William N. Copley Collage with Signed Dedication

William N. Copley (American, 1919-1996), untitled collage possibly created in Paris, ca. 1968 CE. A rare and original, pencil signed collage piece by the American artist William N. Copley that demonstrates the influence of Dada, Surrealism, and Pop Art on this 20th century artist. The work is comprised of a matchstick box still containing a single matchstick and featuring a drawing of a long-haired child, a razor blade, a section of newspaper that features barber shop listings (quite humorous given the inclusion of the razor blade that may have been used by a barber), a scrap of package paper that reads "RETOUR L'ENVOYEUR 68" (return to sender 68), three foot bunion felt cushions, a sage green fabric with a repeated black on tan abstract stellar pattern, and on the back side te following inscription, "To Jimmy & Bobby fond memories of Paris, CPLY." William N. Copley, also known by his nom de plume CPLY, was an American creator of paintings, drawings, and installations, as well as a writer, collector, patron, gallerist, publisher, and entrepeneur. During the 1950s and 1960s Copley was part of the new POP movement emerging in America and had a studio on Lower Broadway in New York City that many artists/colleagues including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Christo visited. Copley's oeuvre was recently honored with his first retrospective exhibition in the U.S. at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas (Feb. 19 - July 24, 2016). Entitled "William N. Copley: The World According to CPLY" the exhibition addressed Copley as both an insider and outsider artist who was "a self-taught artist pushing the limits of art-world decorum, as well as a collector, patron, and connector of some of the most important artists of the 20th century, in particular European Surrealists and American Pop artists." A very rare work by one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Size: 5" L x 7" W (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)

Provenance: Ex-James Burns collection, first curater at LACMA

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#117272
Condition Report: A few small tears to newspaper and newspaper shows expected yellowing. Else intact and excellent. Signed dedication very legible.