Jonathan Monk 1111
Jonathan Monk
b. 1969
1111
signed and numbered 22/25 (on the certificate)
the complete set, comprising twenty-one colour prints on canvas, and one wooden board, contained in the original presentation case.
each canvas (approx.): 33 by 33 cm.; 13 by 13 in.
wooden board: 23 by 23 cm.; 9 by 9 in.
Executed in 2019, this work is numbered 22 from the edition of 25 plus five artist's proofs, published by Marco Noire Editore.
Catalogue Note:
Conceived as both a linguistic exercise and an homage to the celebrated word-based works of Alighiero Boetti, 1111 originates from the phrase mettere i verbi all'infinito (or a variation thereof). Working against the clock, the artist allotted himself eleven minutes to identify as many four-letter English words as could be extracted from the Italian text. This process yielded eighty-three distinct words, each subsequently rendered as a colour print on canvas in a visual language evocative of Boetti's own practice.
The edition comprises twenty-one colour prints on canvas and a wooden support element, around which one of the canvases may be wrapped for display. Presented in groups of four, the words form a series of four-word compositions that oscillate between the poetic and the enigmatic, inviting the viewer to navigate shifting relationships between language, chance and meaning. Through its playful yet systematic methodology, 1111 reflects the artist's enduring engagement with permutation, authorship and the transformative potential of text.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Italy
Jonathan Monk
b. 1969
1111
signed and numbered 22/25 (on the certificate)
the complete set, comprising twenty-one colour prints on canvas, and one wooden board, contained in the original presentation case.
each canvas (approx.): 33 by 33 cm.; 13 by 13 in.
wooden board: 23 by 23 cm.; 9 by 9 in.
Executed in 2019, this work is numbered 22 from the edition of 25 plus five artist's proofs, published by Marco Noire Editore.
Catalogue Note:
Conceived as both a linguistic exercise and an homage to the celebrated word-based works of Alighiero Boetti, 1111 originates from the phrase mettere i verbi all'infinito (or a variation thereof). Working against the clock, the artist allotted himself eleven minutes to identify as many four-letter English words as could be extracted from the Italian text. This process yielded eighty-three distinct words, each subsequently rendered as a colour print on canvas in a visual language evocative of Boetti's own practice.
The edition comprises twenty-one colour prints on canvas and a wooden support element, around which one of the canvases may be wrapped for display. Presented in groups of four, the words form a series of four-word compositions that oscillate between the poetic and the enigmatic, inviting the viewer to navigate shifting relationships between language, chance and meaning. Through its playful yet systematic methodology, 1111 reflects the artist's enduring engagement with permutation, authorship and the transformative potential of text.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Italy
