Joseph Cornell was a collector. He had no formal training in art, but created a tremendous amount of boxed collages and assemblages. He was incredibly shy and somewhat reclusive, but did interact with select artists and theater related people, including ballerinas. From second hand and book stores he collected trinkets, memorabilia, sheet music and literature. He is associated with dada, Surrealism, and the avante-guarde, in how he created cut and paste, random but symbolic juxtapositions of strange narrative and homage. The influence of cabinets of curiosity and Victorian collection are incredibly apparent, especially as he probably utilized some of the once precious items from past treasuries. He evokes the feeling of nostalgia in his ordered accumulation of olden days. He pays tribute to beautiful ladies of stage and screen without seeming like a crazed fanatic. A romantic appreciation for their craft and loveliness is preserved in memorabilia boxes. He also ventured into film, though I have yet to view any of those collections of images. I definitely see his influence on artists from Terry Gilliam to Dario Robleto, who I have discussed in previous blogs.
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