MERET OPPENHEIM Swiss, b. Germany, 1913-1985

Provenance
From the artist
To Wayne Harrison, New York
By descent to the present owner

Literature
Curiger, Defiance in the Face of Freedom, 1989, p. 66.
Guggenheim Museum, Beyond the Tea Cup, 1996, front and back flysheets, and fig. 3, p. 39.
Levy, From Breakfast in Fur and Back Again, 2003, p. 213.

Made famous by her Surrealist work Breakfast in Fur / Fur Teacup, 1936 and known to the photography community through Man Ray's various portraits of her, including Erotique Voilée, 1933, this unique piece by Meret Oppenheim bridges the two sects. The original x-ray offered here was created in 1964 for her solo exhibition at Galerie Gimpel und Hanover, Zürich (1965). However, as she indicates on the original envelope that accompanies the x-ray, the gallery was not interested in exhibiting it. It was used, however, for a collage in a poster for an exhibition at Galerie Claude Givodan, Paris (1969). In 1977, when Wayne Harrison became her exclusive representative in New York, she sent him the original x-ray and they spoke about the possibility of creating an edition of 50 to 75 gelatin silver prints. Although this edition was never realized, a few test prints were created. Ultimately, Oppenheim intended each piece to have her name followed by her birth and projected death date.

"This night I had a funny idea: I have calculated, that I probably will die before the year 2000. If I am still alive, I should (attain?, reach?) 86 years and 3 months. This is not sure at all. But how Modern it would be to die after in 2000! So I thought – to push the legend – to make a joke and make a little forgery: To print under the X Ray photo: Meret Oppenheim born 1913 died 2000…When people read this now, they must take it as a joke, it just may create a little entanglement. If really I die after 2000 (even perhaps completely sick and gaga – I hope not) that would be great. But if not – dates are soon forgotten, some historians will certainly repeat: died 2000. Of course, the photographs will be signed by me-! Very Mysterious!"
Meret Oppenheim to Harrison, May 31, 1978

In 1981, Oppenheim did complete an edition of 20 gelatin silver prints. Oppenheim strongly believed that art had no gender and strove to unite her male and female psyches, which are part of every person regardless of gender. Her intrigue with androgyny is apparent in this self-portrait, as all humans' look the same in an x-ray of their skull and hand, neither male nor female. However, she illustrates her feminine psyche by wearing jewelry, most likely created by her. Furthermore, the influence that Man Ray had on her art is evident when one compares this work with his Rayographs, a type of x-ray of objects. The similarities and influences were so great that Oppenheim had often been questioned as to the sitter and idea behind this piece.