Description:
Sister Mary Corita Kent (American, 1918-1986)
Rainbow Splash, Maquette for the Boston Gas Tank, 1971
Signed "Corita" in red beneath the yellow stripe.
Acrylic with paper "Boston Gas" logo label on wood, height 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm),mounted on a wooden plinth.
Condition: Loss to part of the paper label, minor abrasions, and surface grime.
Provenance: Collection of the artist until September/October 1986, by inheritance to Mickey Myers and Deac Rossell, to the current owner in 1992.
N.B. In the film, Primary Colors, by Jeffrey Hayden and in other photographic records of the period, this maquette may be seen on Corita's desk in her Marlborough Street (Boston) apartment.
This work was commissioned by Boston Gas (now National Grid) in 1971. The final work is slightly larger: about 140 feet tall in fact. It is a painted LNG gas tank in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and is clearly visible from Boston's Southeast Expressway. The one enjoyed by commuters today is actually a second version of the work, after the original tank was torn down in 1992.
Estimate $1,800-2,200
Paint discoloration, minor dents on the surface on the top.
The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
Keywords
Mary Corita Kent, Jeffrey Hayden, Deac Rossell, Mickey Myers, Mary Corita, DorchesterRobin S.R. Starr
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American & European Works of Art
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