Sophie Taeuber-Arp: Head, One on One Series – Paperback

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By Anne UmlandOn first encountering Sophie Taeuber-Arps diminutive Head (1920), one might wonder whether it is an abstract sculpture, a playful portrait, or a functional object. Indicative of the artists pursuit to break down the conventional boundaries between the fine and applied arts, the work defies easy categorization. Its stylized featuresa single eye, a long trapezoidal nose, delicately beaded earringshint at Taeuber-Arps interests in modernist abstraction and in the stuff of everyday life.A dancer, designer, puppet maker, sculptor, and painter at the heart of the Zurich Dada movement, Taeuber-Arp made Head in the wake of World War I, during a time of profound political and cultural questioning. A century later, her witty wooden figure has lost none of its punch as an investigation of art across aesthetic and material boundaries rather than within them. Curator Anne Umlands essay positions this intriguingly anthropomorphic work within the broader arc of Taeuber-Arps remarkably vibrant and versatile career. 48 pp.; 35 illus.Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation of a single work from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. A richly illustrated and lively essay illuminates the subject in detail and situates that work within the artists life and career as well as within broader historical contexts. This series is an invaluable guide for exploring and interpreting some of the most beloved artworks in the Museums collection. View the entire series here.