RUMNEY, Ralph. Untitled. 72 x 41 cm; Collage on board. Signed with initials and dated ’23.i.84/R.R’ (lower center).

Provenance: The artist, by whom gifted to the present owners in 1984. Subsequently acquired by us at Chiswick Auctions in 2023 (July 4, 2023 sale, item 64) Exhibited: London, England & Co, Ralph Rumney-Constants: 1950-1988, March 1989, cat.no.11i

Situationist-inspired collage in the psychogeographical tradition, from the series “Hommage to François Dufrêne”. Rumney brings to the forefront numerous elements that were important in his life.

  • The lacerated map of the city of Venice (which comprises nearly half the board) is a reference to Rumney’s The Leaning Tower of Venice, the account of the author’s psychogeographical journey through La Serenissima. Initially, the innovative work was to be published in the first issue of Internationale Situationniste in 1958. However, Rumney missed the editorial deadline (see Correspondence with Debord from March 1958) which ultimately led to his exclusion from the Situationist International. The latter was announced in the inaugural issue of the SI’s journal, through a ‘fake obituary’ and account of the project’s ‘failure’ entitled “Venice has vanquished Ralph Rumney”Venice has vanquished Ralph Rumney”.
  • One of the few complete words that can be deciphered on the collage is Sandro, a reference to Rumney’s son, who was born in Venice He is the son of Pegeen Guggenheim, whom Rumney was married to.