For Kate
1976 Oil on wood and wire and enamel on celastic
The work For Kate was shown only once during Ree's lifetime, in a faculty exhibition in April 1976 at UC San Diego–where she was a visiting professor for a year. These first two photos show For Kate installed in different configurations in Ree's studio, the third photo shows the work as installed in the San Diego faculty show. With the photos taken in the studio Ree was obviously still looking for the best way to install the work.
An important installation from the second part of the 1970s was made for the opening exhibition of the new Woman's Building in Los Angeles, late 1975. Although this now lost installation was much larger than For Kate, it contained similar elements–including streamers and Celastic roses. The columns of the exhibition space were cheerfully decorated with Ree’s work. In one of her sketches that is connected to this particular work, she writes with a wink: “Staying off the floor–Don't get your dress dirty.”