MEL BOCHNER (B. 1940)
Blah, Blah, Blah
titled ‘BLAH, BLAH, BLAH’ (on the stretcher of the upper element); signed, titled again, and dated ‘BLAH, BLAH, BLAH MEL BOCHNER 2015’ (on the stretcher of the lower element)
oil on velvet, in two parts
91 ½ x 75 ¾ in. (232.4 x 192.4 cm.)
Painted in 2015.
Provenance: Simon Lee Gallery, Hong Kong; Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2017; Purchased via Christie’s New York by the present owner.
PRICE: on request
Mel Bochner’s Blah, Blah, Blah is a stunning example of his exploration of language, perception, and materiality. Renowned for his monoprints on this theme, this 2015 work stands apart as a rare and ambitious oil-on-velvet composition, demonstrating Bochner’s mastery of translating his conceptual rigor into diverse media.
The choice of velvet as a substrate is unique within Bochner’s oeuvre. The luxurious yet evocative material provides a sharp counterpoint to the deliberately reductive text. This juxtaposition accentuates the absurdity and ubiquity of the phrase “blah, blah, blah,” which Bochner himself has described as “a stand-in for everything we don’t want to hear.” The text, written in bold, painterly strokes, resonates with both humor and criticism, pointing to the oversaturation of meaningless language in contemporary discourse.
Bochner explains the appeal of this phrase: “‘Blah, blah, blah’ is not just a joke; it’s a serious attempt to give language to the feelings of exasperation and alienation we all experience when confronted with empty rhetoric.” This theme is a cornerstone of his body of work, and Blah, Blah, Blah has become one of his most sought-after and recognizable motifs.
The dual-panel composition, monumental in scale, amplifies the phrase’s impact, forcing viewers to confront the tension between language as a visual object and as a conveyor of meaning. The repetition of the phrase across his works—in prints, paintings, and installations—underscores its universality and the artist’s ongoing engagement with semiotics.
In terms of market performance, Bochner’s works featuring Blah, Blah, Blah consistently command premium prices. Recent sales of similar oil-on-velvet works have underscored collectors’ strong appetite for this motif. In 2023, a comparable work on velvet sold at auction for over $850,000, demonstrating the growing appreciation for this medium’s rarity in his practice.
