Artwork
Print of The Broadway Turkey
Print of The Broadway Turkey is a print by Don Nute. It dates from 1984 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Don Nute’s print, titled “Print of The Broadway Turkey,” dates from the 1980s and is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection. The work is a graphic composition that assembles fragments of text drawn from the titles of Broadway productions that never succeeded.
Subject & Meaning
The piece functions as a visual catalogue of theatrical failure, using the discarded titles as building blocks. By arranging these lost names into a single image, the artist comments on the fleeting nature of popular culture and the obscured histories behind the Broadway spotlight.
Technique & Style
Executed as a print, the work relies on typographic manipulation rather than traditional pictorial representation. Nute’s method involves cutting, layering, and reconfiguring printed letters, creating a dense, text‑based surface that invites close reading as well as visual inspection.
History & Provenance
Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, the print reflects a 1980s interest in postmodern collage and conceptual art. Its inclusion in the museum’s holdings underscores the institution’s commitment to documenting experimental print practices and the intersection of theatre and visual art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Don Nute’s 1980s print The Broadway Turkey captures a slice of New York street life in bold lines and flat colors that feel like a snapshot of the decade.
