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Lot 200TP
Tim Noble and Sue Webster(British, born 1966 and 1966)Nihilistic Optimistic, 2012
3 March 2022, 10:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£25,000 - £35,000
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Tim Noble and Sue Webster (British, born 1966 and 1966)
Nihilistic Optimistic, 2012
neon and transformers
42.4 x 153.6cm (16 11/16 x 60 1/2in).
number two from the edition of three
neon and transformers
42.4 x 153.6cm (16 11/16 x 60 1/2in).
number two from the edition of three
Footnotes
Nihilistic Optimistic was the title of the artist's 2012 exhibition at Blain/Southern, London. The title - made into a neon sign using Tim Noble's handwriting - is designed to jump from white to blue, just as our emotions can. These opposite emotions are linked together in this light sculpture, and Noble and Webster's work often draws on a fusion of opposites, which is paralleled in their use of both light and shadow as alternative mediums. From creating projected shadow works based on assemblages, to a series of light sculptures which reference iconic pop culture symbols such as the signs seen in Las Vegas or in British seaside towns, Noble and Webster have created a formidable body of work. Their practice often involves taking everyday objects, even including debris and rubbish, and assembling them in transformative messages of satire and personal reflection.
Their work is often a jarring form of self-portraiture, throwing our flaws and qualities into bright lights before swiftly disguising them under darkness again. Using the stark opposition of the two which we see in the present work - two facets of our humanity - they flicker between illumination and casting each emotion back into shadow, a reflection of our own human tendencies.