Bob Dylan went electric in July of 1965. Rowland B. Wilson's Spanish serenader took a few more years to reach that milestone, but he arrived there in October of 1969 when a certain cartoon appeared in Playboy. The original magazine art demonstrates Wilson's customary mastery of local costume and architectural detail. It was sold on July 17 at Heritage Auctions.
Rowland B. Wilson Original art Playboy, October 1969
Rowland B. Wilson Heritage Auctions listing accessed July 13, 2024
Rowland B. Wilson Heritage Auctions item description
Sold!
Note: I'm quite happy to use this blog to celebrate the artistry of the talented Rowland B. Wilson. If you send me scans or photos, I'll plug them right in.
In 2007 artist Karl Haendel appropriated his twenty-seventh New Yorker cartoon, mining the work of cartoonist David Sipress for at least the second time. A 2004 work, New Yorker Cartoon Drawing #9, appropriated Sipress's "Bad dog" drawing. As with other drawings in the series, Haendel makes large graphite renderings of published New Yorker cartoon images. His process may or may not involve a light box or a projector; these renderings do not appear to be done freehand.
This drawing is one of five framed pieces that make up the Mazel Tov group. The phrase is Yiddish meaning good luck or congratulations. The Jewish theme suggested by the title may also apply to the inclusion of the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Jokerman." The grouping was offered for sale at Sotheby's in 2013 where it apparently did not find a buyer:
Karl Haendel Mazel Tov Group (2006-2007) Sotheby's 2013
The work currently resides at the Henry Art Gallery of the University of Washington, Seattle. The artist's installation view from a 2019 exhibition is notable for placing the New Yorker drawing and the Dylan lyrics well below eye level.
Karl Haendel Mazel Tov Group (2006-2007) Installation View, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington
Joe Milutis's commentary on the grouping articulates the "multiple themes" to be discovered here:
The museum's commentary doesn't even mention cartoonist David Sipress; it speaks only of "a Jewish-American themed cartoon from The New Yorker." That's odd because Haendel does nothing to hide the identify of the cartoonist; the signature is copied directly from his source material. The cartoon was first published in December of 2006 so Handel no doubt selected it when it was quite fresh.
David Sipress The New Yorker, December 4, 2006, page 68
Karl Haendel New Yorker Cartoon Drawing #27 (2007)
Could there be some autobiographical element to Haendel's appropriation of this cartoon mixing the Jewish and Christian holiday traditions? Haendel didn't meet Emily Mast until 2009, which was two years after he completed the Mazel Tov Group. His wedding ceremony in 2011 was performed by a friend of the bride in "a ceremony that included Jewish traditions."
February 5, 2020 Update:David Sipress writesof this piece for NewYorker.com's Culture Desk in a piece called"Stop, Thief! My Cartoon Gets Appropriated."His essay was posted yesterday and it marks the first time this blog is mentioned on the New Yorker's website—it's literally parenthetical: "(According to the cartoon-related Web site Attempted Bloggery, to date Haendel has appropriated at least twenty-seven New Yorker cartoons.)" Let's just hope I've been fact checked on this.
I got to see Andy Warhol'sDouble Elvis in the weeks before its auction at Sotheby's New York. The canvas is monumental, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of the large areas of flat color given the enormous scale. I found myself surprisingly grateful for the second fainter impression of Elvis over to the left, which I think helps the composition greatly.
