(born Mombasa, Kenya in 1962; - lives and works in Cologne)
Amateur/Night 2007, cotton (kitchen towels), fleece, 250 x 195.5 cm, on stretcher, (PS)

Confirmation of authenticity issued by the artist, Cologne 2007

Provenance:
Private Ownership, Rhineland – directly from the artist

Exhibited/catalogue:
Mumok Vienna, Cosima von Bonin, Hippies use Side door, Das Jahr 2014 hat ein Rad ab, Vienna 2014, installation illustrations p.164 and p.165;
Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Cosima von Bonin, 1-2-3-4, The lazy Susan series A Rotating Exhibited 2010–2012, Cologne 2011, installation view p.158.

Cosima von Bonin fluctuates between humour and seriousness, questioning the boundaries between art and everyday life. ‘Sewing plays a prominent role in what one might term Cosima von Bonin’s post-feminist art practice.’ (Ex-Cat. Cologne, 2011, p. 84) For the present work, von Bonin defamiliarises kitchen towels taken from her everyday life by sewing them together and using them as a large canvas. She then adds four-fingered white-gloved hands that frequently recur on her sewn canvases and inevitably evoke associations with the children’s world created by Disney. It is ultimately left to the viewer to establish a link between the title Amateur/Night and the image from his own point of view. It is up to the viewer to choose the association he wants and to decide if he can see one at all. Cosima von Bonin does not tie anyone down to one specific position. ‘Cosima von Bonin always proceeds very intuitively and unconventionally, drawing inspiration from art as much as from popular culture, comics and fashion. With a sense of humour that sometimes borders on the absurd and a good feel for irony, she playfully combines all of these elements. Her work method essentially derives from the assemblage technique and a synthesis of various artistic procedures.’ (p. 123)