48 MODERN PAINTERS PAINTERS MODERN EPHEME JOHNSON R OF SELECTION A JANUARY 2015JANUARY A

R BLOUINARTINFO.CO ay ay Johnson OPPOSIT in 1986. Y E :

a collectionofimagesfromhis archive,manyofwhichhavenotbeenpreviouslypublished. Close, Yoko Ono, and many others. In the spirit of Johnson’s rhizomic oeuvre, we present creative correspondents. The show includes work by John Baldessari, Lynda Benglis, Chuck January 16 at Richard L. Feigen & Co., traces the relationship between the artist and his published fall, which included a wall with his mail art. Earlier in 2014, Siglio Press in Los Angeles and project space in New York’s East Village, mounted an exhibition of Johnson’s work last face ofwhatthemarketdemands.” experiments—adorned withcommandstoalterthework andsenditback—“fiesinthe his workas“radical,brave,andhilarious,”Beattysaysthat hisexquisite-corpsemailart that theInternet“hasmadeRayJohnsonfascinatingto younger people.”Describing Johnson’s estateandpresidentoftheNewYorkgallery Richard L.Feigen&Co.Sheadds attention andinspiredacultfollowingamongyounger generation. performance. Twentyyearsafterhisdemise,Johnson’swork hasattractedrenewed Johnson’s work,atteststoafringefgurewhosedeathitself mighthavebeena apparent suicideonJanuary13,1995. Yet traditionalartworldgravitasmostlyeludedtheartist,whodiedatage67inan conceptual art,pepperedwithpop-culturalreferences,cartoonishimagery,andwordplay. created arobustmailartnetworkthatcirculatedamongthem. suchluminariesasJames

M

The recent focus on Johnson has keyed in on his expansive network. Karma, a bookstore “Mailartanticipatestheideaofnetwork,”saysFrances Beatty,thedirectorof Beyond hisart-by-post,Johnsonwasaprolifccreatorofcollages,performances,and personality ofNewYork’smidcenturyavant-garde.Hecountedamonghisfriends Enigmatic inlife,deftlyfunnyhisart,RayJohnsonwasaquintessential Not Nothing

, a collection of his writing. “Ray Johnson’s Art World,” on view through

Rosenquist, RoyLichtenstein,andAndyWarhol, How toDrawaBunny RA , a2004documentaryabout —Wendy Vogel

LOMBARDO AND R AY JOHNSON ESTATE AT R ICHARD L. FEIGEN & CO., NEW YORK 50 School School ‘Jean Dubuffet with with Japanese image were a recurring motif P MODERN PAINTERS PAINTERS MODERN P P hotocopied hotocopied mailing. Fan Fan Club Meeting’ O the the formal garden of H R interested interested in Eastern S hotocopied hotocopied mailing hotocopied mailing M the is is pricing was often oslyn, eptember eptember 21, 1986. rientalia rientalia bookstore C and Flop 1949. “Flop “Flop 1949. inscription inscription “Letters with snails. in Johnson’s work, Johnson Johnson became A tongue-in-cheek. tongue-in-cheek. useum of Fine which which sometimes L Correspondence Correspondence with snails and turtles. philosophy philosophy when for for OCKWIS The Ray Johnson design design business. he he worked at the n advertisement n advertisement play on N $10,000 each.” each.” $10,000 “Letters” “Letters” wheel R assau morphed morphed into in T ay ay Johnson’s R N buckets buckets and -shirt worn in ay ay Johnson N ew E

ew F A ROM graphic graphic rt rt faces. Y P OPPOSIT C A S ork, ork, on op Y nakes nakes rt” rt” is a ounty ounty ork ork in R IGHT: JANUARY 2015JANUARY A A rt, rt, rt. in in E

:

BLOUINARTINFO.CO M

ALL IMAGES: K RISTINE LARSEN AND R AY JOHNSON ESTATE AT R ICHARD L. FEIGEN & CO. 52 MODERN PAINTERS PAINTERS MODERN JANUARY 2015JANUARY

BLOUINARTINFO.CO M

ALL IMAGES: K RISTINE LARSEN AND R AY JOHNSON ESTATE AT R ICHARD L. FEIGEN & CO. BLOUINARTINFO.CO M

JANUARY 2015JANUARY early works. burned his legend, Johnson according to whose C bunny head H has done both. face. obscuring a bunny head or by adding a or book images magazine often altered mailing. Johnson A OPPOSIT D in 1986. Club Meeting’ Dubuffet Fan School ‘Jean Correspondence The Ray Johnson jacket worn in T F ca. 1941–42. sketchbook, high school from Johnson’s ROM ROM TOP: wo views of a e labeled the photocopied rawings rawings y T MOD wombly, wombly, in H E f ere he :

replace, replace, E RN PAINT RN

E RS

53 O. C N & N E IG E ICHARD L. F L. ICHARD R AT E AYJOHNSON ESTAT R N AND N

Envelopes from various mail art that Johnson E sent to artists. The letter at the center right is from

Talking Heads frontman and artist David Byrne. LARS At the lower right is a letter that Johnson sent to E his parents from Black Mountain College, where

he studied from 1945 to 1948. RISTIN K S: OPPOSITE: E A photocopied mailing for the Paris

Correspondence School, a fctional institution. IMAG ALL

54 MODERN PAINTERS JANUARY 2015 BLOUINARTINFO.COM BLOUINARTINFO.COM JANUARY 2015 MODERN PAINTERS 55 O. C CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

N & N Photocopied mailing for Paloma E Picasso Fan Club meeting with IG E added text “Pond Frog Dnop.”

Untitled (Duane Michals), 1993. Two collage halves on corrugated

ICHARD L. F L. ICHARD cardboard, 13¾ x 8½ in. R AT

E Two “Fake Ray Johnson” bunny heads with inscription “Fake Ray Johnsons Bill Dobbs Gallery New York City.” The artist often played with concepts of authenticity.

Double-sided photocopied mailing with Ray Johnson head AYJOHNSON ESTAT

R stamps. The verso of this image shows an image of Naomi Sims, who played the actress Anna May N AND N

E Wong in a performance Johnson organized in 1972. LARS E OPPOSITE: Verso of photocopied mailing RISTIN

K of the Marcel Duchamp Fan Club

S: Meeting, 1972. “Ear Diary” is a E play on words and a reference to the ears of Johnson’s ubiquitous IMAG bunny heads, which appear

ALL in the composition.

56 MODERN PAINTERS JANUARY 2015 BLOUINARTINFO.COM BLOUINARTINFO.COM JANUARY 2015 MODERN PAINTERS 57 CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Photocopied mailing with “fetus” moticos announcing Marcel Duchamp Fan Club Meeting, 1972. O. C An ad for

N & N Johnson’s graphic E design business. IG E A stamp produced by the artist. He later scratched out

ICHARD L. F L. ICHARD the word festival. R

AT A collage with E images of bathing beauties. Johnson is pictured at center; an image of May Wilson, a frequent collaborator, is inserted at top right. AYJOHNSON ESTAT R OPPOSITE: “Double Self-Por- N AND N

E trait” photocopied mailing by Chuck

LARS Close and Ray John- E son. Close modifed a silhouette portrait RISTIN

K by Johnson, add-

S: ing a grid and his E thumbprints in the shape of his own

IMAG beard and facial

ALL features. MP

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