Mark Ewert, Los Angeles
Feature Inc., New York (acquired from the above)
Christie's New York, November 16, 1999, Lot 13
Acquired by the present owner from the above

New York, Feature Inc., Representational Drawings, April - May 1995, illustrated on the invitation
Geneva, BFAS Blondeau Fine Art Services, Political Corect, September - October 2008

Mark Ewert and Mitchell Watkins, Ruh -Roh, Los Angeles, November 1992, illustrated

This work is in very good condition. The faint smudges and traces of the blue pencil in the border and also in sketches and notation on the reverse are from the time of execution. There is a small brown accretion on the bottom edge located 2 inches from the lower left corner. Extending 1 ½ inches down from the top edge is a faint black linear smudge originating 1 1/2 in. from the upper right corner. This work is hinged at the top corners to a ragboard mat with a window cut to conform to the pointed outline of the quote in the upper right. The mat window also covers the blue DC comic printed text around the border of the illustration board.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Charles Ray can be found as the protagonist throughout his work, dangling from wooden planks, stuffed into large glass bottles and participating in orgies. Ray's slight frame and round spectacles are easily recognizable, including as the figure in the present work who is accosted by Superman with the demand, "Who the Fuck is Roy Lichtenstein?". Startled awake, Ray is held accountable for the perceived transgressions of his artistic predecessors in the dichotomy between ``high'' and low culture. With Lichtenstein as his subject, Ray ac🔯cesses the tradition of artists who appropriated the comic book from the graphic world and repositio⭕ned it in the gallery world.

His conceptual approach to this work perpetuates the dialogue, since his hand took no part in its execution. "I've never been able to draw," he explains. "I hired a D.C. comic artist to do drawings for a book. I'm in bed and Superman busts through my wall." B. McKinney, a professional cartoonist drew this particular illustration for the 1992 edition of the comic magazine, Ruh- Roh edited by Mark Ewert and Mitchell Watkins. In this fashion, Ray forces the viewer to think critically about high art. We begin by questioning what differentiates a Lichtenstein from a cartoon and end wondering what defines an artist. Having conceived the idea, is the artist still the artist if someone else executed the image? As the artist stated, "I'm not sure I problem solve in a logical way. It's more about trying to create an equation then to solve one." (Paul Dickerson, ``Charles Ray'', Bomb, issue 52, Summer 1995).