DAVID WOJNAROWICZ | 'Rimbaud in New York' (in Diner)

signed, titled, dated, and editioned '1/3' in ink on the reverse, framed, Whitney Museum of American Art exhibition and P. P. O. W., Inc., labels on the reverse, 1978, printed in 1990, no. one in an unrealized edition of 3

P. P. O. W., Inc., New York, 1993

New York, P. P. O. W., Inc., In the Garden, November - December 1990

New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, The Power of the City/The City of Power, May - July 1992

New York, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz, January - April 1999

New Brunswick, Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers, Raging through Time: The Art of David Wojnarowicz, January - July 2016

Dan Cameron, Fever: The Art of David Wojnarowicz (New York: New Museum of Contemporary Art, 1999), p. 80 (this print) cf. David Wojnarowicz: Rimbaud in New York 1978-79 (New Haven, 2004)

This photograph, on double-weight paper, is in generally excellent condition. In raking light, the following are visible: scattered deposits of original retouching and a few soft handling creases that do not appear to break the emulsion. Under very close examination in high raking light, minor tiny hairline scratches that do not appear to break the emulsion are visible in the lower right corner. Small raised areas in the upper margin are the result of the hinges on the reverse of the print.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1978-79, the 24-year-old artist David Wojnarowicz completed his first photo project, Arthur Rimbaud in New York.  Wojnarowicz photographed an isolated young man – the sitter was either himself or a close friend – going about everyday activities in New York City. The sitter wears a mask of the young Romantic poet Arthur Rimbaud whose homosexuality and bohemian lifestyle alluded to the photographer’s own youth. Originally published in Soho News in 1980, the photographer rediscovered this body of work while preparing David Wojnarowicz: Tongues of Flame, his first retrospective which opened at the University of Illinois in January 1990. While the series was not exhibited, four of its images were illustrated in the accompanying catalogue. Wojnarowicz presented Arthur Rimbaud in New York for the first time at a P. P. O. W., Inc., November 1990 exhibition, for which prints were specifically produced. 

Lifetime prints from this series are rare. As stated in the catalogue, the present photograph is the only print from the projected edition of 3. Another lifetime print, not from the edition but likely a gift from the artist, has recently been located.