Thomas Ruff (born 1958) Substrat 34 II, 2007 Chromogenic print; front-mounted to acrylic, framed, signed, titled 'Sub 34 II', dated, and editioned '2/3' in pencil on the reverse. 78 3/4 x 63 in. (200 x 160 cm.) sheet 85 1/2 x 69 1/2 in. (217.2 x 176.5 cm.) Footnotes: Provenance Galleria Lia Rumma, Milan Acquired from the above by the present owner Literature cf., Thomas Ruff: ma.r.s, Substrats, jpegs (London, 2012), pp. 26-28 and 31-33 cf., Thomas Ruff: Image Ventriloquism and the Visual Primer (London: Whitechapel Gallery, 2017), pp. 105-106 Note Thomas Ruff began his Substrat series in 2001 by using large-format digital files of Japanese manga and anime art, which he then superimposed over one another, increased the saturation, and applied heavy filtering and blurring effects until all recognizable characteristics of the source art had disappeared. As with the present lot, the resulting compositions present abstracted, disorienting marbled swirls of vibrant color, often printed in an impressive scale. The series title 'Substrat' (German for 'Substrate' or ' Underlying Layer') underscores the role that the source art plays in the final composition: it acts as a foundation for Ruff's digital manipulations that reveal the substratum of the image rather than the image itself. The Substrat compositions exemplify Ruff's argument that digital files can be endlessly degraded and combined to form new images. The inception of the series falls chronologically between Ruff's Nudes and jpeg series, which also rely on found digital material rather than negatives from Ruff's own photographic practice. Works from the Substrat series can be found in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2008.539) and the Princeton University Art Museum (2018-214), among others. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: W W Lot is oversized or otherwise such that it must be collected from our designated warehouse. Please refer to the Offsite Sold Property Storage section of the Buyer's Guide for details. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing