M HKA Ensembles

Photography, 152 x 108 cm.

Collection: Courtesy of Annie Gentils Gallery, Antwerp.

Habillé jusqu’aux neufs started out as a response to an invitation for participation in a group show called Sample Sale, which took place at the Henn Gallery in Maastricht, The Netherlands. The exhibition was curated by Nicolette Pot and Dees Linders, it took place from 9 till 16 December 1995. The following year the artist made a photographic work of himself wearing the 'hat' while leaning on its plinth – also titled Habillé jusqu'aux neufs.

The shape of the hat/object is taken from a photograph of a ventilator on Fire Island, New York, similar to one used by Marcel Duchamp as a ready-made in 1915. An etching by Duchamp, made in 1964, is the only record of this now lost work. The object was inscribed: ‘Pulled at Four Pins’ a literal translation of the French idiom, ‘Être tiré à quatre epingles’. The English equivalent ‘Dressed up to the nines’ translated literally into French gives: ‘Habillé jusqu’aux neufs’ – Webb’s title. A ‘toile’ is a prototype garment made by a designer, from lightweight cotton. ‘Toile’, from the Latin téla, meaning ‘web’ and ‘toil’ can also be phonetically punned, in English, with the word ‘twirl’.