I am not particularly involved in art and am writing at the suggestion of my sister’s lover. My great-grandfather made a living from bookbinding in New York, but he was also a talented illustrator of the Surrealist style. He had a few solo exhibitions and was in several group exhibitions, including one at the Julien Levy Gallery, which specializes in Surrealist art. I am told that he met André Breton, the founder of Surrealism, on a few occasions and had a correspondence with the artist Joseph Cornell (whom he sadly lost). The works my family had in stocking dated from the 1930s to the 1960s, and after visiting Mitt’s last Surrealist exhibition, I really think he should have been in it. It would be great to put his works in a gallery or even a museum. How do I make the right people realize the importance of my great-grandfather?
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Imagine a cratered landscape filled with marzipan palms with tiny corncobs. Imagine this painting on the wall at Tate. Look closely and notice your great-grandfather’s signature on the canvas before staring up to see him fly over you with a justified Cheshire smile. Now open your eyes. This will likely never happen.
We haven’t seen the dusty paintings crowding your attic, but it seems your grandfather’s talent was never perfectLay recognized in the crowded field of the surrealists. He may have been a unique painter, but his spotty biography and loose societal connections won’t go far in convincing others of his importance now that the law has been firmly established. His work was once hung on the walls of Julian Levy, but did he get into a legendary fight with Man Ray upon opening? Was he manipulating someone other than your grandmother, and was this person more famous than him? Did he ever cause a public outcry by throwing excrement at a priest? If not, you face an uphill battle.
Galleries dealing with dead artists are up to their ears in needy estates and orphaned paintings, so your great-grandfather’s narrative should be like his actual art. His work in bookbinding is remarkable, as it is not a profession that people take up anymore, but that alone wouldn’t elevate him particularly well. You need to dig deeper to get to more CV related dirt. Remember, the surrealists were crazy. They smoked opium. shit happened. Armed with stories of madness, you need to craft anecdotes and stories about his life to entice curators and art historians. Getting them interested may help elevate your great-grandfather from just another dead painter to a wonderful corpse.
An artist generously gave me a copy of her writing. She’s cute and we have some mutual friends, but I’m honestly not very interested in her paintings. The book has been sitting in my apartment in its cover for about a year. I realized it was really expensive and I could probably sell it for at least forty bucks. Does this make me a big jerk?
Only a deceitful narcissist puts his book in the hands of a friend of a friend and expects him to keep it, let alone read the damn thing. The real gift here is that it doesn’t look like it was engraved on it. Consider yourself safe to sell these self-promotional gifts, or better yet, exchange them for credit at the used book store. If you come across a copy on the shelf that’s $2 off the Strand, you’ll just suspect that one of her friends has a low appreciation for her work or maybe needs some Thai cash.
Your Chen & Lampert inquiries can be sent to hardtruths@artinamericamag.com
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