Ryan Gander Monkey See, Monkey Do, 2019
Polyurethane, paint, glass, fiber glass, steel, plastic, lamp oil, flame, timer
95 x 79 x 52 cm
Monkey See, Monkey Do is a full-size sculptural rendition of Vincent van Gogh’s painting Gauguin’s Chair, 1888 (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam). Van Gogh’s canvas depicts a portrait in absentia of the French painter, and Van Gogh’s close friend, Paul Gauguin, through the means of a burning candle and a couple of books left on the armchair’s seat. Using 3D visualizing technology, Ryan Gander has meticulously reproduced the chair and the objects, repeating the painting’s distorted perspective and mimicking Van Gogh’s style. The artificial candle burns and then extinguishes before re-igniting again.