At the same time I began trying figures wholly in wire, and at that time made 2 or 3 which are in my present show at the Galerie Billiet, 30 rue de la Boetie (Jan.25–Feb.7.1929).
Taking my toys to New-York in the fall of 1927 in the hope of merchandising them, I finally connected with the Gould Manufacturing Co. of Oshkosh, for whom I made a whole set of new designs in toys.
During the Winter I had a show of wire sculpture at the Weyhe Gallery, New-York City, which proved quite a success, and also exposed “Romulus and Remus” and “Spring” at the Independants in New-York (At the present moment “Romulus and Remus” and the other, now “Printemps” are exposing their virtues and vices at the Independants at the Grand Palais, Paris).
At that time (last Spring) I did not consider this medium to be of any signal importance in the world of art; merely a very amusing stunt cleverly executed. So I began to carve wood, and worked all Spring, Summer and fall, on sculptures in wood which are to be shown at Weyhe’s (New-York) commencing February 4, 1929.
However, wishing to return to Paris, I felt it would be quite justifiable to have an exhibition here, where “clever stunts” are highly appreciated, so I came over 3 months ago and set to work, carving wood and twisting wire.
These new studies in wire, however, did not remain the simple modest little things I had done in New-York. They are still simple, more simple than before; and therein lie the great possibilities which I have only recently come to feel for the wire medium.
Before, the wire studies were subjective, portraits, caricatures, stylized representations of beasts and humans. But these recent things have been viewed from a more objective angle and although their present size is diminutive, I feel that there is no limitation to the scale to which they can be enlarged.
There is one thing, in particular, which connects them with history. One of the canons of the futuristic painters, as propounded by Modigliani, was that objects behind other objects should not be lost to view, but should be shown through the others by making the latter transparent. The wire sculpture accomplishes this in a most decided manner.
