Jordan Casteel (b. 1989) Simon, 2014 Mixed media and collage on paper 49 x 38 inches (124.5 x 96.5 cm) (sheet) Signed, titled, and dated on the reverse: 2014 / "Simon Collage" / Jordan Casteel 1/1 PROVENANCE: Christie's, New York, private sale; Private collection, New York, acquired from the above, 2020. Executed in 2014, Simon dates to a formative year in Jordan Casteel's career, when she completed her MFA at Yale and presented her first solo exhibition, Visible Man, at Sargent's Daughters in New York. Her portraits from this period explored the representation of Black men through intimate encounters with individual sitters. Unconventional color and domestic settings offered a way to challenge familiar stereotypes while preserving the particular character of each subject. In Simon, overlapping sections of blue, turquoise and pale lavender construct the seated figure. Angular pieces of paper interrupt the contours of his torso and limbs, making the process of assembling the portrait visible. His tilted head and folded arms give the pose an informal ease, while his gaze establishes a direct connection with the viewer. A vivid passage of red at the mouth draws attention back to the face amid the shifting planes of color. The surrounding room is equally active. A green chair, framed pictures and passages of orange, yellow and rust establish a domestic space without fully describing it. Areas of exposed paper contrast with the densely worked figure. The room appears to take shape around Simon through a combination of loose drawing, broad color and layered fragments. This attention to setting is central to Casteel's early portraiture. Furnishings and personal surroundings help situate her subjects within lives that extend beyond the image. Here, collage gives that approach a distinct physical form. The figure remains clearly legible despite its fragmented construction. The overlapping edges and varied marks reveal how it has been assembled. Casteel received her BA from Agnes Scott College in 2011 and her MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale School of Art in 2014. Her work is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Christie's, New York, private sale; Private collection, New York, acquired from the above, 2020.

Undulations throughout sheets. Pinholes in corners, stray marks in margins, handling dents, and small creases and tears along deckled edges of sheet likely inherent to artist's process. Framed and floated under acrylic.
Framed Dimensions 53.75 X 42.25 Inches