Dusseldorf: Galerie Schmela, 1976
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card with b/w image of a "Fond" work (sheets of metal that theoretically can cause the flow of electrons) ie a battery on the front, and verso gallery details. An unmailed example which has been signed in blue felt tipped pen on the front by the artist - VG+.
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Standard white envelope hand addressed (with a couple of stars) by Byars to T. Longo of Los Angeles who Byars has nicknamed "Peachy Keen", The envelope has been mailed and is franked and dated 23.8.1976 and sent from Belgium. A few stains and marks from the postal service else VG....
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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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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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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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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Dusseldorf, Art in Progress, 1976
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp. Typographic announcement card for a solo show of paintings. An unmailed copy - VG+. ...
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....
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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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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Edinburgh: Graeme Murray Gallery, 1976
18 x 13.5cm, 12pp plus card covers. A short essay on the title work by Stephen Scobie. VG+.
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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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