SMS: A Collection of Original Multiples

Portfolio

With nearly 100 artists and thinkers ranging from Marcel Duchamp and Roy Lichtenstein to Betty Dodson and Yoko Ono, SMS (Shit Must Stop) was the brainchild of American Surrealist William Copley's workshop. A periodical portfolio of works mailed directly from the studio (Copley's own, opened to all artists) to its subscribers, it was a compilation of art in various media, from prints to die-cut assemblages to handwritten letters to cassette tapes and more. The result was a collaborative effort in presenting the artists to the public directly, forgoing galleries and dealers for a more intimate and powerful approach.

No matter his or her position in the art world, every contributing person received a flat rate of $100 as payment. Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press, each work had to be duplicated 2000 times. These included traditional techniques that could be easily reproduced, such as prints and cassette tapes, but also included unique items more laborious to replicate, such as bowties that had to be burnt individually (SMS #4), or empty pill capsules assembled and carefully placed into each portfolio box (SMS #1). Accidents were often preserved to maintain the immediacy and personal nature of the work.

Artist's in portfolio #1 include Irving Petlin, Su Braden, James Lee Byars, Christo, Walter de Maria, Richard Hamilton, Kaspar Koening, Julien Levy, Sol Mednick, Nancy Reitkopf, and La Monte Young & Mariann Zazeela.

Artist's in portfolio #2 include Marcel Duchamp, Nicolas Calas, Bruce Conner, Marcia Herscovitz, Alain Jacquet, Ray Johnson, Lee Lozano, Meret Oppenheim, Bernard Pfreim, George Reavey, and Clovis Trouille.

Artists in portfolio #3 include John Battan, Aftograf, Enrico Baj, William Bryant, Dick Higgins, Joseph Kosuth, Ronnie Landfield, Roland Penrose, Man Ray, H.C. Westermann, Hannah Weiner, and Terry Riley.

Artists in portfolio #4 include Robert Stanley, Arman, Paul Bergtold, John Cage, Hollis Frampton, On Kawara, Roy Lichtenstein, Lil Picard, Domenico Rotella, Robert Watts, Princess Winifred, La Monte Young, and Marian Zazeela.

Artists in portfolio #5 include Congo, William Anthony, Wall Batterton, William Copley, Edward Fitzgerald, Neil Jenney, Angus MacLise, Bruce Nauman, Yoko Ono, Mel Ramos, Robert Rohm, William Schwedler, Diane Wakoski, and Lawrence Weiner.

Artists in portfolio #6 include Richard Artschwager, Ed Bereal, Deiter Roth, Betty Dodson, Ronoldo Ferri, John Giorno, Toby Mussman, Adrian Nutbeem, Claes Oldenburg, Mischa Petrov, Jean Reavey, and Bernar Venet.