About the artwork
This invitation card features a monochrome green-and-white photographic collage, possibly depicting industrial or household objects such as a hammer, a screen, and a small model of a tank. The composition is divided into several rectangular segments, creating a fragmented visual narrative. Superimposed on this printed image are two distinct signatures: one in black marker, likely the artist’s original signature, and a more recent inscription in red marker. The red signature, described as having been added by the gallery’s former manager, adds a contemporary layer to the printed artifact from 1996. The overall aesthetic combines photographic realism with abstract elements introduced by the signatures, reflecting a common practice in the street art and contemporary art scenes of personalizing printed materials.
Expert opinion
The work functions as a historical artifact from Futura’s 1996 exhibition at Livestock NYC, documenting a specific moment in his career and in the gallery’s history. It is common practice for artists or their associates to sign exhibition ephemera, adding collectible value to objects that might otherwise be considered purely functional. The market position of such an item is niche, appealing to collectors who appreciate direct connections to an artist’s exhibitions and the associated narrative. The dual signatures—particularly the recent one from the gallery’s former director—create a unique provenance history for this particular edition.
About the artist
Leonard McGurr, aka Futura, was born in New York in 1955. Futura was one of the very first graffiti artists to break away from lettering in the early '80s and create abstract compositions. Futura soon developed a body of work on canvas, which he exhibited alongside artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. The key elements of the style we know today are already there: clouds of color with subtle variations, extremely fine lines that seem to scratch the surface, and above all that astonishing fluidity of execution that gives his works that distinctive atmospheric tone. His style and virtuosity have made Futura a key figure in the urban art scene, which has spanned the ages and made a mockery of simplistic categories. He is regularly invited to take part in projects and exhibitions by institutions around the world, including the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the MOCA in Los Angeles and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Additional info
Signed
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