Don Rodan
Patti Astor photograph by Don Rodan (Patti Astor Fun Gallery)
c.1978

About the Item

Patti Astor by Don Rodan circa 1978: A rare polaroid photograph of Patti Astor by Don Rodan whom is most known for his Andy Warhol style polaroid portraits. This piece, mounted onto paper with handwritten publishing instructions: "Patti Astor photographed by Don Rodan"; "thin black line around picture"..."5" signature approx". The photograph itself is defined by a constructive shadow effect & unique pose by the iconic downtown New York art scene figure of Wild Style & Fun Gallery fame. Polaroid mounted on paper; circa late 1970s. Dimensions of photo: 4x4 inches. Sheet: 8.5 x 11 inches. Very good overall vintage condition. Unsigned from an edition of unknown. Includes Rodan's handwritten notes at lower. Rare. Donald Rodan was born in 1950 and was predominantly inspired creatively by the 1960s. In the art sphere, a multitude of significant changes were also taking place. Pop Art, adopting the culture of mass media through the artworks of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Tom Wesselmann, was gradually breaking down the foundations on which the production and reception of art were built. Drawing from the imagery of popular culture and mass consumerism, the Pop Artists rejected the authority of highbrow art and created a ground-breaking movement, while Minimalism, simultaneously appearing, was rejecting any form of emotional manifestation and focused on art’s theoretical aspect – aiming for pure visual responses. Historically established in the context of the Cold War, the 1960s symbolize an extremely influential era which engendered an important number of disruptions and questioned the order of all things. In Europe, The Iron Curtain and the Berlin wall would eternally mark people and beliefs, while in the U.S, events such as the Cuban missile crisis and Vietnam war would forever influence generations to come. From education to gender issues and ideologies, a re-definition of social standards in Western society developed, with ground-breaking values and movements emerging in a cradle of inventiveness. Honesty and an void of emotions were key concepts in the highly influential movement of Minimalism, represented by artists such as Frank Stella, Donald Judd and Agnes Martin. Bored of the gestural elements of Abstract Expressionism, Minimalist artists focused on producing artworks mainly composed of polished, clean lines and geometrical elements. Patti Astor (born ca. 1950) is an American performer who was a key actress in New York City underground films of the 1970s, and the East Village art scene of the 1980s, and involved in the early popularizing of hip hop & graffiti - starring in Wild Style. Astor co-founded the much historic contemporary art gallery, Fun Gallery - a place where neighborhood kids, downtown artists, b-boys, rock, film, and rap stars mixed with museum directors art historians and uptown collectors at wild openings featuring artists like Futura, Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quinones, Kenny Scharf, Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat.. Related Categories Patti Astor Fun Gallery. Punk. Mudd Club. East Village art. New York 1970s. Film Noir. Cinema.

Creator:

Don Rodan (1950, American)

Creation Year:

c.1978

Dimensions:

Height: 4 in (10.16 cm)Width: 4 in (10.16 cm)

Medium:

Polaroid

Movement & Style:

Pop Art

Period:

1970-1979