Lot 70
**Originally Listed At $350**
Toby Ivey (American, 1944-2007). Two Group Portraits with Zoomorphs. Mixed media: paint, pencil, and ink on verso of gold and red poster board, 2001. Both signed and dated at lower right. With wild palette and fierce sincerity, these two untitled compositions by outsider artist Toby Ivey capture moments of human connection and surreal drama with raw immediacy. Executed in 2001 on the verso of commercial gold and red poster board, the pieces are rendered in a combination of paint, pencil, and ink - media that dance and scrape across the surface like voices raised in a crowded room. The first composition, on a yellow ground, features four anthropomorphic figures arranged in two boy-girl pairs. Each couple holds hands and stares forward with a sense of stillness and solemnity. Between them hovers a pink, balloon-like zoomorphic form with a single eye, while a tall red column anchors the far right of the scene. Size of larger: 25.5" W x 19.75" H (64.8 cm x 50.2 cm)
The symmetry and direct gazes suggest celebration, ceremony, or portraiture - but the mood remains uncanny and open-ended.
The second composition is more charged, set against a mint green and earth-toned sky. Four human figures, also arranged in pairs, now turn to face one another in profile, as if caught mid-confrontation or intense dialogue. Their gender is ambiguous, and their faces are rendered with exaggerated, almost mask-like features. At the lower left, two small dog-like creatures scurry or sit, while in the upper left, a pink orb - perhaps a sun or moon - hangs low in the sky. Above, three or four birdlike forms glide or perch in the clouds, giving the scene an otherworldly tension.
Painted near the end of his life, Ivey's work reflects a deeply personal and often enigmatic visual language. His compositions are direct but layered, infused with humor, confrontation, nostalgia, and dream logic. The use of poster board - a humble, commercial material - underscores his resourcefulness and commitment to creating from what was at hand. Ivey's figures, though abstracted and stylized, pulse with feeling. Their ambiguous gestures and bold silhouettes invite empathy and interpretation, their world strangely familiar and vividly strange.
Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
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#192638
- Condition: Minor bending to corners, but, otherwise, both are in excellent overall condition and signed and dated at lower right.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |