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Lot Essay
Paul Thek’s Untitled (Prunes) is a contemporary view on one of the most traditional genres of painting—the still life. Here, a dish of ripe fruit is rendered in a series of colorful expressionist brush strokes resulting in an intimate portrait tracing the subtle nuances of the prunes’ surfaces. Evoking the spirit of Cézanne, the lines, dimples and imperfections of the skin are depicted using these subtle variations of brushwork. These include large, bold strokes of rich purple pigment laid upon thinner layers used to depict the anonymous backdrop of the plate on the surface. Conversely shadowy drips of grey contrast with the bright white of the plate as the looseness of the paint allows itself to bleed through the silhouettes and continue down the canvas. Untitled (Prunes) displays the mastery of Thek’s paint handling techniques as it transforms a ubiquitous plate of fruit into a tableaux of luscious painterly activity.
Thek has worked across many disciplines including painting, installation art, performance, and sculpture. In the early 1960s, he launched himself onto the New York art scene after studying at Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, and the Art Students League. He brought his great paintings along with his sculptures, installations, environments, and talented ambition to make an impact on the changing art world. However, Thek was unsatisfied with what he saw in New York and sought a freer existence in Europe at the end of the 1960s where he achieved the critical attention he had been searching for.
Although he explored other media, Thek never abandoned painting. While in Europe his work was shown at a number of important museums and galleries, but after nine years he decided to return to his native New York to continue his work. Upon his return, he discovered that other artists such as Jasper Johns, Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenberg, and Robert Rauschenberg had become the champions of the downtown art scene and it was at this time that he refocused his attention on traditional painting, producing a series of quick, sketch-type paintings such as Untitled (Prunes). Intimate in scale, this piece represents some of the most personal work he produced in his small East Village apartment. Since his death, Thek has gained a widespread appreciation and his drawings and paintings are included in many public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Thek has worked across many disciplines including painting, installation art, performance, and sculpture. In the early 1960s, he launched himself onto the New York art scene after studying at Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, and the Art Students League. He brought his great paintings along with his sculptures, installations, environments, and talented ambition to make an impact on the changing art world. However, Thek was unsatisfied with what he saw in New York and sought a freer existence in Europe at the end of the 1960s where he achieved the critical attention he had been searching for.
Although he explored other media, Thek never abandoned painting. While in Europe his work was shown at a number of important museums and galleries, but after nine years he decided to return to his native New York to continue his work. Upon his return, he discovered that other artists such as Jasper Johns, Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenberg, and Robert Rauschenberg had become the champions of the downtown art scene and it was at this time that he refocused his attention on traditional painting, producing a series of quick, sketch-type paintings such as Untitled (Prunes). Intimate in scale, this piece represents some of the most personal work he produced in his small East Village apartment. Since his death, Thek has gained a widespread appreciation and his drawings and paintings are included in many public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.