R B Kitaj. (1932 - 2007) Portrait of Chris Prater, 1980. Large format screen-print.
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Ronald Kitaj was an artist of tremendous importance to the emerging pop-art scene of the 1960’s. He studied at the Royal College of Art in London and was a colleague and friend to David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, Peter Blake, Howard Hodgkin and many others. Never truly a pop-artist, Kitaj saw himself as an intellectual and literary critic and philosopher. His passion was European and Jewish literature and drawing… a skill he valued above all others. His work is in every major museum in the world… wherever there is a collection of twentieth century art.
Chris Prater (1938 - 2009) reinvented fine-art printmaking, especially screen printing, during the early 1960’s by inviting twenty-four of the leading young artists of the day to print at his workshop, Kelpra Studios, in London. This select group contributed to a portfolio of prints in 1964 which established the ‘look’ of British Pop and was gifted to the ICA and latterly the Tate Gallery London. In all seven prints were commissioned and published to celebrate the Kelpra Studio Exhibition at the Tate Gallery in 1980. The other artists were Gordon House, R.B. Kitaj, Victor Pasmore, John Piper, Joe Tilson and Gerd Winner. The gift was revived in 1980 with a second portfolio in which Kitaj contributed this portrait of his friend. The artist never recovered from the sudden death of his wife and sadly, Kitaj committed suicide in 2007, eight days before his 75th birthday.
This immediate and striking signed portrait of Prater is very large, printed on thick heavyweight paper in an edition of 150, forming part of the Kelpra Studio/Tate Gallery portfolio. Fine condition, barely visible crease lower right. Prices for anything by signed Kitaj are very high, reflecting his huge standing in twentieth century art. Copies of this print are in the Tate Gallery among many other museums.
Signed original screen-print and photo-screen-print.
Printed by Kelpra Studio, London in an unnumbered edition of 150.
Published by Kelpra Editions and the Tate Gallery, London.
Bears the blind stamp from the Kelpra Studio, bottom left corner.
60 cm x 45 cm.
