Description
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In 1950, Marcel Duchamp assisted his primary patrons, collectors Louise and Walter Arensberg, in negotiating the gift of their distinguished collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This exclusive Blackwing set honors the titles of 12 important works by Duchamp at our world-renowned museum; its black-and-white design celebrates the artist’s lifelong love of chess. This exclusive bundle is perfect for the Duchamp enthusiast.
This book offers an engaging and accessible introduction to one of the twentieth century’s greatest and most enigmatic artists, Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968). A hugely influential pioneer whose creative output was predicated on a fundamental questioning of what art is, Duchamp is well known despite remaining mysterious as an artist, owing to his elusive persona and the unconventional nature of his work.
Focusing on the world-renowned Duchamp collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Essential Duchamp tells the artist’s story through four key periods. The book begins with his early paintings and engagement with the avant-garde, then charts his abandonment of painting and invention of the readymade. This is followed by the creation of his alter ego Rrose Sélavy and the optical experiments of the interwar years, and, finally, by the making of Étant donnés (1946–66), the project that occupied the artist in the final two decades of his life. Shorter accompanying texts include explanations of key terms Duchamp used for his innovative ideas—readymade, pictorial nominalism, precision optics, and infrathin—as well as interviews and statements by the artist about his own art and ideas. By Matthew Affron with contributions by Cécile Debray, Alexander Kauffman, Michael R. Taylor, and John Vick.
The Blackwing cult phenomenon dates back to the 1930’s and has been a long-time favorite of artists of all types including John Steinbeck, Leonard Bernstein, Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones, and Disney animator Shamus Culhane. The Blackwing pencil is easily recognized by the unique rectangular ferrule and known for its quality, Northwestern Cedar body and smooth- writing graphite.
- Philadelphia Museum of Art exclusive
- Set of 12 pencils + The Essential Duchamp publication
Pencils:
- Semi-hexagonal shape that is easy to grip
- Japanese graphite with clay for strength and wax for smoothness
- Genuine incense-cedar wood from California and Oregon that sharpens evenly
- Replaceable eraser
Publication:
- Editor: Matthew Affron
- Softcover
- 200 pages, 9.8" x 7.5" x
- Publisher: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018
- ISBN: 9780300233117
About the Authors:
- Matthew Affron is the Muriel and Philip Berman Curator of Modern Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
- Cécile Debray is director at the Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris.
- Alexander Kauffman is the Andrew W. Mellon–Anne d’Harnoncourt Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
- Michael R. Taylor is chief curator and deputy director for art and education at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.
- John Vick is collections project manager at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
