On February 28th, Capsule offers works from the estate of art historian Graciela Kartofel, whose professional passion for contemporary Latin American art shines through her personal collection.
Graciela Kartofel was something of a Renaissance woman: author, teacher, philanthropist, curator– these are just some of the titles that often appear alongside her name. Endlessly passionate about Latin American art, she spent her life studying and writing on the subject. This passion, which dictated her professional life, shone through her personal collecting habits as well– over the course of her life, Dr. Kartofel amassed a collection of over 800 works. Capsule is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Kartofel estate to auction items from her impressive collection.
Dr. Kartofel approached collecting artwork with the same purpose she approached studying it: as a constant learning experience, an opportunity to build a deeper understanding of art, culture, and the world at large. Even during a time when the art market largely ignored and marginalized Latin American artists, Dr. Kartofel championed them. Not only did she give her academic attention to young emerging artists in particular, but she also made their work a part of her personal collection.
In celebration of February 28th’s more, more, more!, which offers over 60 pieces from the Kartofel collection, we’re spotlighting work by some of our favorite featured artists, some who are making their American auction debut.
Marysole Wörner Baz has been credited with ushering in a “new era of Mexican expressionism.” Innovating on the tradition of the three ‘greats’ of the genre, Orozco, Goeritz, and Siqueros, Baz’s practice was not limited by media. Graciela Kartofel wrote extensively on the artist and became particularly entranced by her sculptural work, three examples of which are included in the upcoming sale. “Without totally separating from nature, [her sculptures] dare to be new presences in art,” Kartofel wrote in a 1989 article. Baz’s organic wood forms toe the line between the natural and the created.
Both strange and delightful, Pedro Friedeberg’s Surrealist body of work has earned him a reputation as one of the most iconic living Mexican artists. Today, his works are held in prominent collections across the world, including those of the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York. His hand chairs have endured as the symbol of his oeuvre, recently touted as “Instagram’s favorite” by Architectural Digest.
Pál Kepenyes is most well-known for his jewelry: often compared to Brutalist architecture, his work emphasizes material and texture over decoration. The artist’s hand is highly visible in these pieces. Featured in the upcoming sale are also two of Kepenyes’ bronze sculptural works, each of which has a quasi-kinetic quality to its organic form.
As previously mentioned, Mathias Goeritz is considered to be one of the ‘greats’ of Mexican expressionism. He worked according to a belief he called “emotional architecture,” the idea that objects are capable of serving affective purposes, of eliciting emotion, rather than being purely functional. The three sculptures offered in more, more, more! certainly demonstrate this position: relying purely on form and material rather than color, these works impart great emotional meaning in their simplicity.
Naomi Siegmann described her practice as oscillating between abstracted realism and hyper-realism. As is the case with the four works included in Capsule’s upcoming sale, the artist is interested in depicting everyday objects outside of their usual contexts. In doing so, she offers viewers the opportunity to inspect the forms of these objects in solitude, to appreciate them in separation from their function.
Through her many writings, those she inspired, and her purposive collection, Dr. Kartofel’s deep passion for Latin American art and artists persists. Upon donating her vast book collection to Denver’s Latino Cultural Art Center a few years ago, Dr. Kartofel said: “the knowledge I have to share is rich, and I feel a great responsibility to share it with those who are curious to learn about different cultures.” This reverence for learning and teaching, which guided her life and work, has in turn become her legacy.
