DAVID WOJNAROWICZ (1954 – 1992) | Rimbaud in New York (with gun in west side pier warehouse), 1979

gelatin silver print

Brian Butterick, New York (gift of the artist)
Johnny Dynell, New York (acquired from the above)

This work is in very good condition overall. There is an undulation to the sheet, primarily visible at the upper and lower edges. There is discoloration to the extreme edges of the sheet, visible upon close inspection. There are surface irregularities throughout the pigment, visible upon close inspection under raking light, inherent to the artist's method of development. There are a few pinpoint accretions to the upper, unexposed portion of the sheet, visible upon close inspection. Unframed.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

The present lot is from Wojnarowicz’s noted Rimbaud series, in which the artist photographed himself and others wearing a mask of the renowned French poet Arthur Rimbaud in different areas of the New York where the artist frequented. Like Wojnarowicz, Rimbaud suffered violence in his early years and felt that bourgeois society’s demonizing of his homosexuality kept him from ultimate freedom and acceptance. Pictured here is Wojnarowicz’s lover at the time, Brian Butterick. Butterick gifted the work to DJ and Downtown scene personality Johnny Dynell, who has had the work ever since.