17 Aug

Posted at 13:17h in Photographs

NYC: n.p., 1976
20.5 x 25.2cm, b/w silver gelatine original photograph of a man (probably a journalist) looking at the newly purchased Ian Hamilton Finlay work "STARLIT WATERS" which the Tate Gallery in London had recently purchased.
A press photograph with extensive text on the reverse intended by the journalist used for a "shock horror" story about the purchase.
The work had been bought only 6 months after the "fire brick scandal" (actually a major press made up story about the Tate buying an extreme minimalist work by Carl Andre which consisted of 144 bricks) so this image was an attempt by a journalist to recreate that public outrage at perceived mis-use of public funds. Of course, the journalist was either just being opportunist or stupid.
Very good condition. Not unique as copies were sent to various newspaper. Photographer unknown.

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27 Jul

Posted at 16:08h in Prints + Posters

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
38 × 26.4cm, two part red and black silkscreen on transparent paper and white paper respectively with a drawing by David Button of of three World War I warships - INVINCIBLE. INFLEXIBLE. INDEFATIGABLE’. The overlay sheet adds red diagonal strokes - the poles which held the ships’ torpedo nets - along each hull.
With the subtitle being Homage to Agam, the work is a visual pun paintings by the Israeli artist Yaacov Agam who created optical art (OpArt) works using stripes and diagonals.
The outer card folder notes this is one of only 150 copies produced. This is an unsigned copy. VG in like folder.

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25 Jun

Posted at 12:06h in EXHIBITION CATALOGUES

Bonn: Rheinisches Landesmuseum, 1976
20 x 20.5cm, 120pp plus original pictorial card covers. Exhibition catalogue for a joint show between the life long partners and artists. Boltanski's images are all found (appropriated) images while Messager reproduces found drawings and cartoons. Both artists are working here in the field of appropriation - the act of choosing a particular image is the artistic act and by recontextualising the image (by displaying it in, say, a museum) the picture is given a different meaning or interpretation or function.
Short essays in German by Lothar Romain and Klaus Honnef. VG+.

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22 Jun

Posted at 09:19h in Prints + Posters

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
41 x 53cm lithograph in two colours on paper - German war plane markings are arranged as if by the Dutch master. Mondrian's decision to limit his formal vocabulary to the three primary colours, the three primary values and the two primary directions (horizontal and vertical) meant he created works that looked like grids. In particular this work reflects the drawn composition Jetty and Ocean from 1915 where in b/w Mondrian creates a work with many crosses. One of 350 released. Very slight crease bottom right but overall VG.

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16 Jun

Posted at 18:52h in Object + Paper Multiples

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1976) 15.3 x 15.3cm, blue on white ceramic tile with a design by Jim Downie (who later fell out with Finlay by the way the image had been used) - the text reads "TREE-SHELLS. Instructions: Apply ear to Tree-Shell. Listen for lakes." This is a green on white variant - there are also blue on white tiles....

11 Jun

Posted at 21:50h in Invitation Cards

London: Coracle Press, n.d. (1976?)
10.5 x 13.5cm, 4pp (folded at top) announcement card for this show created from loans of works not necessarily with Finaly's permission. One "constellation" work is reproduced on the front: a peach an apple from Rapel, 1963. Internally gallery details. There is a paper scuff on the internal left of the card which affects the gallery details else VG. A very scarce card.

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06 Jun

Posted at 16:59h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris : Christian Bourgeois, 1976. 32.5 x 23cm, 40pp plus wrappers. The first number (3 = all) of this art journal which was edited by Boltanski on behalf of the publisher Roman Cieslewicz. The large format allowed single images as contributions from various artists including Roland Topor and occasional texts.
Boltanski's contribution as well as being editor is a full page image "Photographie de Christian Boltanski mort.". VG+.
There were two later numbers of Kamizake - one in 1991 and another in 1997, both without Boltanski's involvement (Agnes b having a major role in these later numbers.

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19 May

Posted at 13:49h in EPHEMERA

Paris: Musee Nationaal d'Art Moderne, 1976
10.6 x 21cm, 2pp b/w offset leaflet for a solo show of colour images by Boltanski. On the reverse there is an extract in the artist's holograph from a letter to Guy Jungblut which says:

"I make photographs, I am perfecting my technique and try to conform to rules of art which is difficult. I am making colour photographs of things that I am fond of, to show the beauty of simple things and a "joie de vivre". "

Boltanski's images were of food and family life and are very bold in technique. VG+. Scarce.

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11 May

Posted at 10:35h in Page Works & Contributions

Osaka: s.p. (Mieko Shiomi), 1976
21x 27.2cm, 72pp and pictorial wrappers. A major documentation by the Fluxus affiliated artist Mieko Shiomi where she wrote to participants the world over to create nine "global events" between 1965 and 1975. Each section has the original request and often a map showing the individual artist's response to Shiomi's letter.
A nice book to which Finlay contributed thus:
Spatial Poem No. 1 Word event 4 - "funnelwhelk" on the mantelpiece in the kitchen of Richard Morgan's house (known as eastview") Strathmiglo Fine, Scotland;
Spatial Poem No. 2 Direction event 4 - a concrete poem:

north south
no moon
fish pond
hot milk
in Ardgay, Scotland

After that Finlay did not involve himself in the later global events.
VG+ example of an increasingly difficult to find book.

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