León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Private Collection, Makati City

ABOUT THE WORK

In Old Ruler’s Riddle, Mark Justiniani compellingly weaves elements of Surrealism into a single body of work that taps into the subliminal depths of our subconsciousness. It is a piece imbued with and immersed in an enigma, an opus where Justiniani engages in an unbridled exercise of poetic freedom. In a special correspondence with Leon Gallery, Justiniani succinctly describes and expounds on the enigmatic images in this work. “The letters “OR” and a seemingly whispered final “O” appear to be skewered together, as evidenced by the golden hilt of a sword. By the letters is an ornate knight’s pauldron decorated by a white nobleman’s ruff. Next to it, a pair of keys that evoke Papal symbolism.” Justiniani continues: “Tattered red curtain drapes behind the pauldron, seemingly bleeding out of a green curtain. A man on a city street with apparent feathered wings turns his head up towards a staircase. He ascends, where a suited figure sits, waiting above two bare feet and a floating, possibly falling, wine glass.” “This is a painting of interwoven images that dissolve into each other; solid subjects intermingle with apparent ghost-like visions. They are laid out like clues or perhaps pieces of evidence to be investigated, analyzed, and reflected upon,” concludes the artist. Old Ruler’s Riddle brings to mind Winston Churchill’s phrase, “A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” (void of its political connotations). The piece is a seemingly endless conundrum of deep-seated allegories and labyrinthine mazes, in which images coalesce into each other in every closer look, producing more questions than likely answers—the “imponderable ponderable.” It is like Oedipus trying to unravel the riddle of the Sphinx; King Solomon accepting the challenge of the Queen of Sheba questioning his wisdom; or even the priestesses of the Oracle at Delphi attempting to interpret and deliver the mysterious messages of the sun god Apollo to those who seek for his divine advice. But this time, in the case of Justiniani, the abundance and complexity of clues lead to rather an endless quest for explanation and resolutions. In working in this manner, one remembers the enduring stories of the legendary quest of King Arthur for the Holy Grail or the storied expeditions of the Spanish conquistadors of the Age of Exploration in their tireless search for the Fountain of Youth. Therefore, Justiniani imbues the work with that delightful curiosity we experienced when we were still innocent and naïve children reading our favorite storybooks. Justiniani evokes the famous words of French writer and poet and principal theorist of the Surrealist cultural movement André Robert Breton immortalized in his influential publication “Surrealist Manifesto” (1924): “The mind which plunges into Surrealism, relives with burning excitement the best part of childhood.” In doing so, Justiniani gives the viewer freedom and liberty of visual exegesis, making the painting actively engaging. In a more melancholic tone, what if there really is no answer to Justiniani’s riddle? (A.M.)