Richard Serra (1938 - 2024)
'Decision on the Stone', 1990

Lithograph on wove paper. 110 x 180 cm. Signed, numbered and dated lower right: Richard Serra 15/22 (19)90 (pencil) and blind stamp: ITEM. Copy 15 of 22 copies, published by Item éditiones, Paris. Framed under glass and described as such.

Richard Serra is among the most influential contemporary artists, whose work has fundamentally redefined the boundaries of sculpture, space, and material since the 1960s. Less well-known, but of central importance within his oeuvre, are his large-format prints, in which Serra translates his radical formal language into two dimensions.
The monumental black prints are characterized by an impressive physical presence. Serra frequently employs a paintstick technique—a mixture of oil pastel and pigment applied to the paper in dense, repeated layers. The result is a velvety, almost impenetrable surface of exceptional depth and materiality. For Serra, black appears not as a color, but as space: compact, heavy, absorbent. The work selected for this auction captivates with its particularly intense yet remarkably even application of color. The surface appears closed and homogeneous without losing its subtle vibrancy. Depending on the angle of the light, minimal nuances and traces of the creative process are revealed.
Serra's prints are not mere reproductions, but independent, powerful objects. They challenge the viewer to engage with them physically and visually, thereby opening up a meditative space of great intensity. This work is a striking example of Serra's ability to achieve maximum effect with minimal means.

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Reserve price: 7,000 €