Joseph Cornell American artist, sculptor, avant-garde film director Date of Birth: 24.12.1903 Country: USA

1. Biography of Joseph Cornell
2. Early Career and Influences
3. Surrealist Boxes
4. Filmmaking Career
5. Legacy and Death

Biography of Joseph Cornell

Joseph Cornell was an American artist, sculptor, and avant-garde filmmaker, born on December 24, 1903. He grew up in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of New York City, living with his mother and sick brother. Cornell worked various difficult jobs to support his family and pay for his brother's medical treatment.

Early Career and Influences

In the early 1920s, Cornell was deeply influenced by the ideas of Mary Baker Eddy's "Christian Science." From the late 1920s, inspired by Max Ernst's collages, he began to explore the technique of assemblage, which involved creating three-dimensional collages using found objects. Later on, Cornell became interested in the works of Marcel Duchamp and Kurt Schwitters. He started participating in Surrealist exhibitions from 1936 onwards, although he never officially joined the movement. Nonetheless, he had a profound respect for Surrealism and made significant contributions to the practice of constructing poetic objects from discarded materials and his own imagination.

Surrealist Boxes

Cornell gained fame for his surreal boxes, relatively small constructions without glazed doors or frames, filled with various items such as maps, photographs, engravings, and other objects. His artwork can be described as a synthesis of the strictness and simplicity of Constructivism with the lively imagination of Surrealism.

Filmmaking Career

As a filmmaker, Cornell made his debut in the 1940s and 1950s. He directed several experimental short films, including collaborations with leading avant-garde American filmmaker Stan Brakhage.

Legacy and Death

Joseph Cornell passed away on December 29, 1972, in New York City at the age of 70. He left behind a lasting legacy as an innovative artist who pushed the boundaries of assemblage and brought a unique poetic vision to his artwork.