GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Gerald Murphy’s Razor presents a still life of consumer products one might associate with the modern American man of the 1920s: a safety razor, a fountain pen, and a matchbox. The bold, simplified forms showcase his training in mechanical drawing, as well as an interest in the flattened space of cubist painting. Murphy incorporated cubist elements by representing the subjects of his still life as planar, geometric shapes existing in a two-dimensional space.
Murphy often recorded ideas in a notebook, waiting for his thoughts to crystallize before beginning a painting. His entry for Razor reads: "Picture: razor, fountain pen; etc. in large scale nature morte big match box." In the painting Murphy paired a fountain pen and a safety razor (both recent American inventions), crossed in heraldic fashion, in front of a matchbox cover. Although Murphy declared a lack of interest in modern advertising art, Razor's dependence on graphic design principles is clear. His vision may stem, however, from his passion for folk art, notably trade signs that pictured items for sale. Murphy appreciated their bold designs and strong colors. Razor is, in this sense, a thoroughly modern update of an earlier American advertising idiom.
In addition to traditional signage, the large scale of the objects and the bold graphics recall billboard advertisements on roadsides and tall buildings. Many artists responded to the new consumerist culture of the 1920s; Murphy embraced it by combining the commercial and fine arts. His depiction of consumer products—particularly the recently invented safety razor—precedes the later use of commercial imagery by pop artists of the 1960s.
Adapted from
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (1963.74.FA), October 2009.
- "Gerald Murphy, Razor," DMA Connect, Dallas Museum of Art, 2012.
- Eleanor Jones Harvey, "Gerald Murphy, Razor," iin Dallas Museum of Art 100 Years, eds. Dorothy Kosinski, et al. (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 2003), 250.
NOTES
This note was tagged #routed in June 2015 and Sue's revisions (in a Word doc created by ASG) have been applied to the note as of October 2015. As of January 2017 I am adding the #draft tag to this note so that it is harvested to Google Drive. Once I am sure that all pending TMS or Piction data entry is complete, I will remove the #routed tag, add the #complete tag, and move the Google Doc to Queta's folder so that it is not re-routed to Sue.
I cataloged and completed the records in Piction including Murphy's letters and the image pulled from Wikimedia. I am removing the %PictionMW and %UMO pending tags. All revisions are complete and I am removing the routed tag and replacing with the completed tag. The GDoc has been moved to Queta's folders for review. (3/2/2017)
Removed TMS object tag because rule exists.
Teaching Ideas source- Adapted from~"Gerald Murphy, Razor," DMA Connect, Dallas Museum of Art, 2012; "Modern Art, Guide to Looking," Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1976.
Dec 2016- BMac called to ask about the exhibtion history because it conflicts with the location history.
- The show- An American Painter in paris: Gerald Murphy, DMFA 2/16/1986 to 4/30/1986
- Location- not on view except for the opening 5 days.
- Told BMac that the conflict could be caused by poor record keeping, mistranslated data with the database was transferred to TMS, or an accidental reversal of digits somewhere in the location tracking.
- Conversation ended with leaving both the location and exhibition histories unchanged and BMac looking for ways to find this type of inconsistency/conflict in TMS so that the exhibition and location information can be reviewed by Hillary, BMac, a D3C, or curator.
Additional items in archives could be scanned or photographed and linked to this object online:
- Conservation papers and photos from object file showing damage from shipment in 1967 and consequential conservation treatment.
- Letters to Douglas MacAgy from Murphy to the DCMA in 1960- at least four of interest. Should be photographed or scanned. (Saw an enlargement of one of the pages in Hilary's office 4 December 2014.) Particularly suitable for online is a postcard, Sept 27, 1960 about Murphy mailing a painting and the postcard is a Leger painting. Some of the letters are digitized and attached to object record on TMS. I requested high-res scans of the letters in October 2016 but have not found them in Piction as of January 2017. Update- all letters scanned and cataloged in Piction. The first page of each letter is in Piction as both a tif and pdf file.
- Matchbox used for Razor in DMA Archives. (Sheet in object file, have not searched the Archives database.)
- Images published in Dallas Museum of Art, 100 Years (2003): Photo of Sara and Gerald Murphy in Vienna, exhibition The Paintings of Gerald Murphy (organized by The Museum of Modern Art) was on view at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Aug 28- Spet 29, 1974, and letter from Murphy to MacAgy 19 September 1960.
EAS 7/19/2018- removing the incorrect information about the fountain pen based on recent research performed by Ashton Nicole Smith, Sue's TCU American Art Summer Intern. The sentences that have been deleted from the online general description are: "The products Murphy presents in Razor had personal resonance. The specific pen was designed by Mark Cross, a company owned by the Murphy family, and Murphy developed the prototype for the safety razor." I am not replacing these sentences at this time. The new info about the correct pen can be added as a fun fact and will be shared with Jennie Russell.
