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James Lee Byars — IDK (I don't know)
James Lee Byars

IDK (I don't know)

A delicate sheet of tissue paper bears the cryptic inscription "IDK (I don't know)" rendered in gold pencil by James Lee Byars, merging the artist's fascination with philosophical inquiry and luxury materials. The ephemeral quality of the tissue paper contrasts with the opulence of the gold, underscoring Byars' characteristic tension between fragility and grandeur. The work distills a profound admission of uncertainty into a minimalist gesture, inviting contemplation on the limits of knowledge.

Medium
gold pencil on tissue paper

🔨 Auction Lot

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale

November 10, 2015

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About this work

James Lee Byars, IDK (I don't know)

A delicate sheet of tissue paper bears the cryptic inscription "IDK (I don't know)" rendered in gold pencil by James Lee Byars, merging the artist's fascination with philosophical inquiry and luxury materials. The ephemeral quality of the tissue paper contrasts with the opulence of the gold, underscoring Byars' characteristic tension between fragility and grandeur. The work distills a profound admission of uncertainty into a minimalist gesture, inviting contemplation on the limits of knowledge.

Medium
gold pencil on tissue paper
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

20th Century, Tissue Paper, Performance Art, Gold Ink, Performance Art Adjacent, Gold Tones, Minimalist, Male Artist, Intimate Format, Conceptual Art, Enigmatic Mood, Ephemeral Quality, Mystical Mood, American Artist, Works on Paper, Avant-Garde Artist, Intimate Scale, Text-Based Art, Minimalism

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