This series of 27 double-sided cards depicts the life of Dieter Roth, Dorothy Iannone’s beloved and muse, in the early period of their relationship. During 1968–69, Iannone worked on the cards while they were living in Düsseldorf where Dieter was professor at the Kunstakademie. The original drawings were censored during the exhibition Friends curated by Harald Szeemann at the Kunsthalle Bern in 1969.

 

Because of my love for him, Dieter was a source of inspiration for my work. (…) In the (Ta)Rot cards, I documented, in a way, every one of his activities — Dieter teaching, writing, making love, shopping, cooking, sitting on the toilet even, Dieter drinking, having a hangover, going to the laundry, Dieter with his children, in a gallery, fishing, hunting, and even dreaming.