Art Appreciation Lecture Series 2014 Realism to : European art and culture 1848-1936

Deranging the senses: surrealist exhibition and display

Dr Jaime Tsai

15/16 October 2014

Lecture summary:

The environments of the 1938 and 1942 surrealist exhibitions provocatively fused the marvellous with a Rimbaudean dérèglement de tous les sens, a “derangement of the senses”. This lecture will explore the ways in which Marcel Duchamp’s unique installation practices sought to counter the predominant reign of logic during the Second World War by de-familiarising the world of appearances.

Slide list:

1. Catalogues for the Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, 1938, and the First Papers of Surrealism, New York, 1942 2. Irving Penn, Marcel Duchamp, New York, April 30, 1948, Gelatin silver print, edition of 20, 24.4 x 18.8 cm, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago 3. Max Ernst, Au rendez-vous des amis (A Friend’s Reunion), 1922, oil on canvas, 130 x 95 cm, Musee Ludwig (Cologne) 4. André Breton, Self-portrait: Automatic Writing 1938, photomontage, 14.2 x 10 cm, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem 5. Salvador Dalí, Lobster Telephone, 1936, Steel, plaster, rubber, resin and paper, 178 x 330 x 178 mm, Tate, London 6. Josef Breitenbach, Dali’s Rainy Taxi in the courtyard of the Galerie Beaux-Arts, Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris,1938 7. Raoul Ubac, Dali’s Rainy Taxi, Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938 8. Josef Breitenbach, Léo Malet’s mannequin (center), with Bellmer photos, Marcel Jean’s mannequin (right), Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938 9. Hans Bellmer, map entitled La Ville Surrealiste in the catalogue for Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, 1938 10. Raoul Ubac, Mannequin by Maurice Henry, Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938 11. Raoul Ubac, Max Ernst’s “Widow” Mannequin with Miro’s visible behind and André Masson’s mannequin, Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938 12. Gaston Paris, Untitled (Mannequin by Sonia Mossé for the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme), Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, January 17-February 22, 1938 / printed later (probably 1960s), Gelatin silver print, 20.6 x 20.3cm, Ubu Gallery, New York 13. *Raoul Ubac, Duchamp’s Rrose Sélavy Mannequin, Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938 Proudly sponsored by

14. , Marcel Duchamp as Rrose Sélavy, 1920-21, Gelatin silver print, 21.6 x 17.3 cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia 15. Marcel Duchamp, L.H.O.O.Q., (original), 1919, reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa with added mustache, goatee, and title, 19.7 x 12.4 cm, Private Collection, Paris 16. *Marcel Duchamp, 1200 Coal Sacks, view with Penrose, Ernst, by bed and Dominguez’ Jamais, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938, Collection Bibliotèque Historique de la Ville de Paris 17. Denise Bellon, Installation view of Wolfgang Paalen’s pond with ferns, (Eaux et Broussailles), International Surrealist Exhibition, Paris, 1938 18. Brassaï (Gyula Halász), Avenue de l’Observatoire, 1934, Gelatin silver print, 23.7 x 29.9 cm, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 19. Herbert Bayer, Installation View at the Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, 1938 20. Anonymous, Untitled, (Interior view of the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme with Helene Vanel), Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, January 17-February 22, 1938, Vintage gelatin silver print, 15.2 x 20 cm, Keystone Agency (France) stamp on verso, Ubu Gallery, New York 21. *Anonymous, Untitled, (Helene Vanel at the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme), Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, January 17-February 22, 1938, Vintage gelatin silver print, 20.0 x 15.2 cm,Keystone Agency (France) stamp on verso, Ubu Gallery, New York 22. Josef Breitenbach, Oscar Domínguez’ Jamais, (never), Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, 1938, Collection Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles 23. Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp’s Dust Breeding, 1920, Gelatin Silver Print photograph, 23.9 x 30.4cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 24. Eli Lotar, The Abattoirs of Villette, 1929, negative gelatin silver bromide on glass, 4.5 x 6 cm, reproduced in DOCUMENTS, No. 6, 1929 25. *John Schiff, Duchamp’s Mile of String at First Papers of Surrealism, October 14 – November 7, 1942, gelatin silver print, 19.4 x 25.4 cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia 26. Man Ray, Enough Rope, 1944, gelatin silver print, 34.5 x 27cm, Getty Museum, Los Angeles 27. Alexander Calder, Mobile (Arc of Petals), 1941, Painted and unpainted sheet aluminum, iron wire, and copper rivets, 84 1/2 inches (214.6 cm) high. Guggenheim, New York 28. Max Ernst, Surrealism and Painting, 1942, Oil on canvas, 195 x 233 cm, private collection 29. Duchamp, Chocolate Grinder, No. 2, 1914, Oil and thread on canvas, 25 5/8 x 21 1/4 in. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art 30. Duchamp, Three Standard Stoppages, 1913-14, mixed media, varying dimensions, , New York

Reference:

Breton, André, What is Surrealism? ed. and intro. Franklin Rosemont (New York, London, Montreal and Sydney: Pathfinder, 1978)

Demos, T. J., The Exiles of Marcel Duchamp (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2007)

Duchamp, Marcel, Dialogues with Marcel Duchamp, Pierre Cabanne (ed.), trans. Ron Padgett, (New York: Da Capo Press, 1971)

Kachur, Lewis, Displaying the Marvelous: Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dali, and Surrealist Exhibition Installations (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2001)

Images:

Marcel Duchamp, 1200 Coal Sacks, view with Penrose, Ernst, by bed and Dominguez’ Jamais, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938, Collection Bibliotèque Historique de la Ville de Paris

John Schiff, Duchamp’s Mile of String at First Papers of Surrealism, October 14 – November 7, 1942, gelatin silver print, 19.4 x 25.4 cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

Raoul Ubac, Duchamp’s Rrose Sélavy Mannequin, Exposition Internationale de Surréalisme, Paris, Galerie Beaux-Arts, 1938

Anonymous, Untitled, (Helene Vanel at the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme), Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, January 17-February 22, 1938 Vintage gelatin silver print, 20.0 x 15.2 cm,Keystone Agency (France) stamp on verso, Ubu Gallery, New York