Details
Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968)
Central Line
signed 'Wolfgang Tillmans' (on a paper label affixed to the backing board)
chromogenic print flush-mounted on board
77 x 53 in. (195.6 x 134.6 cm.)
Executed in 2000. This work is number one from an edition of one plus one artist's proof.
Provenance
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Literature
G. Blank and W. Tillmans, "Gil Blank and Wolfgang Tillmans in Conversation," Influence 2, 2004, p. 112 (illustrated).
J. Higgins, The World Atlas of Street Photography, New Haven, 2014, p. 140, no. 2 (illustrated).
S. Žižek, Event: Philosophy in Transit, London, 2014 (illustrated on the cover).
Exhibited
London, Tate Britain, Turner Prize 2000, October 2000-January 2001 (another example exhibited).
London, Tate Britain, Turner Prize: A Retrospective 1984-2006, October 2007-January 2008 (another example exhibited).
London, Tate Modern, Street & Studio: An Urban History of Photography, May-August 2008 (another example exhibited).
Brought to you by
Isabella Lauria
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Lot Essay


A chance encounter or fleeting moment, the electric current of spontaneous touch – there is something so instinctual, almost primal, about human interaction that is captured unabashedly in Wolfgang Tillmans’ Central Line. In 2000, the same year the present lot was executed, Tillmans was the first photographer and first non-British artist to receive the Turner Prize, an award presented annually by the Tate Britain for excellence among artists working in the UK. A smaller example of the present lot was included in his Turner Prize exhibition. The artist's diverse oeuvre is recognized not only for its dedication to process and ongoing investigation of the foundations of photography, but also for its uncanny ability to observe and capture his daily surroundings. Subtle, even mundane, moments bring incredible meaning to human life. Central Line reminds us to savor chance happenings, to attribute meaning to the slightest of actions, and to celebrate the spark that a simple touch can bring.

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