I was given the name Robert Muir back in 1965. As an adult I realized just how common a name it was. I found that in order to clearly define my identity as an artist/illustrator, I established the pen-name of “Corps Xquis”. Derived from an expression in Andre Breton’s “Surrealist Manifesto” of 1924 that translates from French as, “the exquisite corpse will drink new wine…” Preferring the word “Corps” to “Cadavre”, the pen-name took on a whole meaning as I began to generate automatic drawings following multiple readings of Breton’s master work. Drawing and painting without conscious thought or least engaging in internal dialogue is intensely difficult and became a form of meditation that I practice to this day. The Sketchbook Manifesto began life circa 1983 as a 3” x 5” sketchbook that went with me everywhere I went for a period of over 20 years.

  My professional training and early success as an illustrator (1987-) would eventually push the sketchbook out of scope to my work. I would later do extensive technical illustration, writing, industrial photography, document management and design for modular construction materials, public transit vehicles, medium voltage power electronics, material handling and medical devices. I consider myself  a pioneer in compiling complete digital technical documentation.

  The Virtual Gallery is a repository of all significant work since my late teens. Time has not been kind to much of these works. It became necessary to spend 5 or 6 years digitally remastering them. Now, it is all here in pretty much the same condition with same clarity and definition of colour as they were at the time of creation. 150+ hand-done works have been submitted for your perusal…

 

Enjoy! Namaste

 

^I^^