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Claes Oldenburg, Stars (Cat. Raisonne Ref: 29, Axsom & Platzker, 1997), 1963

Claes Oldenburg, Stars (Cat. Raisonne Ref: 29, Axsom & Platzker, 1997), 1963

Claes Oldenburg

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Description

Claes Oldenburg

Stars (Cat. Raisonne Ref: 29, Axsom & Platzker, 1997), 1963

Letterpress in 1 colour over stock offset lithograph "rainbow roll" in 3 colours on wood board

28 × 22 in

An extremely rare and important piece of Pop Art history - and a must have for collectors of Oldenburg's work. This historic poster was published on the occasion of the performance "Stars: A Farce for Objects" at the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, Washington, D.C., April 24 and 25, 1963. It was one of the earliest "Happenings" - done by Claes Oldenburg. D.C. might have seemed an unlikely venue, but it was during the idealistic and arts friendly Kennedy era - seven full months before the President's shocking assassination. Oldenburg was invited by Alice Denney, the assistant director of the fledgling Washington Gallery of Modern Art, for The Pop Art Festival she was organizing alongside her pioneering show of Pop Art, “The Popular Image Exhibition,” which opened in April 1963. It included a lecture/tape recorder performance by John Cage and a multi-ring dance event organized by Billy Kluver and featuring Yvonne Rainer and the Judson Church crew. Stars was originally called Cleaners, as it was first scheduled to be held at a rug cleaners on Dupon circle (foreshadowing today's political Happening at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping.) Oldenburg selected Aristo Rug Cleaners, located on P Street around the corner from the WGMA. His notes mention the activity of the site, and how...
“the interaction of white shirts and brown and black (employees)” embodied the city itself...After a visit to Washington for the purpose of using the place [the cleaners], I did form the title STARS, already more specific than the first stage. This came from seeing very clear stars in the sky on the last moment of my visit and seemed to concentrate certain physical properties of the place, f. ex. the patriotic motif. The radiated way the streets are built. But the title was still abstract in that it was achieved part from a particular place in Wash. where the piece might be done..."
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Number 29 in "Printed Stuff : Prints, Posters and Ephemera by Claes Oldenburg : A Catalogue Raisonné‚ 1958-1996" by Claes Oldenburg, Richard H. Axsom, David Platzker. New York / Madison, NY / WI : Hudson Hills Press / Madison Art Center, 1997, pp. 92.

Good vintage condition with age wear see photos. Work is permanently affixed to wood board, with hanging wire and is ready to hang as is.