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Lot Essay
American artist Gary Simmons is best-known for his "erasure" works, which he began in the 1980s where the artist blurred white chalk on slate-painted panels or walls. Often addressing race and class, Simmons' hazy, blurred chalk lines evokes what the artist describes as "a kind of silence in both voice and visibility.” In the present lot, Three Crows, executed in 1995, one can image the artist rubbing the side of his hand, vigorously rubbing away the letters. The title, Three Crows, has a multitude of meanings in folklore and popular culture. Historically known as harbingers of doom and death, three crows is as also seen as warning, the overturn of current uptrend, particularly in the stock market.
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Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
The sheet is hinged periodically to the backing board and undulates slightly. The vertical edges of the sheet are deckled. Pinholes are to the corners, presumably a vestige of the artist's working method. A few small spots of disturbed fiber are to the lower left and upper right corners, and a minute surface irregularity is to the center. A few pinpoint spots of discoloration are near the lower corners. Under ultraviolet light, a few small drip accretions near the left edge fluoresce, but do not appear to be inpainting. There is no apparent inpainting visible under ultraviolet light.
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Lot 38Sale 16385
Three CrowsGARY SIMMONS (B. 1964)Estimate: USD 5,000 - 7,000
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