ABOUT THE WORK

In the 1960s, Tanning began a series of “friezes,” elongated horizontal compositions on scraps of high-quality papers left over from the paper cutter.

“In 1965 a series of “friezes” began for me. Between sessions devoted to painting on big canvases I drew, generally with soft lead, and very fast, my figures on long strips of elegant papers (chutes, scraps from the paper cutter). A simple exercise at first, it became over the years a continuing need…”
- Dorothea Tanning, Hail! Delirium, 1992

During one of her exhibitions in Paris, Tanning showcased these friezes along the top of the walls, adding a distinctive border to her work.