The dedication on the verso refers to Samuel ("Sam") Glasser, who was a New York City real estate developer. For a time in the mid-1980s, he was co-owner of the derelict Christodora House, the tallest building in the East Village, and a ripe target for renovation. He also owned other properties nearby, including a tenement building whose dank basement served as Coleman’s studio. The artist reportedly gifted this picture to Glasser in lieu of rent, a not uncommon practice among squatting artists in the East Village in the years prior to gentrification.
Credit line
Art Properties, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University in the City of New York, Gift of Michael J. Ettner
Provenance
Sold at auction by Ivey-Selkirk, St. Louis, MO, on February 9, 2013 (lot 128), where acquired by Michael J. Ettner; Gift to Columbia from Michael J. Ettner in 2022
CLIO BIB ID
17734942
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