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SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) The Studio 1989 image 1
SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) The Studio 1989 image 2
SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) The Studio 1989 image 3
Lot 1

SCOTT KAHN
(B. 1946)
The Studio
1989

19 May 2022, 17:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$353,175 inc. premium

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SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)

The Studio
1989

signed and dated 89; signed, titled and dated 1989 twice on the overlap
oil on canvas

30 by 34 in.
76.2 by 86.4 cm.

Footnotes

Provenance
Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery, New York
Tanglewood Gallery, New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner


A highly personal work, The Studio (1989), depicts of the artist's own studio at the time. Drawing inspiration from his own life, the present work is a superb example of Kahn's oeuvre, which can be interpreted as a visual diary of the artist's world and life around him. Kahn's body of work often includes the places, people, and experiences in his own life, but rendered through the lens of memory and dreams, giving them a surreal and imaginative quality.

Kahn's studio was situated on Leonard Street in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood. Located in the rear of a loft building owned by a textile company, the door shown led to the bathroom and was flanked by two large north facing windows. The windows faced the back of the buildings on the next street, but Kahn made the creative decision to include the view of the World Trade Centre, given their iconic presence within the neighborhood.

Despite the artist's rich relationship with New York City, the present work is one of only a very small number of paintings by Kahn that include the Twin Towers. The artist was moved by early Renaissance paintings he had seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Enthralled by their fantastic, surreal landscapes, they served as the inspiration to unite the gothic steepness of the hill with the towering buildings behind.

Cited as a source of influence and friendship by the late artist Matthew Wong, today Kahn lives and works in Westchester and Brooklyn. A recipient of the Pollock Krasner Foundation, Kahn's work can be found in many collections including the Long Museum, Shanghai; the ICA Miami in Florida; and the University of Pennsylvania.

We are grateful to Scott Kahn for his assistance in the writing of this catalogue note.

Additional information

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