S.M.S.
S.M.S., no. 4 Aug 1968
The S.M.S. portfolios were a collaboration between late Surrealist artists William Copley (friends with and gallerist to Dada artists Man Ray, Duchamp, Max Ernst, etc.) and Dmitri Petrov, which they published through their Letter Edged in Black Press. The project involved some of the most important artists of the twentieth century, and exemplified the community ethos of the 1960s. Both the Dada movement, and the Fluxus movement that followed it, did not agree with the authority of museums to determine the value of art, nor did they believe that one must be educated to view and understand a piece of art. S.M.S., or "Shit Must Stop," bypassed traditional institutions to distribute artists’ work directly to their audience. Six portfolios containing eleven to thirteen objects were produced in editions of 2000. Ironically, today these works are highly valued and prized by museum collections.
This is a mid 20th century artists portfolio housed in the original box, as mailed to the subscriber. The portfolio consists of eleven elements created by eleven different artists. These include a hat by Roy Lichtenstein (bent on the edge), a printed written work by John Cage, a recording by Le Monte Young and items folded across the fold of the portfolio (also a part of the art). The original mailing box bears the from address of J. H. Hirshhorn and the to address of Mr. Al Lerner as well as the original postage stamps.
Discover more about this book in our Catalog.
Adoption Type: Preserve for the Future
