Universal Limited Art Editions

March 3 - April 12, 1991

Johnson County Community College • Gallery of Art intense artistic activiLyand growt h in the challenges of these rich explorations Universal Limited ew York in the 1950s and 1960s, was and comp licated technical inventions, Art Editions able to discern and attract the best many times experimenting with and young artists and encourage them to developing new techniques on their Tatyana Grosman, her husband explore the medium that she loved . own. Maurice and their enterprise , Universal Second, the artists she attracted we re at These factors came together at a criti­ Limited Art Editions, have been credited the height of their creative powers, and cal juncture. Each element was inextrica­ by historians with reviving pi"intmaking printmaking became a natural outlet for bly relevant to all other elements - an in the mid-20th centwy and elevating it their robust expe riments and passio nate inspired catalyst, ingenious, inexhaustible from what was commonly considered a involvement with a previously unex­ innovators and technical wizards. These lower art form to the highest level of plored source of exp ression. And finally, components merged in a small house in aesthetic pursuit. the printers who worked with the artists - West Islip, N.Y., to create a charged The reaso ns for this are various and Zigmund s Priede, Bill Goldston, Donn atmosphe re so potent as to produce comp lex, but three interdependent facts Steward, Keith Brintzenhofe and Rober t some of the most important graph ic are clear. Tatyana Grosman was an Blackburn among them - we re masters work of our time. inspired visiona ry who, at a time of in their own right and willingly accep ted The history of Universal Lin1ited Art Editions, clue to its pre-eminent position in the modern art narrative, has been extensive ly chron icled over the last 30 years. It began as a modest enterprise in the Grosman 's fifth floor walk-up on Eighth Street in Manhattan. Maurice, an artist unable to support himself on his own work, bega n making silk screen reprodu ctions of works in private collec­ tions and galleries. By 1957, the couple had moved to their cabin in West Islip and begun printing images from original works of art loaned by friends. Unable to garner much interest in these early reprodu ctive efforts, Tatyana came to realize that the prints themse lves must be original works. At this time, by hap­ penstance, the Grosmans found two lithographic stones buried in their front yard and subsequently purchased a litho press from a neighbor for $15. These circumstances set Tatyana's new course. Her great love of books led her to the idea that contemporary American a1tists and poets could work together to produ ce great artistic and lit­ erary collaborations. The first artist she approached to exp lore this idea was Larry Rivers, whom she met on a transat­ lantic trip in 1950. The poet she selected was Frank O'Hara, who coincidentally lived above Rivers in Manhattan. They agreed to wo rk together and two years later, in 1960, tl1eir 12-page book , Ston es, was comp leted. It wasn 't long before artists and poets began suggesting others who might wo rk at ULAE,a nd Maurice is credited with early guidance in the selection pro­ cess. The formative years brought them Lany Rivers, Frank O'Hara, Max Weber, Ma1y Calle1y, Sam Francis and Fi"itz Garner. The 1960s saw Lee Bontecou , Robert Rauschenberg, Bellini #4, 1988, 7-color intaglio, 60" x 38 1/ 2", editi on of 47 Robe rt Rauschenberg, Jasper John s, Jasper Jo hns, The Seasons, 1989, intaglio, 26 3/ 4" x 54 1/ 4", edition of 44 Grace Hanigan, Robe1t Mothe1we ll, of which are already in major museum screens. Kiki Smith's two-color lithograph, Helen Frankenthaler, Barnett Newman , collections: Jasper Johns' Seasons series, Untitled, was accomplished through 10 Claes Oldenburg, Jim Dine, Marisol, Robert Rauschenberg's Soviet/Ameri can sepa rate printings by one printer, while Terry Southern, Robe lt Goodnough, Array series and Bellini series, Larry Elizabeth Murray's nine-color lithograph , James Rosenquist, Cy Twom bly, Tony Rivers' Ba ld Eagle George and Part of the Down Dog, took 16 printings by three Towle and Edwin Schlossbe rg. The Constitution and James Rosenquist's printers from 14 aluminum plates and 1970s brought Alain Robbe-Grillet, Electrical Nymphs on a Non -Obj ective two aluminum plate collages . The paper Buckminster Fuller, Alexander Ground , Night Transitions and Tbe for this work was hand-torn into 12 Lieberman, Saul Steinberg and Andrei Persistence of Electrons in Spa ce. pieces , correspo ndin g in shape to the Voznesensky. The last decade bro ught in such plate collages and