Eduardo Paolozzi: Invention of the Impossible by Sims Reed

eduardo paolozzi ‘invention of the impossible’

eduardo paolozzi

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;invention of the impossibleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Exhibition: 25th October - 11th November 2011

sims reed gallery The Economist Building 30 Bury Street London SW1Y 6AU Tel. +44 (0) 207 930 5111 Fax +44 (0) 207 930 1555 gallery@simsreed.com www.gallery.simsreed.com

Paolozzi and the Collage Graphic From almost the the very first stirrings of his artistic output, Eduardo Paolozzi has sought the combination of an enormous compendium of visual ideas, and delved into their true possibilities through his unerring mastery of the collage technique. His ethos is not that of the Surrealists, his printed collage works are not those of Max Ernst's illustrated novels or dream-pictures - instead Paolozzi's collages are a compendia of odd and common things, the machine as human, contemporary trash shown in all the beauty of its artificiality. Like his sculptures, Paolozzi's graphics indicate an inexhaustible imagination, which is constantly reformulating and transforming reality, a fund of astonishingly comprehensive information. As a whole, Paolozzi's graphics are densely composed and sumptuously coloured. They are constructed from abstract sources, with flat forms either lying alongside each other or closely meshed into each other. They form a self-contained and balanced whole in the sense of an abstract. Pictorial images, from the realm of technical illustration, of glossy magazine photography and science fiction are built into this structure with heterogenous variation. Human figures or cut-out ducks seamlessly paired with mysterious non-organic linear blocks. What is of consistent importance in all of Paolozzi's collage graphics is that their two integral elements should not appear separate - the abstract framework and the appropriated images inserted into it - but that they enter into an intense relationship of flat surface. Whilst the large Pop collage screenprints of the 1960s included such familiar icons as Mickey Mouse, in the decades to follow Paolozzi found a new form of expression in his graphic work. The untreated picture elements receded in favour of pure abstract shapes. Even these forms are derivative but the degree of their processing, elaboration, and therefore of their alienation from the original association, is greater and more unified. This is collage in its purest form, where it is not merely a technical

process, but a principle concerning content. Paolozzi threw the established values of high and low art into total disorder. Through his use of collage he was to render such arguments as impotent by bringing equal significance to every aspect of the visible environment. It was not only the iconography of graphic printing that was evidenced through collage, it was also the formation, dovetailing and interweaving of pictorial elements of quite different kinds, different surface structures, different kinds of artistic or graphic characteristics into new and closely unified surface relationships. The collage elements in these prints never quite betray their origin, but rather join together in their new relationships to form new, independent images with individual associations, that point way beyond their origins. Paolozzi's collage graphics have never amounted to a simple slogan, but on the contrary to a confusing, highly associative image, which will not be elucidated by literary interpretation. - Tim Byers, Sims Reed.

Philidelphia Print Lithograph with extensive hand colouring, circa 1970. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 45.9 x 33.1 cm

Philidelphia Prints (white, cream backround) Lithograph printed in colours, 1971. Printed on thick cream paper with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. A colour varriant relating to the Philadelphia Print. Executed for the Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia, in connection to the exhibition ‘Silkscreen: History of the Medium’ 1971-72’. 56.3 x 40.4 cm 8

Philidelphia Prints (black, blue background) Lithograph printed in colours, 1971. Printed on thick blue paper with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. A colour varriant relating to the Philadelphia Print. Executed for the Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia, in connection to the exhibition ‘Silkscreen: History of the Medium’ 1971-72’. 56.4 x 40.2 cm 9

Marilyn Plaster sculpture, 1994. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp. H 20 x W 10 x D 4.5 cm

Scooter Plaster sculpture, 1994. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp. H 19.5 W 26.5 D 8 cm

Crocodile Plaster sculpture, 1994. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp. H 7 x W 21 x D 8.5 cm

Panther Plaster sculpture, 1994 With the Paolozzi Estate stamp. H 16 x W 22.5 x D 8 cm

