{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":61604,"auction_id":209,"set_id":242,"lot_number":"26","artist":"Marc Aran Reyes (b. 1996)","title":"Man-Made Utopia II","starting_price":500000,"signed_dated":"signed and dated 2024 (lower right)","medium":"oil on canvas","size":"24\" x 36\" (61 cm x 91 cm)","property":null,"coa":"Accompanied by a certificate issued by Art Underground and signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot","provenance":null,"exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"In the sometimes abstract and intimidating world of art, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking a work can be reduced to fixed facts or static elements. But art is anything but static—it’s fluid, alive, and constantly reshaped by the dynamic exchange between an artist’s intent and a viewer’s interpretation. Meaning isn’t something pre-packaged; it’s something that emerges in the space between creation and reception, in the push and pull of what the artist offers and what the audience brings to it.<br><br> This interplay is central to the practice of Filipino contemporary artist Marc Aran Reyes. Known for his hyper-realistic yet surreal monochromatic scenes, Reyes’ aesthetic is far more than a stylistic choice—it’s a deliberate strategy. By stripping away color, he removes an easy emotional shorthand, compelling the viewer to engage with form, texture, and symbolism without the guiding bias of a palette. This echoes the sentiment of many fine art photographers of the 20th century, who argued that color often distracts the senses, while its absence sharpens perception. As Ansel Adams once observed, life often seems defined by extremes—black and white—but it’s the subtle grays between them that bring depth and meaning.<br><br> In this particular work, a lone figure floats against a vast, dreamlike horizon, cradling a gleaming sphere that catches and distorts the surrounding light. The landscape is stripped to its bare essentials—sky, ground, light, shadow—yet the absence of detail only amplifies the surreal tension. The figure’s shadow stretches unnaturally, hinting at something just beyond comprehension. Here, Reyes distills his visual language into a poetic equilibrium, a moment suspended between gravity and weightlessness, clarity and mystery. It’s a space where the viewer can linger, caught between disorientation and quiet revelation, and perhaps see themselves reflected—literally and metaphorically—within the mirrored sphere. (Jed Daya)","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":900000,"bp":0.2016,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":900000,"userBid":34,"isPaid":0,"userId":34,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":24772,"reserve_price":0,"hammer_price":1081440,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":68505,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/209/242/lot/26.jpg","isFeatured":1}]},"increment":[900000,1000000,1100000,1200000,1300000,1400000,1500000,1600000,1700000,1800000,1900000,2000000,2200000,2400000,2600000,2800000,3000000,3200000,3400000,3600000,3800000,4000000,4200000,4400000,4600000,4800000,5000000,5500000,6000000,6500000,7000000,7500000,8000000,8500000,9000000,9500000,10000000,11000000,12000000,13000000,14000000,15000000,16000000,17000000,18000000,19000000,20000000],"prev":25,"next":27,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}