The Galerie Perrotin in Paris is pleased to announce the exhibition ”Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Beuys, Takashi Murakami, A History of Editions“, bringing together multiple works by Duchamp, Beuys and Murakami – artists who devoted a large part of their artistic creation to the production of editions (as opposed to unique works).

Marcel Duchamp naturally resorted to multiples because of his preoccupation with authorship and so redefined the notion of uniqueness. He was the first to look upon print series as unique works. He thus produced 275 portable retrospective museums of his work he called “Box in a Valise” that were ubiquitous being present in the most celebrated collections around the world (“Everything important I have done can be held in a small valise.” M.D.). Beyond that, he allowed his imagination to run free on all kinds of media like posters, invitations, telegrams, enamelled plates, etc.

Joseph Beuys extended this approach by adding social and political speculations through the continuous production of 567 multiples from 1965 to 1986, to which numerous post cards were added. “Each edition has the character of a kernel of condensation for me on which a multitude of things can settle. […] I am interested by the transmission of physical vehicles in the form of editions, because I am passionate about spreading ideas. The objects are only in relation to my intelligible ideas.” J.B.

A Doctor in Nihonga painting from the University of Arts in Tokyo, Murakami developed a unique protean style of the most modern techniques associated with the precision and virtuosity of traditional Japanese art and that of the Ukiyo-e engraving (pictures of the floating world) in particular. Inspired by Manga and Kawai (cuteness) culture, his irresistible world is peopled by monstrous and charming characters, facetious descendents of past myths. His theory of the Superflat aesthetic, which he introduced in 2001, attempts to blur the frontiers between popular art and grand art. He has even created his figures on T-shirts (Hiropon) or giant balloons (Mr.Dob) before having them appear in his paintings, sculptures and films; quite the reverse of the Hollywood system that sells spinoff products after a blockbuster has come out.

The art market has tended to underestimate these productions without taking the artists’ generosity into consideration in offering their art to the greatest number of people. Indeed, the profitability of a print is uncertain. Murakami’s prints for example have high production costs tied to the number of colours used, though the artist wants their selling price to remain reasonable. Though Duchamp, Beuys and Murakami succeeded in convincing collectors that editions were an integral part of their artistic production with the underlying idea of “art for all”, Dali and Bernard Buffet on the other hand got their fingers burnt.

“Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Beuys, Takashi Murakami, A History of Editions“ from June 24 to July 30, 2011.
www.perrotin.com

Above: Box containing the limited edition of «Sur Marcel Duchamp», by Robert Lebel, 1958 © Succession Marcel Duchamp / ADAGP, Paris, 2011.
Top image: “Telephone T—–Я”, Joseph Beuys, (From Two FLUXUS-Objects, Edition of 24) dimensions variable, string, paper, paint/tin cans, 1974.