192
JOEL STERNFELD (American, b. 1944) NEAR LAKE POWELL, ARIZONA edition, artist’s code, title, print...
Currency:USD
Category:Everything Else / Other
Start Price:NA
Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2003 Oct 18 @ 13:00UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT
JOEL STERNFELD
(American, b. 1944)
NEAR LAKE POWELL, ARIZONA
edition, artist’s code, title, print date and signature inscribed
in black ink on verso
chromogenic color print
image: 133?8 x 173?16 in. (34 x 43.7 cm)
paper: 16 x 20 in. (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
1979
printed 1987
this print is number 39
from an edition of 100
from the
AMERICAN PROSPECTS SERIES
ESTIMATE: $1,000-1,500
LITERATURE
Joel Sternfeld, AMERICAN PROSPECTS: PHOTOGRAPHS, NEW YORK, Times Books in association with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1987, pl. 10 (illustrated)
While crossing the country in his Volkswagon camper, Joel Sternfeld captured extraordinary details that typically go unnoticed to most eyes. With deadpan wit, he documents the results of man trying to alter the natural landscape. Sternfeld’s viewer is repeatedly confronted with meetings of city and country, nature and technology.
The sleek Pennzoil headquarters in Houston embody man’s domination of nature to achieve economic profit. But the absurd elements in the photograph seem to mock this symbol of the American success story. The Christmas decoration on the streetlight, for example, suggests the tackiness of American popular culture. The fog has overtaken the building, as though nature were refusing to be exploited.
The lone basketball hoop planted in a vast, barren landscape near the Grand Canyon speaks of man’s presence even in the most remote areas. The pathetic droop of the rim, which seems to have fallen victim to the elements, helps to capture the scene’s surreal irony. Yet it also conveys humanity’s resilience and endurance through time.
Anne Tucker, in her essay accompanying AmERICAN PROSPECTS, comments thoughtfully on THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA LANDS AT KELLY LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE (lot 191). In this essay, she notes: “a potbellied man in a T-shirt surveys the crowd that gathered to see the Columbia on its maiden voyage from California to Cape Kennedy. Because he is closer to the camera, he appears to be equal in size to the shuttle. His relaxed posture makes striking contrast to the shuttle’s sleek design. In 1979 this photograph captured the public inspection of a soon-to-be-realized American dream, with a humorous aside added by the man in the foreground. The meaning of this picture has changed since the tragic explosion of the Challenger in January 1986. Now the shuttle program signifies American technology gone terribly wrong” (Tucker, AMERICAN PROSPECTS, 1987/1994, n.p.). The artist was conscious of this new meaning while printing this photograph, which was used as the frontispiece for his pivotal book, AMERICAN PROSPECTS, published just after the Challenger disaster in 1987.
Auction Location:
United States
Previewing Details:
Friday Oct 10 - Wednesday Oct 15
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
No Info Available
Payment Details:
No Info Available
Conditions of sale applicable to buyers
1 BUYERS PREMIUM WILL BE CHARGED AT 15% ON THE FIRST CHF 70,000 OF THE HAMMER PRICE OF EACH LOT, AND AT 10% THEREAFTER. FOR LOTS MARKED WITH THE SYMBOL () IN THE CATALOGUE, THE BUYER HAS TO PAY SWISS VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) AT 7.6% ONLY ON THE BUYERS PREMIUM, NOT ON THE HAMMER PRICE. FOR LOTS WITHOUT THE SYMBOL (), VAT OF 7.6% IS APPLICABLE ON THE HAMMER PRICE AND THE BUYERS PREMIUM. This VAT is refundable to non-Swiss resident buyers who, within 30 days following the sale, present to PHILLIPS, de PURY & LUXEMBOURG LIMITED (hereinafter PHILLIPS) the export declaration, duly stamped by Swiss customs, proving that the goods have left Switzerland. Non-stamped declarations are invalid.
