Homage to Yves Tanguy
( Digital photograph. Duddon estuary, Furness )
c. 2011 Michael St.Mark
Yves Tanguy’s 1937 work ” Toilette de l’aire ”
This well-know French surrealist, ( 1900-1955), although obviously influenced by Dali and after being mentored by the Dadaist and early Surrealist artist Andre Breton; made his mark on art history with a derivative painting style that suggests arcane relationships between imaginary objects and beings set in vast, dreamlike, otherworldly landscapes.
Link to Tanguy’s Wikipedia biog’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Tanguy
A Christies evaluation; http://www.christies.com/features/7952_121-1246-4.aspx
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LONDON DADA 
I really enjoy looking at these pictures and FEELING them .. perceiving them .. breathing them in rather than trying to understand them intellectually. FUN ! Thanks for posting. I shall be on the lookout for more . Happy Sunday , Michael 🙂
x
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Thank you Mira, long time no “speak”, I must remind myself to visit your blog more often. Hope you are getting ready for the 6 month hibernation season, I’m buying some new-fangled underfoot ice grippers next week already! x
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Hiya Michael – I must visit you more often too . Do you have one of those email alert boxes ? I’ll have a look .
Yes, it’s nippy out now . I think about 10C today . I do have lots planned for hibernation season.
Oh yes yes yes to the ice -grippers 😉 must get me some too this year 🙂
x
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Ok, this is VERY beautiful.
M. Tanguy died in 1955 from a stroke. He was cremated, but his ashes were not scattered until 1963 after his wife’s death. Both ashes were scattered together on the beach he knew so well in Brittany.
A xx
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Just need a few minutes to research. Won’t be long.
A xx
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I may of course have missed something vital here, but I’ve looked at a list of 1937 works and can’t see one of that title. Does it have another?
A xx
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Sorry I mis-spelt the title.. try again now 😉
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No, no – it doesn’t matter. I’ve spent a wonderful hour with Mr Tanguy and his work. Thank you.
A xx
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Ok great… but the link is there if you want it,just google “Toilette de l’air”.
My interest in Yves’ work was invoked whilst at art college, on hearing he used to eat live spiders out of a jam jar live on stage at end-of-era Dada gatherings.
Ambitious he was!
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I will. On a slightly pragmatic note, he did die a bit young. Hope he got the spider menu right. Sorry!
A xx
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Yes, 55 is too early. His poor ( but $ rich ) American heiress artist wife was devastated, according to the bio’.
Perhaps he drank, who knows.
Sh*t happens.
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Having lots of dosh does not necessarily render someone unfeeling in important areas. Sometimes, but not always. M. Tanguy’s pictures are so full of feeling, which must have been a spill over from his persona, that it’s not hard to see how his wife might have adored him.
A xx
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I haven’t researched the manner or circumstance of Mr Tanguy’s early demise.
Not sure where you get the idea his wife was “unfeeling”, because of her wealth… whatever.
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No, no. My point (badly put, no doubt) was precisely the opposite. I had no knowledge of that lady’s wealth or lack of it. Either way, from what you say, she seemed to adore M. Tanguy. In my view, money maketh neither man nor woman.
A xx
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Thing is, the whole idea of money for its own sake does nothing for me. The value of a person sooo doesn’t depend on their wealth. I probably miss comments about money simply because of that. My dream is to have sufficient dosh to pay the bills and to live reasonably – ie, enough food, heat, etc. However, I LOVE the thought that two people loved each other deeply as the Tanguys clearly did. That transcends everything.
I had a very dear friend once – now no longer here – for whom money (OLD money) was really no object. Charles had a brain tumour which remained undiagnosed for 8 years. He was completely and profoundly deaf because of it. His family’s money did nothing for him in the end, and I’m still sad he died. This was many years ago. I’ll try to take a bit more notice.
A xx
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” I’ll try to take a bit more notice.” That’s all people usually expect of the other party when engaged in comments exchanges, that’s all.
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Oh.
A xx
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You seem to have a rather short blog attention span… makes for hard work.
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Do I? Sorry.
A xx
Sleep well. x
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Yes, you’re absolutely right, the link IS there, but .. but… at least I paid enough attention to remember it.
Actually, I love these works. Don’t think I’ll forget him – either by blog or otherwise.
Moon boots are the thing, you know.
A xx
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