Franz Ackermann

(German, b. 1963)

Helicopter XIX (the morning), 2001

oil on canvas

signed Franz Ackermann and dated (verso)

109 1/5 x 113 1/8 inches.

Provenance:

Jack Tilton Gallery, New York

Acquired from the above by a Private Collection, Miami in 2002

Lot Note:

Franz Ackermann (German, b. 1963), one of the foremost German artists of his generation, produces paintings, prints, and installations reflecting the social changes of globalization and cultural homogenization. Expressions of modern urbanity and the cheapness of commodified tourism, Ackermann creates fantastical spatial perspectives, frequently larger than life. We are pleased to present to you in this sale No One (2001), an installation work in four distinct lots, which inherently and exquisitely exhibits Ackermann's focus on visual expression of modernity.

Each component of No One reflects, teaches and swallows its audience, in a manner reminiscent of Ackermannn’s efforts in Mental Maps, a series combining the factual accuracy of traditional street maps with a personal interpretation of each environment.

Untitled (dawn) and Helicopter XIX (the morning) are expansive works on canvas, colorfully disorienting and sharply geometric. As soon as a scene begins to become recognizable, the whole image seems to shift kaleidoscopically. A large sepia photograph, Untitled, becomes deeply intimate with the addition of a draped t-shirt and image of a couple embracing, making the viewer feel as though they are a surprise visitor to an unkempt bedroom. The work is sharply contrasted with Billboard II (no one), a Lichtenstein-esque construction with a swirling pattern in black and white, the verso of which is pasted with Italian political posters and ephemera, dropping the viewer onto a busy city street.

Each element of No One is an architectural, metropolitan, and vaguely ominous reflection of Ackermann’s travels and the outside world, as he takes the viewer alongside him through this intensely personal journey.

To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]

Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Zack Wirsum

SVP, Head of Department, Post War and Contemporary Art

[email protected]312.600.6069

Mr. Wirsum joined the firm in 2007 as a Fine Art registrar and became a department specialist in 2013, with a focus on Post War and Contemporary art. Through his vision, the department has achieved record breaking prices. Mr. Wirsum evaluates and appraises well over 5,000 works of art each year, collaborating with leading international committees and experts on authentication. Prior to joining Freeman's, Mr. Wirsum served as an assistant director and conservator at the Chicago Conservation Center. He received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is a practicing painter with gallery representation.

Aaron Cator

Senior Specialist, Post War & Contemporary Art

[email protected]646.864.1746

Mr. Cator brings years of deep and wide-ranging art industry experience to his role. Prior to joining Freeman's, he operated his own art advisory firm where he worked with new and seasoned collectors to build customized art collections. He previously worked for David Zwirner for nearly seven years, where he spearheaded a robust annual rollout of key client development and marketing initiatives in the United States and internationally in London, Paris, and Hong Kong. Cator was an early member of the gallery’s marketing department, supporting the needs of both the gallery’s distinguished stable of artists and global client base.
Before his role at Zwirner, Cator held a number of curatorial research positions, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art where he worked under Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture Barbara Haskell, as well as at the Museum of Modern Art under Roxana Marcoci, the David Dechman Senior Curator of Photography.
Cator holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History and Political Science from Santa Clara University. He also pursued graduate studies in Art History at Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, with a concentration on social documentary and contemporary photography.

Post War & Contemporary Art

Helicopter XIX (the morning), 2001

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