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a sign that says believe on the walla couch that is sitting in front of a wall with a sign that says believe
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Estimate €25,000 - €35,000
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Description
Jack PIERSON Believe – 2005 Acrylic, glass, metal, wood and neon letters 46.1 × 187.2 × 14.3 cm (overall) Acrylic, glass, metal, wood and neon letters 18.15 × 73.70 × 5.63 in. Provenance: Xavier Hufkens, Brussels Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner "My work documents the tragedy inherent in the search for glamour" Jack Pierson Jack Pierson’s artistic practice combines photography, sculpture, installation, painting and found objects, through which he explores the various underlying emotional currents of everyday life, ranging from the intimacy of romantic relationships to the idealisation of the desire to travel. His large-scale wall sculptures, composed of letters of varying sizes and materials, stand in stark contrast to the blurred and hazy effect of his photographs. These photographic works have been compared to images taken from road movies, whose ecstatic race towards fulfilment has become etched into the American landscape, whilst his ‘Word Pieces’ are also steeped in nostalgia. Rather than glorifying the American dream, however, he reveals its underbelly. To create his ‘Word Pieces’, Pierson salvages abandoned signs from closed establishments, such as cinema marquees, casinos and shop windows, as well as road signs, neon signs and other ephemeral cultural elements. The typical mid-century lettering evokes a sense of nostalgia, whilst the phrases are drawn from contemporary everyday language — gleaned from cafés and during his daily commutes, or borrowed from political aphorisms and advertising slogans — in works that make everyday language seem unfamiliar. In the 1990s, Pierson mainly used slogans that evoked a wistful nostalgia for Hollywood’s bygone golden age, whilst his more recent works explore philosophical ideas. Concise and at times laconic, these works draw on the poetics of modern culture, using classical, literary and biblical quotations that evoke subtle associations in the viewer. They can be seen as an American variant of concrete poetry, in which language itself is represented through the skilful combination of word and material. Jack Pierson’s practice incorporates photography, sculpture, installation, painting and found objects through which he explores the varied emotional undercurrents of daily life, from the intimacy of romantic attachment to the idealisation of wanderlust. His large-scale wall sculptures, composed of letters in different sizes and materials, stand in stark contrast to the hazy, soft-focus effect of his photographs. These photographic works have been compared to images from road movies, whose rapturous race towards fulfilment has become etched into the American landscape, whilst his ‘Word Pieces’ are similarly rooted in nostalgia. Rather than glorifying the American Dream, however, he reveals the dark underbelly of this seductive ideal. In creating his Word Pieces, Pierson collects abandoned signage from closed businesses—such as cinema marquees, casinos and shopfronts—as well as road signs, neon signs and other cultural ephemera. The mid-century lettering evokes a sense of nostalgia, whilst the phrases are drawn from contemporary vernacular — overheard in cafés and on his daily commute, or borrowed from political aphorisms and advertising slogans — in works that make everyday language seem unfamiliar. In the 1990s, Pierson primarily used slogans that served as a melancholy reminder of Hollywood’s bygone heyday, whilst his more recent works explore philosophical ideas. Concise and sometimes laconic, these works tap into the poetics of modern culture, using classical, literary and biblical quotations that evoke subtle associations for the viewer. They can be considered an American variant of concrete poetry, where language itself is represented through the skilful combination of word and material. Jack PIERSON
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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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