Toads (Copulating) Plaster sculpture, 1994. Signed in pencil and inscribed ‘For Alexander’ underneath. H 10.5 x W 11 x D 12.5 cm

Horse Plaster sculpture, 1994. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp. H 22 x W 26.5 x D 7.5 cm (To view all available plaster sculptures please see the website: www.gallery.simsreed.com) 15

BUNK Boxed set of 47 screenprints, each individually laid to papers and board in the style of a collage, 1972. Published in an edition of 100 by Snail Chemicals, London (Miles 101-147) Sizes from 19 x 15 cm to 41 x 29 cm

BUNK (man with car) Lithograph with varnish, laid on board in the style of a collage, 1972. Signed in pencil. Published in an edition of 100 by Snail Chemicals, London (See Miles 101-147)

29.8 x 21.3 cm

(Study for Duck Farm) Original collage, 1997. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp verso. 42 x 29.8 cm

Duck Farm Lithograph, 1997. Signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 30. Printed on stiff wove paper, with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 35 x 50.4 cm

Duck Farm II Lithograph, 1997. Signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 30. Printed on stiff wove paper, with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 35 x 50.4 cm

Duck Farm I Lithograph with extensive hand colouring, 1997. Printed on thick wove paper with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 34.7 x 49.9 cm

Duck Farm II Lithograph with extensive hand colouring, 1997. Printed on thick wove paper with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 35 x 49.9 cm

Duck Farm III Lithograph with extensive hand colouring, 1997. Printed on thick wove paper with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 34.7 x 49.9 cm

Duck Farm IV Lithograph with extensive hand colouring, 1997. Printed on thick wove paper with the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 35 x 49.9 cm

Untitled Screenprint in white over printed colour ground, 1995. Signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 16. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 40 x 31.3 cm 26

Untitled Original collage, 1994 Dated ‘Aug. 1994’ and inscribed ‘Dunsay’ in ink. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 21.6 x 32.2 cm

Untitled Original collage, 1994 Dated ‘Aug. 1994 and inscribed ‘Dunsany Castle’ in ink. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 21.5 x 32.7 cm

Untitled Original collage, 1982 Signed and dated in pencil. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 21.2 x 29.8 cm

Untitled Original collage, 1982. Signed and dated in pencil. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp, verso. 21.2 x 29.8 cm

B.A.S.H. (Pink) Screenprint in colours, 1971. From the edition of 3000, Printed on Hollingsworth mould made paper 225g paper by Advanced Graphics, London. Published by Galerie Dorothea Leonhart, Munich. With the Paolozzi Estate stamp verso. (Miles 99) 84.8 x 59.4 cm 32

Biography 1924 Born Leith, Scotland 1943 Edinburgh College of Art 1944-47 Slade School of Art, London 1947-50 Worked in Paris 1947-50 Taught textile design at Central School of Art, London 1950-54 Worked on several architectural projects including fountain for the Festival of Britain, 1951; fountain for Hamburg Park, 1953, murals and reliefs. 1952 Bunk, slide projection, Independent Group, ICA London 1953 British Critics Prize 1955-58 Taught sculpture at St. Martin's School of Art, London 1960-62 Visiting professor on sculpture and basic design at Staatliche Hochschule f端r Bildende K端nste, Hamburg 1960 David E Bright Foundation award for best sculptor under 45, given at 30th Venice Biennale 1961 Watson F Blair prize by jury of 64th Annual American Exhibition in Chicago 1967 Purchase prize at International Sculpture Exhibition at Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, New York First prize for Sculpture at Carnegie International Exhibition for Contemporary Painting and Sculpture, Pittsburgh 1968 Visiting professor at University of California, Berkeley Lecturer in Ceramics at Royal College of Art, London 1974 Berlin, guest of the DAAD K端nstlerprogramm 1977Professor in Ceramics at Fachhochschule, Cologne

