John Cage, Not Wanting to Say Anything About Marcel, 1969, Color Lithograph, Edition No. 56/125, 28" x 39" (sheet), Framed. $3,800
I am proud to offer this seminal lithograph by artist and composer John Cage (1912-1992), widely considered the most prominent American experimental composer of the 20th Century.
In 1969, Cage was prompted by art patron Alice Weston to create his first visual artwork. At the same time, an art publication solicited several artist, Cage among them, to create an artwork to honor Marcel Duchamp who had passed away the year before. Cage was discussing this request with friend and fellow artist Jasper Johns who said "I don't want to say anything about Marcel." Cage took this statement and used it for the title of his first venture into the visual art world.
From the Norton Simon Museum: In this work, the flip of a coin determined the process for visual production. Cage used I Ching, the Chinese "Book of Changes," a numerical system with 64 possible outcomes, to determine the design of both the Plexiglas and the lithographs. Cage composed the artwork with the assistance of graphic designer Calvin Sumison and lithographic printers Irwin Hollander and Fred Genis.
The example offered here is number 56 from an edition of 125. It is presented archivally framed and ready for installation. To purchase this work, please click here. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me here.