Francis Alÿs - Latin America New York Monday, November 24, 2014 | Phillips
  • Provenance

    Lisson Gallery, London
    Private Collection

  • Exhibited

    London, Lisson Gallery, Francis Alÿs, 14 December, 1999- 29 January, 2000
    London, Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom, Mexico Through your Senses (México a través de tus sentidos), 2011 (another sample exhibited)

  • Artist Biography

    Francis Alÿs

    Belgian / Mexican • 1959

    Born in Belgium, Francis Alÿs traveled to Mexico in 1986 as part of a French program to assist in the aftermath of the tragic 1985 earthquake, and has lived there ever since. Throughout his career, the artist has analyzed facets of everyday urban life using a variety of media including video, drawing, installation and public action. Sign Painting Project (1993-'97) is a prime example of the artist's interest in the sprawling urbanization of Mexico City. In this early series, Alÿs drew inspiration from professional Mexican sign painters (rotúlistas) who painted large billboard advertisements throughout the city. In response to these large colorful compositions, Alÿs employed a similar style in creating small-scale paintings of familiar objects and places.  Alÿs asked various rotúlistas to copy and enlarge his paintings, displaying his work and that of the rotúlista side-by-side. This series, like many of Alÿs' other works, illustrates the artist's concerns with such themes as collaboration, banality and originality.

    View More Works

89

Four Works: i) Sunpath, Mexico City 20.05.99. 4.45pm; ii) Sunpath, Mexico City 27.04.99. 6.15pm; iii) Sunpath, Mexico City 14.12.98. 11.05am; iv) Sunpath, Mexico City 14.12.98. 12.15pm

1999
4 photographs with sunpath charts
each 12 1/4 x 25 1/4 in. (31.1 x 64.1 cm.)
Each stamped "©1999 Zócalo, México D.F./ Francis Alÿs" lower left. Each work is number 1 of an edition of 4.

Estimate
$25,000 - 35,000 

Sold for $30,000

Contact Specialist
Laura González
Director of Latin American Art
New York
+1 212 940 1216

Latin America

New York Auction 24 November 2014 2pm