Mon Guide du Tricot, 2011

Basel 2015

Work on Paper

Paper and Cardboard

24.0 x 32.0 (cm)

9.4 x 12.6 (inch)

Artist-collector and handywoman, Annette Messager has made nearly sixty “collection albums” between 1972 and 1974. Inspired by words, writings and images, the artist has created her albums from an accumulation of texts, photographs, notes and miscellaneous items, cautiously collected and sorted. Sometimes carefully glued in notebooks, sometimes gathered in bulk folders, each one of Annette Messager’s albums include a handwritten title by the artist. The albums are organized according to various themes, such as love life, encounters or domestic life and resemble sometimes a diary, a photo album or a recipe book. "Les hommes que j’aime", "Ma collection de proverbes", "Ma vie illustrée" or "Mon livre de cuisine" are a few examples. Annette Messager assembles common, everyday items to create a work that is subtly both poetic and feminist. Although the use of the personal pronoun suggests that the albums are autobiographical, they are works of fiction. They reveal the ironic fantasy life of a young woman embodying the archetype of the 60's housewife. This woman is not Annette Messager. Mon guide du tricot is an album within which Annette Messager gathers a series of knitting techniques, through annotated photographs and schematic drawings. Two cardboards slid in the album show a woman wearing a mohair sweater and a man a suiza sweater. Each of these boards has its own thread sample. 10 pages and 2 sheets of mechanical cardboard Dimension of the album: 32 x 24 cm Limited edition of 24 numbered and signed copies and 6 artist’s proofs 1973 - 2011 Produced and published in 2011 by mfc-michèle didier ©2011 Annette Messager and mfc-michèle didier