Andy Warhol Self-Portrait (Eyes Closed), 1979 Lot 53, unique large-format Polaroid Polacolor print Estimate:$10,000 - 15,000 © 2010 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Soci
Sotheby's New York 1334 York Avenue NY10021 New York États-Unis
On June 21st and 22nd, Sotheby's will offer an auction of Photographs from the Polaroid Collection in New York. The collection of more than 1000 works provides unique insight into the influence of Polaroid's revolutionary technology – which all but eliminated the distance between inspiration and realization – on the history of photography. The Collection was begun by Edwin Land, inventor and founder of Polaroid, and is vast in its breadth and ambition. Works by many of the leading photographers of the second half of the 20th century will be offered, among them Chuck Close, David Hockney, Lucas Samaras, David Levinthal, Robert Frank, Robert Mapplethorpe and, perhaps most significantly, Ansel Adams, who is represented by over 400 photographs.
From the time of its introduction in 1948, the Polaroid camera has inspired photographers and artists to push the limits of their creativity. Photographs from the Polaroid Collection comprises an astonishing range of photographic approaches and sensibilities: from the masterful landscapes of Ansel Adams to the surreal explorations of Lucas Samaras; from the massive self portraits by Chuck Close to the cultural commentaries of Robert Heinecken. Polaroid cameras and films have spurred some of the most interesting photographic work of the latter part of the 20th century. In addition to multifarious works in Polaroid media, the Polaroid Corporation also acquired traditional gelatin silver prints of photographic icons by Harry Callahan, Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham, Minor White, Edward and Brett Weston, and Paul Caponiogro, to name but a few. Replete with photographic masterworks and little-known gems, Photographs from the Polaroid Collection offers collectors an unprecedented opportunity to acquire images from one of the largest and most distinctive corporate collections to be sold at auction.
