Red Boxers. A Postal Sculpture in Eight-Parts. (Complete Set)
Gilbert & George
London. Art For All (Self-Published). 1975
A complete set of 'Red Boxers', the Gilbert & George postal sculpture.
Each element of this piece was mailed over a period of weeks to friends, collectors and dealers. Each card is signed by the artists. Cards are entitled as follows: Wooden, Anything, Stone-ish, Moved, Stillness, Come, Study, Chapel.
The cards are printed alternately on red or black card, and an intricate colour system is followed throughout the work, which in turn initiates an integral aspect of the sculpture: the four red cards have the text printed in red within, each of their envelopes have the 'Red Boxers' stamp in red, and the addressee has their name handwritten in red ink on the front of the envelope. However the artists sign each of the red cards in black ink; the four black cards, in comparison, have this colour system inverted in that their text is printed in black, and their envelopes are stamped in black with the addressee also written in black, however with G&G's signatures now written in red ink. Although this set has only four of the eight original encvelopes, the schema as described above still applies but with two cards for each envelope.
[Die Sammlung Marzona in der Kunstbibliothek pg.120; Gilbert & George 1968 to 1980, pp. 176 - 177].
Each element of this piece was mailed over a period of weeks to friends, collectors and dealers. Each card is signed by the artists. Cards are entitled as follows: Wooden, Anything, Stone-ish, Moved, Stillness, Come, Study, Chapel.
The cards are printed alternately on red or black card, and an intricate colour system is followed throughout the work, which in turn initiates an integral aspect of the sculpture: the four red cards have the text printed in red within, each of their envelopes have the 'Red Boxers' stamp in red, and the addressee has their name handwritten in red ink on the front of the envelope. However the artists sign each of the red cards in black ink; the four black cards, in comparison, have this colour system inverted in that their text is printed in black, and their envelopes are stamped in black with the addressee also written in black, however with G&G's signatures now written in red ink. Although this set has only four of the eight original encvelopes, the schema as described above still applies but with two cards for each envelope.
[Die Sammlung Marzona in der Kunstbibliothek pg.120; Gilbert & George 1968 to 1980, pp. 176 - 177].
8vo. (125 x 200 mm). 8 cards, each 125 x 200 mm (folded) each with a photo-based design printed in gold on front and short printed text by G&G within the card. Loose in four original envelopes: each pair of cards are presented in the original G&G mailing envelopes, with the artist's red or black stamp 'Red Boxers' to the front, and the oval 'Art for All' blindstamp to the rear flap.
#47539