Solo Exhibitions 1947 Drawings and Sculptures, Mayor Gallery 1948 Recent Drawings, Mayor Gallery 1949 Drawings and Bas Reliefs, Mayor Gallery 1958 Sculpture, Hanover Gallery, London 1960 Betty Parsons Gallery, New York 30th Venice Biennale; retrospective in British Pavilion, then touring to Belgrade, Paris, Bochum, Brussels, Oslo, Denmark, Amsterdam, Baden-Baden and T端bingen 1962 Betty Parsons Gallery, New York 1963 Waddington Galleries, London 1964 Recent Sculpture and Collage, Robert Fraser Gallery, London Museum of Modern Art, New York 1965 Hatton Gallery, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Sculptures, Collages, Graphics, Chelsea School of Art, London As is When, Editions Alecto, London 1966 Recent Sculpture, Pace Gallery, New York Robert Fraser Gallery, London Scottish National Gallery of Art, Edinburgh 1967 Hanover Gallery, London Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Otterlo, Holland Universal Electronic Vacuum, Alecto Gallery, London Pace Gallery, New York 1968 Worth Ryder Gallery, University of California, Berkeley Galerie Neuendorf, Hamburg Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam St辰dtische Kunsthalle, D端sseldorf 1969 W端rttembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart Galerie Mikro, West Berlin Goeteborgs Konstmuseum 1970 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Canada

1971Tate Gallery, London (Retrospective) 1972 The Conditional Probability Machine, St Katharine's Gallery 1973 Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and touring 1974 Galerie Wentzel, Hamburg Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanover 1975 Nationalgalerie, West Berlin (retrospective) Kunstverein, Karlsruhe Ausstellung Kunsthalle, Bremen Arts Council of Great Britain, touring exhibition 1976 Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (Scottish Arts Council) Marlborough Fine Art, London 1977 Galerie Renate Fassbender, München Victoria and Albert Musuem, London (print retrospective) Anthony d'Offay Gallery, London 1978 Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel 1979 The Development of an Idea, Glasgow League of Artists, Glasgow, Scotland and touring to Crawford Centre, University of St Andrews, Scotland; Talbot Rice Arts Centre, University of Edinburgh Works in Progress, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Köln 1984 Eduardo Paolozzi: Private Vision - Public Art, The Architectural Organisation, Lonodn 1986 Eduardo Paolozzi Underground, Royal Academy of Arts, London 1988 Paolozzi Portraits, National Portrait Gallery 1996 Artificial Horizons and Eccentric Ladders, The British Council 2000 Artificial Horizons and Eccentric Ladders, Flowers East, London 2004 Bunk! Flowers Central, London Works on Paper and Collage, Flowers, New York Paolozzi at 80, Dean Gallery, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh 2005 Projects:1975-2000, Flowers East, London Heads, Flowers Central, London Sculptures from the 1960's, Flowers Central, London 2009 Eduardo Paolozzi Screenprints 1967 - 2000, Sims Reed Gallery 2010 Eduardo Paolozzi, Glasgow Print Studio

Selected Public Collections Art Gallery of Ontario Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery Bolton Museums and Art Gallery Hunterian Art Gallery Peggy Giggenheim Collection Royal College of Art Roche Court - New Art Centre Sculpture Park and Gallery Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish Arts Council Sotheby's Institute of Art Steinberg Collection Tate Gallery The Aldrich Collection The Arts Council England The British Library The London Transport Art Collection The Royal Academy of Arts University at Albany-State University of New York University of Birmingham University of Dundee Whitworth Art Gallery Worcester Art Gallery

Sims Reed Gallery exclusively represent the graphic work held in trust by the Paolozzi Foundation. All the works in this exhibition are from the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estate.

sims reed gallery The Economist Building 30 Bury Street London SW1Y 6AU Tel. +44 (0) 207 930 5111 Fax +44 (0) 207 930 1555 gallery@simsreed.com www.gallery.simsreed.com