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in his hand crying. The back of the post card had the written inscription “I'm too sad to tell you”. It was dated
September 13, 1970. The card was mailed to a number of Ader's friends. The image has also been reproduced in a photographic version with the inscription written in the lower right hand corner. The post card and photograph have become iconic of the work and a symbol that many artists have emulated (see Influence below).
48:. The work includes a three-minute black-and-white silent film, still photographs and a post card all related to him crying for an unknown reason. The photographs include both a short hair version and a long hair version. The post cards were mailed to his friends with the inscription “I'm too sad to tell you”. There was an original, now lost, version of the film called
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three and a half minutes. The edited version captures Ader at his most anguished. His face is framed closely. There is no introduction or conclusion, no reason given and no relief from the anguish that is presented. Critics have said that it is hard not to be affected by the film, with its offering of “raw passion to anyone willing to watch”.
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The work's original form was a silent black and white movie that was filmed outdoors in 1970, apparently in front of Ader's house. The movie was shown in
Claremont college, but has since been lost. A still from the movie, however, was extracted and made into a post card. It shows Ader with his head
75:
A second version of the film was made in
Amsterdam in 1971. This was more of a performance with Ader appearing to be calm before the shooting and rubbing his eyes during the filming to produce tears and build emotional intensity. Ten minutes of film was shot with the final version edited to about
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feels the work may be seen as real due to the tradition of the “melancholy white male artist”. She sees this in contrast to how a woman would have been perceived as either acting or in hysterics. Journalist Betty van Garrel goes so far as to say (in translation) "Ader is a sentimental loser, a
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connects this work to his own "Colourful Realm" series, saying "There’s the subject of the misery or the search for authenticity, which, no matter what your race, gender, class is, what we all are seeking is the
95:, thinks the reasons for his sadness are beside the point. In his view, Ader walks a fine line between sincerity (the sadness is real) and melodrama (the work is staged multiple times). Jörg Heiser, coeditor of
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There seems to be an overall tension between the sincerity of the artist's captured emotions and performance aspects of the works. Artists James
Roberts and
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In conjunction with the title of the work, the reason for his sadness was never stated.
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Alexander Brandt said of his goal of imitating Ader's pose in his own self-portrait:
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has influenced a large number of artists, with many composing interpretations and
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Lisa Rovner said Ader's movie "was the most beautiful thing she's ever seen."
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Women reviewers have been more critical. Jennifer Doyle in her book
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Thomas
Persson, "For the Moment | Thomas Persson on Lisa Rovner",
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The work has inspired many critical interpretations and analysis.
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romantic softie, a problem case and not even original in that."
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Couple in The Cage: Two
Undiscovered Amerindians Visit the West
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In & Out of
Amsterdam: Travels in Conceptual Art, 1960-1976
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Hold it
Against Me: Difficulty and Emotion in Contemporary Art
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Hold it
Against Me: Difficulty and Emotion in Contemporary Art
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Self
Portrait (I Am Too Sad to Tell You, after Bas Jan Ader)
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Self Portrait (I Am Too Sad to Tell You, after Bas Jan Ader)
164:... this was actually a direct reference to Ader's image."
536:"Kehinde Wiley is reaching for a new language of grace",
392:"Art & Research : An Interview with Jörg Heiser"
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created a performance piece performed with Ader's movie.
485:(Rebus), PS1 NY exhibition, 11 February – 07 May 2007
213:"Bas Jan Ader. I'm Too Sad to Tell You. 1970 - MoMA"
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440:"Alexander Brandt "I'm too sad to tell you" (2009)"
345:"James Roberts and Collier Schorr, "Bas Jan Ader",
559:, Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH, 2013, chapter 1.3
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572:, Antinomie. Scritture e Immagini, 2022/02/02
8:
497:"Mac Gallery, performance, 11 January, 2014"
28:(1970), 27.7 x 35.5 cm, gelatin silver print
424:Samuel Klaus, "Bas Jan Ader, Lost at Sea",
374:"Legend of the fall. - Free Online Library"
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266:Cindy Loehr, “Bas Jan Ader: Retrospective”
742:Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)
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413:, Duke University Press, 12 March 2013
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718:How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare
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230:"Bas Jan Ader Please Don't Leave Me"
317:Dumbadze, Alexander (27 May 2013).
178:with his head in his hand per Ader.
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320:Bas Jan Ader: Death Is Elsewhere
323:. University of Chicago Press.
1442:Survival Research Laboratories
149:on the influence for his book
1:
1339:LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner
124:to the work. These include:
1493:Black-and-white photographs
1509:
646:Breathing in/breathing out
1344:Los Angeles Urban Rangers
557:In Search of Bas Jan Ader
396:www.artandresearch.org.uk
333:– via Google Books.