2 Every lot is sold with all faults and errors of description and PHILLIPS disclaim, for themselves and for the vendors, all responsibility, in particular for authenticity, age, origin, condition or quality. Any statement, whether contained in the catalogue or expressed orally, is considered a statement of opinion only and not a statement of fact. PHILLIPS GIVES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES. Purchasers are deemed to have satisfied themselves on authenticity, condition, etc., before bidding.
3 The Auctioneer has absolute discretion to divide any lot, to combine two or more lots, to withdraw any lots, to refuse bids, and to regulate the bidding. He may bid on the vendor’s behalf for all goods which are being offered subject to a reserve or at the Auctioneer’s discretion.
4 The highest bidder shall be the buyer. In case of disagreement the lot or lots will immediately be reoffered by the Auctioneer. No claim will be accepted once the adjudication has been given.
5 When the reserve price has not been reached, the lot will be passed at the fall of the hammer.
6 Bids from clients unknown to PHILLIPS, the Auctioneer, or the Stadtammann of Zurich might not be accepted unless accompanied by a full cash deposit, or a bank reference, which must arrive in good time to be taken up before the sale at PHILLIPS, Kreuzstrasse 54, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. The Auctioneer retains full authority to refuse these bids.
7 PHILLIPS requires that all prospective buyers use a bidding number in place of their names.
8 Persons not present at the sale may leave their bids with the Auctioneer or the Stadtammann of Zurich. The prices on these bidding forms will be treated as maximum hammer price, excluding premium or taxes. Alterations to these forms can only be accepted in writing up to the evening preceding the sale.
9 Payment can be made in cash, by bank cheque or by wire transfer. Cash payments must be made in Swiss Francs. PHILLIPS reserves the right to refuse immediate clearance of goods when paid for by wiretransfer or by cheque, whether drawn on a Swiss or foreign bank.
10 Payment of the purchase price is due within seven days after sale. Interest of 1.5% (expenses included) per month on the purchase price will be charged if payment is not received within these seven days. PHILLIPS reserves the right to resell unpaid items after the period of seven days by auction or privately without notice to the buyer. In this event PHILLIPS may claim from the defaulter damages including all loss arising from any resale of the lot together with the charges and expenses in respect of both sales. Any money deposited in part payment shall be held by PHILLIPS against the defaulter’s liability.
11 No purchase shall be claimed or removed until PHILLIPS has received full payment of the purchase price. All lots shall be removed at the buyer’s risk and expense. Purchases will be held for collection at no charge for 28 days. All purchases not collected within such period are subject to a minimum warehousing charge of CHF 10 per lot per day. If purchases are not removed within 60 days of the sale, PHILLIPS may deposit the lot at the buyer’s risk and expense. PHILLIPS shall not be responsible if the lots in storage are lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. Any liability which there may be on the part of PHILLIPS in respect of any loss shall be restricted to a maximum of the price paid by the purchaser of the lot. Clearance of purchases, other than by the purchaser, must be carried out by a person specified on the written direction of the buyer. ON REQUEST, PHILLIPS WILL QUOTE FOR DOOR-TO-DOOR TRANSPORT OF PURCHASED ITEMS. ALL COSTS INCURRED BY SHIPPING, CUSTOMS AND INSURANCE WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE BUYER.
12 Every person attending the public exhibition or the sales shall be deemed to be there at his own risk. He shall have no claim against PHILLIPS in respect of any injury he may sustain or any accident which may occur.
13 Any person causing damage to an item will be held legally responsible.
14 Notice of all forthcoming Auction Sales will appear in “La Feuille d’Avis Officielle”/ “Schweizerisches Handelsamtsblatt” and all interested parties are welcome to consult the Conditions of Sale at this time.
15 Any dispute concerning the auction/sale shall be governed by Swiss law and settled by the ORDINARY COURTS IN ZURICH.
16 The auction takes place under the supervision of the Stadtammannamt Zurich. The Canton and City of Zurich and particularly the Stadtammannamt Zurich bear no liability for the decisions taken by the auctioneer.