I found a handful of old Ballantine beer cans a few years ago, which I bought in homage to Jasper Johns, who made them icons of art history through his Painted Bronze (Ale Cans), 1960. This is the first I've come across in a long while, precisely the same type as used as basis for the sculpture, and it made me very happy; I can't look at a Ballantine can and think of anything else, such that all Ballantine cans are already objets d'art to me, which itself seems rather Duchampian:)) As the story goes, Bill de Kooning told Johns "you could give that son-of-a-bitch two beer cans and he could sell them," referring to Leo Castelli, to which Johns responded, "what a wonderful idea for a sculpture.” Of course there is much more to the story than this, with the representation of these cans being perfectly aligned with John's artistic and conceptual interests... but indeed, once he'd made the sculpture, Castelli sold it.
4 3/4" t x 2 5/8" d. Rusting to the flat top as evident and to the back side of the can but not rusted through at all and I think it is all to the good.
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