Catalogue essays specific to object
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Produced- Paris
Cap d'Antibes (France): TGN: 1010442
Process/materials
oil paint
canvas
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
pen: AAT: 300022452
painting
razor: AAT: 300236438
match cover: AAT: 300055099
expatriates: AAT: 300138855
Cubist: AAT: 300021495
plane figures
geometry
still life: AAT: 300015638
heraldic motifs: AAT: 300009815
advertisements: AAT: 300193993
folk art
billboard art: AAT: 300386732
consumers: AAT: 300025836
Pop (fine art style): AAT: 300022205
graphic design: AAT: 300054181
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1960 to 1963: Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts, gift of the artist (October 27, 1960)
From 1963: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Foundation for the Arts Collection, transferred from the above, May 30, 1963 [1], [2]
[1] Pursuant to the April 19, 1963 Agreement of Merger between the Dallas Association and the Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts (DMCA), the collection of the Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts was transferred to the Foundation for the Arts.
[2] The Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit corporation created as a title-holding entity to serve the people of Dallas but to operate independently of the City. The Dallas Museum of Art (at its own cost) is responsible for the care, storage, insurance, conservation and maintenance of the collection, and agrees to maintain the highest museum standards in the management and handling of the Foundation’s collection. The title to all works of art purchased or otherwise acquired by the Foundation for the Arts is retained by the Foundation.
AUDIO ASSETS
Scott Winterrowd, "Gerald Murphy and American Brand Cubism," lecture (August 27, 2008). Draft transcript on TAZ. Audio file: gt_20080827_Gerald_Murphy_Scott_Winterrowd.mp3.
13317420: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Blithe Spirits: songs, art, poetry, and letters celebrating the legacy of Sarah and Gerald Murphy; Southeastern Festival of Song. Artful Musing recordings from Arts and Letters Live events in 2008. Two recordings, object numbers added to Piction.
13317004: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
13317156: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Keyse, gallery talk for Making it New exhibition, "Cubism 101"- object numbers added to Piction
13317677: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Artists, Mentors, and Friends: Picasso, Léger, and Murphy. Gallery talk by Shannon Karol, 9/4/2013.
13310682: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
The Surface is Part of the Depth, Deborah Rothschild gallery talk, 9/10/2008.
13317709: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Lisa Klaussmann, Arts and Letters Live lecture on her book, Villa America, 8/13/2015.
251965344: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Deborah Rothschild Antenna audio tour interview for Making it New exhibition.
13310610: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
VIDEO ASSETS
Amanda Vaill and Dorothy Kosinski, "The Great Fair: Sara and Gerald Murphy and the World of 1920s Modernism," Lecture in conjunction with Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy, June 1 - September 14, 2008. File Name- MurphyModernism. (Located on DMA Archives, Digitized Audio and Video Recordings.) Draft of transcript from "The Great Fair," (July 7, 2008) located on TAZ. Audio file: 20080724_AmandaVaill_theGreatFair.
13318167: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
Linda Patterson Miller, "Gerald Murphy in Letters, Literature and Life," Lecture (Letters from the Lost Generation: Gerald and Sarah Murphy and Friends) in conjunction with Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy, June 1 - September 14, 2008. File Name- MurphyLetters. (Located on DMA Archives, Digitized Audio and Video Recordings.) Draft of transcript from "Gerald Murphy in Letters, Literature and Life," (August 15, 2008) located on TAZ. Audio file: 20080815_LindaPattersonMiller.mp3. Object numbers added to Piction.
12936449: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
13318175: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
"Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy," 2007. Video created by Williams College Museum of Art for the "Making It New" exhibition. Object numbers added to Piction.
12936457: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
WEB RESOURCES
- Gerald Murphy and Archibald MacLeish~Read about Murphy's friendship with MacLeish on Tom Jungerberg's DMAcanvas blog post (May 17, 2011).
- Literary Connections to the DMA Collection~Check out Shannon Karol's bibliophile friendly post for DMAcanvas (January 14, 2010).
- Gerald Murphy: 7 Years as a Painter~Take a look at the biography and images available on Kent Boyer's Doorknob Studio site (2013).
- V.I.B. Visit to the DMA~A blog post in honor of a visit to the DMA by Murphy's 11-month-old, great godson.
- Uncrated, Dallas Museum of Art~Check out this DMA blog post about the objects in Murphy's Razor.
