JAMES LEE BYARS

James Lee Byars was born in Detroit in 1932. An early interest in sculpture and oriental art took him to Japan and the far East before returning to Europe and creating a strong body of work which might be regarded as “romantic minimalism”. By the 1970s he was regarded as one of the USA’s most important conceptual artists.

He was best known for a series of slight performance art actions (such as giving a brief smile to the world after emerging from a museum window) as well as very large and very small sculptural works. The use of paper (and particularly unusual papers) in editions and printed material was also a regular motif. Some of Byars’ works are just a few millimetres in size, others were the size of entire streets.

Byars also created unique letters for many of his friends and these constructions – often written in an unusual “starry” hand – are usually regarded as unique works by the artist on par with his sculptures. They are keenly collected.

Byars suddenly died in Cairo in 1997. His grave is a simple one – and its monument does not match the artist’s pure aesthetic – a final irony.

UNTITLED. c. 1980. UNIQUE WORK – SMALL ENVELOPE & PHOTOGRAPHS PAINTED GOLD.

6 x 4.5cm, hand-made paper envelope which has been painted gold (possibly using spray paint) and is content of five different small cards (each 5.6 x 4.2cm) which have also been spray-painted gold. Under the gold it appears there are five scenes of alpine houses and landscapes which are only visible because the gold has never dried and comes off with any disturbance or handling. A curious small unique work by Byars which was a gift from him to the collector and art historian Marianne Büchler. We estimate this work to have been made around 1980. Fragile and very unusual.

UNTITLED (GOLDEN FISHING HOOK). c. 1980. UNIQUE SMALL WORK.

3,5 x 1.7cm, gold-coloured metal fishing hook - a gift from the artist to the collector and art historian Marianne Büchler. We estimate this work to have been made around 1980. The gold colour was often used by Byars to symbolise perfection and beauty. The metaphor of a fishing hook can only be guessed at.

THE VERY GREAT SEARCH FOR JAMES LEE BYARS. 1981.

Munster: Westfalischen Kunstwerein, 1981 15 x 10.5cm, 4pp (horizontal fold). Announcement card printed in black on white for three performances by Byars in the Botanical Gardens – The Perfect Kiss, The Perfect Cheek and The Perfect Fragrance. B/w image of the Botanical Garden’s greenhouse on the front. One yellow stain to inside of card else VG.

THE VERY GREAT SEARCH FOR JAMES LEE BYARS. 1981.

JAMES LEE BYARS IM WESTFALISCHEN KUNSTVEREIN. 1981

Munster: Westfalischen Kunstwerein, 1981 15 x 10.5cm, 1pp. Announcement card printed in gold on black. Fine.

SECHS ARBEITEN. 1981.

NYC: Michael Werner, 1981 30 x 21cm, unpaginated (24pp) plus card covers. Exhibition catalogue with ten tipped on colour images of works (mostly sculptures). VG.

JAMES LEE BYARS. 1981. HAND ADDRESSED BY BYARS TO MICHAEL GIBBS THE POET

Amsterdam: Galerie Helen van der Meij, 1981 10.5 x 15cm, 1pp. Announcement card with the title text (the artist’s name) printed in tiny type on the front of the leaflet. Mailed example hand addressed by Byars to the Dutch poet Michael Gibbs. Fine but some marks from the mailing process.

EXHIBITION JLB. 1981. WITH ORIGINAL MAILED ENVELOPE.

Amsterdam: Der Appel, 1971
23.5 x 18cm, 1pp. Typographic announcement leaflet for a exhibition in Holland.
JOINT WITH
Original mailed envelope (complete with wax seal) Mailed copy.

JAMES LEE BYARS. AMSTERDAM 1981.

JAMES LEE BYARS. 1981.

Köln : Galerie Michael Werner,1981 21 x 30cm, single sheet of black paper folded into thirds with the tiny text : “JAMES LEE BYARS” on the middle of the sheet. Announcement paper sculpture. JOINT WITH Original printed envelope (mailed) which was addressed to the gallerist Morgan Thomas Butler. Both fine.

JAMES LEE BYARS. 1982.

Munster: Westfalischer Kunstverein 1982 24 x 24cm, unpaginated (c. 80pp) plus card covers. Black paper printed gold. Exhibition catalogue/artist’s book with 46 tipped on colour images of works. Text in English by Byars. Fine.

JAMES LEE BYARS. 1982.

Munster: Westfalischen Kunstwerein, 1981 84 x 62cm, full colour offset exhibition poster for a solo show. One large fabric work displayed above text. VG.