Christian Boltanski - Unoriginal Sins

09 Apr LE LYCEE CHASES. 1987. SIGNED BY BOLTANSKI.

Posted at 14:39h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Saint-Ettienne: La Mason de la Culture et de Communication de Saint-Ettiene, 1987
18 x 12cm, 42pp plus wrappers. Artist's book issued also as the catalogue for the solo exhibition. The book shows the photograph "Classe Terminale du Lycee Chases en 1931 Castelgasse Vienne" on the title page followed by enlargements of each of the faces of the children (not the teacher) - one each on a page. The final page of the book is an installation view showing the photographs displayed on the walls each with a lamp light above it.
We explain this work elsewhere. This example is signed in pencil on the title page. VG+.

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06 Apr DETECTIVE. 1987.

Posted at 18:21h in PHOTOGRAPHS

NYC: n.p., 1987
5 x 5cm, colour transparency with a colour image of the Boltanski work Detective from 1987. Handwritten legend on the plastic - a slide provided by a gallery to press or clients. VG+.

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10 Feb LOCUS SOLUS 1. 1987.

Posted at 17:25h in EPHEMERA

Wein: Galerie Herbert Winter, 1987
10.5 x 19cm, 2pp typographic announcement card for an installation by the artist - Locus Soius means a "unique place". The installation consisted of enlarged photographic portraits of unknown young people each illuminated with a single electrical lamp. VG+

VG+ ...

01 Oct MONUMENTS. LECONS DE TENEBRES. 1986.

Posted at 20:25h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris: Association Francaíse d`Action Artistiqu, 1986
19.5 x 13cm, 256pp plus wrappers. First edition of this artist's book published during the 42e Biennale de Venise. There are 110 b/w images of various faces taken from Boltanski's collection of found portraits and group shots which are presented without any background information at all although they were all exhibited in the associated exhibition in Venice in the usual manner of the artist (with lights and various trappings of religious monuments). There is a preface in French, English and Italian by Suzanne Pagé. Slight faint stains on front cover else VG+. Scarce.

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06 Aug MONUMENT: LES ENFANTS DE DIJON. 1986.

Posted at 18:23h in PHOTOGRAPHS

NYC: n.p., 1986
5 x 5cm, colour transparency with a colour image of the Boltanski installation "Monument: Les Enfants de Dijon" from 1986 which was shown at the MCA in Chicago. Handwritten legend on the plastic - a slide provided by a gallery to press or clients. VG+.

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22 Jul CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI DE SCHADUWEN. 1986.

Posted at 17:44h in EPHEMERA

Eindhoven: n.p. (Van Abbemuseum?), 1986
15 x 21cm, 2pp . Postcard issued with an image of the title shadowplay installation that was shown in the Van Abbemuseum and is in their permanent collection. VG+.

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09 Jul L’ANGE D’ALLIANCE. 1986.

Posted at 10:05h in POSTERS

N.p.: n.p., 1986
60 x 42cm, full colour offset lithographic poster showing the title artwork (after a photograph by Andre Morin). Folded else VG++.
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15 May LECON DE TENEBRES. 1986.

Posted at 17:04h in EXHIBITION CATALOGUES

Munchen: Kunstverein Munchen, 1986
26.8 x 20cm,48pp plus pictorial card covers. Exhibition catalogue which includes the shadow play works "Les Ombres" and the installations "Les Monuments". Colour and b/w images of all and an interview in German with the artist (Demosthenes Davvestas). VG+.

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15 May LECON DES TENEBRES. 1986.

Posted at 08:25h in POSTERS

Munchen: Kunstverein Munchen, 1986 59.5 x 42cm, black and yellow on white offset exhibition poster for a solo show of Boltanski's shadow works. Formerly folded else VG+. ...

14 May LECON DES TENEBRES. 1986.

Posted at 10:23h in EPHEMERA

Munchen: Kunstverein Munchen, 1986
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp full colour announcement card with an image from the shadow play installation on the front and verso museum details. The title "LECON DES TENEBRES." translates to "LESSON OF DARKNESS' and the work with its strong lighting and deeply black shadows and grotesque images - which are expanded in size because of the projection on to a wall - is a little unsettling.
Like other installations Boltanski allows the guts of the simple projection techniques to be seen - the lights are modern halogens, the cables are left exposed, the hand made puppets and shapes can be seen as well as their projections behind them. The artificiality is on show.
One might muse as to Plato's allegory of the cave as an influence or a metaphor for unknowing - but we will do that elsewhere. VG+.

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20 Mar CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI. PEINDRE PHOTOGRAPHER. 1986.

Posted at 13:43h in EXHIBITION CATALOGUES

Nice: Galerie des Ponchettes, 1986
28 x 21.7cm, 36pp plus card covers and dustjacket. Exhibition catalogue for an exhibition of shadow works (Les Ombres), Les Silhouettes (images of cheaply made cardboard dolls), and the comic performance works (Les Theatres). Images of works in b/w and colour. Essays in French by Jacques Ohhayon and Fumi Yosano. VG+.

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19 Dec CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI. 1985.

Posted at 11:21h in POSTERS

Dijon: Consortium à Dijon, 1985 73 x 123cmm full colour offset lithographic exhibition poster for the Boltanski solo exhibition with an installation view above museum text. VG+....