Blind Mickey's Blues
Artist
William T. Wiley
(American, 1937 - 2021)
Printer
Michael Sims
(American, 1944)
Publisher
The Lawrence Lithography Workshop
(American, founded 1979)
Date1997
MediumColor lithograph
DimensionsImage: 35 1/4 × 19 inches (89.54 × 48.26 cm)
Sheet: 36 3/4 × 20 1/8 inches (93.35 × 51.13 cm)
Sheet: 36 3/4 × 20 1/8 inches (93.35 × 51.13 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: acquired through the generosity of the Print Society
Object number2014.9
SignedWiley in pencil, lower right margin
Inscribed1997, lower right margin in pencil
Edition/State/Proof29/40
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 214
Collections
DescriptionLarge figure of Mickey Mouse holding harmonica, sandwiched inside what could be a music box, or a cheese grater, over words to song printed in background over map.Gallery LabelWilliam T. Wiley found inspiration in the urban legend that Walt Disney was cryogenically preserved after his death in hopes of future reanimation. He superimposed a portrait of the cartoonist and his most iconic character over a cryogenic tank. The “icy tomb,” which floats like a satellite above a world map, is inscribed with lyrics to Mickey’s Blues, a song Wiley wrote and liked to perform. Layered with imagery, humor, and social critique, Blind Mickey’s Blues epitomizes Wiley’s pivotal role in the Bay Area, California, “Funk” art scene of the 1960s and 1970s.
Copyright© Artist, through Lawrence Lithography, Kansas City, MO
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