SUPPORTING ARTISTS WHO INSPIRE SOCIAL CHANGE
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Rain Dance, 1985
U$ 1,000 + tax and shipping
DIMENSIONS
31 x 22" | 78.74 x 55.88 cm
TECHNIQUE
Silkscreen. Plate signed signatures from an edition of unknown number
Provenance: This print was bought on Feb 24, 2019 at Poster Auctions International, Inc
CONDITION A+
About the artwork
Rain Dance is an iconic poster created in 1985 for the exhibition of UNICEF’s African Emergency Relief Fund in New York. The image is a collaboration by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichenstein, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yoko Ono. The overriding message concerns itself with clean water which is a requirement for a healthy civilization. Drought, and its consequence, famine, are all too well known in Africa and water is the fundamental element needed to susain life.
The drought that was being directly addressed here was ongoing in Ethiopia at the time of this work was executed. Each artist contributed to the theme, creating an unforgettable confluence of ideas and messages all of which coalesced into this beacon of hope that is now recognized world-wide.
"This poster reflects the créme de la créme of New York's artistic and social circles in 1985. Water, so essential to combat drought and famine prevailing in Ethiopia, was the poster's principal message and its theme, rain, is treated from different perspectives by each of the artists: graphic (Lichtenstein's oblique lines), practical (Warhol's umbrellas), ethnographic (the rain dance by Haring), political (Basquiat, combining the homophones rain and reign), and geographic (Ono, whose footsteps illustrate Africans' long walks to reach rare water sources)" (Warhol Posters, p. 116).
About the artists
Andy Warhol--The most iconic pop artist of our time. A mentor to Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat.
Jean-Michel Basquiat--Graffiti artist extraordinaire in New York in the 1970s and 1980s. He met Warhol in 1983 and blossomed under his influence. He collaborated with Warhol on many works.
Keith Haring--The sidewalks and subways of New York City were his canvases. His themes were the overriding social and political issues of the day; drug abuse, homelessness, exploitation, to mention a few which are still with us today.
Roy Lichtenstein--Starting in the 1960s, Lichtenstein brought commercial art into popular art. His cartoon-like figures are immediately recognizable today.
Yoko Ono--She has been a prominent and influential figure in the art world for nearly six decades
This print was bought at this auction in Feb 24, 2019 at Poster Auctions International, Inc
https://auctions.posterauctions.com/lots/view/1-1LU25I/rain-dance-1985
https://issuu.com/posterauctions/docs/pai-lxxxii-rare-posters-issu (pages 116/117)
Reference: Haring Posters, 25; Warhol Posters, No. 41; PAI-LXXVII, 128
Rain Dance is in New York City and it can be viewed in person, by appointment. Please don’t hesitate to send us an email to: contact@urbanartrevolution.com
With the sale of Rain Dance a contribution will be made in favour of https://www.group.br.com/artistsfund