took the radical step of appropriating abandoned car parts for creative use in 1958: on finding an old Ford truck in the garage of a house his family were renting, the sculptor crushed the fenders with his own car then welded the remnants together to form a totally original creation. The automobile sculptures caused a sensation when

Catalog summary

John Chamberlain Full Quartz painted and chromium plated steel 210.5 by 46 by 70cm. 82 7/8 by 18 1/8 by 27 1/5 in. Executed in 1977. Provenance Collection Thordis Moeller, New York Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne Acquired directly from the above by the present owner Exhibited Cologne, Heiner Friedrich GmbH, John Chamberlain , 1978 Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Reliefs/Formprobleme zwischen Malerei und Skulptur im 20. Jahrhundert , 1980, p. 242, no. 161, illustrated Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle, Borofsky, Chamberlain, Dahn, Knoebel , 1983 Eindhoven, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, De Statua , 1983 Madrid, Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Retiro, John Chamberlain/Esculturas , 1984, p. 31, illustrated in colour Cologne, Galerie Karsten Greve, John Chamberlain , 1989 Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Wolfsburg, Art Museum Wolfsburg, John Chamberlain: Sculpture , 1996, p. 22, illustrated Münster, Museum for Printart, Baby Tycoons - Sculptures by John Chamberlain , 1997 Literature John Chamberlain, 'Journal', Du , no. 11, 1979, p. 83, illustrated Julie Sylvester, John Chamberlain: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Sculpture 1954 - 1985, New York 1986, p. 153, no. 561, illustrated in colour Condition Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate.<br><br>Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals a network of very thin and stable hairline cracks along the highest ridges of the bent metal to the yellow and red pigments, toward the top of the left-most yellow panel. These appear to be original and inherent to the artist's use of found materials. No restoration is apparent under ultraviolet light. "In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Executed in powerfully twisted and contorted steel, Full Quartz is a superb example of John Chamberlain’s wall mounted sculptures. Encapsulating Chamberlain’s characteristic utilisation of crushed car parts to masterful effect, Full Quartz exudes an impact of visceral strength, authoritatively dominating the space in which it is placed. Vibrant yellow and vivid red contrast with the gleaming silver of the chromium-plated steel grills, whilst exuberant sweeps of green and pink adorn a section of the curved steel, reflecting Chamberlain’s growing interest in the possibilities of graffiti during this period. Klaus Kertess makes reference to Chamberlain’s renewed interest in colour and painterly elements within the work of the late 1970s following the sculptor’s re-discovery of steel as a medium after a hiatus of seven years: “In the past Chamberlain had occasionally added to or modified the pre-existing colour of a component; now he took the liberty of applying his own paint: multi-coloured splatters and drips, bursting with the euphoria of mark-making” (Klaus Kertess, ‘Colour in the Round and Then Some: John Chamberlain’s Work, 1954-1985,’ in Julie Sylvester, John Chamberlain, A Catalogue Raisonn é of the Sculpture1954-1985 , New York 1986, p. 37). Full Quartz stands at the apex of Chamberlain’s investigations into the creation of an entirely innovative artistic language; one that could be viewed as a sculptural equivalent of the physical and strongly textural style of Abstract Expressionist painters such as Willem de Kooning. Chamberlain first took the radical step of appropriating abandoned car parts for creative use in 1958: on finding an old Ford truck in the garage of a house his family were renting, the sculptor crushed the fenders with his own car then welded the remnants together to form a totally original creation. The automobile sculptures caused a sensation when exhibited in Chamberlain’s first solo show at Martha Jackson Gallery in 1960, arousing diverse critical observations: “Their very physical substance is a commentary about our times, our conspicuous waste, our confused values” (Emily Genauer quoted in: Exhibition Catalogue, New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, John Chamberlain, Choices, 2012, p. 195). This concept of the negative aspects of consumerist culture signified by the warped segments of disused car parts - remnants of a desirable commodity, ownership of which connoted a connection to the traditional idea of the ‘American Dream’ - adds another layer of meaning to Chamberlain’s multifaceted and stunningly complex automobile works. The sculptor also took great care over the significance of titles for his pieces: fascinated by the innate sound and appearance of words, his titles frequently featured a memorable conjunction of disparate phrases or words, a practice wittily reflected within Full Quartz . Although Chamberlain experimented with a variety of media between 1965 and 1972, creating works in Plexiglass, aluminium foil and urethane foam, the sculptor was drawn inexorably back towards using steel car parts as the most important means of fully realising his utterly unique artistic vision. Chamberlain recalled the significance of these ‘found’ steel parts as artistic spurs: “I resumed work with coloured steel when my friend David Budd said I owned that material, and in a way I felt that I did. I was convinced that it was a very good idea for me to go back to it… Nobody else seemed to be using the material, and it had been piling up again in all the body shops” (the artist quoted in: Op. cit., Julie Sylvester, p. 22). On resuming work with steel, Chamberlain continued to develop his utilisation of car parts to ever-increasing technical and stylistic heights, reflecting changes in the manufacture of cars as well as his own ceaseless delight in the potentials of the material. By 1977, the year in which Full Quartz was created, Chamberlain’s steel sculptures had taken on a pronounced vertical emphasis, with the elongation especially prominent within the wall-mounted sculptures: the extraordinary stretching of the elements serves to brilliantly reinforce the inherently dramatic, almost theatrical, impact of the work. Ultimately in its masterful fusion of medium, colour and form, Full Quartz can be regarded as a consummate expression of the sculptor’s 1970s corpus as well as a celebration of a material that Chamberlain had made distinctively his own.