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Born in Neuilly-Sur-Seine, Paris in 1930, Niki de Saint-Phalle grew up in Paris and New York. At the age of 18, she eloped with the young American novelist and poet, Harry Matthews, and had two children. It was during this time that she began to paint, experimenting with different styles and media. Painfully conscious of the contradiction between her desire for independence and the sham of her everyday reality she suffered from a nervous breakdown, and as a form of therapy, was encouraged to continue with painting. In 1955 Saint Phalle met Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely with whom she would begin a life long relationship. Her first successful series, The Shooting Paintings, emerged from this relationship. In this series, white sculptures and assemblages with enclosed containers of paint would be shot at, releasing enormous amounts of aggression and causing the paint to flow freely over the images. Speaking of these works in 1961, Saint-Phalle said, "I shot at Papa, at all men, at important men, fat men, men, my brother, society, the church, the convent school, my family, my mother…" The therapeutic nature of this project allowed Saint(Phalle to address issues close to her heart, and in turn led to the development of perhaps her most famous series, the Nanas. First exhibited in September of 1965 at Galerie Alexander Iolas in Paris, The Nanas illustrate Saint-Phalle's interest in exploring the various roles woman play in modern society. Inspired by the pregnancy of her close friend Clarisse Rivers, the wife of American artist Larry Rivers, Saint Phalle concentrated on creating brightly painted freely posed forms of the archetypal female figure which soon became a symbol of female strength and self-confidence. Saint-Phalle continued to work in France and America until her death in 2002.

Niki de Saint-Phalle (1930-2002)

Nana

Details

Niki de Saint-Phalle (1930-2002)
Nana
signed 'niki de St. Phalle' (on the reverse)
painted plaster on a welded iron base
29 3/8 x 12 x 13in. (74.6 x 30.5 x 33cm.)
Executed in 1969

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist by the father of the present owner.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Nana

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