Lot #1277: JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT - Portrait of Jack Walls - Color offset lithograph

 

Artist: Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988).
Title: "Portrait of Jack Walls [poster]".
Medium: Color offset lithograph.
Date: Composed 1985. Printed 1986.
Dimensions: Overall size: 16 3/8 x 8 3/16 in. (416 x 208 mm).
Lot Note(s): Hand-signed in black marker, lower right. Edition size very small. Very light cream smooth thick paper. Full margins. Fine impression. Fine condition. Comment(s): No auction records located for this extremely rare poster. The only impression we could find for sale was an unsigned one at $4,500 offered in February 2021 by Skyline Books, Forest Knolls, California, the distinguished long time bookseller. The text in their listing, with a few deletions but no additions, is here “Promotional poster for the 1986 ‘To Repel Ghosts’ exhibition at Galerie Delta, Rotterdam. It reproduces a painting of fellow artist Jack Walls. Like the poster Basquiat did for his 1982 show at Galerie Delta the print run for this poster was also going to be limited to 35 copies. However, this smaller poster was intended to be folded and mailed but the thick paper used couldn’t be folded without cracking so the project was abandoned and it’s likely that not even 35 copies were done. Very few copies of this poster have surfaced and this is the first one we’ve ever seen or handled. A true Basquiat rarity, arguably his rarest poster.” Image copyright © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/ADAGP, Paris; ARS, New York. [30315-3-2400]