Robert Rauschenberg, Western Union Telegram (Historic Dwan Gallery Poster Invite), 1962

Robert Rauschenberg 

Western Union Telegram (Historic Dwan Gallery Invitation Poster), 1962 

Limited Edition Offset Lithograph 

20 inches (vertical) x 17 inches (horizontal)

The historic and extremely scarce Western Union Telegram exhibition poster invitation for Rauschenberg's first solo show in California, which featured his Combines. The exhibition took place March 4-31, 1962 at the Dwan Gallery, Los Angeles, at its first location on Broxton Avenue. Rauschenberg himself created this ingeniously designed poster - featuring a Western Union Telegram to announce the show, and a crossword puzzle announcing the opening date, March 4th, until March 31st, the location in Westwood Village - with the show information designed as crosswords. The historic importance of this exhibition cannot be underestimated. This offset lithograph was published in a limited edition of unknown but small size, and is rarely found on the market. In 2016, the National Gallery of Art in Washingtn, D.C. held a monumental exhibition celebrating the life and career of Virginia Dwan, curated by art historian James Meyer. The exhibition was accompanied by a lavish 410 page illustrated hardback monograph. Below is a link to more information on this exhibition:
https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2016/from-los-angeles-to-new-york-dwan-gallery.html
The Rauschenberg show is documented on page 327 of the monograph, which includes a checklist of the works in the exhibition, and a bibliography of contemporaneous reviews.