Sold for: $5,000

PROVENANCE
Fondation Guido Molinari, Montreal

Please note the full sheet size is 48 x 28 5/8 inches.

The 1960s coincided with a prolific period for Guido Molinari, marked by a ceaseless exploration of the expressive potential of colour stripes. His art remains associated with those bands of colour. The prints Bi-ocre and Bi-bleu attest to this and were made in 1965 – the same year that he was part of the Responsive Eye exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.

The prints are not silkscreen extensions of existing works, although Bi-ocre clearly echoes the painting Mutation jaune-ocre from 1964. Both prints explore two structural variables in the layout of bands of colour – an asymmetry and a symmetry. The asymmetry originates in the width difference in arranging the colour stripes, visible in the print Bi-ocre. The tripartite reading implied by the red tonality in the work masks, through repetition, the unequal widths of the yellow stripes. The diversity of widths in Bi-ocre’s vertical stripes contrasts with the binary organization found in Bi-bleu. In the latter, two narrow blue stripes alternate with planes of intense yellow. Confronted with the two prints, the eye is forced to find its own rhythm. The constant shift of tonalities in Molinari’s works with stripes calls viewers to an experience of imaginary reconstruction. It affords them a glimpse, in the breakages of colour, of the nexus of the work’s structural dynamic.

Consignor proceeds from the sale of this Lot will benefit the Guido Molinari Foundation.

The Buyer is hereby advised to read fully the Terms and Conditions of Business and Catalogue Terms, including the HO2 Sale Notice and Special Terms of Sale.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars

Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.