Richard Hambleton

Private Collection, United States (acquired directly from the artist in 1982-83)

Thence by descent to the present owner

Shadowman, Anvil originally resided on the basement door of the infamous gay BDSM after-hours sex club The Anvil on West 14th Street in New York. A club that drew in celebrities, socialites and the height of New York society, the club frequently held discos, live performances, exhibitions and drag shows. During the 1980s the present work greeted party revelers and was protected by an iron gate; a night time emblem synonymous with live music, dancing and euphoria. The club closed its doors in 1986 just as New York was reaching the peak of the AIDS crisis and many of the most popular establishments in the City had to shut down.