Alec Soth (b. 1969). Photograph titled “Two Towels.” Chromogenic Print, 2004. Edition: 9/10. Signed, titled, and dated. Gallery labels from Gagosian Gallery, New York, New York and Weinstein Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota adhered to the verso.

Provenance: Gagosian Gallery, New York, New York; Weinstein Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Private collection, Minnesota

Note: The proceeds from hammer price will benefit the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Scholarship Fund.

Lot Essay: In “Niagara,” Soth tells the story of the Niagara Falls area, on both sides of the US-Canada border. Once a hot spot for weddings and honeymoons, the area is in decline, and the romance is undercut by economic hardship. Soth intersperses photos of often tawdry and dilapidated motels with portraits of couples, photos of love letters and other objects, and photos of the Falls themselves to spin a narrative of love found, lost, and ground down over time. Two Towels, one of Soth’s most iconic images, depicts two towels folded to form kissing swans. This photo was taken at the end of a long day of shooting, when Soth entered his hotel room to find this scene, perfectly lit by the gentle gold of evening coming in through the window. It is a striking image, and one that perfectly underlines the message of Niagara. Soth has written that this picture feels to him like it was made in a dollhouse; romantic accoutrements arranged like a set piece, quickly to be dismantled and shuffled into the mundane.

[Sight] height: 29 1/2 in x width: 35 1/2 in.
[Framed] height: 30 1/2 in x width: 37 in.