annoyingly vulgar? amorously fatal?, 2011

The costume competitions that take place during Carnival in the artists' native Brazil are an important source for avaf's imagery, as they are a national pastime followed closely by the media. This racy image of a man in a peacock costume is recycled from an old photograph of Carnival published in a Brazilian magazine and was used in an all-gallery installation at Deitch Projects in 2003.

The title of this work, like most by avaf, is an acrostic play on the letters "a", "v", "a", and "f". The combinations of these letters frequently appear as names of performances and installations, as well as on the signatures of emails and correspondences between the collective and the outside world.

Assume vivid Astro Focus was founded by Eli Sudbrack in 2001. Sudbrack began working with Christophe Hamaide Pierson in 2005 as a duo that often morphs into a collective, depending on the different projects they are involved in.

avaf works in a vast array of media, including painting, drawing, installations, video, sculpture, neon, wallpaper, decals, and often confronts gender, politics, and embedded cultural codes through pop imagery and neon colors. The duo brings a passionate collaborative spirit to every aspect of their work—from conceiving projects in tandem, to employing an extensive range of references and materials, to executing large-scale installations with expert, animated, diversely talented teams. avaf approaches every project with a combination of all-encompassing, unbridled vision and keen pragmatism.

Their work often and easily segues into the fashion industry and popular culture. They have collaborated with designers from Comme des Garçons—providing their imagery for both printed and digital matter—to Lady Gaga, who incorporated their art into the “Gaga's Workshop” display at Barneys New York.

avaf has also been the subject of major exhibitions and public art projects around the world. These include Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, The Faena Art Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway, São Paulo Bienal, São Paulo, Brazil, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan, 1st Athens Biennale, Athens, Greece, The Geffen Contemporary (MoCA), Los Angeles, and The 2004 Whitney Biennial, New York, among others.

All our frames are manufactured in the USA, using eco-friendly and sustainably sourced engineered hardwood for durability and a uniform finish that is free of defects. Frames are available in Black or White Satin and Honey Pecan.

All prints are hinged to a conservation quality, acid-free and lignin-free Alpha Cellulose matboard, using an acid-free linen tape. The mat's surface paper is fade and bleed resistant and is attached to a conservation quality foam-core mounting board that will keep the work safe from deterioration over time. Artworks with a deckled or decorative edges will be floated on the matboard, with acrylic spacers to separate the art from the glazing. All mounting is fully reversible, without any potential damage to the art.

All of our frames come with picture quality .090 mm plexiglass, which blocks 66% of UV to prevent color fading from exposure to light, keeping your art protected for years to come. It is now considered the industry standard for artists, museums and galleries throughout the world.

For images up to 30" x 40"

• 1 1/4” wide, 3/4” deep, with a 2 1/2” wide mat.
• We generally leave 1/4” - 1/2” of paper showing around the image, to accommodate signatures and for visual appeal.

For sheet sizes larger than 30” x 40" please contact an Artspace advisor for a custom quote.

Our art editions ship in 7 to 10 business days from New York.

Our framed art editions ship in 11 to 14 business days from New York.

This work is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt of delivery.

Questions about this work?

Interested in other works by this artist or other artists? We will source them for you.

Contact an Artspace Advisor at advisor@artspace.com