Shusaku Arakawa
Shusaku Arakawa, Outside blank, from Derriere le Miroir, 1982
1982

Name: Shusaku Arakawa, Outside blank, from Derriere le Miroir, 1982
Brand: Shusaku Arakawa
Price: 506.96 CHF
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About the Item

This exquisite lithograph by Shusaku Arakawa (1936–2010), titled Outside Blank, originates from the historic 1982 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght (Tribute to Aime and Marguerite Maeght). Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, under the direction of Aime Maeght, and printed by Imprimerie Moderne du Lion, Paris, this composition reflects Arakawa’s conceptual synthesis of image, language, and structure. In Outside Blank, Arakawa explores the tension between perception and cognition through geometric precision and philosophical ambiguity, inviting viewers to question how meaning is constructed and experienced. Executed on velin paper, this lithograph measures 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.9 cm), with centerfold, as issued. As issued, it is unsigned and unnumbered, consistent with the authorized publication format. The edition encapsulates Arakawa’s unique blend of Eastern metaphysics and Western abstraction, solidifying his role as one of the foremost conceptual artists bridging art and philosophy. Artwork Details: Artist: Shusaku Arakawa (1936–2010) Title: Outside Blank, from Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght (Tribute to Aime and Marguerite Maeght), 1982 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Dimensions: 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.9 cm), with centerfold, as issued Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued Date: 1982 Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris Printer: Imprimerie Moderne du Lion, Paris Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the 1982 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris Notes: Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), This special issue of Derriere le Miroir was designed and defined by Aime Maeght in the fall of 1980. He envisioned its publication as a celebration with which artists and writers published since 1946 were to be associated. He also chose Francois Chapon, president of the Reverdy Committee, to write the presentation. This Derriere le Miroir number 250 took the form, after its disappearance on September 5, 1981, of a tribute to Aime Maeght and his wife Marguerite Maeght who died four years earlier. 24 artists agreed to create an original graphic work for this issue which includes the general table of all issues as well as excerpts from texts by 32 writers. Finished printing on June 2, 1982 on the presses of the l'Imprimerie moderne du Lion in Paris. CL examples were printed on velin d'Arches, numbered from I to CL, and some non-commercial examples constituting the original edition. About the Publication: Derriere le Miroir (translated as "Behind the Mirror") was an iconic French art periodical published from 1946 to 1982 by Maeght Editeur, one of the most influential art publishers of the 20th century. Founded by Aime Maeght in Paris, the publication was conceived as a visual and literary collaboration between leading modern artists, poets, and critics. Each issue functioned as both an exhibition catalogue and a work of art in itself—featuring original lithographs printed directly from the artists' stones or plates, alongside essays, poems, and critical commentary. Over the course of 36 years, Derriere le Miroir produced more than 250 issues and showcased an extraordinary roster of artists including Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, Pierre Bonnard, Alberto Giacometti, Eduardo Chillida, Ellsworth Kelly, Francis Bacon, Paul Rebeyrolle, Claude Garache, Antoni Tapies, Bram van Velde, Pierre Alechinsky, Pol Bury, and Shusaku Arakawa. Printed in the ateliers of Mourlot, Arte, and Imprimerie Moderne du Lion, the periodical set new standards for quality in color lithography, combining fine art printing with elegant typography and poetic text. Beyond its visual brilliance, Derriere le Miroir also became a cultural chronicle of postwar European modernism. Each issue coincided with exhibitions held at Galerie Maeght, providing a collectible and widely accessible record of groundbreaking shows. Its integration of image, text, and philosophy created a dialogue between art and literature that elevated the modern art book to new aesthetic heights. Today, Derriere le Miroir remains one of the most sought-after and historically significant art publications, prized by collectors and scholars alike for its craftsmanship, influence, and its role in defining the visual language of 20th-century modernism. The Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence continues to honor this legacy through exhibitions and archival preservation of the series, affirming Derriere le Miroir's enduring place in the history of modern art and fine art publishing. About the Artist: Shusaku Arakawa (1936–2010) was a Japanese-born conceptual artist, painter, and architect celebrated for his radical explorations of perception, language, and the limits of representation. Emerging in the 1960s avant-garde, Arakawa fused Eastern philosophy with Western modernism, creating a body of work that challenged how viewers experience space, meaning, and reality. His early paintings and prints combined text, diagrammatic forms, and architectural precision, placing him in conversation with the great innovators of modern art—Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Georges Braque, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—whose legacies shaped his conceptual vocabulary. Arakawa’s later collaborations with poet and philosopher Madeline Gins led to the creation of the Reversible Destiny Foundation and experimental architectural environments designed to “defy mortality.” His works are held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Guggenheim, the Centre Pompidou, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. The highest price ever paid for a Shusaku Arakawa artwork at auction is approximately $1.15 million USD, achieved in 2019 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for Untitled (1962–63). Shusaku Arakawa lithograph, Arakawa Outside Blank, Arakawa Derriere le Miroir, Arakawa Maeght Editeur Paris, Arakawa Imprimerie Moderne du Lion, Arakawa 1982 edition, Arakawa conceptual art, Arakawa abstraction, Arakawa collectible lithograph, Arakawa Japanese modernist, Arakawa Maeght Paris publication.

Creator:
Shusaku Arakawa (1936 - 2010, Japanese)
Creation Year:
1982
Dimensions:
Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)
Medium:
Lithograph
Movement & Style:
Modern
Period:
1980-1989
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Southampton, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1465216701562