Ray Johnson (American, 1927–1995)

LOT ID: 65137

The View North from Wodworth's Hardware, 1971

Graphite, Watercolor, Ink, on Card

3.5 х 5.5 in. (8.89 x 13.97 cm.)

Inscribed, and addressed "Marcia Tucker, Whitney Museum, Madison Ave and 75th Streets, New York City."

Lot description

This stunning example of Ray Johnson’s correspondence art was sent to Marcia Tucker in 1971. With an intimate note written on the verso, the front of this handmade postcard presents a quiet and idyllic harbor scene completed in delicate watercolors and ink.

Ray Johnson (1927-1995) is known for his work as a Neo-Dada artist, primarily creating collage and correspondence art, though he also worked with Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art throughout his career. Johnson’s earliest works of sublime geometric abstractions, highlight his connection to Josef Albers and the Black Mountain College. His work became more focused when he started creating “moticos”; small, irregularly shaped collages which integrated remnants of pop culture from advertisements and celebrity magazines. Johnson’s collages were often superimposed on other artist’s work, layering meaning and creating coded exchanges. In the late 1950s Johnson began mailing his pieces with specific instructions to the recipients, and by the early 1960s this endeavor became known as the New York School of Correspondence. The last years of Johnson’s life were spent in isolation, as he increasingly substituted his correspondence art for personal interactions. Johnson died in Sag Harbor, NY in 1995 and in 1999 the Whitney Museum of American Art exhibited a retrospective of his work.

Select Public Collections:
Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY)
Guggenheim (New York, NY)

Literature and Catalogue Raisonné
Literature and Catalogue Raisonné
Condition Report
Condition Report
No condition report has been added for this lot. Please contact the specialist for further information.
History and Provenance
History and Provenance
Provenance:
The Estate of Marcia Tucker;
Private Collection, NY
Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Shipping Carrier:
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Shipping Weight: 1 lbs

Framing: No

Item Location: New York, USA

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Gracie Mansion

Senior Specialist, Contemporary

New York

(212) 497-9700 Ext. 494 494

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Lot ID

65137

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Ray Johnson

Title

The View North from Wodworth's Hardware

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Ray Johnson (American, 1927–1995) LOT ID: 65137 The View North from Wodworth's Hardware, 1971

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LOT ID: 65137

The View North from Wodworth's Hardware, 1971