Oil on wood, sandblasted glass, bolts, signed and dated to verso, 1997.
Source painting: Henri Regnault, Head of a Moor, 1870.

30 x 30 in.

From the Estate of the late Ron and Anne Dees, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Ron and Anne Dees were longtime collectors, lovers, and patrons of art. Starting in the late 1990s, they began their art acquisition and collection, focusing substantially on contemporary art. Their affinity for art went far beyond simply collecting and displaying. Ron served as a docent at the esteemed Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, from the late 1990s into the 2000s. In addition, they were patrons of the DC-area art scene, not only promoting and supporting contemporary artists, but also Ron worked/volunteered at several prominent DC art galleries. They continued their passion for art upon moving to Fayetteville, NC, five years ago and what you see here represents over two decades of devotion to contemporary art.

Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

Exhibited:
Washington, D.C., The Corcoran Gallery of Art, "Ken Aptekar: Talking to Pictures," October 18, 1997 - April 5, 1998

Ken Aptekar is an artist who combines painting with text. He paints new versions of historical paintings and frames, bolting glass with sandblasted words to his painted panels. Aptekar's work belongs to the tradition of painting, yet he brings to that tradition a recognition that paintings produce meaning only through their interaction with viewers. He investigates the nature of spectatorship. By “recreating” works of art in a painterly but utilitarian manner, Aptekar promotes viewers' own narratives prompted by the image-text combinations.

His works may be found in numerous public collections including the Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina; Denver Art Museum; The Jewish Museum, New York; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City; the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; and Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Good estate condition.