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CR 65
West Islip
1970
lithograph with hand painting on Rives BFK paper
29 1/2 x 41 1/2 in. (74.9 x 105.4 cm)
Signature
Signed "R. Motherwell" in pencil lower right; signed "RM" (reversed) in plate upper left
Inscriptions
Numbered in pencil lower right; workshop chop mark lower left
Edition
20
Proofs
2 AP, numbered I/II-II/II
1 PP
TP (unrecorded)
WP (unrecorded)
6 other proofs (without color added), inscribed “A Proof”-“F Proof”
1 PP
TP (unrecorded)
WP (unrecorded)
6 other proofs (without color added), inscribed “A Proof”-“F Proof”
Publisher
Universal Limited Art Editions, West Islip, New York
Printer
Ben Berns and David Umholz, Universal Limited Art Editions
Production Sequence
5 colors printed in 5 steps from 2 stones and 2 aluminum plates: 1. black – stone; 2. black – stone; 3. light gray/yellow – plate; 4 dark gray/red – plate; 5. hand painting with semi-opaque white acrylic
Concordance
B 36; ULAE 7
Comments
The simple structure of this composition appeared in two earlier editions that Motherwell created with Emiliano Sorini at Hollander Workshop. In each, three lines radiate out from a central shape that resembles a stain (see also cat. nos. 46 and 55).
Two black stones made in 1965 at ULAE were the first stage in the process that would ultimately lead to the final West Islip image. The printing of these stones resulted in a body of handworked proofs, printed in black, from which an impression was given to the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Not certain the image was complete enough, Motherwell put the remaining impressions aside temporarily while continuing to work on other projects at ULAE. In the course of other editions with Ben Berns, specifically The Celtic Stone (cat. no. 101), Motherwell found a way to finish West Islip by adding colored borders and hand overpainting one of the black armatures. These changes completed the image for Motherwell, and the prints were signed and numbered.
The stone for a related image, which incorporates a slightly larger stain as a focal point, was also made in 1965. Printed in 1970 at the same time as West Islip, this edition was not released until 1983 (see cat. no. 295).
Two black stones made in 1965 at ULAE were the first stage in the process that would ultimately lead to the final West Islip image. The printing of these stones resulted in a body of handworked proofs, printed in black, from which an impression was given to the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Not certain the image was complete enough, Motherwell put the remaining impressions aside temporarily while continuing to work on other projects at ULAE. In the course of other editions with Ben Berns, specifically The Celtic Stone (cat. no. 101), Motherwell found a way to finish West Islip by adding colored borders and hand overpainting one of the black armatures. These changes completed the image for Motherwell, and the prints were signed and numbered.
The stone for a related image, which incorporates a slightly larger stain as a focal point, was also made in 1965. Printed in 1970 at the same time as West Islip, this edition was not released until 1983 (see cat. no. 295).
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