Momo

Currently not on view

Momo

1965

Thomas Chimes (American, 1921–2009)

Philadelphia native Tom Chimes is best known as a painter concerned with symbolism and mysticism, with a quasi-surreal exploration of the unconscious that often refers to the work of poets, philosophers, and writers, such as the psychologically tormented actor and playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948). This drawing is from a group of four that connect with imagery on Chimes's small metal box construction entitled Le Momo (1965), on which the same little birdlike head with swept-back hair appears in a circle. The title refers to a clown persona Artaud played on the Paris stage in his late and turbulent poem Artaud le Momo.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Momo

Date:

1965

Artist:

Thomas Chimes (American, 1921–2009)

Medium:

Ink and wash on wove paper

Dimensions:

Sheet: 8 1/2 x 5 5/8 inches (21.6 x 14.3 cm)

Classification:

Drawings

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Julius Bloch Memorial Fund created by Benjamin D. Bernstein, 2001

Accession Number:

2001-75-2

Geography:

Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view