Embossed Smoker (proof)

Pencil and thinned acrylic on embossed paper
11.25 x 10 inches / 28.1 x 25.2 cm (sheet)
6.6 x 5.9 inches / 16.7 x 15 cm (rectangle embossing)
5.31 x 4.72 inches / 13.5 x 12 cm (image embossing)
Signed ‘Tom Wesselmann’ and dated ‘79’
Dedicated: ‘For Gaïa’
Inscribed: ‘Proof’
This work is unique.

Provenance:

Collection Toni and Gaïa Burgering, The Netherlands, acquired directly from the artist.
Private collection, Belgium.

Literature:

Wesselmann, Stealingworth, Abbeville Press, New York, 1980 Illustrated page 282 (illustration of the edition).

Pencil and thinned acrylic on double embossed paper, 1968-79, signed in pencil, dated, dedicated and inscribed 'Proof', aside from the 1979 single embossed edition of 25, issued by the Tom Wesselmann studio, New York. After being embossed in 1968, the paper for this edition, as well as the black and white edition, P792, remained unpainted until 1979. Each was painted by hand in the studio and this work was dedicated by Wesselmann to Gaïa Burgering during a studio visit.

Tom Wesselmann created a series of artworks known as the "Smokers" series. These pieces are part of his larger body of work that focused on everyday objects and consumer culture, characteristic of the Pop Art movement. The "Smokers" series primarily features depictions of cigarettes, cigars, and other smoking-related items.

Wesselmann's approach to the "Smokers" series is similar to his other works in terms of bold colors, flat forms, and a sense of visual immediacy. He often incorporated collage elements and mixed media techniques to create these pieces. The series can be seen as a commentary on consumerism, habits, and the complex relationships people have with everyday objects.

Tom Wesselmann Digital Catalogue Raisonné, no. P791, listed as ‘Dedicated Proof’.

This work is recorded in the archive of the Wesselmann Estate, number P791.D.