Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
14 x 12.4cm, 4pp and printed card wrappers. The cover drawing of a boat is by Gary Hincks, internally are two poems by Finlay.

3 Sailboats
Juan Gris
Jean Cocteau
Erik Satie

opposite to

3 Sansculottes
Puvis de Chavannes
Camille Pissarro
Jean_Baptiste Corot

Finlay is associating the the thematic interests of the latter three painters (the lives of the poor and oppressed) against the bourgeois interests of Gris, Cocteau and Satie. The sansculottes being the working class mob in Paris during the revolution who could by sheer numbers overthrow the various attempts at moderate government and led eventually to the rise of Robespierre and the Terror. VG+.

...

London: Whitechapel Gallery, 1990
76 x 51cm, full colour offset lithographic exhibition poster with an image of one of the "falling angels" shadow play works. VG+.

...

London: Trustees of the Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1990
312 x 26 x 4cm, two part cardboard box with tipped on label content of 18 items some of which are reprints of early Boltanski artist's books.
The contents are four booklets with new content:

"Christian Boltanski: Reconstitution" exhibition catalogue, with essay by Lynn Gumpert, 40 pp., with numerous colour and black and white illustrations
"Christian Boltanski 1944-90" catalogue of works, exhibitions and bibliography, 36 pp., with numerous black and white illustrations
"Christian Boltanski: an Interview with Georgia Marsh, " 48 pp., with five black and white illustrations


And five reprints of soft cover artist's books:
"Reconstitution des gestes effectués par Christian Boltanski entre 1948 et 1954, "
"10 Portraits photographiques de Christian Boltanski 1946-1964, "
"Recherche et presentation de tout ce qui reste de mon enfance, "
"Inventaire des objets ayant appartenu a une femme des Bois-Colombes"
"Saynetes Comiques" 32 pp., with 22 black and white illustrations
Additionally there are two facsimile letters:
"Lettre de demande d'aide";
"Lettre aux conservateurs de Musee proposant le projet des inventaires."
And:
"Christian Boltanski a l'honneuer de vous faire ses offres de service, "
"Dispersion a l'amiable".
"Christian Boltanski a 5 ans 3 mois de distance";
"Christian Boltanski et ses freres".
Three color postcards: "Image modèle (La régate), 1975; "Composition decorative, " 1976; "Affiche, " 1974 and a colour poster: "L'Ange d'alliance, " 1986

The box applies Boltanski's interest in reconstituting the past to himself and his artistic career. Some of the books are hard to tell from the original first editions which is an issue for book dealers.
VG+ contents in like box although one booklet has slightly rusted staples. ...

Basel: Kusntehall Basel, 1990
30.5 x 23cms, 92pp, plus original card covers and pictorial dust jacket. Exhibition catalogue for a major exhibition of works with a short essay in German by Thomas Kellein. Eight b/w photographs of Little Sparta and many works reproduced in colours. VG+.

...

Lugo: Exempla, Firenze & Exit, 1990
25.8 x 19cm, 4pp single sheet of folded card in printed envelope. The card opens up to show a photograph by Martyn Greenhalgh of an automatic machine gun which has holes on the barrel to reduce heat. The gun can be seen against sheets of unused musical notation paper - hence the gun with the hole's becomes a violent form of Pan's reed pipes. The image is printed in light green to further emphasise the vegetative aspect of the work.
This is one of 150 signed and numbered copies (on the back of the envelope). VG+.

...

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
17.8 x 8.2cm, 4pp card. The front of the card has the text: "TWO MILESTONES/TWO LIVES" in red and then below "Varennes/Vincennes" in green.
The first "milestone" here was the town where the King Louis XVI was stopped when he and Marie Antoinette and their children tried to flee France after they were being held hostage by the revolution. The second milestone is the forrest where Rousseau wandered and had a "revelation" regarding the role of science and arts in human morality which he claimed changed his worldview. Both places changed the history of the individuals and one may argue the world. VG+.

...

NYC: Christine Burgin Gallery, 1990
18 x 12.5cm, 1pp typographic announcement card for a US solo show. VG+ although there is some handwriting on the back which seems to relate to prices of certain works.

...

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1989
18.4 x 11.1cm, 4pp red outer folder. Internally a 18.4 x 11.1cm, 4pp sheet with a poem:

KING

ohne
titel

sans
title

without
a head

The poem compares an artwork that has no title to a beheaded monarch who also presumably has no title once dead.
This is one of a series of works which the Wild hawthorn Press denoted as "Poems in folders". VG+.

...

Two part, very large, original paper letter - each 100 x 34.5cm on gold shaped paper where the top of the paper resembles a dome. Both sheets are folded many times for posting down to 13.5 x 18cm). An original letter from Byars to Paul Jolle congratulating the latter on some unspecified (perhaps spurious) promotion. The text is written in Byar’s handwriting. The text says: “DEAR GREAT MR J. THE POWER OF THE GR.(?) PLEASE DON'T YOU THINK ONE OF MY XXXXX WOULD LOOK FINE HIGH UP IN SOME PARLIAMENT ROOM I'M HAVING EXHIBITION (sic) AT GERBERS AND AND THIS AFTERNOON / I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT CH'D LET IT'S POETIC FLAG GET SO RENEWED. I'M HOPING FOR A VERY GREAT CREATIVE RESP. FROM THE BERN INTELLECTUALS? HELP? I DO HOPE YOU LIKE LITTLE SHORT GOLD SUMMER FLAG TOO? REGARDS AND THANK YOU B." The words are hard to read in places but as usual Byars is being both flattering and hinting at a possible commission from the reader at the same time. The "little short gold summer flag" may well refer to the two shaped gold pieces of paper the letter is written on. Byars was always very admiring of the simplicity of the Swiss flag. Both folded parts of the letter are housed in an original 13 x 17.7cm white enveleope on which Byars has drawn a large letter "J" in his starry handwriting style. Paul Jolles was a Swiss diplomat who Byars befriended after he met the artist at the Toni Gerber Gallery in Bern. Apart from being heavily folded and the odd tiny tear at the indexes of folds this is in very good condition and is a typical brief from the romantic minimalist (if with an air of self interest about it)....

Very large original paper letter on two pieces of conjoined crepe paper - opens to 246 x 33.5cm (folded many times for posting down to 13.5 x 18cm). An original letter from Byars to Paul Jolle congratulating the latter on some unspecified (perhaps spurious) promotion. The text is written in Byar’s handwriting. The text says: “DEAR MR J. CONGRATULATIONS. ON YR NEWEST INVENTED POSITION, SEC OF ST. CH. DON'T YOU LOVE ABBREVIATIONS AND NOW AS CHIEF OF CH. WHERE’S YR POET LAUREATE? SUPPOSE AFTER THE FIRST WORD OF THE P.L. IS PERFECT THAT CH. EVEN GETS OFFICIALLY ENGLISH. HOW VERY EXCELLENT TO BE AN OFFIC. POLYGLOT COUNTRY WITH A WHITE POETIC FLAG. I DO HOPE YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE GREAT ONLY BY NOW. IF NOT CALL JURGEN CH. AT THE KUNST-MUSEUM FOR A VERY CAREFUL EXAMINATION. ALSO YOU SHOULD ASK FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE OF THE PERFECT WHISPER FOR YOU. AWAITING YOUR RPLY. SINCERELY JAMES LEE BYARS BERN.” Paul Jolles was a Swiss diplomat who Byars befriended after he met the artist at the Toni Gerber Gallery in Bern. Apart from being heavily folded this is in very good condition and is a typical and early brief from the romantic minimalist (with an air of appealing for a commission about it)....

Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping