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Lot Essay
In a letter dated New York September 2 1998, the artist has explained that the present work is a study for his Still Life # 51, and not #46 as he incorrectly inscribed on its reverse.
Slim Stealingworth has explained the significance of the 'still-life' in the work of Wesselmann, beginning in 1964: "In 1964 the most important development was in the still-lifes. A major change in Wesselmann's work occurred in his shift from a complex to a simple image concept...Wesselmann became increasingly interested in objects and in the power of their individual visual evocations...This new shift gained momentum with a visit to a Brooklyn plastic display manufacturer, a place making cheap, three-dimensional decorative objects especially for stores, such as a big relief pencil to help sell school supplies. Wesselmann was having some objects custom vacuum-formed - large radios and half oranges formed in plastic from wooden moulds he and his carpenter made...He had just begun some still lifes with both flat and dimensional objects placed on a formica shelf...These shelf still-lifes place the emphasis on the most physically intense version of the object. Wesselmann was aware of the toyishness of some of the elements. There was a delicate line to skirt between real and toy." (S. Stealingworth, Tom Wesselmann, New York 1980, pp. 40-43).
Slim Stealingworth has explained the significance of the 'still-life' in the work of Wesselmann, beginning in 1964: "In 1964 the most important development was in the still-lifes. A major change in Wesselmann's work occurred in his shift from a complex to a simple image concept...Wesselmann became increasingly interested in objects and in the power of their individual visual evocations...This new shift gained momentum with a visit to a Brooklyn plastic display manufacturer, a place making cheap, three-dimensional decorative objects especially for stores, such as a big relief pencil to help sell school supplies. Wesselmann was having some objects custom vacuum-formed - large radios and half oranges formed in plastic from wooden moulds he and his carpenter made...He had just begun some still lifes with both flat and dimensional objects placed on a formica shelf...These shelf still-lifes place the emphasis on the most physically intense version of the object. Wesselmann was aware of the toyishness of some of the elements. There was a delicate line to skirt between real and toy." (S. Stealingworth, Tom Wesselmann, New York 1980, pp. 40-43).