Cris Gianakos, Robert Rauschenberg, RAUSCHENBERG (Scarce and collectible early invitation), 1970

Cris Gianakos, Robert Rauschenberg

RAUSCHENBERG (Scarce and collectible early invitation), 1970

Offset Lithograph Invitation

8 7/10 × 11 9/10 inches

Offset lithograph invitation created on the occasion of Robert Rauschenberg's exhibition at SVA's Visual Arts Gallery in 1970. The poster was designed by Cristos Gianakos, who was also a professor at SVA, and the show was curated by Felice Wender, the director of Dayon's Gallery 12 in Minneapolis. The invitation states that "after completing its New York debut, the show will open at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in January 4, 1971 and continue through January 29, 1971. In May, 1971, Dayton's Gallery 12, Minneapolis, Minnesota will exhibit the new Rauschenberg works..." The text on this invitation additionally states that Rauschenberg said in a written statement about these works:
"The image and the words cooperate to construct a flat re-reading of the facts plus familiar passing insignificancies that control our day. Information, originally engaged in a daily rhetorical screen to eliminate as much direct feeling and response as possible, re-exposed to encourage consideration..."

In nearly a decade and a half of buying and selling art historical ephemera, we have never seen another of these Rauschenberg invitations - besides the present work, - anywhere in the world. It's that rare apparently.

Publisher:
Visual Arts Gallery, SVA