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a painting of a woman laying down with her eyes closedan image of a picture of a window with some stickers on it
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Estimate €15,000 - €25,000
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Description
Vik MUNIZ Ria Munk on her Deathbed after Gustave Klimt (Pictures of Pigment) – 2006 C-print Signed and dated on the reverse on the gallery label Edition “4/6” 110 x 116 cm C-print; signed and dated on the reverse, on a label 43.30 x 45.66 in. Provenance: Galerie Xippas, Paris Acquired directly from the gallery by the current owner Vik Muniz’s photographs are reminiscent of those of a magician or a virtuoso whose gestures, at first glance, appear to have no connection with photography. By working with diverse materials such as sewing thread, jam, chocolate, ketchup, dust, toys, etc.—chosen for their connection to the image they represent—he reconstructs images that refer to art history, the media and our visual memory, which has pieced them together. By photographing these visual creations, Vik Muniz dissolves the original work and confronts us with an artificially constructed, illusory representation: from landscapes made of sewing thread that re-create famous 19th-century paintings, to Warhol’s iconic images rendered in chocolate. The works from the ‘Pictures of Pigment’ series reproduce iconic paintings by Monet, Klimt, Matisse, Malevich, Gauguin, Munch, Klein and Rothko. As the title suggests, Vik Muniz has this time used pigment powder. The very nature of this material requires special handling, partly because of the toxicity of certain colours, and partly because the powder in suspension must be protected from draughts. Using brushes and small spoons, the artist manages to apply the powder precisely to the surface. Once it comes into contact with the surface, the powder cannot be adjusted. Each work can take several weeks to complete, after which each drawing, measuring approximately 30 to 40 centimetres, is immediately photographed. The images are then enlarged to very large formats, allowing us to appreciate their sumptuous, tactile colours. Vik Muniz’s photographs appear to be the work of a conjurer or a virtuoso whose actions, at first glance, seem unrelated to photography. Working with diverse materials such as sewing thread, jam, chocolate, ketchup, dust, toys, etc.—chosen for their connection to the image they depict—he reconstructs pictures that reference art history, the media and our visual memory, which has pieced them together. By photographing these visual creations, Vik Muniz dissolves the original work and confronts us with an illusory representation that is artificially constructed: from the landscapes in sewing thread that rework well-known 19th-century paintings to Warhol’s ‘fetish’ pictures in chocolate. Works from the ‘Pictures of Pigment’ series, reproducing iconic paintings by Monet, Klimt, Matisse, Malevich, Gauguin, Munch, Klein and Rothko. As the title suggests, Vik Muniz has this time used pigment powder. The very nature of the material requires special handling, firstly due to the toxicity of certain colours, and secondly because the loose powder must be protected from draughts. Using brushes and small spoons, the artist manages to apply the powder precisely to the surface. Once it comes into contact with the surface, the powder can no longer be retouched. Completing each work can take several weeks, and then every drawing – measuring around 30 to 40 centimetres – is photographed immediately. The images are then enlarged to very large formats, allowing us to appreciate their sumptuous and tactile colours. Vik MUNIZ
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About the sale Interior Motives: Artcurial x Reflections
Auction location
Auction time 09/30/2026 at 5:00 PM
Lot description modified on 09/21/2026 at 4:14 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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