The Exquisite Corpse, derived from the French expression “Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau” (or, “the exquisite corpse shall now drink the new wine”) is an exercise in improvisational intrigue that has challenged the agendas of artists since it was purportedly invented by André Breton and his Surrealist companions as a parlor game in the early 20th century. Traditionally, the Exquisite Corpse involves a rotating piece in poetic or visual form that is initiated by one artist, then continued by an- other, and finished by a third. The limitation of the ‘game’ is that the successive artists see only a fragment of the previous drawing upon which to elaborate, thus resulting in a playful, imaginative, and surprising image that is more than the sum of its parts. For our version of this experiment, we’ve invited 14 Planthouse veterans and friends to partner with artists and media of their choosing. The collective collaborations complete — along an essay by Night at the Museum and Dinner for Schmucks screen- writer David Guion—the veritable 43 ‘monsters’. Planthouse is delighted to manifest our own uncertain iteration of this game in homage to the cheeky humor of our new book 43 Monsters, which features the whimsical 1970's childhood illustrations of Chuck Webster and a comic text by Arthur Bradford. 

Exquisite Corpse Artists: