50 States

Details

Clive Barker (b. 1940)
50 States
signed and dated 'Clive Barker 1970' (lower right)
crayon and silver paint on engraving on Connecticut envelope
4 1/8 x 9½ in. (10.4 x 24.2 cm.)
Executed between 1969 and 1971. (50)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. This lot is subject to storage and collection charges. **For Furniture and Decorative Objects, storage charges commence 7 days from sale. Please contact department for further details.**

Lot Essay

The present works were executed when Barker visited all 50 States of America. Each individual envelope represents one state of America and Barker created a unique design for each - starting in New York. Barker 'played on the names of the states'. Barker says 'Certain things just shot out at me. Sometimes relating to the nickname of the state, for example for Kentucky I did a play on Fort Knox and Missouri I did Show Me, as it's the Show Me State.' Other states were less inspiring and a number of the envelopes are left unfinished. (Clive Barker, private correspondence, 12th October 2005)

We are grateful to Clive Barker for his assistance in cataloguing lots 340-344.

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