ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG | Indian (Hoarfrost)

ACE Gallery, Los Angeles
Gian Enzo Sperone, New York
Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
Collezione privata, Biella
Ivi acquistato dall'attuale proprietario alla fine degli anni Ottanta

The work is in good overall condition. The irregularities along the fabrics' edges are inherent to the artist's technique.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Per la serie di Hoarfrost, Robert Rauschenberg trasferisce immagini prese da giornali e riviste su tessuti non stirati. Gli strati di tessuto, appesi e sovvrapposti, rivelano le immagini spettrali trasposte attraverso la diversità di trame, motivi e traslucenza. La serie è stata ispirata anche dal regalo di compleanno di James Rosenquist di un fulmine in seta trasparente luccicante. Il tessuto ricordava a Rauschenberg la brina, una parola presente nell'Inferno di Dante e che l'artista ponderava attentamente durante la realizzazione dell’omonima serie di disegni del 1958-60, ora nella collezione del Museum of Modern Art di New York .
Inizialmente intitolato Chandelier (Hoarfrost), Rauschenberg ha successivamente cambiato il titolo in Indian (Hoarfrost) in seguito a una visita in India con suo figlio, che lo ha descritto come "semplicemente stupito dai colori. Un nuovo senso del tessuto lo ha sopraffatto lì". Quest’opera contiene immagini trasportate dai fumetti di Peanuts, pubblicità di champagne e cruciverba di giornali, che conferiscono nell’insieme un senso di intrattenimento e irriverenza alla composizione.

For the Hoarfrost series, Robert Rauschenberg transferred images from newspapers and magazines onto unstretched fabric. The layers of fabric, which hang and overlap each other, reveal the ghostly transfer imagery through their different textures, patterns and translucency. The series was also inspired by James Rosenquist's birthday gift of a bolt of shimmering transparent silk. The fabric reminded Rauschenberg of hoarfrost (frozen water vapor or dew), a word used in Dante's Inferno, which the artist pored over studiously while making the Dante drawings of 1958-60, now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. 
Initially titled Chandelier (Hoarfrost), Rauschenberg later changed the title to Indian (Hoarfrost) following a visit in India with his son, who described him as being "just amazed at the colors. A new sense of fabric came to him there." The work contains transfer imagery from Peanuts comic strips, a champagne advertisement and newspaper crossword puzzles, which altogether confer an overall sense of entertainment and fun to the composition.

Opera registrata presso la Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York, con il n. 74.029
L'opera è accompagnata da certificato su fotografia rilasciato da Leo Castelli e firmato dall'artista