1437:Performance art in China
702:Empathy and Prostitution
217:The Museum of Modern Art
830:The Death of The Artist
726:I'm too sad to tell you
570:I’m too sad to tell you
561:I'm too sad to tell you
118:I'm too sad to tell you
80:Critical interpretation
67:Composition and history
34:I'm too sad to tell you
26:I'm too sad to tell you
16:Artwork by Bas Jan Ader
1278:Mierle Laderman Ukeles
670:Ceci N'est Pas Un Viol
555:Maike Aden-Schraenen,
378:www.thefreelibrary.com
349:(magazine), June 1994"
54:Pomona College Gallery
52:. It was shown in the
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870:Untitled (Rape Scene)
822:The Artist Is Present
632:Amen or The Pederasty
568:Samir Galal Mohamed,
58:Claremont, California
24:
1013:Guillermo Gómez-Peña
151:Sad Depressed People
1068:Natalie Jeremijenko
710:Food for the Spirit
540:, 16 February, 2023
293:Christophe Cherix,
1447:Viennese Actionism
1324:COUM Transmissions
1243:Carolee Schneemann
1088:Ragnar Kjartansson
862:Three Weeks in May
428:, 7 September 2007
271:2020-09-28 at the
253:This American Life
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1478:1970s photographs
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1432:Participatory art
1273:Melati Suryodarmo
1158:Charlotte Moorman
806:Seven Easy Pieces
303:978-0-87070-753-7
249:"From A Distance"
232:, Nato Thompson,
43:conceptual artist
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1233:Rachel Rosenthal
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1334:General Idea
1329:Fallen Fruit
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1208:Mark Pauline
1163:Bruce Nauman
1143:Kent Monkman
1113:Suzanne Lacy
1108:Yayoi Kusama
1083:Andy Kaufman
1078:Allan Kaprow
1053:Rebecca Horn
1043:Sharon Hayes
1023:Ann Hamilton
998:Bob Flanagan
993:Valie Export
983:Sophie Calle
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60:in 1971-72.
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1452:Process art
1382:(2018 film)
1374:(1988 film)
1354:The Yes Men
1248:Tino Sehgal
1223:Jim Pomeroy
1173:Pat Oleszko
1153:Frank Moore
1098:Terence Koh
963:GĂĽnter Brus
923:Abel Azcona
838:The Fathers
758:Rest Energy
745:(2014–2015)
481:Vik Muniz,
41:artwork by
39:mixed media
1488:1971 works
1483:1970 works
1467:Categories
1319:Concept 21
1228:Duke Riley
1193:Eiko Otaki
1183:Mihai Olos
1128:Miki Malör
1123:James Luna
1093:Yves Klein
1073:Joan Jonas
1063:Zhang Huan
1008:Coco Fusco
953:Mark Bloch
846:The Shadow
734:Luminosity
507:2014-08-24
450:2014-08-24
359:2014-08-24
199:References
1427:monochrom
1417:Happening
1203:Gina Pane
1033:Jo Hanson
1003:Terry Fox
988:Papo Colo
918:Ron Athey
854:The Shame
766:Rhythm 10
729:(1970–71)
686:Cut Piece
681:(1992–93)
624:7000 Oaks
172:Vik Muniz
113:Influence
1397:Body art
1314:Ant Farm
1188:Yoko Ono
1103:Paul Kos
928:Franko B
790:Rhythm 0
782:Rhythm 2
774:Rhythm 5
538:LA Times
523:NY Times
269:Archived
174:created
93:Artforum
1268:Stelarc
890:Artists
798:Seedbed
122:homages
1412:Fluxus
1307:Groups
881:(2008)
873:(1973)
865:(1977)
857:(2018)
849:(2014)
841:(2016)
833:(2018)
825:(2010)
817:(1964)
809:(2005)
801:(1972)
793:(1974)
785:(1974)
777:(1974)
769:(1973)
761:(1980)
753:(2009)
737:(1997)
721:(1965)
713:(1971)
705:(2013)
697:(2012)
694:Eating
689:(1964)
673:(2015)
665:(2015)
662:Buried
657:(1974)
649:(1977)
641:(1969)
639:Bed-in
635:(2015)
627:(1982)
347:frieze
327:
301:
162:
137:
98:Frieze
1390:Other
1363:Media
468:(PDF)
1349:Mavo
1283:Ulay
616:Work
325:ISBN
299:ISBN
56:in
1469::
394:.
376:.
309:^
286:^
275:,
251:.
215:.
601:e
594:t
587:v
574:.
510:.
470:.
453:.
398:.
380:.
362:.
219:.
153::
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