Richard Prince is a master of appropriation, best known for his ‘re-photography’ technique. Taking pictures of found photographs and subsequently recontextualising them, he asks what it means to author a work. As he repurposes these societal artefacts, he inscribes them with renewed meaning, rejoicing in the surface qualities of the contemporary image from adverts to amateur photographs.

Prince started to use this technique in the late 1970’s, soon after he arrived in New York City. The artist’s work during this period articulates the confidence he had at the time with the technique and the compositions he was producing. Untitled (Couples) is a re-appropriation of two images, likely lifted form advertisements at the time of conception, inspiring the American dream. Consisting of two well dressed, middle class couples, seemingly happy and in love evident through the close contact between the figures, the work brings the desire to be in a similar situation to the forefront of the viewer’s mind.

The use of such a traditional image, alluding to the American dream is a recurring theme to Prince’s early re-appropriation works. The present lot being an excellent example of this seminal period of the artist’s career.