JOHNSON, Ray.

CONEY ISLAND, June 18th.

1959. Framed multimedia collage (wooden frame: 320 x 210 mm.), mounted paperboard signed & dated by the artist, backed with linen and plywood, reverse of frame stamped & museum loan label affixed. [New York: “1959”].

A Ray Johnson (1927-95) work that was sent in 1959 to gallerist and harpsichord maker Robert Buecker (1935-2024), one of the earliest members of the New York Correspondence School. Buecker attended first Johnson’s Nothings — events staged as a dig at Allan Kaprow’s Happenings — which began in July 1961 at George Maciunas’s AG Gallery, alongside the work of Henry Flynt and Walter De Maria. This collage predates Johnson’s first solo gallery show, which only occurred in the spring of 1965 at the Willard Gallery in New York, run by Marian Willard and Dan Johnson. Up to that point, the artist had staged ephemeral public exhibitions and contributed a few works to group shows in American galleries and museums.

For this collage, Johnson wrapped a used fishing bobber with four red and gold strings, it rests on a square section of paperboard. In black block letters, the artist has written “CONEY ISLAND,” with the date “June 18th”, and his signature in the left and right bottom corners, respectively. After Buecker received this collage from Johnson he presumably had it framed for display at his avant-garde SoHo gallery and harpsichord show room, and wrote “Ray Johnson / 1959” on the reverse in red colored pencil and applied his gallery’s rubber stamp: “Buecker & Harpsichords.” Beginning in November-December 1973, according to the Ray Johnson Estate’s list of exhibitions, Johnson participated in six group exhibitions at Buecker’s gallery, which was located at 465 West Broadway, and open from 1972 to ca. 1983. The gallerist showed artists such as Richard Tuttle, Carmen Herrera, Rosemary Mayer, Robert Indiana, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, etc. Additionally, he managed the SoHo Baroque Opera Co. ensemble from the late ‘70s to late ‘90s.

Correspondence artist Edward M. Plunkett (1922-2011), who claims to have been the originator of the New York Correspondence School name, recalled in a 1977 feature: “Through Ray’s meeting I was to meet numerous artists and characters. I recall that Ad Reinhardt was at the early Nothing, as was Robert Buecker. A number of these people were as yet unappreciated underground movers of the avant-guard [sic.] of those days.”–”Send Letters, Postcards, Drawings, and Objects…”, Art Journal, XXXVI/3, p. 234.

“(Prior to 1965, Johnson shunned gallery affiliation, concentrating on his New York Correspondence School, a worldwide postal ‘performance’ lasting many years, during which he sent mailed out many thousands of business-size envelopes filled with mini-collages, clippings, newsphotos, all cryptically or obviously related to the recipient…)”–David Bourdon, “Ray Johnson Collages: Valentines/Snakes/Movie Stars,” Works by Ray Johnson (1984), p. 11.

A fine and early collage by the artist, made years before his debuts with Marian Willard and Richard Feigen’s galleries. Buecker loaned this work to the Nassau County Museum of Fine Art for Works by Ray Johnson (7 February-8 April 1984), the first comprehensive Ray Johnson exhibition, and the museum’s label is affixed to the reverse of the frame.

|| Ray Johnson Estate website “Timeline” and “Exhibitions” pages (accessed 7 August 2026).

Ellen Levy’s A Book About Ray (2024) provides essential background information on Johnson’s personal relationships and protean artistic practice.