Levent Isik Painting "Rat Fink" (2008)

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Exceptional Finds | Ancient, Ethno, Fine Art

By Artemis Fine Arts

Mar 20, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-03-20 10:00:00 2025-03-20 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Finds | Ancient, Ethno, Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-finds-ancient-ethno-fine-art-18151
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• Lot Description
  Levent Isik (American born in Turkey, 1961-2019)."Rat Fink" mixed media on wood panel, 2008. Titled top center. Signed lower right. Titled, signed, and dated on verso. A wonderful mixed media piece with the clever title "Rat Fink" by Levent Isik. The lively visage of this endearing rodent is rendered in high relief with beady green doll's eyes, long lashes, a cherry red orb for a nose, thick whiskers, and a wide toothy grin. His furry body - painstakingly delineated with repeated brushstrokes of black, brown and white hues - is wrapped by his long curled tail. The green background has a red and white zigzag border. This panel is against a larger black panel adorned by round silver beads and a purple and white zigzag border. All is rendered with Isik's signature sculptural sense of dimensionality as well as his penchant for color blocking, bold forms, a whimsical use of materials, and a high gloss finish. Size: 13.2" L x 12.875" W (33.5 cm x 32.7 cm)
  
  About the Artist: "Levent Isik is a self-taught artist living in Columbus, Ohio. He was born in Istanbul and raised in Montreal. Levent began painting in the late 1980’s out of 'sheer boredom'. He had recently moved to Columbus from Cleveland, leaving friends and his previous life behind. The first image he painted was that of a Jester, partly because he felt like something of a fool for moving to this new environment, and partly because, like a jester or a clown, Levent was entertaining himself. This self-referential jester figure shows up in many of Levent's paintings.
  
  Actually, the word 'paintings' does not do justice to Levent's work. Much of his work is 3 dimensional, as he builds up shapes on his surfaces with nails covered in water putty. Preferring to use high gloss enamel, all of his brightly colored works are so shiny they almost look like the paint is still wet. To add further character, Levent will often incorporate found objects, like doll's eyes, or paint brushes lined up to make a horse's mane. Levent feels his paintings are not sacred things, and encourages the viewer to touch them, to feel the various textures.
  
  He never had any intention of selling his paintings until one day a Greenpeace canvasser came to his door. The canvasser also happened to be a folk art collector, who saw Levent's walls, covered with paintings, and offered to buy one. He showed it to several folk art dealers and he soon found out there was a market for his work. At the same time he befriended an eccentric old man who lived in his neighborhood. That old man turned out to be the great artist William Hawkins. That relationship sparked a lifetime of inspiration." (source: "The Art of Levent" website)
  
  Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
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  #192082

  Condition

  Excellent. Titled top center. Signed lower right. Titled, signed, and dated on verso. Fit with suspension wire.
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