Art Metropole

01 Jan. 2012

Poster Remainders: Who Remembers Where They Are From? by Allen Ruppersberg

Artist

Allen Ruppersberg

Published by Art Metropole, Toronto, 2012.

Set of 4 posters, edition of 55 signed and numbered in pencil on the first print of each set, plus 10 APs and 3 PPs, rolled ink and silkscreen on 150 gsm (100lb text weight) paper, 14 × 22 inches.

Allen Ruppersberg’s poster series for Art Metropole presents the phrase “Who Remembers Where They Are From?” set in bold block type, split and magnified to occupy four vividly coloured posters. The format references familiar street ads found on telephone poles in Los Angeles advertising public events and rock shows. This repurposed poster form has become a recognizable component in many of Allen Ruppersberg’s works. The ephemeral nature of the referenced poster form is reflected in the work’s material choices with bold texts and bright inks printed on lightweight paper.

Minor imperfections exist due to the production and shipping process.

Printed by Urs Jost and Axel Friedrich at their studio Durckwerkstatt, in Lenzburg, Switzerland utilizing processes and equipment previously available from commercial printers in the United States. Those American printers have been closing their shops as demand for their printing technologies wanes. As a result of the difficulty in replicating these techniques it is unlikely that Allen Ruppersberg will be releasing many more poster editions in this style.

This edition has been previewed at Art Basel Switzerland, Art Basel Miami, The New York Art Book Fair and will be presented at the LA Art Book Fair February 1-3, 2013 at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles

Bio
Allen Ruppersberg’s work has been exhibited internationally since the late 1960s and can be found in the permanent collections of numerous institutions and museums worldwide.He has been recognized as a pioneer of American Conceptual art and an important practitioner of installation art.

Born: 1944
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Lives and Works: Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY
Education: BFA, Chouinard Institute, Los Angeles, CA, 1967

A pioneer of American Conceptual art, Allen Ruppersberg works in a variety of mediums including paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, installations, and books. Through his work, Ruppersberg forces his audience to rethink and reevaluate what constitutes fine art and the means of production behind an artwork. While studying in Los Angeles, Ruppersberg formed meaningful relationships with artists such as John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, William Wegman, and Allan McCollum. In 1969, Ruppersberg participated in the revolutionary exhibition When Attitude Becomes Form, which challenged curatorial strategies and featured Conceptual art installations. Ruppersberg has since been recognized as one of the most important practitioners of installation art, producing art works such as Al’s Cafe (1969), Al’s Grand Hotel (1971), and The Novel that Writes Itself (1978). The Novel that Writes Itself exemplifies Ruppersberg effort to conceptualize communication in modern society through large installation pieces evoking themes of mass media and consumer society.

Ruppersberg has exhibited his work in over sixty solo shows and nearly 200 group shows since the late 1960s. His works can be found in the permanent collections of numerous institutions and museums worldwide.

Image

Poster Remainders set of 4 prints.

1.