Tony Matelli. Untitled - photo 1
Tony Matelli. Untitled - photo 2
Tony Matelli. Untitled - photo 3

Tony Matelli. Untitled

Lot 40
01.10.2024 18:00UTC +01:00
Classic
Sold
€ 17 160
AuctioneerVAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH
Event locationGermany, Köln
Buyer Premium29%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1302422
Lot 40 | Tony Matelli. Untitled
Estimate value
€ 10 000 – 15 000
MATELLI, TONY
1971 Chicago

Title: Untitled.
Date: 2011.
Technique: Bronze, polychromed.
Measurement: 42 x 35 x 25cm.


The work is to be installed in a corner that brightens the back plate. The two pins are to be fixed in the wall. This is another version of the work that was made for the façade of the Museum Ludwig.

We thank the artist's studio for the kind support.

Provenance:
- Kasper König Collection, Berlin

Exhibitions:
- Gallery Thomas Fischer, Berlin 2018
- Potsdamer Straße 103, Berlin 2023

Surreal hyperrealism
The American artist Tony Matelli, known for his hyperrealistic sculptures, was born in Chicago in 1971. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 1993, he continued his education at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 1995. His oeuvre includes depictions of people, animals and objects in an extremely detailed and lifelike manner. He plays with the viewer's perception in an ironic way and utilises elements of surrealism. Matelli's works are not only represented in public and private collections worldwide, but have also been exhibited in renowned institutions such as the New Museum in New York, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and the Bergen Kunsthall in Norway.

The famous series of 'Weed' sculptures
The present work is one of the so-called 'Weed' sculptures, a series of unique objects made of hand-painted bronze that has been running since 1995. Each work depicts the 'weed' indicated in the title in great detail and true to scale. A small, delicate branch with ten green leaves grows out of a gap between the wall and the floor. At the outer edge, the leaves have already withered and are partially perforated. Matelli's typically hyper-realistic plant embodies both life and decay. The illusion of nature in an unexpected place - in the interior - is intended to irritate in a humorous way.

Matelli's unique technical virtuosity
The artist shows weeds, which are usually plucked out because they are undesirable, but nevertheless repeatedly make their way through the earth, not even stopping at asphalt. The irrepressible power of nature, as well as symbolising art, demonstratively fights its way through the exhibition floor. This work is characterised by Matelli's unique technical virtuosity, which in its banality makes the viewer question the boundaries between reality and art. Matelli has the following to say about the 'Weeds' series: 'I don't think people initially engage with them as sculpture, I think people initially engage with them as real weeds, which allows them to function in the mind of the viewer as real interlopers, strange and out of place.'.
Artist:Tony Matelli (1971)
Auction house category:Contemporary Objects
Address of auction VAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH
Hitzelerstr. 2
50968 Köln
Germany
Preview
27.09.2024
28.09.2024
29.09.2024
30.09.2024
Phone +49 221 92586215
Fax +49 221 92 58 62 4
Email
4FQ.4SU-3S1@Y3GR3F@
Buyer Premium 29%
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 10:00 – 17:00   
Tu 10:00 – 17:00   
We 10:00 – 17:00   
Th 10:00 – 17:00   
Fr 10:00 – 17:00   
Sa 10:00 – 13:00   
Su closed

More from Creator

TONY MATELLI (B. 1971)
TONY MATELLI (B. 1971)
£100

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.