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• Auction House:
  Bonhams Australia
• Sale Name:
  Selected works from the collection of Bill Nuttall and Annette Reeves
• Sale Date:
  07 Jul 2020 ~ 6pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  7
• Lot Description:
  Rick Amor
  (born 1948)
  The Order, 1997
  oil on canvas
  162.0 x 162.0cm (63 3/4 x 63 3/4in).
  signed and dated lower right: 'RICK AMOR 97'; titled and dated verso: 'THE ORDER / OCT NOV 97'
• Provenance:
  Collection of the artist; The Bill Nuttall & Annette Reeves Collection, Melbourne
• Exhibited:
  Rick Amor: Standing in the Shadows, McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, Langwarren, 8 May - 26 June 2005, cat. 76
• References:
  Robert Lindsay, Standing in the Shadows, McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, Langwarren, 2005, p. 88, cat. 76 (illus.); Gavin Fry, Rick Amor, The Beagle Press, Sydney, 2008, p. 90 (illus.)
• Notes:
  I've always thought that behind the façade of buildings all sorts of mysterious things go on. I suppose it's from my childhood and reading Kafka. I like to suggest that behind prosaic realities something else is lurking Rick Amor, 1994 'Describing the appearance of Rick Amor's paintings is not difficult, for their carefully organised compositions, elegant drawing and subtle colours produce a clear statement of the artist's technical skill. But finding their meaning and the artist's intent is a more problematic undertaking. There is a surreal quality about many of the works, with sudden changes of scale, odd relationships of subject matter and dramatic light. Amor's early and ongoing interest in de Chirico would suggest a strong influence of surrealism, especially given his very wide reading and interest in the art of the past. But his works are grounded in reality and depict places of the artist's own experience. He describes his paintings as the 'memories of the past, like dreams not clearly remembered but still full of truth and reality.. it could be said that the depiction of memory and dreams is the essence of surrealism – the subconscious is bringing forth the content, whether or not that is the artist's expressed intention. But Amor's intentions are essentially pictorial, to create images which capture and maintain the interest of the viewer. His primary goal is to make pictures which will continue to intrigue as long as people care to look at them.'1 The Order is a powerful and haunting image, quintessential to the artist's oeuvre. It's dramatic use of shade and light provide form and depth evoking a sense of mystery surrounding the building which for decades was owned by the Catholic church and was then acquired by the enigmatic pharmacist-turned-art-collector, Brian Pearce. Whilst the painting is essentially void of human presence, the viewer can't help but take solace in the form of a stone bust gleaming within the centre of the composition. 'Rick Amor has produced an art appropriate to the modern world, a place where we are fascinated and at the same time fearful. Our world is an uncertain place, and while we are better educated and more prosperous than ever before, we also seek to deal with the uncertainties around us. We are bombarded with images of horror on a world scale while we go about our daily routine. Material comfort is contrasted with abysmal poverty in a constant blur of moving and still images, of sound, noise and words. We choose to flirt with danger to risk all in gambling, drugs, extreme sports and uncertainty. Rick Amor's art sits in that uncertain world, an art we can relate to because it challenges us to seek its meaning while admiring it's means. Like the artist himself, his works have a calm, still centre, quiet and questioning of the modern world.'2 1. Gavin Fry, Rick Amor, The Beagle Press, Sydney, 2008, p.99 2. Ibid. p.114
• Estimate:
  A$35,000 - 45,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.