Believing that one thing was real only insofar as it corresponded with others, twentieth-century artist Ray Johnson highlighted the connections between himself and other artists including Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Anni Albers, and especially Marcel Duchamp. This study of Johnson through the lens of Duchamp and the other artists who inspired him entails the investigation of hieroglyphs, codes, action figures, queer theory, and cultural history. By examining Johnson's collage and Correspondence art in relation to his main inspirations, this critical work brings new light to the study of Johnson and to the dynamic networks of artistic inheritance and correspondence of the twentieth century.

About the Author
Kate Dempsey Martineau earned her PhD from the University of Texas. An independent scholar, she explores the intersecting art and political climates of the 1950s and 1960s as well as the complex relationships within the burgeoning New York art world.

Reviews
"'Selective Inheritance' achieves the scholarly goal of unpacking Ray Johnson's unknown-artist status by peeling away the layers of his complex work with a savvy that combines art-world knowledge and darker, psychological theories." * BLOUIN ARTINFO *



Book Information
ISBN 9780520296268
Author Kate Dempsey Martineau
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 953g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 23mm