IMAGE ASSETS
United States Postal Service, Modern Art in America, Forever® Stamp Collection
248949372: UMO
Object number in Piction
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
American Genius in Review (exhibition id- 10999)- exh catalogue- 12712873: UMO
An American Painter in Paris: Gerald Murphy (exhibition id- 11368 )- exh catalogue- 248086599: UMO
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1963.74.FA
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
Gerald Murphy’s Razor presents a still life of consumer products one might associate with the modern American man of the 1920s: a safety razor, a fountain pen, and a matchbox. The bold, simplified forms showcase his training in mechanical drawing, as well as an interest in the flattened space of cubist painting. Murphy incorporated cubist elements by representing the subjects of his still life as planar, geometric shapes existing in a two-dimensional space.
Murphy often recorded ideas in a notebook, waiting for his thoughts to crystallize before beginning a painting. His entry for Razor reads: "Picture: razor, fountain pen; etc. in large scale nature morte big match box." In the painting Murphy paired a fountain pen and a safety razor (both recent American inventions), crossed in heraldic fashion, in front of a matchbox cover. Although Murphy declared a lack of interest in modern advertising art, Razor's dependence on graphic design principles is clear. His vision may stem, however, from his passion for folk art, notably trade signs that pictured items for sale. Murphy appreciated their bold designs and strong colors. Razor is, in this sense, a thoroughly modern update of an earlier American advertising idiom.
In addition to traditional signage, the large scale of the objects and the bold graphics recall billboard advertisements on roadsides and tall buildings. Many artists responded to the new consumerist culture of the 1920s; Murphy embraced it by combining the commercial and fine arts. His depiction of consumer products—particularly the recently invented safety razor—precedes the later use of commercial imagery by pop artists of the 1960s.
Adapted from
- Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy (1963.74.FA), October 2009.
- "Gerald Murphy, Razor," DMA Connect, Dallas Museum of Art, 2012.
- Eleanor Jones Harvey, "Gerald Murphy, Razor," iin Dallas Museum of Art 100 Years, eds. Dorothy Kosinski, et al. (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 2003), 250.
NOTES
This note was tagged #routed in June 2015 and Sue's revisions (in a Word doc created by ASG) have been applied to the note as of October 2015. As of January 2017 I am adding the #draft tag to this note so that it is harvested to Google Drive. Once I am sure that all pending TMS or Piction data entry is complete, I will remove the #routed tag, add the #complete tag, and move the Google Doc to Queta's folder so that it is not re-routed to Sue.
I cataloged and completed the records in Piction including Murphy's letters and the image pulled from Wikimedia. I am removing the %PictionMW and %UMO pending tags. All revisions are complete and I am removing the routed tag and replacing with the completed tag. The GDoc has been moved to Queta's folders for review. (3/2/2017)
Removed TMS object tag because rule exists.
Teaching Ideas source- Adapted from~"Gerald Murphy, Razor," DMA Connect, Dallas Museum of Art, 2012; "Modern Art, Guide to Looking," Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1976.
Dec 2016- BMac called to ask about the exhibtion history because it conflicts with the location history.
- The show- An American Painter in paris: Gerald Murphy, DMFA 2/16/1986 to 4/30/1986
- Location- not on view except for the opening 5 days.
- Told BMac that the conflict could be caused by poor record keeping, mistranslated data with the database was transferred to TMS, or an accidental reversal of digits somewhere in the location tracking.
- Conversation ended with leaving both the location and exhibition histories unchanged and BMac looking for ways to find this type of inconsistency/conflict in TMS so that the exhibition and location information can be reviewed by Hillary, BMac, a D3C, or curator.
Additional items in archives could be scanned or photographed and linked to this object online:
- Conservation papers and photos from object file showing damage from shipment in 1967 and consequential conservation treatment.
- Letters to Douglas MacAgy from Murphy to the DCMA in 1960- at least four of interest. Should be photographed or scanned. (Saw an enlargement of one of the pages in Hilary's office 4 December 2014.) Particularly suitable for online is a postcard, Sept 27, 1960 about Murphy mailing a painting and the postcard is a Leger painting. Some of the letters are digitized and attached to object record on TMS. I requested high-res scans of the letters in October 2016 but have not found them in Piction as of January 2017. Update- all letters scanned and cataloged in Piction. The first page of each letter is in Piction as both a tif and pdf file.
- Matchbox used for Razor in DMA Archives. (Sheet in object file, have not searched the Archives database.)
- Images published in Dallas Museum of Art, 100 Years (2003): Photo of Sara and Gerald Murphy in Vienna, exhibition The Paintings of Gerald Murphy (organized by The Museum of Modern Art) was on view at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Aug 28- Spet 29, 1974, and letter from Murphy to MacAgy 19 September 1960.
EAS 7/19/2018- removing the incorrect information about the fountain pen based on recent research performed by Ashton Nicole Smith, Sue's TCU American Art Summer Intern. The sentences that have been deleted from the online general description are: "The products Murphy presents in Razor had personal resonance. The specific pen was designed by Mark Cross, a company owned by the Murphy family, and Murphy developed the prototype for the safety razor." I am not replacing these sentences at this time. The new info about the correct pen can be added as a fun fact and will be shared with Jennie Russell.
