Joseph Cornell / Marcel Duchamp...In Resonance

by Susan Davidson, Ann Temkin, Joseph Cornell (Artist)

This book chronicles the friendship and working relationship between two of the twentieth century's most innovative and influential artists--Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp. The focus of this book is the box compiled by Cornell and dedicated to his friend the Duchamp Dossier, c. 1934-53, a hitherto publicly unknown artwork discovered in the artist's estate following his death.

Genres: Art, Photography

344 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 1998

Reviews

[Stewart Tame]

Considering what a fan I am of both artists, I'm surprised this book didn't pop up on my radar years ago. So this book exists at least partially because of a file that Cornell kept, a box labelled, "Marcel Duchamp," and filled with letters, cutouts from magazines, and other odds and ends. Cornell kept many such files, though this was the only one devoted to a living--at the time--artist. The file is fascinating, and easily a work of art in its own right. Besides a detailed examination of the file, there are essays on both Duchamp and Cornell and their friendship, all illustrated with photos of their work and lives. As with many art books, parts of it get a little boring, though I suppose no two people would agree on which are the boring bits. There are better books on both artists, but this is the first one I've read that deals with their friendship in such depth, and many of the illustrations were ones I'd never seen before. Besides, looking at the work of Duchamp and/or Cornell is always a treat.

[Tosh]

This is such a beautiful book. The thought of Cornell in the same room with Duchamp makes me feel faint.. But this book is beautifully put together. The art bounces at you and I never realized that Cornell helped Duchamp on his box which included minatures of all of Duchamp's work. Amazing!

[Mir]

Can works be made which are not art? --Duchamp 1913

Themes:
-memory
-miniscule
-quotidian

Not as much Cornell as I hoped for, but an interesting, well-crafted tome.

[Frank McAdam]

The book contains five well written essays on the artists and their association with one another. This includes a delightful virtual tour of Manhattan circa 1942 when Duchamp and Cornell first began working together. (They had actually met much earlier in 1933 at a Brancusi exhibit installed by Duchamp at the Brummer Gallery.) There is also a comprehensive chronology that traces the lives of both men. In the margins of the essay pages are a number of photographs that illustrate very well the points made in the text and are therefore extremely useful to the reader, especially one lacking any previous knowledge of Surrealism. One often wishes, though, that these black & white photos had been reproduced in a larger size than that shown.

At the heart of ... in resonance are the plates. These are divided into three sections - the Dossier itself, a collection of Duchamp's works and another of Cornell's. It's obvious that the selections shown have been deliberately chosen to demonstrate how well the work of one artist complements that of the other.

[Clarity]

An excellent book, one that can propel you into dialoguing with your own work.