Lot 21: CATHY DE MONCHAUX

B. 1960
SWALLOW

measurements
300 by 470 by 5cm.

alternate measurements
118 1/8 by 185 by 2in.

hand-coloured photocopy on film, steel, enamel and ribbon

Executed in 1994, this work is the artist's proof from an edition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof, each uniquely hand-coloured and gilded.

PROVENANCE

Donated by the artist, courtesy of Fred (London) Ltd

NOTE

Buried at the end of the catalogue to her 1997 solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, there is a copy of a hand-written fax sent to the exhibition curator, where Cathy de Monchaux describes Swallow as:

"very large 'drawing' photocopies of central scar of [her piece Wandering about in the future, looking forward to the past, 1994], repeated over & over again like wallpaper, like an imaginary object very beautiful but imaginatively like the wall in the film Repulsion for example (may be)" (The artist cited in: Exhibition Catalogue, Whitechapel Gallery, London 1997, p.64)

The reference to Polanski's 1965 masterpiece evokes nightmarish visions of repressed sexuality. The central scar motif turns into a revulsive representation of female genitalia and the clasps into groping hands protruding from a menacing wall. This is all in keeping with Cathy de Monchaux's early, and somewhat provocative style. A graduate of Camberwell School of Art (1980-83) and Goldsmiths' College (1985-87), she has won critical acclaim by making intricate, often erotic sculptures from materials such as velvet and steel and silk or suede and metal strips. Her work is always ambiguous, at the same time seductive and threatening. She borrows from both minimalism, through her use of ordinary materials, the grid-like structure, the repetition, and Victorian art, with the presence of black ribbons and enamel, and Gothic-looking metal pieces such as in this piece. In her fax, the reference to Polanski's film is qualified by a 'may be': Cathy de Monchaux is not so sure of how threatening this piece is intended to be.

And actually, there is unexpected light heartedness about this work. This is revealed primarily by her choice of title. She has indicated before that her titles are "as close to revealing what the work is about as I want to get". (cited in: Exhibition Catalogue, Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo 2000, p.2) By referring to a bird, the pattern on the wall no longer recalls menacing hands but the graceful forked tail and long wings of a swallow in flight. The deliberate choice of a single bird appears to point to the saying 'one swallow does not make a summer', with at least a glimpse of optimism. The technique of the piece is also a departure from some of her other heavily handcrafted, obsessive pieces. Here the repetition is achieved through mechanical reproduction on a clear film, which also conveys a sense of lightness. By contrast, one of her previous pieces, Wandering about in the future, looking forward to the past, was set on opaque, heavy glass. Finally, the repetition recedes to the point where it disappears and at each extremity, the scar is no longer visible: the wound has healed -- maybe.

In this piece, Cathy de Monchaux conveys a sense of release that seems to derive as much from the cathartic effect of repetition, as from the liberating emotion of creating what she calls "a very beautiful imaginary object". De Monchaux is included in the Toulouse Biennale (2006) and has been the subject of solo shows in Europe and America. Her work is owned by the Arts Council, the British Council, the Albright Knox Museum and the Tate. CP