Robert Rauschenberg

Lithograph and screenprint in colors, 1967, signed in pencil, dated, numbered 37/38, with the blindstamp of the publisher, Gemini G.E.L., on Curtis Rag paper, framed

Sold Sotheby's New York, October 31, 1998, lot 1269

The print is in good condition and the colors are good. The sheet edges with extremely faint traces of discoloration and a smudge of soiling at lower right. The sheet is slightly toned on the verso.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

                          “I am going to make a self-portrait”
                                     Robert Rauschenberg

So declared the artist upon embarking on his collaboration with Ken Tyler, then the master printer at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles. Booster was, at the time, the largest scale lithograph to have been printed by hand and it was conceived with a spontaneity reflecting the stream of consciousness expression of the era and the innovative techniques of artist and printer.   The focal point of the print depicts an x-ray negative super-imposed on lithographic stones, of Rauschenberg himself, naked but for his boots. This is juxtaposed with smaller components comprising minutiae such as current media images and an astrological map.  The overall composition is thus intended to be biographical in nature, while the experimental qualities emphasize the artist’s pioneering approach to printmaking.

             

Our mother was an artist. She sculpted, painted, sketched, played the piano.   As a dedicated art lover, nothing compared to her passion and respect for the talent of  Robert Rauschenberg   Our father on the other hand was a man of physics math and science. Their home was filled with his work, she anticipated every Sotheby’s catalogue, where she would comb through leaving post it notes on pieces she hoped to acquire. Her Sanibel home was not far from Rauschenberg’s studio in Captiva, where they fostered a friendship that lasted until the end of his life. 
The Marks Family