Lot 89: Vlassis Caniaris (Greek, 1928-2011) Untitled 60 x 40 x 10 cm.

Untitled
signed and dated 'Caniaris/70' (on the reverse)
construction with plaster and mixed media
60 x 40 x 10 cm.

LITERATURE:
M. Fehr, Vlassis Caniaris, Verlag fur moderne Kunst, Nurnberg, 1991, no 70/25, p. 267 (illustrated).

Characterized by both disarming beauty and critical acuity, Caniaris' famous plaster-soaked red carnations refer to art's liberating power vis-à-vis violence and oppression. One of the most gifted forerunners of arte povera who recently passed away, Caniaris employed the dada tradition of the 'ready made' to produce an emblematic and optimistic work (a flower growing out of plaster) that blends European avant-garde trends with Greek cultural and political experiences.