Edward Gorey, The Black Doll, 13 inches tall, edition of 2000.
ARTIST: Edward Gorey
TITLE: The Black Doll
MEDIUM: Fabric
SIZE: Approximately 13 inches tall
EDITION: 2000
ABOUT THE PIECE:
A life-long friend of Edward Gorey’s made The Black Doll for him in 1942. Gorey visited her while she was making it, and upon seeing it insisted on keeping it in it’s unfinished state, lacking a face, arms and clothing. In spite of her objection, Gorey prevailed. It may be the first recorded instance of Gorey’s enduring dedication to engaging the imagination. The incomplete Black Doll has remained a recurring enigma for almost 70 years appearing in many of Gorey’s books and drawings as well as being the subject of his silent screenplay. This is the first time The Black Doll has been produced for Edward Gorey’s devoted following. In its newest incarnation, The Black Doll returns as an objet d’art. Necessaries Toy Foundation in conjunction with the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust will release The Black Doll in a limited edition of 2000. Measuring 13″ – it is larger than the original, which measured roughly 7″. The minimally yet artfully designed box boasts on the back, an account of the original doll’s history. The whole package is a sublime tribute to a most beloved artist. As always, Necessaries produces toys in such a way that elevates them from simple limited edition figures to endearing artifacts. -Annie Owens/Hi-fructose
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
A truly prodigious and original artist, Edward St. John Gorey (1925-2000), gave to the world over one hundred works, including The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Doubtful Guest and The Wuggly Ump; prize-winning set and costume designs for innumerable theater productions from Cape Cod to Broadway; a remarkable number of illustrations in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times, and in books by a wide array of authors from Charles Dickens to Edward Lear, Samuel Beckett, John Updike, Virginia Woolf, H.G. Wells, Florence Heide and many others. His well known animated credits for the PBS Mystery series have introduced him to millions of television viewers. Gorey’s masterful pen and ink illustrations and his ironic, offbeat humor have brought him critical acclaim and an avid following throughout the world.
