Various Artists

Various Artists
Alan Cristea Gallery Twentieth Anniversary Portfolio
2015
each signed, dated and numbered from the edition of 40
the complete portfolio of twenty-one prints on wove
published by Alan Cristea Gallery, London
each sheet loose as issued
contained within clothbound solander box
overall 52.8 x 52.2cm
folio
ARR

Provenance: Alan Cristea Gallery, London, 2015, where purchased by the present owner
Reference: see The British Museum, London accession number 2015,7050.20 and Museum of Modern Art, New York, accession number 705.2015.1-21 for other examples of this edition.

Note: The artists featured are Gillian Ayres, Christiane Baumgartner, Gordon Cheung, Michael Craig-Martin, Ian Davenport, Edmund de Waal, Jan Dibbets, Jim Dine, Marie Harnett, Howard Hodgkin, Ben Johnson, Allen Jones, Langlands & Bell, Ian McKeever, Julian Opie, Mimmo Paladino, Lisa Ruyter, Joe Tilson, Paul Winstanley, Richard Woods and Catherine Yass.

This portfolio was commissioned by Cristea Roberts Gallery to commemorate Alan Cristea’s contributions to print publishing, marking his 20th anniversary at the gallery. Twenty-one of the gallery’s artists were invited to create a print in an edition of forty. The artists were given complete creative freedom, resulting in a diverse collection that showcases a wide range of printmaking techniques, including woodcut, etching, carborundum, lithography, and screenprinting. The prints further vary in size and paper, underscoring the richness and versatility of the medium.

Some artists chose to pay tribute to Alan Cristea directly- Jim Dine and Julian Opie, for instance, created portraits of the renowned gallerist. Others, like Michael Craig-Martin, offered more playful nods to Cristea’s personal habits with a screenprint of a sturdy ashtray referencing his fondness for smoking. Others are iconic of the individuals oeuvre with Ian Davenport’s classic stripes and Hodgkin’s brilliantly painterly composition.

The gallery also held an accompanying exhibition featuring works from its 20-year history, including highlights from Alan Cristea’s personal collection.