Dove Bradshaw (American, b. 1949)
Dec. 4, 1991, from the Contingency Series
Signed, dated, and titled "Dove Bradshaw..." on the reverse u.c., with a label from Sandra Gering Gallery, New York, affixed to the stretcher.
Silver, liver of sulfur, and varnish on linen, 17 1/2 x 14 1/4 in. (44.5 x 36.2 cm), unframed.
Condition: Surface inconsistencies inherent to the artist's method and materials.
Provenance: The estate of Celia Ascher, New York.
N.B. Dove Bradshaw began her Contingency Series in 1984, first pouring or brushing silver leaf and liver of sulfur (a chemical agent that causes silver to become unstable and to change in response to temperature, humidity, and light) onto paper, and later using the same materials on a variety of supports including linen, wood, and silver plates. Influenced by the elements of chance and indeterminacy in the works of Marcel Duchamp and John Cage, she sought to create compositions that would mutate over time, and over which she had little control. Immediately after applying the liver of sulfur, the silver would become vibrantly colored. After one day, the colors would deepen, and later, darken even further. Bradshaw worked indoors and outdoors, and in different seasons, to produce varied results.
Estimate $1,500-2,500
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