Catalogue essays specific to object
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Produced- Paris
Cap d'Antibes (France): TGN: 1010442
Process/materials
oil paint
canvas
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
pen: AAT: 300022452
painting
razor: AAT: 300236438
match cover: AAT: 300055099
expatriates: AAT: 300138855
Cubist: AAT: 300021495
plane figures
geometry
still life: AAT: 300015638
heraldic motifs: AAT: 300009815
advertisements: AAT: 300193993
folk art
billboard art: AAT: 300386732
consumers: AAT: 300025836
Pop (fine art style): AAT: 300022205
graphic design: AAT: 300054181
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1960 to 1963: Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts, gift of the artist (October 27, 1960)
From 1963: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Foundation for the Arts Collection, transferred from the above, May 30, 1963 [1], [2]
[1] Pursuant to the April 19, 1963 Agreement of Merger between the Dallas Association and the Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts (DMCA), the collection of the Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts was transferred to the Foundation for the Arts.
[2] The Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit corporation created as a title-holding entity to serve the people of Dallas but to operate independently of the City. The Dallas Museum of Art (at its own cost) is responsible for the care, storage, insurance, conservation and maintenance of the collection, and agrees to maintain the highest museum standards in the management and handling of the Foundation’s collection. The title to all works of art purchased or otherwise acquired by the Foundation for the Arts is retained by the Foundation.
AUDIO ASSETS
Scott Winterrowd, "Gerald Murphy and American Brand Cubism," lecture (August 27, 2008). Draft transcript on TAZ. Audio file: gt_20080827_Gerald_Murphy_Scott_Winterrowd.mp3.
13317420: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Blithe Spirits: songs, art, poetry, and letters celebrating the legacy of Sarah and Gerald Murphy; Southeastern Festival of Song. Artful Musing recordings from Arts and Letters Live events in 2008. Two recordings, object numbers added to Piction.
13317004: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
13317156: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Keyse, gallery talk for Making it New exhibition, "Cubism 101"- object numbers added to Piction
13317677: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Artists, Mentors, and Friends: Picasso, Léger, and Murphy. Gallery talk by Shannon Karol, 9/4/2013.
13310682: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
The Surface is Part of the Depth, Deborah Rothschild gallery talk, 9/10/2008.
13317709: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Lisa Klaussmann, Arts and Letters Live lecture on her book, Villa America, 8/13/2015.
251965344: UMO; Object numbers added to Piction.
Deborah Rothschild Antenna audio tour interview for Making it New exhibition.
13310610: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
VIDEO ASSETS
Amanda Vaill and Dorothy Kosinski, "The Great Fair: Sara and Gerald Murphy and the World of 1920s Modernism," Lecture in conjunction with Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy, June 1 - September 14, 2008. File Name- MurphyModernism. (Located on DMA Archives, Digitized Audio and Video Recordings.) Draft of transcript from "The Great Fair," (July 7, 2008) located on TAZ. Audio file: 20080724_AmandaVaill_theGreatFair.
13318167: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
Linda Patterson Miller, "Gerald Murphy in Letters, Literature and Life," Lecture (Letters from the Lost Generation: Gerald and Sarah Murphy and Friends) in conjunction with Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy, June 1 - September 14, 2008. File Name- MurphyLetters. (Located on DMA Archives, Digitized Audio and Video Recordings.) Draft of transcript from "Gerald Murphy in Letters, Literature and Life," (August 15, 2008) located on TAZ. Audio file: 20080815_LindaPattersonMiller.mp3. Object numbers added to Piction.
12936449: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
13318175: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
"Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy," 2007. Video created by Williams College Museum of Art for the "Making It New" exhibition. Object numbers added to Piction.
12936457: UMO; Object number added to Piction.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
American Genius in Review (exhibition id- 10999)- exh catalogue- 12712873: UMO
An American Painter in Paris: Gerald Murphy (exhibition id- 11368 )- exh catalogue- 248086599: UMO
Web Resources
- Gerald Murphy and Archibald MacLeish~Read about Murphy's friendship with MacLeish on Tom Jungerberg's DMAcanvas blog post (May 17, 2011).
- Literary Connections to the DMA Collection~Check out Shannon Karol's bibliophile friendly post for DMAcanvas (January 14, 2010).
- Gerald Murphy: 7 Years as a Painter~Take a look at the biography and images available on Kent Boyer's Doorknob Studio site (2013).
- V.I.B. Visit to the DMA~A blog post in honor of a visit to the DMA by Murphy's 11-month-old, great godson.
- Uncrated, Dallas Museum of Art~Check out this DMA blog post about the objects in Murphy's Razor.
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1963.74.FA
source file
object_notes_1_b-0093.xml.nores