Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968)

A chance encounter or fleeting moment, the electric current of spontaneous touch – there is something so instinctual, almost primal, about human interaction that is captured unabashedly in Wolfgang Tillmans’ Central Line. In 2000, the same year the present lot was executed, Tillmans was the first photographer and first non-British artist to receive the Turner Prize, an award presented annually by the Tate Britain for excellence among artists working in the UK. A smaller example of the present lot was included in his Turner Prize exhibition. The artist's diverse oeuvre is recognized not only for its dedication to process and ongoing investigation of the foundations of photography, but also for its uncanny ability to observe and capture his daily surroundings. Subtle, even mundane, moments bring incredible meaning to human life. Central Line reminds us to savor chance happenings, to attribute meaning to the slightest of actions, and to celebrate the spark that a simple touch can bring.