ANISH KAPOOR (b. 1954)

$Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$ $Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants. Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer. Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world. In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world. This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.$

Halo2006120 x 120 x 27 in.(304.8 x 304.8 x 68.58 cm) stainless steel

Provenance

Lisson Gallery
Private Collection, New York

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“The work doesn’t exist without the viewer, without somebody looking at it.” – Anish Kapoor

History

Reflective surfaces have become a hallmark of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. One of his most iconic public works, Cloud Gate, in Chicago is a celebration of a mirrored surface and form, reflecting back the environment and its occupants.

Connecting all of his themes is Kapoor’s use of immersivity. From large-scale installations to more intimate pieces, Kapoor seeks to subsume the viewer within a world of light and color. In doing so, Kapoor pushes the viewer to consider their own place – within society, within their personal relationships, within the larger cosmos. The work does not exist without that interaction of object and viewer.

Mirrors have had a long and potent history as a symbol. Think of Perseus using his shield as a mirror against Medusa, the mirror given to Jia Rui and the interaction of Granny Liu with the large mirror in Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, or Alice falling through the looking glass. Mirrors are not just tools but imbued with symbols – warnings of carnal pleasure, totems of modernity, protectors, or devices to upend our own worldly perceptions. Kapoor’s series of mirrors continue this tradition, opening doorways to new insight within ourselves and beyond in the natural world.

In this piece, Kapoor pushes back against the inherent narcissism of mirrors – the desire to look at oneself. The pleats are more than an aesthetic choice. The folds obscure the viewer so that they see everything but themselves. And even in this, the world around the viewer becomes fractured and splintered. One must focus to make sense of the reflected surroundings. Like Alice in Wonderland, the world is on its head, and like Granny Liu, we confront this familiar object anew. Kapoor’s mirrors are never straightforward. Whether concave or tilted, this distortion expands our visual observations to provide interior insight into ourselves and the world.

This sculpture was made the same year as Kapoor’s triumphant Sky Cloud in New York. Cate McQuaid, art critic for the Boston Globe, notes that Halo “draws viewers like flies”, and “you may see others, but it’s hard to find yourself.” This physical manifestation points to the more figurative difficulty to look within, to know oneself.

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Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate, stainless steel, 396 x 504 x 792 in., 2006, Millennium Park, Chicago
Anish Kapoor, Halo, stainless steel, 120 x 120 in., 2006, Installation at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts
Anish Kapoor, Sky Mirror, stainless steel, 420 in., 2006, Installation in Rockefeller Center, New York
Anish Kapoor next to his Sky Mirror, Red, 2010, Installation in Kensington Gardens, London

“In the mirror pieces the space doesn’t recede – it comes out at you… a new sublime that’s forward of the picture plane.” – Anish Kapoor

Top Results at Auction

“Untitled” (2003), alabaster, 77 5/8 x 75 5/8 x 22 3/4 in. Sold at Sotheby’s London: July 2008 for $3,876,544 USD

“Untitled” (1999), alabaster, 64 x 62 3/4 x 23 1/2 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: November 2017 for $2,841,000 USD

“Turning the World Upside Down #4” (1998), mirror-polished stainless steel, 79 1/4 x 79 1/4 x 66 1/4 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: May 2011 for $2,434,500 USD

“Untitled” (1999), alabaster, 55 5/8 x 31 1/4 x 12 3/4 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: November 2006 for $2,256,000 USD

“Untitled” (2004), aluminium and paint, 100 x 100 x 23 3/4 in. Sold at Christie’s London: June 2008 for $2,136,889 USD

Comparable Works Sold at Auction

“Untitled” (2009), stainless steel, 87 3/4 x 87 3/4 x 16 in. (223 x 223 x 40 ½ cm), sold at Sotheby’s Doha: 13 October, 2014 for $1,595,000 USD

Comparable grooved stainless steel piece
Smaller than the offered piece by about 1/4 and has a textured surface
Sold for over $1.5M at auction nearly 8 years ago

“Untitled” (2004), stainless steel, 83.7 x 83.7 x 15.7 in. (212.7 x 212.7 x 40 cm), Sold at Christie’s London: 11 February, 2015 for $1,831,404 USD

Another smaller example in stainless steel
Sold for more than $1.8M at auction 7 years ago
Kapoor made many more discs with a smooth mirror finish, as opposed to the rarity of the present work with a fan or accordion pattern

“Untitled” (2011), stainless steel, 90 1/2 x 90 1/2 x 18 in. (229.9 x 229.9 x 45.7 cm), Sold at Phillips New York: 16 November, 2017 for $1,515,000 USD

Smaller stainless steel example
The fractured surface is less common than the discs with a smooth mirror finish, though still more common than our unique large-scale fan-pattern piece