Graffiti Doors

Rothe was fascinated by the graffiti on boarded-up windows and doors she saw in New York City while she lived there in the 1970s and during her visits to het studio in Manhattan and later in Brooklyn. Walking through Harlem during these years, she sometimes negotiated with the owners to take the boards and replace them with new ones. She then intervened on these boards with painting and gold leaf. These pieces responded to her ongoing interest in place and identity, also allowing her to step out of her usual canvas and print based work.  Although a significant New York art collector acquired one of the graffiti works for $30,000, most went unsold. She shipped the graffiti works to Carmel for an exhibition, and eventually they were sent to Germany for an exhibition at the Riedel Art Gallery, where they have remained.