Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, any applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see the Conditions of Sale for full details.
This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd
Christie Manson & Woods Ltd
8 King Street, St. James's, London, SW1Y 6QT, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 2869
Brought to you by
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
Lot Essay
‘We think we know who Yoshimoto Nara is. We see his images of destructive yet endearing girls everywhere it seems, on T-Shirts and ashtrays and as figurines. Yet these cute objects are only one dimension of Nara’s body of work […] central to all of his works is an emotional intensity that conveys recurring feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and rebellion, embodied in the solitary figures of girls wielding knives or sad puppy dogs’ (M. Chiu, ’Preface’, in Yoshimoto Nara: Nobody’s Fool, exh. cat., Asia Society Museum, New York, 2010).
Arguably one of the most influential Japanese Pop artists of the 1990s, Yoshimoto Nara is known best for his stylized wide-eyed children whose dark undertones subvert their seeming innocence. Love Is Over appears at first to be a child’s innocent notebook doodling, yet the message itself suggests a distinctly adult nihilism. Produced using pencil on found envelope, Nara scribbles over the words ‘JAPAN’, leaving a central New York address visible. This draws out the social and cultural aspects in Nara’s work, the frustrations of which are often latent in the deceptive simplicity of his work.
Related Articles
Sorry, we are unable to display this content. Please check your connection.
You have agreed to be bound by the Conditions of Sale and if your bid is successful, you are legally obliged to pay for the lot you have won. The purchase price for a successful bid will be the sum of your final bid plus a buyer’s premium, any applicable taxes and any artist resale royalty, exclusive of shipping-related expenses.
Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
Not examined out of frame. The work is hinged at the upper and lower corners to it's underlying mat. The envelope undulates slightly, in keeping with the nature of the found envelope and as visibile in the online illustration. There is faint creasing visible in the corners, in keeping with the nature of the envelope and as visible in the online illustration. It is our view that the work is in generally very good condition.
The condition of lots sold can vary widely due to factors such as age, previous damage, restoration, repair, and wear and tear. The nature of the lots sold means that they will rarely be in perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.