Kauai Montello Concrete Ripple, 2017
Concrete and emulsion transfer
13 × 11 × 1 3/4 in.

Letha Wilson merges images of natural landscapes with poured concrete in works that are both ecstatically colorful and as rugged as the terrain that is her subject matter. Turning flat images into sculptural objects, Wilson’s photographs and installations draw attention to the relationship between the man-made environment and nature.

The new work created for this auction is related to Kilauea Seaview Concrete Ripple Tondo (2017), currently on view at MASS MoCA. Wilson printed her original photos from a negative, then folded the photographs into fan-like pleats before placing them into a mold and then adding cement. Curing into the ridges of the folded photograph, the cement picks up a transfer of the images’ rich hue.

Letha Wilson was born in Honolulu in 1976 and was raised in Colorado, before settling in Brooklyn where she now lives. She earned her BFA from Syracuse University and an MFA from Hunter College. Her work has been presented at many venues including the Essl Museum, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. She has been a resident at Yaddo, the Santa Fe Art Institute, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and was nominated for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award. Her contribution to the group show In the Abstract marks Wilson’s debut at MASS MoCA.

Courtesy of the artist, GRIMM, and Higher Pictures
Estimated value: $5,000

The November 7 live auction will be conducted by Eric Widing, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Americas. All net proceeds from the auction support MASS MoCA. To place an absentee bid, fill out this form, and email it to Emily Daunis at edaunis@massmoca.org by 4pm on November 7.