John Baldessari, Studio, 1988. Editions & Works on Paper New York.
Phillips’ Editions department celebrates the art of printmaking, often through partnership with crucial members of the community that sustain the art form. Our recent partnerships like those with the legendary Tamarind Institute, Lower East Side Printshop, and this season’s charitable offering in partnership with Print Center New York solidify our commitment to the art form.
Phillips is fortunate to have the brilliant opportunity to work directly with important collections, bringing great works to market and showcasing significant moments in printmaking history. Such is the case with Made in L.A.: Property from the Collections of Master Printer Jean Milant and Cirrus Editions. The works in this selection, featured in our upcoming Editions & Works on Paper auction in New York, showcase the legendary printer’s innovative collaborations with California artists, including Ed Ruscha, Vija Celmins, Jonas Wood, John Baldessari, and more.
Jonas Wood, Untitled, 2014. Editions & Works on Paper New York.
Driven by the technical skills and collaborative approach he developed as a printer-fellow at Los Angeles’ Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Jean Milant (1943–2024) founded a distinctive American art institution in Hollywood in 1970. With just $1,200 and assistance from artist Ed Ruscha in finding a location, Milant established Cirrus Gallery & Cirrus Editions, Ltd., named after the delicate, high-altitude clouds that had been a motif in his earlier artwork. Milant considered Cirrus to be “a new California atelier of prints” and positioned the establishment as a combined gallery, print publisher, and workshop. Its mission was specifically to differentiate itself by concentrating on the publication and exhibition of works by local L.A. artists.
Vija Celmins, Strata, 1983. Editions & Works on Paper New York. Nine further Celmins works printed by Cirrus are also on offer in the sale.
Milant was a key figure in the post-war print renaissance, playing a crucial role in the development of Los Angeles as a hub for fine art editions. With Milant’s passing last year, in addition to the passing of iconic California print publishers Sidney Felsen (Gemini G.E.L.) and Kathan Brown (Crown Point Press), a significant chapter in the history of printmaking has come to an end. In the recent article Working Hand-in-Hand: On L.A.’s History of Collaborative Printmaking, published by Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles (CARLA), Sarah Plummer writes, “Sidney Felsen, Jean Milant, and Kathan Brown (alongside other allies such as June Wayne, Ken Tyler, and the Remba family of Mixografia) understood that fine art print publishing — and the collaboration with artists that ensues — is a performance sport. The dynamism of these individuals was, without a doubt, essential to the growth and recognition of printmaking in California ... They established a degree of attention on prints and their makers ... We are listeners, mediators, counselors, technicians — the artist’s envoy — out of sight, and utterly essential.”
Ed Ruscha, Pepto-Caviar Hollywood, 1970. Editions & Works on Paper New York.
Ed Ruscha, Now, 1990. Editions & Works on Paper New York.
Beyond Milant’s sheer skill as a printmaker, it was his openness to experimentation that provided the foundation for the groundbreaking conceptualism of the artists he worked with at Cirrus. His core tenet was that a print must be more than a mere copy of an existing work — it had to stand as an original work of art. Milant quickly moved away from the traditional rules of his printmaking training, prioritizing the print’s final meaning and impact over technical purity. This innovative approach made him a pioneer in combining various print media — such as lithography with screenprint in editions like John Baldessari’s Studio — and incorporating unconventional materials, as utilized in Ed Ruscha’s iconic Pepto-Caviar Hollywood. Through this combination of technical excellence and inventiveness, Milant encouraged artistic risk-taking and fundamentally redefined the scope of contemporary printmaking.
Three works by Ed Ruscha printed by Jean Milant and Cirrus Editions. Top: Cheese Mold Standard with Olive, 1969. Bottom Left: Evil, 1973. Bottom Right: Made in California, 1971. Editions & Works on Paper New York.
Through its publishing and exhibition activities, Cirrus also played a pivotal role in gaining domestic and international recognition for the creative energy of Los Angeles. In 1979, Cirrus relocated from Manhattan Place in Hollywood to Alameda Street in downtown L.A., a location it maintained for 35 years. This move became a crucial early force in developing what is now the city’s booming Arts District. Milant’s legacy as a champion of L.A. artists continues today at Cirrus’ current location on South Santa Fe Avenue. Now in its 55th year of operation, every activity at Cirrus, from its exhibitions to its editions, is a testament to Milant’s inventive and collaborative spirit, the strength of its local artistic community, and the ever-expanding technical potential of printmaking.