Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Glance (First Edition)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Glance (First Edition), a 2021 screen print in an edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs, condenses Vhils's signature carving language into paper. Beyond conventional screen ink, the artist deploys Quink ink, bleach and acid to hand-finish each sheet on Keaykolour Original China White 300gsm stock. Signed and numbered at 70 by 50 cm, it renders a fragmented human face through subtractive marks.
Collector notes: Edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs according to the saved release record. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Glance translates Vhils's monumental wall-carving practice into an intimate studio object. The combination of bleach and acid on a fine art stock is not decorative; it mirrors the erosion he inflicts on urban surfaces, letting the medium itself perform the act of revelation. For collectors, it is a compact demonstration of his core thesis: identity surfaces through destruction.
Collector Perspective
At 220 total impressions, Glance sits in the accessible tier of Vhils's editioned output while remaining hand-finished, meaning no two sheets are identical. The Quink-and-acid treatment introduces natural variance that rewards in-person inspection. Buyers should confirm the pencil signature and number, verify the China White stock, and treat surface variation as intended rather than a flaw.
Historical Context
By 2021 Alexandre Farto, working as Vhils, had spent over a decade building a portraiture practice defined by carving into walls, billboards and found surfaces across cities worldwide. This edition belongs to a body of studio prints through which his gallery, Underdogs, extended the aesthetic of his large-scale interventions to collectors who could never own a carved facade.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2021
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 70 x 50 cm; Screen print on paper; Screen print ink, Quink ink, bleach and acid; Hand-finished, signed and numbered by the artist.
- Edition details
- Edition of 200 plus 20 artist's proofs according to the saved release record.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Vhils's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: By 2021 Alexandre Farto, working as Vhils, had spent over a decade building a portraiture practice defined by carving into walls, billboards and found surfaces across cities worldwide. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2021 and attributes the edition to Underdogs.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Underdogs. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Vhils — official site — Vhils studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Vhils — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Vhils (Q115823) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What makes this a 'First Edition'?
The designation marks it as the initial editioned release of this image, an edition of 200 with 20 artist's proofs, rather than a later reprint or variant.
Why are bleach and acid used?
They are hand-finishing agents that erode and alter the printed surface, echoing the subtractive carving that defines Vhils's wall works.
Is each print identical?
No. Because the Quink ink, bleach and acid are applied by hand, surface effects vary slightly from sheet to sheet.
How is it signed?
It is signed and numbered by the artist, typically in pencil, on the 70 by 50 cm China White sheet.
