Mexico
Mixed media wall assemblage and large-scale drawing • Armando Morales
Style & Movement
Contemporary Latin American Art / Magical Realism / Neo-Figurative Assemblage
Medium & Technique
Gouache, charcoal, and ink on brown paper with found objects, including animal skull, glass insulators, wire, mechanical parts, and collaged paper fragments
Creation Period
1983 - 2008
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 180 x 240 cm; large-scale landscape format
Subject Description
A complex, symmetrical composition featuring a central stylized tree of life structure, two colonial-era figures facing inward, and mythological imagery. It incorporates a real animal skull at the top, a series of collaged figurative drawings, and industrial hardware at the base. The piece explores themes of ancestry, landscape, and the intersection of nature and human history.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good/Very Good; the fragile nature of the brown paper support and complex attachments show slight undulation but appear stable.
Estimated Market Value
$150,000 - $250,000 USD
Auction Estimate
$120,000 - $180,000 USD
Provenance History
Direct attribution to Armando Morales; inscription at bottom right ('a.s. mexico 1983-2008') suggests a long-term developmental period in the artist's studio before entering private or museum collection.
Art Historical Significance
A rare and highly complex monumental work by the Nicaraguan master, showcasing his transition from pure painting to high-concept assemblage which critiques Latin American history through a surrealist lens.
Notable Features
Bottom right signature/date inscription; integration of specific 19th-century mechanical objects and electrical insulators; meticulous wire webbing connecting the disparate elements of the composition.
Condition Issues
Natural yellowing and acidity of the brown craft paper; minor surface debris; tension points where metal wires are anchored to the paper; slight fraying of collaged paper edges.
Conservation Recommendations
Must be housed in a climate-controlled environment (50% RH) with high-efficiency UV-filtering glazing. Minimal vibration is essential due to the weight of the attached objects.