20|21 Art: The Chicago Edition 
30 May 2024
20|21 Art: The Chicago Edition 
206

Tony DeLap 1927–2019

Rising Card from Case

1980
painted wood 5¾ h × 3¼ w × 2 d in (15 × 8 × 5 cm) 3¾ h × 2⅜ w × ¾ d in (10 × 6 × 2 cm)
estimate: $500–700
result: $1,419
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Signed, titled, dated and inscribed to underside of ‘To Tom & Natasha Tony DeLap 1980 Rising Card from Case’. Sold with a deck of cards signed by the artist.
provenance: Acquired directly from the artist, Collection of Natasha Nicholson

This work will ship from Chicago, Illinois.

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Artist Tony DeLap frequently drew parallels between art and magic throughout his career, admiring the magician's ability to conjure illusions, a feat he sought to replicate in his artistic practice. The present lot is a small sculpture titled Rising Card from Case, referencing the popular trick where a magician causes a selection of cards to spontaneously rise from their case. Accompanying the sculpture is a deck of cards inscribed to Natasha Nicholson and her then-husband, Tom Garver.

I love the stories of card hustlers and card cheats and the way they would design and invent sleights-of-hand. There is no way in the world I would want to lead that kind of life, but I find it fascinating. I love the terminology, the slang, the technical information on how cards are palmed.

Tony DeLap

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