Hamilton, Ann

Original Signed Print: "A Voice of His Own"

Canton, NY (maybe): Ann Hamilton, no date (possibly 1974-1976). Original Limited Edition Print. Signed by Ann Hamilton. "What does it mean to make by hand to make with a single body, when the influence and the impact of distance in the proximity of our daily lives has changed everything." (Ann Hamilton, veryprivategallery.com). This print features a charcoal drawing presumably by the American artist Ann Hamilton (b. 1956), a visual artist who emerged in the early 1980s, known for her large-scale multimedia installations. The abstract circle design is made up of surreal-looking humanoids and their associated body parts. One of Hamilton's best-known works was first exhibited in a garage near the public market in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1991. She created the piece as a commissioned work as a part of the "Places with a Past" exhibition within the Spoleto Festival, in which artists chose a site and responded to both the historical and current context of the city. The installation was an homage to labor, respectfully commenting on and remembering the process of manual work through sculptural elements like a pile of 47,000 blue work uniforms and sacks full of soybeans hanging on a wall. Behind the stacked uniforms, a writer sat at another table, applying an eraser and saliva to small, blue-covered books, working one by one from back to front to remove the writing within, leaving the eraser shavings to accumulate within the books throughout the duration of the installation. This action of erasing the past served as another memory of labor, and the names embroidered on the shirts echoed the history of the laborers living in the city. An exorbitant amount of research was done to confirm that this is an actual print from Hamilton's early career (even reaching out to her studio through her website), but not much information can be found about this design, other than pinpointing two clues to identify its origin: Hamilton attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York from 1974–1976, during which time Albert Glover (b. 1942) was starting his career at the university as an English professor; and being from the personal collection of Glover, who ultimately became the great American scholar, bibliographer, author & publisher who is the foremost living authority on literary giant Charles Olson (1910-1970; see Item No.s 7966, 8138 & 8341 et al.), with whom we're very honored to be acquainted. Written in pencil below the circular border of the design is the title "A Voice of His Own," title limitation "11/12/" implying that this is the eleventh of twelve copies made, and Hamilton's signature (signed) "Ann Hamilton." This signature is consistent with known examples of Hamilton's handwriting. Single sheet (appx. 15" x 22 & 1/2"): Original Limited Edition Print, presumed first-&-only printing. The remaining 11 copies of this print are either held in private collections or lost to time. Likely a rare and highly collectible piece of art history from an artist at the beginning of her career, with very distinguished provenance. In relatively very fine condition with mild age-toning & bumping to the fine edges and corners. Very Fine. [Item #8492]

Price: $500.00