ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG (1925-2008)
SLING-SHOTS LIT #3
From Sling-Shots Lit Series (Gemini G.E.L. 1175)
1985
Incised signature, title and date on a metal plate affixed to the left side.
Lithograph and silkscreen in color on mylar sheets and sailcloth, set in a wooden box with fluorescent light and removable blinds.
Edition of 25 (seven artist's proofs), published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles.
Ingekrast met handtekening, titel en datum op een metalen plaatje aan de linkerzijde
Lithografie en zeefdruk in kleur op mylar vellen en zeildoek, geplaatst in een houten lichtbak met fluorescerend licht en beweegbare vensterluiken
Uit een oplage van 25 (er waren ook zeven proefdrukken), uitgegeven door Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles.
Incised with signature, titled and dated on a metal plaque affixed to the left side
Lithograph and screenprint in colours on mylar sheets and sailcloth, set into a wooden lightbox with fluorescent light and moveable window shades
From the edition of 25 (there were also seven artist's proofs), published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
214,6 x 129,5 x 31,1 cm
Footnotes:
Provenance / Herkomst
Guy Pieters Gallery, Knokke
Private collection / Privécollectie, Belgium
Since 1962, Robert Rauschenberg has been experimenting with screen-printed photographic images, which he applies to stretched or unstretched canvas, sliding Plexiglas panels and motorized rotating discs. A variation on this theme is the 'Sling Shots' series. Each consists of a beautifully crafted rectangular wooden frame, like a window, but with photographic images printed on Mylar (polyester film) and covered with sailcloth where the glass should be. Two additional layers of transparent Mylar hang in front of this frame, along with other screen-printed and lithographed images, some in black and white, others in electric shades of blue, green, orange and red.
The whole thing is lit from behind by fluorescent bulbs, giving the effect of an oversized light box, and the suspended Mylar sheets can be raised or lowered, like blinds, by pulling the cord on one side of the box.
The individual elements of each 'Sling Shot' - mixed media, pop-style imagery and audience participation - have formed the basis of Rauschenberg's groundbreaking art for decades. But here, the artist goes further, using the moving shadows not as a gimmick, but as a means of reaffirming his commitment to chance and change in his own art.
While lacking the overtly political content of some of Rauschenberg's earlier works, the 'Sling Shots Lit' still demonstrate his flair for social satire and his ability to find surprising, often witty, visual juxtapositions.
Nancy G. Heller, Shades of Pop Art at B. R. Kornblatt, Robert Rauschenberg's Sling Shots, Washington Post, March 28, 1985.
For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Estim. 10,000 - 15,000 EUR
