Engraving Photography

Robert Indiana ERR 1963: A rare, sought-after early Robert Indiana print defined by surreal, experimental cinematic-like energy. Hand-signed by Indiana on the lower right. Medium: Photoengraving and etching on Rives BFK. Dimensions: 4 1/2x6 inches (including margins). Very good overall vintage condition. Signed, dated and inscribed "Artist's Proof 'E'" and "CHI" in pencil, lower margin. Rare Trial proof, aside from the main edition of 60. Printed by the artist at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Further background: According to Susan Sheehan, Indiana printed only six progressive trial proofs at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he learned printmaking from 1949 to 1952, under the supervision of Vera Berdich (inscribed "CHI"). Additionally 13 trial proofs were printed at the Pratt Graphic Art Center, New York (these inscribed "NYC"). The regular edition was printed by Atelier Georges Lablanc, Paris and published by Galleria Schwarz, Milan to be included in International Anthology of Contemporary Engraving: The International Avant-Garde: America Discovered, Volume 5. The plate used for this print was originally given to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago by the R.R. Donnelly Company, printers of Life magazine. Indiana discovered the plate while visiting Berdich at the school and decided to use it in his contribution to the Avant-garde portfolio. Sheehan 29. Robert Indiana 1991: "When I went back to the Art Institute of Chicago at that particular time - I think I was judging a show - I learned that Vera Berdich (Indiana's former teacher) was still there and the idea occurred to me, wouldn't it be fun to do a visiting artist etching, and she concurred. There on the floor was a box of copper plates and the images had been defaced on each one. These copper plates had been donated by the R.R. Donnelly Company, which put out Life magazine. I used to work for Donnelly. My only commercial art job was with them doing the little drawing that appear in the Yellow Pages, like lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners and things like that. Anyway, the idea being that the student was supposed to turn the plate over to use the back side and forget about the image on the front. But I found this image of this actress sitting on her bed with her ironing board and decided it was only very lightly defaced, so I asked if I could use it. And the word "Err" was actually added in New York; it was not in the first proofs in Chicago. Two weeks later, I was thumbing through LIFE magazine and there was this actress in the same page..." About the artist: Robert Indiana is best known for his iconic “LOVE” image, which has appeared across media including sculptures, prints, and paintings and epitomizes the artist’s graphic, predominantly text-based Pop art practice. Throughout his career, Indiana reimagined the aesthetics of American advertisements...