attached with Tatyana established the ambience and accomplished a1tists as Teny Winters, Japanese rice paper on the back. order of the wo rkshop early on. Believing who is represented in this exhibition Master printer Bill Goldston has bee n that the human spirit was tangible and witl1 five prints: Nova/is, Station and tl1e guiding hand at ULAE for more than real, she created an atmosphere in the three from his Moru la series, as we ll as a a decade. His many accomplishments studio in which this philosophy pervaded. bea utiful portfolio of 14 etchings. Susan include perfecting a technique to She felt that printmaking, and particularly Rotl1enberg is represented with four photose nsitize stones for Robe 1t lithography, could beco me a high art prints: Four Green Lines, Black Watei~ Rauschenberg's wo rk, and modifying an form in the hands of great artists working Stum blebum and Between tbe Lines. offset lithography press into a hand-fed directly on the stones and plates. The Elizabeth Murray is represented with fine a1t press that Jasper Johns used close collaboration between master Blu e Body , Up Dog, Down Dog and her throu ghout the 1970s and 1980s. He was printer and master artist opened up pos­ Quartet series. Bill Jensen is represented introduced to the Grosmans in 1969 by sibilities never before imagined. By with Vanqu ished, Baby lon, Exit and his professor at tl1e University of allowing only one artist at a time to work Lie-Light. Carroll Dunham is represented Minnesota and a regular ULAE printer, in the studio, a highly supportive, creative with Full Sp ectrum, Acce lerator and a Zigmund s Friede. Much of what was environment was provided. The whims group of five prints entitled Red Shift. produced at ULAE in subsequent years and wa nts of tl1e artist we re paramo unt Kiki Smith and Julian Lethbridge are rep­ was made possible by technical expe ri­ and absolute. Any time of the day or resented by one untitled print each. mentations on the presses by Friede and night they wanted to wo rk, the crew These artists carry on the ULAE tradi­ Goldston in the early 1970s. was there. Anything they wanted was tion of creative innovation and technical Tatyana Grosman became ill sho1tly provided at any time. Only the ve1y best complexity. Each a1tist works alone, after Maurice died sudd enly in 1976. She materials, at whatever the expe nse, were hand-in-h and with at least one master remained ill until she died in 1982, to to be used in the production of the work. printer. All the tin1e and resources neces­ the sadness and dismay of the art world. This fact alone accounted for numerous sary to complete a print are made avail­ Countless memorial exhibitions were delays in the pro duction of some works, able , in some cases extending over a held around the wo rld to honor the some times for many months, until just pe riod of two or three years, or as many accom plishments of this eloquent, the right materials could be produced or scheduling will allow. Carroll Dunh am's inspired couple, who from humble located. Full Spectrum , a 14-color lithograph/ beginnings achieved magnificent, influ­ Many of these a1tists still work with serigraph , was accomplished by three ential careers. ULAE.F our of the most renowned are printers over two years through seven represented in this exhibition with selec­ printings of six stones and one aluminum Terry Karson, Curat or/Registrar tions of their most recent works, several plate and 10 printings from seven silk Yellowstone Art Center Acknowledgment We wou ld like to thank the Yellowstone Art Center, Billings, Mont., for organizing this outstanding exhibition. In addit ion, we are most gratefu l to Teny Karson, curator of the Yellowstone Art Center, and Bill Goldston, director of Universal Limited Att Editions, for curating the show. Special thanks are also due Mr. Karson for his insightful essay on ULAE. Brnce Hartman , director Galleiy of Art Exhibition checklist Jaspe r Johns Up Dog, 1987-88 Spring, 1987 11-color lithograph , 45 1/2" x 46 1/ 2". Edition Carroll Dunham 13-color intaglio, 26" x 19". Edition of 73 with of 62 with 7 a1tist's proofs and 3 printer's Full Spectrum , 1985-87 16 artist's proofs and 4 printer's proofs. proofs. 14-color lithograph/s erigraph , 42" x 28". Summer, 1987 DownDog , 1988 Edition of 68 with 15 artist's proofs and 11-color intaglio, 26" x 19". Edition of 73 with 9-color lithograph , 50 3/ 4" x 41". Edition of 65 3 printer's proofs. 