
Wallace Berman
Untitled (First Pass on Verifax), 1964
Verifax photocopy and oil pastel on cardboard
14 x 17,8 cm (5 1/2 x 7 in.)
This historical piece marks the beginning of Berman's pioneering use of photocopy as an art medium. In this piece of mail addressed to his friend Dennis (undoubtedly filmmaker Dennis Hopper),...
This historical piece marks the beginning of Berman's pioneering use of photocopy as an art medium. In this piece of mail addressed to his friend Dennis (undoubtedly filmmaker Dennis Hopper), Berman announced that he successfully made a "first pass on Verifax mother," referring to the Verifax photocopy machine he would keep using as an art-making tool until his death in 1976. The handwritten message therefore implies that from the start the artist had some scheme in mind regarding the creative potential of the device, which he had perhaps divulged to his friend, and envisaged to pursue it further.
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