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Born in Philadelphia in 1955, Karen Kilimnik is best known for the extraordinarily diverse and eclectic nature of her work, from her early 'scatter-art' installations to her present paintings and drawings, in which history and fantasy are richly interwoven to reflect her varied passions, which range from Tsarist Russia and Classical Ballet to the celebrity culture built around pop stars and glamour magazines, and has recently also included the world of fairy tales and mythology. Kilimnik loves old television programs, 18th Century genre painting, glitter, chandeliers and glamorous pretty women, and she takes all this and creates her own reality, where past and present dissolve in a world where magic is the key factor. Her work is an animated representation of her interior life, and all her wishes, dreams and desires are gathered there: ballerinas, charming fairies, wistful photos of snow scenes, over-the-top velvety paintings of flowers and horses, and portraits of film stars and models. In spite of her age, Kilimnik is an incorrigible romantic, and gives us the impression that she still inhabits a world of childhood dreams, mourning the loss of a fictitious world of romance and beauty. Though often naïve and innocent on the surface, on closer inspection Kilimnik's work often reveals a darker side and can be seen as a reinterpretation of our cultural history, reflecting her engagement with an assortment of archetypal cultural phenomena and popular culture.

Karen Kilimnik (b. 1955)

Country Mouse

Details

Karen Kilimnik (b. 1955)
Country Mouse
inscribed and dated 'dreaming of stardom the big city on the stage auditioning for the opera de Paris 1115am october 1998 320pm mousetrap' (lower right)
wax crayons and acrylic on paper
39¾ x 30in. (101.2 x 76.3cm)
Executed in 1998

Provenance

Galerie Ghislaine Hussenot, Paris

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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.

Sale room notice

Please note that the correct title for this work is Country Mouse.

Country Mouse

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