Paul Noble (b.1963) Untitled

Paul Noble (b.1963) Untitled Four pencil drawings, 2005, each signed and dated in pencil verso, each sheet 270x 200mm (10 5/8 x 7 7/8in) (unframed) (4) Provenance: Sotheby's Contemporary Art Day Sale, 22nd June 2007, Lot 305 Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, acquired from the above *VAT (currently 20%) is payable on the hammer price as well as the premium. This may be reclaimed if the buyer is VAT registered or the item is promptly exported outside of the EU. ***Paul Noble is a British contemporary artist renowned for his intricate, meticulously executed drawings depicting imaginary landscapes, architectural environments and surreal urban developments. Born in Dilston, Northumberland, he studied at the Humberside College of Higher Education and later at the Glasgow School of Art. His work combines elements of architectural drawing, science fiction, cartography and social commentary, creating elaborate fictional worlds that appear at once plausible and deeply unsettling. Noble is best known for his large-scale pencil drawings, particularly those associated with his imaginary city of Nobson Newtown. Developed over many years, this fictional environment comprises an extensive network of buildings, roads, monuments and public spaces, rendered with extraordinary precision. The drawings employ a restrained monochromatic palette, emphasising their technical complexity and the painstaking accumulation of detail. Despite their apparent architectural logic, Noble’s landscapes frequently incorporate absurd, grotesque and bodily references. Buildings may resemble human anatomy, while streets and structures suggest systems of control, confinement and social organisation. This tension between rational planning and surreal imagery gives the work a distinctive psychological dimension. Noble’s drawings challenge the authority traditionally associated with architectural representation. Although they resemble technical plans or proposals for urban development, their impossible spaces expose the contradictions underlying modernist ideals of order and progress. Combining meticulous craftsmanship with dark humour and conceptual ambition, Noble creates compelling fictional worlds that invite prolonged examination and multiple interpretations.

Estimate:$6,619.23

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