Nikki Maloof

Dismemberment

2021

Artist: Alexander Calder Title: Couleurs au Choix Size: 24 x 30 Inches Medium: Lithograph Edition: of 75 Year: 1970 Notes: Hand signed and numbered by the Artist in pencil. Artw...

Artist: John Baeder Title: Red Robbin (Diner) Medium: Screenprint Signed: Hand Signed Edition: From the edition of 250 Measurements: 30" x 22" Note: This piece is sold UNFRAMED ...

Artist: Bruce Nauman Title: Fingers and Holes (Black and White) Size: 30 x 40 Inches Medium: Lithograph and Screenprint Edition: Edition of 50. AP #7/10 Year: 1994 Notes: Hand Signed, Dated and Numbered by the Artist in Pencil. Printed by Gemini Gel #36.34. From the collection of Brook Alexander Gallery, NYC. Fingers and Holes, a captivating artistic exploration initiated by Bruce Nauman (American, born 1941), originated from a unique challenge he set for himself. Using his non-dominant hand, he drew his right hand, and vice versa, meticulously annotating each sketch with the count of holes formed between the fingers. This seemingly simple endeavor evolved into a profound study of algebraic topology, a mathematical field investigating fundamental properties of distorted objects, such as solids and voids. Nauman ingeniously translated his anatomical sketches into this abstract language. In this realm of mathematical inquiry, seemingly dissimilar objects transform into one another. A coffee cup and a doughnut, for instance, are considered equivalents due to their shared characteristic of having an unbroken surface surrounding a single "hole," a concept known as homeomorphisms. Nauman's deep dive into topology revealed connections between disparate elements, encapsulated in his statement, “Things that don’t look alike morphose one into another.” However, Fingers and Holes goes beyond mathematical intricacies. It delves into the realm of transformation—topological, visual, and linguistic. The iconic "three fingers, one hole" gesture, a symbol of sexual intercourse in what Nauman referred to as "kids’ sign language," served as a pivotal motif. This gesture reappeared in various forms within the series, including daisy chain formations and overlays on clowns' handshakes, which Nauman identified through his exploration. The clowns in Nauman’s work epitomize ambiguity, embodying a spectrum from humor to threat. Their double handshakes, simultaneously obsequious and aggressive, mirror the complexities of human interactions. Nauman found inspiration in this ambiguity, appreciating the clowns for their enigmatic nature. By integrating the "three fingers, one hole" motif into the handshake of his clown prints...

Artist: Tito Salomoni Title: Catch a Star Medium: Lithograph Signed: Hand Signed Edition: From the edition of 200 Measurements: 23" x 29" Note: This piece is sold UNFRAMED Cond...

Mixed media, archival pigment and silkscreen on deckle-edged satin paper 101.6 × 67.3 cm Edition of 195 hand-signed and numbered by the artist James McQueen, born in 1977, is a Brit...

Reviewing the photographs of Julie Blackmon, critic Leah Ollman of the Los Angeles Times wrote: “Each frame is an absorbing, meticulously orchestrated slice of ethnographic theater … that abounds with tender humor but also shrewdly subtle satire.” Blackmon is a native of Springfield, MO, and her photographs are inspired by her experience of growing up the oldest of nine children—including five sisters—in what she calls “a generic American town in the middle of the U.S.” In college, Blackmon was introduced to the work of artists Sally Mann, Diane Arbus, and Helen Levitt, and she describes herself as “obsessed” with their images. “When my three children were small,” she recalls, “we moved into an old house with a darkroom in the basement. Like any mother, I wanted to take pictures of my kids. But I didn’t want to be just the ‘mother photographer.’ I wanted my work to be more: more penetrating, more artful, more striking, more thoughtful, more a reflection of the times. “Over the next few years, I progressed from making documentary black and white photographs of my life and the lives of my sisters to creating colorful, fictitious images that offered a more fantastical look at everyday life. My work became more conceptual, as I began to realize that I was not obligated to capture “reality” exactly, but that I could work more like a painter or a filmmaker, actively shaping the images I was creating. This realization—that fiction can often capture the truth more memorably than reality—was a major shift in how I saw the world around me, and it transformed my work.” “It’s thrilling to see the most common aspects of everyday life as potential stories or themes for a photograph. It changes how you see things: suddenly, a Starbucks employee on a smoke break, or an outmoded beauty shop catering to an elderly clientele, can spark a memorable image. As Nora Ephron...

Slide by Julie Blackmon is from an ongoing series titled Home Grown According to the Los Angeles Times, Blackmon's images are “absorbing, meticulously orchestrated slices of ethnogr...

Stolen Kiss is a color photograph by Julie Blackmon and is part of her ongoing series Domestic Vacations. Domestic Vacations: The Dutch proverb "a Jan Steen household" originated i...