Jean Hans Arp, Composition (Arntz 148-175; Hagenbach a 25; Bolliger 54), Dreams and Projects, 1952

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Woodcut on vélin d’Arches paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Jean Arp, Dreams … Read more Woodcut on vélin d’Arches paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the folio, Jean Arp, Dreams and Projects, 1951-1952. Published by Curt Valentin, New York; printed by Fequet et Baudier, Paris. Excerpted from the folio, Text and 28 original woodcuts by Jean Arp printed in an edition of 320 examples in 1951 and 1952 by Fequet et Baudier, Paris, for Curt Valentin, New York. English translation by Ralph Manheim. Examples 1 to 25 contain a separate set of the woodcuts on Japan paper.

JEAN ARP (1886-1966), something of a one-man movement, he could—and did—make anything into art. Best-known for his biomorphic sculptures, and one of the most versatile creative minds of the early-20th century, he fashioned sculptures out of plaster, stone and bronze, and also expressed himself in paintings, drawings, collages, and poems. His approach to form, often referred to as organic abstraction, was remarkably consistent: his wavy lines suggested plants, body parts and other natural motifs, while remaining entirely abstract. Like an extraterrestrial on earth for the very first time, Arp's genius was in presenting visual information as if he is first seeing it. Transformation, growth, fecundity, and metamorphosis are among the dominant themes in his work. Arp was in the milieu of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. See less