The exquisite corpse has always been a popular activity. It’s easy and fun, not to mention that oftentimes, the results are funny.
If you aren’t familiar with exquisite corpse, it’s based on an old parlour game in which players draw on a sheet of paper, fold it to conceal part of their drawing, then pass it to the next player. That player draws on the paper, folds it, and passes it on. Usually the paper is folded in thirds, but it is up to you how many parts there are. With each new collaborator, they are allowed to see the end of what the previous person contributed.
Exquisite corpse was started by the surrealists as early as 1918. Below are some famous artists who took part in this fun game. If you’re looking for a contemporary spin on it, I’d suggest taking a peek at The Exquisite Book published by Chronicle Books a few years back.
André Breton, Max Morise, Pierre Naville, Benjamin Péret, Jacques Prévert, Jeannette Tanguy & Yves Tanguy (1928). Image via.
André Breton, Nusch Éluard & Valentino Hugo (1929). Image via.
Paul Éluard, André Breton & Nusch Éluard (1929). Image via.
Drawing by Yves Tanguy, Man Ray, Max Morise, Joan Miró, c. 1926. Image via.
An early cadaver exquis by Andre Breton and others (c. 1920). Image via.