John Wesley

Islamic, 2009
painted bronze
17 x 20 x 6 inches (43 x 51 x 15 cm)
edition of 6
 
Islamic is a painted bronze edition of six sculptures by artist John Wesley. The work is modeled after one of the artist's “painted objects” a term coined by the artist to designate paintings made on items like a table, a picnic basket, a lamp, and the suitcase (a 1964 work of the same title that was thought to have been lost or destroyed as recently as 2011) referenced here. 
 
Working from period photographs of the 1964 painted object, Wesley sought to respect the historical legacy of the original piece as well as to explore what was possible when specific artisanal and modern technological fabrication processes were applied to it.

As a postscript to the story of this edition, the original work that inspired it resurfaced in 2011.
 
 
About the Artist
John Wesley (b. 1928, Los Angeles) moved to New York in 1960. He has been the subject of one-person exhibitions at PS1/MoMA, Museen Haus Lange/Haus Esters, Krefeld, Fogg Art Museum, DAAD, Portikus, and Stedlijk Museum. A permanent collection of his work is installed at the Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas. In 2005 he received the Skowhegan Medal for Artistic Achievement in Painting.

Available Works
Please contact Beyer Projects regarding availability of this work