William N. Copley

Selected Writings' is an essential companion for readers interested in the extraordinary life, work, and artistic milieu of William Nelson Copley (1919-1996). Though best known for his radical work as a painter, which he pursued under the name CPLY, Copley was also a talented writer and the texts gathered here present his most significant essays, articles, and conversations. Among Copley's reflections on art and artists is "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dealer," a vividly humorous account of his brief tenure as a dealer in Surrealist art in 1940s Los Angeles. Also included are key interviews and correspondence illuminating Copley's own practice and a selection of his newspaper articles, originally published in the 1950s and reprinted now for the first time.