- More
Walton Ford (b. 1960). Guilty Elephant, 1994. Oil on panel. 63 x 46 inches (160.0 x 116.8 cm). Signed, titled, and dated...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.Description
Walton Ford (b. 1960)Guilty Elephant, 1994
Oil on panel
63 x 46 inches (160.0 x 116.8 cm)
Signed, titled, and dated on the reverse: Walton Ford, Guilty Elephant, 1994
PROVENANCE:
Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York;
Acquired by the present owner from the above.
Walton Ford celebrates traditional history painting while simultaneously satirizing the oppressive colonial narratives that these same paintings engender. Inspired by dozens of trips to the Natural History Museum in New York, Walton Ford uses the visual language of John James Audubon to critique humanity's impact on the natural world. In Guilty Elephant, 1994 twisting vines and meticulously-rendered foliage frame the composition. Through the foliate border, the viewer sees an elephant with smoke billowing from its back, filling the composition with dark soot in an eerie dreamlike haze. The presence of dark figures surrounding the elephant disrupts any notion of the sublime. The viewer becomes a guilty participant in an unsettling scene that stands in dark contrast to the natural order of things. As Ford describes, "What I'm doing...is building a sort of cultural history of the way animals live in the human imagination." (W. Ford quoted in C. Tomkins "Man as Beast," The New Yorker, New York, January 26, 2009).
More information about Ford, Walton.
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $100,000 (minimum $14), plus 20% of any amount between $100,000 and $1,000,000, plus 12% of any amount over $1,000,000 per lot.
This item cannot be shipped using standard methods. Please contact us for more information. Sales Tax information
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)Currency
Ends on 04/23/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 04/23/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/23/2021
US Coins
Ends on 04/23/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 04/25/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/27/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 04/29/2021
Currency
Ends on 04/30/2021
Illustration Art
Ends on 04/30/2021
Entertainment
Ends on 05/01/2021
Luxury Accessories
Ends on 05/02/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Ends on 05/03/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/05/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 05/06/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 05/06/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/07/2021
US Coins
Ends on 05/08/2021
Photography
Ends on 05/12/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 05/13/2021
US Coins
Ends on 05/15/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 05/16/2021
Currency
Ends on 05/16/2021
US Coins
Ends on 05/22/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 04/23/2021
Historical
Opens about 04/26/2021
Manuscripts
Opens about 04/30/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 04/28/2021
Silver
Opens about 04/29/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 04/22/2021
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 05/06/2021
Space
Opens about 05/03/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 04/30/2021
Historical
Opens about 05/03/2021
Currency
Opens about 04/23/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/04/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/05/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/29/2021
US Coins
Opens about 04/29/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/03/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/12/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/14/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 05/21/2021
Entertainment
Opens about 05/17/2021
Arms & Armor
Opens about 05/18/2021
US Coins
Opens about 05/08/2021
Rare Books
Opens about 05/21/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/19/2021
Photography
Opens about 05/19/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/20/2021
US Coins
Opens about 05/15/2021
US Coins
Opens about 05/28/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 05/26/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 05/28/2021
Nature & Science
Opens about 05/27/2021
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 06/03/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 05/28/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 05/28/2021
Historical
Opens about 06/01/2021
Heritage membership
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
The picture of each piece, the brief description, incoming bids, what paintings were coming up next in the queue and, of course, the auctioneer; all perfectly organized and presented! Your service was great.View More Testimonials
HA.com receives more traffic than any other auction house website. (Source: Similarweb.com)