14 a1tist's proofs and 4 printer 's proofs. with 12 artist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Accelerator, 1985 Fall, 1987 Chair, 1989-90 4-color lithograph, 42" x 29 3/ 4". Edition of 51 8-color intaglio, 26" x 19". Edition of 73 with 14 5-color etching, 18" x 14". Edition of 59 with 8 with 8 artist's proofs and 1 printer's proof. artist's proofs and 4 printer's proofs . a1tist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Red Shift, 1987-88 Winter, 1987 Shoes, 1989-90 5 color lithographs (Red, Blue, Purple, Green, 8-color intaglio, 26" x 19". Edition of 73 with 13 7-color etching, 18" x 14". Edition of 59 with 8 Black) and folder, 30" x 22 1/ 2" each. Edition artist's proofs and 4 printer's proofs. a1tist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. of 49 with 10 artist's proofs and 2 printer's 7be Seasons, 1989 Bird , 1989-90 proofs. Intaglio, 26 3/ 4" x 54 1/ 4". Edition of 44 with 6-color etching, 18" x 14". Edition of 59 with 9 Bill Jensen 12 artist's proofs and 4 printer's proofs. a1tist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Vanquish ed, 1988-89 Summer, 1985-89 ?, 1989-90 5-color intaglio, 22 1/ 2" x 17 3/4". Edition of 53 Etching and aquatint , 22 5/ 8" x 15 1/8". Edition 6-color etching , 18" x 14". Edition of 59 with 11 with 10 artist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs . of 16 hors commerce. attist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Babylon, 1985-88 JulianLethbridge 6-color intaglio, 20" x 15". Edition of 50 with 8 Robert Rauschenberg Untitled, 1990 artist's proofs and 2 printer's proofs. Soviet/American Array I, 1988-89 Lithograph, 22 3/4" x 17". Edition of 58 with 10 14-color intaglio and collage, 53 1/ 2" x 88 1/ 2". Exit, 1984-89 aitist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Edition of 55 with 11 a1tist's proofs and 6 4-color intaglio, 13 1/ 2" x 16 3/4". Edition of 48 printer's proofs. with 6 artist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Terry Winters Station , 1988 Soviet/American Array II, 1988-90 Lie-Light, 1989-90 Intaglio, 24 1/ 4" x 19 1/ 2". Edition of 55 with 7 14-color intaglio and collage, 87 3/ 4" x 52 1/ 4". 7-color intaglio, 18 1/ 4" x 23". Edition of 55 artist's proofs and 2 printer's proofs . Edition of 55 with 11 a1tist's proofs and 5 with 10 artist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs . Morula I, 1983-84 printer's proofs. Susan Rothenberg 2-color lithograph, 41 3/4" x 31 5/ 8". Edition of Bellini #4, 1988 Four Green Lines, 1984 38 with 5 artist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. 7-color intaglio, 60" x 38 1/ 2". Edition of 47 3-color lithograph, 30 1/ 2" x 35". Edition of 30 Morula II, 1983-84 with 5 a1tist's proofs, 4 printer 's proofs and with 5 artist's proofs and 2 printer's proofs. 3-color lithograph, 42 1/4" x 32 1/ 2". Edition of 12 hors comme rce priors: Black Water, 1984-85 37 with 6 a1tist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. Bellini #5, 1989 2-color lithograph, 59" x 39 1/ 3". Edition of 16 Morula III, 1983-84 14-color intaglio, 59" x 38 1/4". Edition of 50 with 6 artist's proofs and 2 printer's proofs. 3-color lithograph , 42" x 32 1/ 2". Edition of 36 with 9 artist's proofs and 5 printer's proofs. Stumblebum , 1985-86 with 5 a1tist's proofs and 3 printer's proofs. James Rosenquist 12-color lithograph, 86 1/ 2" x 42 1/ 2". Edition Novalis, 1983-89 Electrical Nymphs on a Non-Objective of 40 with 8 artist's proofs and 2 printer's Color etching, 42 1/ 2" x 31". Edition of 50 with Ground , 1984 proofs. 10 artist's proofs and 3 printer 's proofs. 14-color lithograph , 42" x 42". Edition of 30 Between the Eyes, 1983-84 Fowteen Etchings, 1989 with 10 a1tist's proofs and 5 printer's proofs. 4-color graph ic, 57 1/ 2" x 34". Edition of 36 Pottfolio of 14 etchings/collages with colophon Night Transitions, 1985 with 6 artist's proofs and 2 printer's proofs. and interleaving enclosed in paper folder and 12-color lithograph , 53" x 34 1/ 2". Edition of 35 KikiSmith contained in a basswood box, 18 5/8" x 14 1/ 8" with 7 artist's proofs and 4 printer's proofs. Untitled, 1990 each. Edition of 65 with 8 artist's proofs and 3 7be Persistence of Electrons in Space, 1987 2-color lithograph , 36" x 36". Edition of 44 with printer's proofs. 10-color etching, 40" x 36 5/ 8". Edition of 48 11 artist's proofs and 1 printer's proof. Elizabeth Murray with 8 a1tist's proofs and 4 printer's proofs. Larry Rivers Blue Body, 1986-87 Bald Eagle George and Part of the 11-color lithograph, 47 3/ 4" x 31 5/8". Edition Johnson County Community College Cultural Education Center Constitution , 1987 of 70 with 12 artist's proofs and 2 printer's 12345 College at Quivira 14-color lithograph , 32" x 24". Edition of 52 proofs. Overland Park, KS 66210-1299 with 10 artist's proofs , 2 printer 's proofs and 9 (913) 469-8500 hors commerce prints .

Cover: Bill Jensen, Vanquished, 1988-89, 5-co lor intaglio , 22 1/ 2" x 17 3/ 4", edition of 53.