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PEDRO FRIEDEBERG (MEXICAN B.1936) Masturbacion Colectiva de Unos Relojeros Persas, 1982 gouache and stencil on panel 50 x 50 x 2 cm (19 3/4 x 19 3/4 x 3/4 in.) framed dimensions: 57 x 57 cm (22 1/2 x 22 1/2 in.) signed lower left PROVENANCE Galeria de Arte Misrachi, Mexico City Acquired by the parents of the current owner from the above in 1982 (original receipt sold with painting) Thence by descent in the family LOT NOTES Pedro Friedeberg, one of the most idiosyncratic and imaginative figures in Mexican and international surrealism, has built a career defined by irony, excess, and dazzling pattern. A protégé of Mathias Goeritz and a contemporary of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, Friedeberg embraced an aesthetic that was at once erudite and absurd, baroque and playful, architectural and mystical. His works abound with visual paradoxes, ornamental density, and an irrepressible wit, establishing him as both an heir to surrealism and an iconoclast in his own right. The present work, titled Masturbación colectiva de unos relojeros persas (“Collective Masturbation of Some Persian Watchmakers”), epitomizes Friedeberg’s characteristic blend of precision, irreverence, and fantastical invention. Against a pulsating blue-and-black background of concentric zigzags, a regimented grid of hybrid figures marches across the surface. Each figure is constructed from architectural fragments, clocks, and stylized limbs—fusing machinery and ornament into a mechanical yet sensual choreography. The title, irreverent and provocative, underscores the absurdist humor at the heart of Friedeberg’s art, where visual excess is married to linguistic play. The composition demonstrates Friedeberg’s obsession with repetition and symmetry, qualities inherited from his architectural training but radically transformed into an exuberant, almost psychedelic decorative language. The figures, at once puppet-like and erotic, seem both trapped in and liberated by the rhythm of their mechanical existence. The overall effect is one of hypnotic intensity: the viewer is drawn into an infinite loop of time, ornament, and satire. Friedeberg’s art has always sought to subvert the utilitarian and rationalist ethos of modernism. In place of functionalist clarity, he offers useless objects, impossible architectures, and kaleidoscopic compositions like this one - works that celebrate ornament as a form of intellectual resistance. Masturbación colectiva de unos relojeros persas captures this ethos perfectly: it is both a visual spectacle and a biting parody of systems, whether industrial, social, or artistic. CONDITION The work is in good condition. Examined outside of its frame, there is some wear to the panel edges, and some darkening to the paint layer from age. Inspected under UV light, there are no restorations visible. N.B. Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.