Christo and Jeanne-Claude Sculptures

Niki de Saint Phalle Brooch (Oiseau), ca. 2005 Zamak, gold tone finished, nickel free (Incised Signature) Incised signature on the back of the jewelry (Niki De Saint Phalle) and the clasp (Niki). 2 3/10 × 1 3/5 inches Authorized by the Estate of Niki de Saint Phalle! This colorful, whimsical piece - "Oiseau" (Bird) can be worn both as a brooch and as a necklace. Bears the Niki de Saint Phalle's incised signature. Collectible work. Makes a terrific gift. Biography of Niki de Saint Phalle Childhood Niki de Saint Phalle was born in France in 1930 to an aristocratic Catholic family. She had an American mother, a French banker father, four siblings, and grew up bilingual in French and English. Her father lost his wealth during the Great Depression and the family moved to the US in 1933, where Saint Phalle attended Brearley School, a girls' school in New York City. Saint Phalle reported later in her life, in an autobiography titled Mon Secret (1994), that her father had sexually abused her from age 11. From an early age, Saint Phalle pushed boundaries in her artistic and personal life. Though she found Brearley School to be a formative experience, later claiming that it was there she became a feminist, she was expelled for painting the fig leaves covering the genitals of statues on the school's campus red. She then attended Oldfields School in Maryland, graduating in 1947. As a young woman, Saint Phalle also worked as a model, appearing on the front covers of Life Magazine and Vogue. When she was 18, Saint Phalle eloped with Henry Matthews, an author and childhood friend. While Matthews studied music at Harvard University, Saint Phalle began to explore painting, and gave birth to her daughter Laura in 1951, when she was 20 years old. Early Training and work In 1952, the Matthews and Saint Phalle moved to Paris, where he continued to study music and Saint Phalle studied theater. The couple traveled extensively in Europe, gaining exposure to art by the Old Masters. The following year, Saint Phalle was diagnosed with a "nervous breakdown" and hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. She was encouraged to paint as a form of therapy, and consequently gave up her theater studies in favor of becoming an artist. The couple moved to Mallorca off the coast of Spain, where their son Philip was born in 1955. During this time, Saint Phalle developed her imaginative, self-taught style of painting, experimenting with a variety of forms and materials. She also discovered the architecture of Antonio Gaudi, which had a strong influence on her work. Gaudi's Park Guell in Barcelona was instrumental in Saint Phalle's early conceptualization of the elaborate sculpture garden she would fulfill much later in her career. Mature Period At the end of the 1950s, Saint Phalle and her husband moved back to Paris. In 1960, however, the couple separated and Saint Phalle moved to a new apartment, established a studio, and met artist Jean Tinguely, with whom she would collaborate artistically. Within a year, they had moved in together and begun a romantic relationship. Saint Phalle became part of the Nouveau Réalisme movement along with Tinguely, Yves Klein, Arman and others. She was the only woman in the group. Her first solo exhibition in 1961 punctuated a dynamic period of Saint Phalle's early career, and she met a number of influential artists living in Paris at the time, such as Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, whose use of found objects was to have a strong influence on Saint Phalle's work. She was also friendly with Marcel Duchamp, who first introduced her and Tinguely to Salvador Dalí. The three artists traveled to Spain together to an event celebrating Dali's work, in which a life-sized bull sculpture was detonated with fireworks. In 1963, Tinguely and Saint Phalle moved to an old house just outside Paris, where she began to work on architectural projects as well as her renowned shooting...

This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These...

This piece titled "Portal I" is an original piece by Alexis Nutini and is made from a woodcut monoprint mounted on panel. This piece measures 14.5"h x 9.5"w. Born in Mexico City, A...

A black and white, large-scale surreal mythical landscape of an ocean voyage, with a snake wrapped around a clock, female figure, greek urns, and an...

Born in Nice in 1928, Armand Pierre Fernandez (1928 - 2005) showed a precocious talent for painting and drawing as a child. (Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, he signed his early work wi...

Yayoi Kusama & Yoshitomo Nara MoMa Skateboard Decks (2 works): A set of 2 MoMa published skateboard decks featuring Kusama's Dots Obsession imagery & Nara’s ‘Solid Fist’ girl. Make...

Artist: Jonas Wood Title: Large Shelf Still Life Year: 2017 Medium: Poster Technique: Offset lithograph printed in colours on wove paper, the full sheet printed to the edges Classifi...

Jean Cocteau ( 1889 -1963 ) Vé : (& Astrology ) ( Blue variant ) . 1958 . 4éme variante : terre incrustée blanche et bleue Size : 7 cm . Signed underneath . Astrology : Pendentif ...

Cecily Brown Paintings at Modern Art Oxford (hand signed and inscribed), 2005 Offset lithograph poster (signed and inscribed to Nadine) Hand signed and inscribed to Nadine by Cecily ...

Yayoi Kusama Red & White Pumpkin (plush): An iconic, vibrantly colored pop art piece - this Kusama plush pumpkin features the universal polka dot patterns and bold colors for which t...

This piece titled "MJ-af66128ff0c0" is an original artwork by Tuft the World and is made tufted 100% New Zealand wool, and part of the inaugural launch of TTW Editions. The artists t...

Jean Cocteau ( 1889 - 1963 ) Vé and Astrology ceramic's pendant : Vé : signed underneath White 1ere variant ( Terre blanche en relief ). page 212 Size: 7 x5.5 cm catalogue rai...