Paris, Jean Daviot et Bernard Marcadé, automne 1991,
35 x 30 cm (opens out to 70 x 60cm), 2pp. A single number of this artist's publications which is dedicated to a single artist - here, obviously, Boltanski who reproduces two pages from the Spanish "detective" magazine "El Caso Criminal".
This is one of 200 signed and numbered examples aside from the larger run of the magazine. Folded as issued else VG+.
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Koln: Walther Konig, 1991
35 x 25.5 x 5.5cm, black cardboard clamshell box with tipped on label. The ornate reprinting of most of Boltanski's earlier and very hard to find artist's books including:
Jennifer Flay ed. C.B.: Catalogue: Books, Printed Matter ephemera 1966-1991: the first major catalogue raisonne of the artist's work up to 1991
The 45rpm vinyl record Reconstitution de Chansons
Ten ephemeral items such as manuscript letters, photos in envelopes and exhibition announcements and posters
and
reprints of 16 Boltanski artist books namely:
Recherche et presentation de tout ce qui reste de mon enfance 1969,
Reconstitution d'un accident. 1969,
Reconstitution de Gestes Effectues 1948-54 1970,
Cataogue: Essais de reconstitution d'objects.1948-54 1971,
Six Souvenirs de Jeunesse 1971,
10 Portrait Photographies 1946-64 1972,
L'appartement de a rue de Vaugirard 1973,
Les Histories 1973, Inventaire des Objects .Une Femme de Bois Colombes 1974,
20 Reges et Techniques utilisees en 1972. 1975,
Saynetes Comiques 1975,
Monuments 1986,
Le Lycee Chases 1987,
Geo Harly danseur parodiste 1988,
El Caso 1989,
Sans Souci 1991.
The re-printings make sense as part of Boltanski's reconstitution of his past - there is no reason why he should not make the rare books easier to find given the rarity of some of them (and the high prices) but book dealers curse this publication as sometimes these reprints are offered as first editions and it is hard to tell the difference.
This is one of 50 signed and numbered deluxe copies (on the front label) which has additional to all of the above an original photograph of Boltanski as a comic from the Saynetes Comiques series which is signed and numbered in white on the front and is presented in a card folder with tissue guard. These deluxe copies are very hard to find.
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Frankfurt am Main/Koln: Portikus/Walther König, Köln, 1991.
22 x 29cm, 16pp, plus printed typographic boards. Artist's book with 56 b/w illustrations of German family life just before or at the beginning of the second world war with many of the subjects in military uniform. Each page has a tissue guard which has a patter of a cobweb on it. The book looks like a family album and the subjects are happy in their life - one cannot tell anything about their personal guilt or actions or morality during the war from the photographs.
This is one of only 30 copies that has an additional original 18.7 x 22.4cm, b/w photograph on the first sheet in photo-corners of a wedding with two men in uniform with the bridge and her friend. The extra page is signed and numbed by Boltanski on the inside cover of the book. VG+. Very scarce.
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Paris: Librairie Seguier, 1990
32 x 26cm, two part blue card box with handwritten title label content of a 30 x 21.5cm, 104pp plus blue card boards book with, again, an handwritten label. The book has been described as poetry in some online descriptions (presumably because of the poet's earlier works) but it is really a work in prose of reminiscences from the author's childhood - a subject matter which reflects much of Boltanski's interests in recovered memory.
This being the deluxe edition there is a further artist's book "Cinq Photographies de l'album de la famille D. " which is 8 x 11.5cm, and contains 6 appropriated photographs (taken from originals) mounted as if in a small photo-album. This book was only available in these deluxe copies making it one of the rarest of Boltanski productions.
There is also an untitled 24 x 18cm, b/w photograph of a young boy with his toy wooden horse standing outside of a house. The photograph is also mounted in a folder with tissue guard.
Finally there are four hand-written original manuscripts of texts from the book by Cluzel, and a colophon sheet which is also hand annotated by the poet and numbered from the edition of only 37 (this example is number 23). These pages are in a plastic transparent folder
Rare and important not least because of the inclusion of the small artist's book, this example is in VG++ condition although the front cover label has lost some of the ink from the title and Cluzel's signature - however, Boltanski's signature on the label is still very clear and dark.
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Paris: Galilee, 1979
188 x 130 mm, unpaginated. Original wrappers with artist designed dust jacket. Artist’s book created from the novel by Touratier which Boltanski designed the dustjacket for - with images of shaped sugar cubes (which are to be found in the text). This is one of only 50 special editions in which Boltanski cut a hole in the middle of the book, glued a shaped sugar cube and then places a wire cage around the object. The colophon is signed and numbered in inky by the artist. A very rare artist book by Boltanski and surprisingly not found in any catalogue raisonne. VG+ condition.
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Karlsruhe : Badischer Kunstverein, 1978
26 x 22 x 2cm, two part black conservation box content of a 24 x 19.5cm, 124pp plus boards and dust jacket. The deluxe version of the exhibition catalogue for a solo show of mostly photography. Texts in German by Andreas Franzke and Michael Schwartz. Later sections include re-printings of various of the artist's previous exhibition works and images from artist's books including Reconstitutions de Gestes Effectues par Christian Boltanski, L'album Photographes de la familie D., Les Habits de Francoise C., Les 62 Membres du Club Mickey en 1955,the Inventaire des objets appartenant a un jeune homme d'Oxford, Descriptions des 20 Regles et techniques utilisee en 1972 par un enfant de 9 ans, Les Images Modeles, Les compositions fleuries, and Les Compositions Photographiques and other images of the artist's "comic" performances of the 70s.
This deluxe copy of the book comes with two original editioned photographs by Boltanski - the first three original passport style b/w photographs of the artist taken on the dates - 5 September 1965 (the day before the artist's birthday), 27 November 1970 and 28 January 1978. The dates are written in the artist's hand on the gridded 24.5 x 20.5cm, 4pp card under the tipped on images.
Inside the card is a second photographic print - here in colour - of a set of children's plastic toys that resemble worker's tools. The card is signed and numbered on the back of the card as "VI" in pencil by Boltanski with a rubber stamp impression. The last page of the hardback catalogue is also signed and numbered "VI" in pencil by the artist. There were only 20 such deluxe copies issued during the exhibition. ALl are VG+ in like box. Reference: Flay Boltanski Catalogue Page 146.
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