Francesco Vezzoli - Contemporary Art Day Sale London Friday, October 17, 2008 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

  • Catalogue Essay

    The work of Francesco Vezzoli has come to prominence for its evocative and sensitive nature, underpinning notions of melancholy, decadence and the tragedy of fame and beauty. The embroided faces of Vezzoli's portraits appear unsettled yet aware and posed with their ghostly stares that capture the attention of their audience in a moment of awe. Vezzoli has refined his approach to making these powerful images, presenting a body of work that is at the epitome of elegance, but this elegance holds within it the idea of the hidden truth that, we are confronted with the fact that not even the most beautiful of exteriors can protect us from what is within. The tears that are embroidered into the images of these icons of lost splendor overpower the beauty of these women in turn making an image that is powerful and upsettingly beautiful. This work forces us to question what happens when beauty disappears if it is all we live for? In the present lot, Cyd Charisse is an Embroiderer, is a principle example of Vezzoli's ability to make evocative images, the two identical images, reversed further exploiting the woman's symmetrical perfection. The images are gleaming out of the frame yet their smiles are overpowered by their vapid stares that seem to elude interaction with the audience almost suggesting that this image was never human. The signature tears further emphasize the pain that comes from perfection. This work is truly beautiful and is as sensitive as it is heartbreaking. The nostalgic nature of this work makes the themes approachable and recongnizable; Vezzoli perfectly balances all of the dichotomies that live within this work.

32

Cyd Charisse is an Embroiderer

2001
Laser print on canvas with metallic embroidery in artist frames in two parts.
Each: 59 x 49 cm. (23 1/4 x 19 1/4 in).

Estimate
£50,000 - 70,000 ‡♠

Sold for £58,850

Contemporary Art Day Sale

18 Oct 2008 2pm
London