A collection of scarce printed material related to the career of Chinese American modernist painter Yun Gee. Born in Kaiping, China, Yun Gee moved to California at age 15, where he studied at the California School of Fine Arts and became a member of the San Francisco avant garde. The collection includes four pieces, three related to exhibitions of Yun Gee's work in New York, with the fourth item a scarce, privately distributed mimeograph written by Yun Gee summarizing his aesthetic philosophy of Diamondism.
A) Diamondism. Diamondism - At Last.
Mimeograph essay of Yun Gee on Diamondism, his philosophy of aesthetics. Two sheets, staplebound, rectos only. Diagram illustrations to both pages. No author listed, but corresponds with other material published by Yun Gee related to Diamondism and came with other material offered here. Apparently unrecorded variant, mixing portions from Yun Gee's essay "The Chinese Artist and the World of Tomorrow", published in China Monthly in 1943, and "Diamondism at last! Or, what it takes to make a good picture" published originally in French in 1937, and English in 1939.
B) Paintings by Yun Gee. Montross Gallery. 785 Fifth Avenue. New York. December 9 to December 21, 1940.
Exhibition pamphlet on single stiff folded sheet, 4pp. Yun Gee's portrait of Confucius to rear cover, with list of 26 paintings inside and single page essay on artist by Pierre Mille.
C) Exhibition of Paintings by Yun Gee. China Institute in America Headquarters. China House. August 5th Through September 15th 1947.
Exhibition pamphlet on single stiff folded sheet, 4pp. Yun Gee's portrait of Confucius to rear cover, with list of 12 paintings inside and single page essay on artist by Stephanie Lieber. Pencil notes to covers related to Syrinda Chang of Tientsin, China.
D) Private Showing of Masterpieces Newly Discovered by Yun Gee at the Home of Mrs. Albert John Murphy.
Invitation leaflet for a private exhibition of Yun Gee's work at the home of a collector in New York City, March 6-7, 1948. Single folded sheet, integral and reverse blank.
Ephemeral material related to Yun Gee's early career in New York is uncommon, both in commerce and in institutional collections.
