A Humument 123 “poetry, drawing, music”

Tom Phillips RA (1937-2023)

Original Screenprint on paper from Tom Phillips defining work A Humument.

Plate 123 from A Human Document (A Humument), the 1973 edition.  Initialled in pencil lower right.  This work comes from Volume iii, the title sheet of which is numbered 34/100 (see photo).  A photocopy of this will be included with the print. The words ‘poetry, drawing, music’ are among those which stand out on the page.

The story of A Humument is outlined below:

A Human Document (A Humument) is arguably the artist’s defining work.  A Humument was first started in 1966 when artist Tom Phillips, whilst out with his friend, Ronald Brooks Kitaj, set about finding a second-hand book for threepence for an art project he had conceived. His chosen novel, found in a junk shop, was an 1892 Victorian book titled A Human Document by W.H. Mallock.  He altered and brought new life into every page with painting, collage and cut-up techniques to create an entirely new version, interspersing fragments of the original text with art.  Tom Phillips titled his altered book A Humument. The original edition of 367 treated pages was completed in 1973 and was exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London before going on to be published as a limited edition of 100 by Tetrad Press (which this box set is one of) in  volumes I to X. The artist has worked on revisions ever since this time and on his website you can see both the original page of text from the book, the first print (this one) and then a subsequent version in 2014.  The series was exhibited in its entirety through 2013-14 at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and 100 pages from different versions were exhibited at Flowers Gallery, New York in 2015.  The first 48 pages of each version were also featured at the Royal Academy 2015 Summer Exhibition.

Measurements: 14 x 19 cm sheet size

Condition: Great condition never framed

This work has now been sold