Contemporary Art Thierry Noir o.T. (Micheline). 1988. Mixed media on fibreboard. 29 x 10.4 cm. Framed in artist's moulding (35 x 16.5 cm). Signed, verso signed once again, dated "Vendredi 25 Mars 1988" and inscribed "Micheline la petite giraffe va a la piscine". - The artist's strip with only occasional slight colour abrasion, small colour flaking in places, the paint application in part with very delicate and imperceptible craquelure. Very good overall. Provenance: Private collection, Southern Germany. - We would like to thank Studio Thierry Noir for kind information confirming, among other things, the authenticity of the present work. - Born in Lyon, Thierry Noir moved to West Berlin in 1982 to become part of the lively art and cultural scene there. At the time, West Berlin was regarded as a unique place of freedom and creativity, in stark contrast to its isolated location in the centre of the GDR. An island where numerous artists, musicians and free thinkers found a place to express themselves freely, away from existing norms. - As early as 1984, Noir, who was strongly influenced by his immediate proximity to the Wall, its oppressive presence and the political situation, began to paint the Wall with his colourful, cartoon-like heads together with other artists in West Berlin. These soon became a symbol of protest art against the division of Germany and an important part of Berlin's cultural history. Noir's style remained simple and direct. His motifs, mostly large heads with simple facial features, are characterised by strong, clear outlines and bright colours, which are applied flat and without shading. Noir's art is highly abstract, dispenses with details and favours a clear formal language. The interplay of these individual elements lends his works a playful, almost striking effect, while at the same time conveying profound statements about freedom and resistance. - While Thierry Noir's large formats, such as the paintings on the Berlin Wall, express powerful political messages and a public protest, his smaller works appear more intimate despite the same colourful and almost naive style. They invite viewers to engage more intensively with the individual motifs instead of just experiencing them in a monumental context. The political art of the public space is transferred to new, private spaces by means of the small format, allowing the two levels to enter into a dialogue. Untitled (Micheline). 1988. Mixed media on fibreboard. Framed in artist's moulding. Signed, on verso additionally signed, dated 'Vendredi 25 Mars 1988' and inscribed 'Micheline la petite giraffe va a la piscine'. - The artist's moulding with only occasional slight paint abrasion, with minor paint chipping in some spots, the paint application partly with very delicate and imperceptible craquelure. Very good overall. - Provenance: Private collection, Southern Germany. 1800