Oral history interview with Deli Sacilotto, 2015

Biographical Note

Deli Sacilotto was born in British Columbia, Canada. A master printer and a specialist in photogravure, he established Iris Editions in New York. He worked at Graphicstudio at the University of South Florida where he was the Director of Research. He worked with Robert Rauschenberg as a printer for close to two decades

Scope and Contents

Deli Sacilotto is a master printmaker and explores his background in print work. He discusses his own development in the larger context of the printmaking world. He describes a vocational take on specific techniques used in collaborations with Robert Rauschenberg. Deli goes through the process of working with Rauschenberg as the head of the print shop Iris Editions, choosing photos and prints, and then the editions. He recounts Bob's first outing with photogravures and older techniques, a trend which he visited several times in later works. Sacilotto goes on to discuss the Rauschenberg projects he observed at Graphicstudio, providing detailed commentary on Araucan Mastaba, Tibetan Garden Song, and a piece that seems to have been in anticipation of a Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Interchange (ROCI) exhibit which never came to pass. He also shares anecdotes about his adventures on several of the ROCI trips

Subjects

• Graphicstudio.
• Interviews.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Photography--Printing papers.
• Photogravure.
• Printmakers--Interviews.
• Prints--Technique.
• Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008.
• Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange.
• Sacilotto, Deli--Interviews.
• Saff, Donald, 1937-
• Vanderscoff, Cameron interviewer.

Access Conditions

Copyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, 2015