Maurizio Cattelan Frank and Jamie 2002 Wax, clothes and life size figures. Jamie: 71 x 24 1/2 x 17 3/4 in. (180.3 x 62.2 x 45.1 cm) and Frank: 74 1/2 x 24 3/4 x 20 1/2 in. (189.2 x 62.9 x 52.1 cm). This work is from an edition of three plus one artist's proof.
Provenance Marian Goodman Gallery, New York Exhibited New York, Marian Goodman Gallery, Maurizio Cattelan April-June 2002 (another example); New York, The FLAG Art Foundation, Attention to Detail, January-August 2008 (another example); Bregenz, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Maurizio Cattelan February 2 – March 24, 2008 (another example); Scottsdale, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Seriously Funny, February 14 –May 24, 2009 (another example) Literature C. Vogel, "Don't Get Angry. He's Kidding. Seriously." The New York Times, 13 May 2002, p. E3 (illustrated); K. Levin, "Maurizio Cattelan at Marian Goodman Gallery", The Village Voice, June 2000; W. Robinson, “Weekend Update,” Artnet Magazine, May 8, 2002 (illustrated); F. Bonami, N. Spector, B. Vanderlinden and M. Gioni, Maurizio Cattelan New York, 2003, p. 157 (illustrated); Monument to Now: The Dakis Joannou Collection, Athens, 2004, p. 54 (illustrated) Catalogue Essay Maurizio Cattelan is a brilliant prankster. Frank and Jamie are two New York City police officers from the now defunct Housing Authority division. Together, they have turned convention on its head. Literally. Cattelan has rendered these purveyors of authority obsolete and incapable of performing their sworn duty to serve and protect. This mildly subversive element is the main ingredient in his work and is the preeminent reason why he has become such an adored artist. He loves nothing more than to tease his viewers and play (often well-deserved) tricks on the art world—in so doing Cattelan has become Contemporary Art’s charmingly brazen court jester. Our two New York City police officers, Frank and Jamie, are dressed in full uniform and are posed upside down along the wall of a gallery. They are completely life-like and Cattelan has spared no details, one even wearing a wedding band. He has rendered their expressions and poses completely unfazed—as if they are standing nonchalantly on a street corner and it is the viewer who is seeing things upside down. However by placing his officers within the context of an exhibition space (and not, say, propped up along the outside wall of a building), Cattelan is aligning them with the role a security guard would have in safeguarding the contents of the room and keeping order. Not only are they completely ineffective in this task but they have actually turned order upside down. The present work echoes Cattelan’s 1997 Dynamo Secession, in which two real and live security guards were installed on bicycles linked to dynamos which in turn powered the light for the exhibition space. Cattelan intrinsically linked those guards to the space in much the same way as with Frank and Jamie. The guards in Dynamo Secession are clearly unable to perform their jobs while pedaling their bicycles. However should they stop pedaling they would be equally incapable of maintaining order as they would have found themselves in the dark. This is both absurd and brilliantly genius. Cattelan is self-taught and it is this very fact which makes him such a fascinating artist. He is not afraid of addressing serious questions in his art—provoking and challenging contemporary art’s value system through the use of humor and irony. He tests our preconceived notions of what art is capable of. Cattelan has said “I’m not trying to overthrow an institution or question a structure of power. I’m neither that ambitious nor that naïve. I’m only trying to find a degree of freedom. After all, the museum is a welcoming place for the kid on the bike. He is protected there; he can have fun and nobody will hurt him. I’m not against order or authority as such; I just think that you can create new margins for freedom in every context” (F. Bonami, N. Spector, B. Vanderlinden and M. Gioni, Maurizio Cattelan New York, 2003, p. 155). Frank and Jamie address the play of power and make a heady statement about the seduction of authority. Cattelan is very careful about his choice of subject matter, always selecting highly charged con
Maurizio Cattelan Frank and Jamie 2002 Wax, clothes and life size figures. Jamie: 71 x 24 1/2 x 17 3/4 in. (180.3 x 62.2 x 45.1 cm) and Frank: 74 1/2 x 24 3/4 x 20 1/2 in. (189.2 x 62.9 x 52.1 cm). This work is from an edition of three plus one artist's proof.
Provenance Marian Goodman Gallery, New York Exhibited New York, Marian Goodman Gallery, Maurizio Cattelan April-June 2002 (another example); New York, The FLAG Art Foundation, Attention to Detail, January-August 2008 (another example); Bregenz, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Maurizio Cattelan February 2 – March 24, 2008 (another example); Scottsdale, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Seriously Funny, February 14 –May 24, 2009 (another example) Literature C. Vogel, "Don't Get Angry. He's Kidding. Seriously." The New York Times, 13 May 2002, p. E3 (illustrated); K. Levin, "Maurizio Cattelan at Marian Goodman Gallery", The Village Voice, June 2000; W. Robinson, “Weekend Update,” Artnet Magazine, May 8, 2002 (illustrated); F. Bonami, N. Spector, B. Vanderlinden and M. Gioni, Maurizio Cattelan New York, 2003, p. 157 (illustrated); Monument to Now: The Dakis Joannou Collection, Athens, 2004, p. 54 (illustrated) Catalogue Essay Maurizio Cattelan is a brilliant prankster. Frank and Jamie are two New York City police officers from the now defunct Housing Authority division. Together, they have turned convention on its head. Literally. Cattelan has rendered these purveyors of authority obsolete and incapable of performing their sworn duty to serve and protect. This mildly subversive element is the main ingredient in his work and is the preeminent reason why he has become such an adored artist. He loves nothing more than to tease his viewers and play (often well-deserved) tricks on the art world—in so doing Cattelan has become Contemporary Art’s charmingly brazen court jester. Our two New York City police officers, Frank and Jamie, are dressed in full uniform and are posed upside down along the wall of a gallery. They are completely life-like and Cattelan has spared no details, one even wearing a wedding band. He has rendered their expressions and poses completely unfazed—as if they are standing nonchalantly on a street corner and it is the viewer who is seeing things upside down. However by placing his officers within the context of an exhibition space (and not, say, propped up along the outside wall of a building), Cattelan is aligning them with the role a security guard would have in safeguarding the contents of the room and keeping order. Not only are they completely ineffective in this task but they have actually turned order upside down. The present work echoes Cattelan’s 1997 Dynamo Secession, in which two real and live security guards were installed on bicycles linked to dynamos which in turn powered the light for the exhibition space. Cattelan intrinsically linked those guards to the space in much the same way as with Frank and Jamie. The guards in Dynamo Secession are clearly unable to perform their jobs while pedaling their bicycles. However should they stop pedaling they would be equally incapable of maintaining order as they would have found themselves in the dark. This is both absurd and brilliantly genius. Cattelan is self-taught and it is this very fact which makes him such a fascinating artist. He is not afraid of addressing serious questions in his art—provoking and challenging contemporary art’s value system through the use of humor and irony. He tests our preconceived notions of what art is capable of. Cattelan has said “I’m not trying to overthrow an institution or question a structure of power. I’m neither that ambitious nor that naïve. I’m only trying to find a degree of freedom. After all, the museum is a welcoming place for the kid on the bike. He is protected there; he can have fun and nobody will hurt him. I’m not against order or authority as such; I just think that you can create new margins for freedom in every context” (F. Bonami, N. Spector, B. Vanderlinden and M. Gioni, Maurizio Cattelan New York, 2003, p. 155). Frank and Jamie address the play of power and make a heady statement about the seduction of authority. Cattelan is very careful about his choice of subject matter, always selecting highly charged con
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
