Enrico Baj

Enrico Baj, General or Personaggio decorato (Decorated figure), 1965

Each iteration of this multiple contains an oblong rectangle resembling a head, embellished with lace, rope, pins, and other decorative elements arranged to suggest facial features. The specific collage materials and their arrangement vary from work to work, illustrating the notion of a “series of originals” integral to both the 1964 and 1965 collections of Edition MAT. Baj’s multiple is related to a group of works he began in 1959 called Generals, which feature buffoonish military figures crafted from medals, ribbons, and other decorations set against patterned fabric. The satirical series was intended, as Baj stated, as “representations of power and stupid authority.” These three multiples poke fun at the material symbols of power, as the delicate lace and flowered background―drawn from mattress fabric―belie the machismo of the military figures.

Image credit

Enrico Baj (Italian, 1924–2003), General or Personaggio decorato (Decorated figure), 1965. Felt, trimmings, and metal appliqués on mattress fabric, 15/100, 18 1/2 x 22 x 1 3/4 in. (47 x 56 x 4.5 cm). Published by Edition MAT / Galerie Der Spiegel, Cologne. Ludwig Museum Koblenz, Germany.