I'm too sad to tell you

I'm too sad to tell you (1970), 27.7 x 35.5 cm, gelatin silver print[1]

I'm too sad to tell you (1970–71) is a mixed media artwork by conceptual artist Bas Jan Ader.[2] 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.[3] The post cards were mailed to his friends with the inscription “I'm too sad to tell you”.[4] There was an original, now lost, version of the film called Cry Claremont. It was shown in the Pomona College Gallery in Claremont, California in 1971-72.[5]

In conjunction with the title of the work, the reason for his sadness was never stated.[6]

  1. ^ "Bas Jan Ader. I'm Too Sad to Tell You. 1970 - MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art.
  2. ^ "Bas Jan Ader Please Don't Leave Me", Nato Thompson, Bomb (magazine), Summer 2007
  3. ^ "From A Distance". This American Life. 19 April 1996.
  4. ^ Cindy Loehr, “Bas Jan Ader: Retrospective” Archived 2020-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, New Art Examiner, March 2000
  5. ^ Christophe Cherix, In & Out of Amsterdam: Travels in Conceptual Art, 1960-1976, MOMA, 2009, ISBN 978-0-87070-753-7
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dumbadze was invoked but never defined (see the help page).