46

Richard Prince

(b. 1949)

Art into Activity Equals Art onto Artist.

Monoprint with chromogenic prints and notepaper with typed and handwritten text collage bonded to cream wove paper, 1976.
Signed, inscribed "ap" and dated in pencil, lower right. Printed by the artist. Published by Ellen Sragow, Ltd./ Prints on Prince St., New York.
Printed to document Prince's exhibition "Work Out" at Ellen Sragow Gallery, Ltd., New York, March 1976, featuring the performance, Match.
Sheet: 22 x 34 in. (55.9 x 86.4 cm.), full margins.

  • Provenance:
    Ellen Sragow Gallery, Ltd., New York.
    Private collection, New York.
  • Exhibited:
    "Fugitive Artist: The Early Work of Richard Prince, 1974 - 1977," Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, New York, January 28 - June 24, 2007.
    "Richard Prince, Early Works: A Private Collection," Ellen Sragow Gallery, Ltd., New York, December - January, 2008.
  • Notes:
    Richard Prince's early works are rooted in his practice of appropriation and often include photographs accompanied by text. Prince began to create collages with photographs and text after arriving in New York in late 1973. By the late-1970s he incorporated found images from books and magazines into his collages, which anticipate his later use of Pop images.

    Several early narrative collages exhibited in "Fugitive Artist: The Early Work of Richard Prince, 1974 - 1977' at the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, were experimental and humble, often containing the phrase "Like most everybody else" and incorporating correction fluid, as in the present work. Collages, like Art into Activity Equals Art onto Artist from 1976 are notable for their simplicity and use typed text.

    Ellen Sragow began to exhibit works by Richard Prince in the late 1970s, including three of his solo shows. "Workout," an early exhibition from March 12 - 19, 1976 at Sragow's gallery, included Prince's performance piece, Match in which the artist engaged player Richard "Boo" Marcom in a ping pong game. Match is referenced in the present work documenting the multi-day performance. "Workout" was followed by the exhibitions "In Complete Control," September 25 - October 23, 1976, and "The Author," November 19 - December 17, 1977.
  • Condition:
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