Ray Johnson signed & dated Mail Art collage "Two Photocopied Lucky's & Etching"

Description: Original unframed Mail Art collage titled "Two Photocopied Lucky's and Etching " signed and dated by the artist Ray Johnson (1927-1995). From the Estate of Producer and Screenwriter Gerald Ayres. The collage consists of two photocopied or mimeographed Lucky Strike cutouts that are glued onto slightly irregular cut board with a small print of an antique etching which displays a man fishing on a river bank. The print/etching is centered between the two Lucky Strike cutouts. Centered above the etching image is a tiny oblong board that goes to the top edge, simple but an engaging element. Additionally the use of reproduced Lucky logo circles as well as they lack colour is quite unusual to the Lucky's series. The collage measures measures 3 3/4" x 7 1/2". The collage is mounted on archival board measuring 6 3/4" x 10.1/2 inches. Collage is dated November 9th (in the artist hand) upper left. Signed Ray Johnson upper right. The condition is in very good. The collage has a pin hole in the upper center, a ding and slight bend on the upper left corner, as well as a ding and slight bend on the lower right corner, and overall a yellow cast and handling of the board all of which are indicative of Ray Johnson's Mail Art. This piece was mailed to Gerald Ayres, regrettably the original envelope has been misplaced/discarded.Please review the photos closely. The collage was consigned to Christie's in 2018 and bears assorted tags as well as labels on a matching archival cover board. The collage did not sell and was returned to the collection. Please look at the photos and contact me if you have any questions. Exhibition history: Whitney Museum of American Art- "Ray Johnson: Correspondences" January 14- December 21, 1999 Wexner Center for the Arts- " Ray Johnson: Correspondences" September 17- December 31, 2000 Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona- "Ray Johnson: Please Add to & Return" November 6, 2009 - January 10, 2010 Provenance: This Mail Art collage is from the collection/estate of the Producer and Screenwriter Gerald Ayres who was a friend and collector of Ray Johnsons artworks/collages. Ray and Gerald became friends in New York during the late 1950's as described in Gerald Ayres book "The Apple Bites Back: a memoir the early years" and remained so throughout Ray's life. Additionally I will be listing a number of Mail Art with envelopes that include the names of pioneering avant-garde artists, writers, poets, theater notables, musicians/composers, designers, and such of the late 1950's and early 1960's. Simple as some of these Mail Art collages are understand that this is an uncommon opportunity to acquire a work of art that is also a piece of history from one of the most pivotal creative movements of the 20th century. Feel free to visit my other listings. Guy Ayres

Price: 1800 USD

Location: La Fargeville, New York

End Time: 2024-09-16T16:07:40.000Z

Shipping Cost: 18.4 USD