One of the World's Most Sought-After Chandeliers Is Coming to Auction
The line between fine art and decorative objects can sometimes be difficult to draw. Such is the case with Sweet Chocolate Nation, a loud, eccentric chandelier by the late artist Jason Rhoades, which is slated to sell at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York on September 28.
Known for his bold, tangled pieces, provocative subjects, and massive installations, the late artist is undeniably, well, an artist. Which is why buyers are jumping at the chance to own a Rhoades work that feels utterly functional. (Many of his installations cannot translate well into pieces for the home simply due to their immense scale. Earlier this year, six of Rhoades's installations took over all 2,600 square feet of the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Los Angeles.) At 96 inches in height, Sweet Chocolate Nation is one of Rhoades's most practical works to live with—one can certainly install the light in a loft or over a dining table. A statement, yes, but one that clients are excited to make. Vivian Brodie, head of Mid-Season and Online Sales, Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's, explains that this is the most exciting Jason Rhoades neon work that's ever come to the market and gives the highest estimates at $500,000–$700,000. "Some other neons are usually one word and not nearly as complex," she says.
And complex it is—Sweet Chocolate Nation comprises a miscellany of tchotchkes: 19 neon phrases; 19 black-and-white photographic prints; 7 neon transformers; 5 dreamcatchers (wire, leather, beads, feathers); 4 brass hookah stems; 3 three-outlet plugs; 2 orange extension cords; a brass hookah bowl; a ceramic donkey; a molded plastic "truck nutz"; aluminum armature wire; monofilament fishing line; rubber end caps; neon GTO cable; cotton lace; and hot melt glue. This clutter has amalgamated into an energetic, maximalist work—call it organized chaos. "When you take it out of the crate, it's immaculately documented what goes where for direction, spacing, and everything else. The haphazard look is quite intentional." Brodie says. To create his works, Rhoades drew inspiration from his party guests. Placing a notebook in his space, he'd ask guests to write in different terms describing female genitalia. Each neon word in Sweet Chocolate Nation comes from this crowdsourced lexicon.
It's proven hard for eager buyers to get a hand on one of Rhoades's pieces. "I’ve been asked consistently for a housable Jason Rhoades for the past two or three years," says Brodie. "To have something to live with and experience every day is entirely special."
