A Book About Ray

by Ellen Levy

Ellen Levy’s beautifully conceived textual deep dive in seven chapters (plus a coda) is a worthy testament to the notoriously elusive Ray Johnson. Constructed with care—from the choice of typeface to the display of ephemera—A Book About Ray takes its “elliptical path” around Johnson’s journey, from his arrival at Black Mountain College in 1945 to his death in 1995. Levy’s “art story” exegesis about Johnson’s work and life pops and crackles and almost sings its histories: Ray’s elaborate games, tongue-in-cheek missives, erratic gestures, and his subversive art of disappearance. This is a fine read packed with many encounters and art world cameos (from Ruth Asawa to Andy Warhol), and a vital portrait of the “famously unknown” American original who turned the US Postal Service into an art medium. — Herbert Pföstl, Book Consultant for the New Museum Store.

A Book about Ray by Ellen Levy delves into the life and work of Ray Johnson, "New York's most famous unknown artist." Johnson's career, marked by elaborate games with the art world, is traced from his time at Black Mountain College to his death. The book highlights his shifting artistic practice, including collage, performance, and correspondence art.

Levy takes an elliptical approach, drawing readers into Johnson's world and exploring his influences like Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp, and peers like Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. This study presents Johnson's subversive take on their shared aesthetic, offering a unique perspective on his career and impact.

2024; hardcover; 7 x 10 inches; 394 pages, 127 color, 87 b&w ills; ISBN: 9780262048743.