Black Gate. A Newspaper Dedicated to World-wide Unity and Interest. No. 1 (April 1967) (all published).
The only issue published of the poster-style newspaper regarding the establishment of the Black Gate art space in New York. Broadside/poster (sheet size 22 x 17 inches, folded to 11 x 8 1/2 inches). Very light fold marks, overall excellent condition. New York: Black Gate, 1967.
This poster was published to announce the Black Gate multimedia project space established in Manhattan's East Village by Aldo Tambellini and Otto Piene. As noted on the bottom of the poster, "Black Gate is an empty room a testing ground for radical experiences. Artists of all media are invited to use it for non-commercial experimental purposes to present new work or work in progress to the public." According to an article by Amelia Ishmael, the Black Gate Theater was "New York City's only venue for Electromedia performances. Devoted to works in progress, the theater focused on the emerging fields of expanded cinema, intermedia, and electronic arts, featuring early performances by artists including Yayoi Kusama, Joe Jones, Takehisa Kosugi, Takahiko Limura, USCO, Nam June Paik, and Charlotte Moorman." (Amelia Ishmael, "Aldo Tambellini, The Gate and The Black Gate Theaters: Venues for Experimental Film and Intermedia Performances, New York City Lower East Side 1965-1968")
The name of the theater came partially from Tambellini's 1967 manifesto titled "Black is the Awareness of a New Reality", in which he wrote "I see Black very clearly as the beginning of all things; and in the beginning it was Black before the beginning. There was Black before there was light in the whole universe."
The poster contains brief biographies of Tambellini and Piene, and lists current and upcoming programs to be held in the space. These include "The Proliferation of the Sun" by Otto Piene and "Blackout" by Aldo Tambellini, scheduled for a number of dates in March and April of 1967, along with future programs from Preston McClanahan, Takahiko Limura, Kosugi, art collective USCO, and Nam June Paik.
Supposedly a follow-up poster was made by Tambellini, also titled Black Gate and numbered issue 1, which featured stills from his first video and a statement about the America in the Space Era.
Scarce; as of June 2024, we could not find any listings of this poster/newspaper through OCLC.
Book ID: 53201
Price: $950.00