Items Similar to The Surgeon and the Photographer by Geoffrey Farmer, First Edition

Early 20th Century English Folk-Art Farmer and His Wife Model

Vintage Bavarian Wood Carving of the Infant Bacchus

18th Century Tall Wooden Sculpture of St. John the Baptist

Monumental and Unusual Folk Art Stage Coach Figure and Horses, 1927

Antique Folk Art Carved Wooden Sculpture of the 'Old Grand Dad' Whiskey Logo

Art Deco Stylized Cat Door Stop in the Style of Walter Von Neesen

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 21

The Surgeon and the Photographer by Geoffrey Farmer, First Edition

About the Item

The Surgeon and the Photographer by Geoffrey Farmer. Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, 2015. First Edition hardcover, no dust jacket as issued. Published in conjunction with "How do I fit this Ghost in my Mouth?", an exhibition by Geoffrey Farmer that was organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2015". The Surgeon and the Photographer profiles the complete collection of paper and fabric sculptures by Geoffrey Farmer in the installation of the same name. The book reproduces all 365 figures, which correspond to portraits of days of the year. Taking cues from literature, theatre and cinema, Farmer's meticulously constructed characters are composed of tiny photographic fragments that are snipped from second-hand books and magazines, then mounted onto fabric forms with metal stands. The figures have a complexity that provides an animated quality and many cast unexpected shadows that deepen the dimension of character and generate an eccentric view. Produced over a four-year period, the work blends the collage and assemblage traditions of Robert Rauschenberg, the element of chance employed by John Cage and Merce Cunningham, and an animist perspective from Pacific Northwest Coast cultures. Its title refers to Walter Benjamin's seminal 1936 essay? The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction?. Benjamin compares the magician and the surgeon, then makes an analogy to the work done by the painter and the cameraman. He believes in material exploration and physical production as a form of research, which allows the work to maintain a playful and appealing quality. Taking a process-orientated approach, the artist draws on storytelling, popular culture, history and literature to construct an interesting and poetic reflection on photography, process and reproduction. The puppet-like characters recall the aesthetic of the collages and photomontages created by Dada* artists in the early 20th century. Displayed on block plinths, they are arranged in rows to form a procession several yards long. NPT Books, a division of Trent Antiques, has a large collection of used and out of print books on art, architecture, decoration and antiques with a focus on 1st editions, signed and limited editions.

Dimensions:

Height: 10.25 in (26.04 cm)Width: 7.25 in (18.42 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Paper

Place of Origin:

Canada

Period:

2010-

Date of Manufacture:

2015

Condition:

very light wear.