An art collector has completed a major purchase after receiving reassurance that the piece would not become embarrassingly straightforward once he got it home.
The sculpture consists of an angular form beside a different angular form. Its appeal lies partly in the space between them and partly in the considerable distance between its price and the cost of two forms.
The buyer initially worried that his cleaner might understand it. The dealer patiently explained that any apparent meaning could be corrected through an accompanying essay.
A certificate establishes that the work is in dialogue with late capitalism, although it currently appears to be doing most of the listening.
Installation will require a specialist team, a reinforced plinth and the removal of a comfortable chair. The chair had been providing pleasure without generating a single interesting dinner-party explanation.
The collector is already considering a second piece to challenge the first. Both will be photographed beside a book he has not opened.
When asked what the purchase meant to him, he requested three working days and a conversation with the gallery.
His insurer has agreed to cover theft, fire and accidental damage. Sudden comprehension is specifically excluded.
