NIHIL. ORIGINAL DACTYLOPOEME. 1968. SIGNED & NUMBERED FROM SERIES OF UNIQUE WORKS.

Paris: s.p. (Chopin), n.d. 1963/1968

25 x 25cm, red and black typewriter ink on cartridge paper. An unique dactylepoeme hand typed by Chopin as one in a series of works issued in the deluxe edition of OU 33 in 1968.

The work repeats the word “NIHIL” ie nothing, in the shape of a crucifix in red and black. An anti-religious work by the concrete and experimental poet.

While the work is numbered (6/21) each dactylepoeme in the series was different due to the handmade nature of the work. A similar work is reproduced in Chopin’s Le Dernier Roman du Monde book – and that work was dated there as 1963 – it is likely that the 21 variants that were made by Chopin were created mostly between 1963 and 1968 and the early ones c. 1965.

The paper here is very slightly browned in areas after 62 years and more so on the blank back. There is one slight diagonal handling crease bottom right else all is VG with the typewriter ink still very fresh.

It is almost impossible to find original dactylepoemes by Chopin from the 1960s – and this is a wonderful example of the medium.