{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":61731,"auction_id":209,"set_id":242,"lot_number":"155","artist":"Ronald Ventura (b. 1973)","title":"Inside Out, Outside In","starting_price":12000000,"signed_dated":"signed and dated 2004 (lower right)","medium":"oil on canvas","size":"77 1/2\" x 74 3/4\" (197 x 190 cm)","property":null,"coa":null,"provenance":"Acquired directly from the artist
\nPrivate collection, Germany","exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"A one-of-a-kind masterpiece that demonstrates his then-growing mastery of hyperrealism and his growing interest in layered imagery, psychology, and identity, Ronald Ventura’s Inside Out, Outside In provides a unique glimpse into his formative period. At this time, he began combining rigorous academic draftsmanship with graphic elements, symbols, and conceptual narratives.
Dated in 2004, Ventura presented a composition of two interconnected yet visually distinct panels. The left panel is dominated by dark textured surfaces with grids, numbers, markings, and layers of faded imagery—the most recognizable includes a naked man covering their face and clutching their hollowed abdomen as a symbol of infinity was boldly scribbled above it, hinting at a sense of anguish, introspection, or continuous psychological distress. White lines are also present in the specific panel. They create an outline that forms a silhouette of a human body, suggesting an invisible presence and evoking a fragmented language that evolves memory, consciousness, and unseen aspects of identity.
The right panel, on the other hand, presents a clearer representation of two meticulously rendered monochromatic human figures. Both figures are wrapped in translucent cloth that seems to cover, restrict, or suffocate their heads while leaving their naked bodies exposed. One, found at the far right end, is a seated figure leaning forward in a chair, seemingly struggling with the wrist straps and the cover, while the larger standing figure occupies most of the composition.—its form mirrors the outline on the left panel, which immediately establishes a direct connection towards the former panel, creating a singular visual dialogue.
Relating it to the title, Ventura’s masterpiece could be interpreted as an early exploration of relationships between internal and external identities. The two panels were used to examine how thoughts, memories, and emotions shaped the outward self. The latter grids, numbers, symbols, and graphic images evoke the system of the mind—the knowledge, memories, and information that continuously define and shape one’s human experience. At the same time, the translucent fabric serves as both concealment and revelation. The way it covers both figures highlights how it obscures and restructures the figure while emphasizing their vulnerability through “suffocation”. Rather than separating inside and outside identities, Ventura joins the two as a representation of how the two constantly dialogue to define oneself.
In such a way, Inside Out, Outside In presents a magnificent example of his early artistic development. It hides many visual strategies that would later define Ventura's mature oeuvre. His panels explore themes of concealment, vulnerability, and the search for identity, differing in language: one is fragmented and almost erased, while the other is hyperrealisable and tangible. Both imply that the psychological and physical self are inseparable in shaping one’s human experience. (Mark John Castañeda)","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":17000000,"bp":0.2016,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":17000000,"userBid":34,"isPaid":0,"userId":34,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":25626,"reserve_price":null,"hammer_price":20427200,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":68625,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/209/242/lot/155.jpg","isFeatured":1}]},"increment":[11000000,12000000,13000000,14000000,15000000,16000000,17000000,18000000,19000000,20000000],"prev":154,"next":156,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}