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Shelter Serra Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

American, b. 1972
Shelter Serra is a multidisciplinary artist whose artworks probe the resonance of imagery and objects he has pulled from the wake of American visual and material culture to reexamine. Serra’s compelling sculptures of ubiquitous or iconic commercial products remade in bronze, resin, copper, or gold, are conspicuous replicas of recognizable forms. Serra’s paintings similarly announce their existence as reproductions of reproductions: halftone dots, hand copied typeface, mimicked printing glitches, the tones of a black and white photograph, or the vibrant colors of a thermograph, signal that the subject has been rendered, filtered through an image-making process employed for a particular end. By reproducing and recontextualizing these images and objects, Serra examines the cultural paradigms which led to their creation and commodification. The utility, absurdity, or desirability of the source image or object is contended with and re-assessed via Serra’s handmade proxies. His recreations provoke a conceptual consideration of the assigned, symbolic status of the original – fashionable, wasteful, threatening, luxurious, lowbrow – they test the limits or longevity of the original’s aura. If Serra’s choice of subject matter is perceived as a commentary on the ‘stuff’ this country generates, it is the viewer who has imposed this subtext. In the form of re-presentations of already manufactured products or reproductions, Serra’s artworks have a symbolic function. They point back to an original, and to the culture that gave that original meaning.
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Artist: Shelter Serra
Mario (Grin), 2018, Ink and pencil on paper, black and white, by Shelter Serra
By Shelter Serra
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mario (Grin) 2018 16”x16.5”x1.25” inches Sumi ink and pencil on Japanese Washi Paper Mario, the main character from the Super Mario Bros. video game is one of the most recognizable images and a true archetype of our contemporary society. This traditional hand-drawn portrait of Mario in ink on paper, renders his likeness akin to a snapshot, or cell, removing him from the digital realm and freezing him in our tangible world of reality. Shelter Serra’s paintings, sculptures, and drawings explore mass consumption and cultural identity. He juxtaposes subject matters that are both common and recognizable: a Campbell's Soup Can, a copper plated baseball hat, and a Hermes Birkin bag...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Shelter Serra Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Sumi Ink, Washi Paper, Pencil

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Shelter Serra drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Shelter Serra drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Shelter Serra in handmade paper, ink, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Shelter Serra drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 17 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Margie Lawrence, Sarah Alexander, and Jesse Lambert. Shelter Serra drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,750 and tops out at $2,750, while the average work can sell for $2,750.

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