Locksley Shea Gallery, Minneapolis
Collection of Barbara and Edward Okun, New Mexico
Sotheby's, New York, 13 May 2004, Lot 151
Gagosian Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by Marc Jacobs in January 2005

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Edward Ruscha (Ed-werd Rew-shay), Young Artist, April - May 1972, cat. no. 37

Lisa Turvey, Ed., Edward Ruscha: Catalogue Raisonné of the Works on Paper, Volume One: 1956-1976, New York 2014, cat. no. D1972.04, p. 303, illustrated in color

This work is in excellent condition overall. The sheet is hinged verso to the mat intermittently along the edges. There is evidence of slight yellowing to the sheet and time-staining around the edges. There is a very soft undulation to the sheet. Framed under glass.
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.

"These gunpowder drawings are quintessential examples of Ruscha's singular manner of seeing as it had matured through the late 1960s. The lettering is three-dimensional, the modulated grounds are dramatic, the oblique angles are precise, and the framing is more sophisticated...Ruscha's translation of an abstract idea into a material but imaginary image endows these works with a mysterious, uncanny atmosphere."  Margit Rowell in Exh. Cat., New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Cotton Puffs, Q-Tips, Smoke and Mirrors: The Drawings of Ed Ruscha, 2004-2005, p. 17