Christian Boltanski - Unoriginal Sins

06 Jun PHOTOGRAPHIE DE CHRISTIAN BOLATANSKI MORT IN KAMIKAZE NR 1. 1976. CO-EDITED BY BOLTANSKI.

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 PHOTOGRAPHIES COULEURS. 1976.

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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29 Jan PHOTOGRAPHIES. 1976. HANDWRITTEN ADDRESS BY BOLTANSKI.

Posted at 10:42h in EPHEMERA

Paris: Galerie Sonnabend, 1976
11 x 17cm, 1pp typographic announcement card for Boltanski's sixth solo show at Sonnabend. A mailed copy to M. Berg with handwritten address by the artist. VG+.

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06 Dec CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI. 1975. ARTIST’S SECOND ONLY US EXHIBITION.

Posted at 10:28h in EPHEMERA

New York: Galerie Sonnabend, 1975 17 x 11.6cm, 2pp. Announcement card with an image of Boltanski pretending to be a drunken clown in b/w on the front. On the back are found gallery information. This is a mailed copy hand addressed to M. Berg by Boltanski which also signed by Boltanski in black ink. VG+.

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25 Nov FRENCH SCHMUCK. 1975. INCLUDES DESCRIPTION DE MON ACCIDENT REPRINTED FROM 1969..

Posted at 09:56h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Devon: Beau Geste Press, Nov. 1975. 30 x 21cm, 98pp. + pasted in booklet by Ben Vautier "Me Ben I Sign". 133 illustrations. Flip-flop perfect bound wrappers with pasted-on pictorial design (front and back - as is the pagination - creating the illusion of two back-to-back books). An especially noteworthy issue with pagework contributions by Filliou, Vautier (beyond the booklet), J.C. Lambert, Marcel Broodthaers, et. al. Issued in an edition of only 550 examples.
Christian Boltanski's contribution is a reprint of the pages from his second artist's second published book Description de Mon Accident from 1969.

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31 Oct SAYNETES COMIQUES. 1975.

Posted at 19:57h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Bruxelles: Palais des Beaux Arts, 1975
21 x 29cm, 32pp plus card covers. First edition, with black tape spine, of this artist's book which displays the various comic performances by Boltanski where he pretended to be various parental and authority figures in a child's life and common scenes relating to those figures - additionally the artist had painted various backgrounds for each scene. Twenty-two b/w images reproduced in the book, two per page. The performances were Le baiser honteux, La premiere communion, La visite du docteur, L'anniversaire, La toilete du matin. Two b/w images of the artist on every page. The book was published on the occasion of the exhibition "12 x 1, Une certaine actualite de l'art contemporain en France," held at Europalia 75, France, October - November 1975. Slight damage to the black spine tape else VG+.

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23 Oct PAGE FROM UNKNOWN MAGAZINE DISPLAYING “A MOURIR DE RIRE”. C. 1975.

Posted at 10:44h in EPHEMERA

44.5 x 29cm, 2pp printed page from a tabloid art journal (printed on newsprint paper) displaying an image of Boltanski as a "joker" where he pretended to be hung but the "rope" was not actually round is neck. Publication unknown - neatly torn from the original else VG.

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21 Oct LE FURIEUX. 1975. HAND COLOURED, SIGNED AND NUMBERED.

Posted at 09:37h in PRINTS

Pesaro: Franca Mancini, 1975.
68 x 89.7cm. Photolithography on thick paper, signed and numbered by Boltanski. A rare print-multiple by Boltanski. These are re-workings adapted from his important Saynetes Comiques series of exaggerated poses - here the artist is angry. Each print was uniquely hand-coloured. Issued in an edition of only 100 examples hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Fine estate in wood and glass frame.

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04 Oct 20 REGLES ET TECHNIQUES UTILISEES EN 1972 PAR UN ENFANT DE 9 ANS DECRITES PAR CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI. 1975.

Posted at 20:12h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Copenhague: Bergs Verlag, 1975
17 x 11.2cm, 48pp plus blue wrappers. First edition of this artist's book that M. Berg (see previous letters) commissioned from his friend Boltanski. The many b/w images show in short sequences games and adventures that a young nine year old boy might undertake (climbing a tree, playing tops, spinning a knife, completing a jigsaw puzzle). As ever these are recreations of childhood memories with the boy in the images (whose face is never shown so standing for all young boys) clearly a model. This is one of 600 pencil numbered copies. text in Danish and French. VG+.

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24 Aug 12 x 1. 1975.

Posted at 18:01h in EXHIBITION CATALOGUES

Bruxelles: Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, 1975 30 x 21.5cm, 30pp plus card covers. Exhibition catalogue for a group show with the participation of Ben, Buren, Erro, Filliou, Pfeuger, Le Gac, Monory and others as well as Boltanski. Texts in German and French. Strangely the essays have reproduced works by non-exhibiting artists and none by the actual 12 artists. VG+.
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Bruxelles: Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, 1975
Four, 30 x 21cm, 1pp - the textual only gallery handout for the exhibition....

12 Jun C. BOLTANSKI. 1975.

Posted at 17:57h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Zagreb: GalerieSuvremene Umjetnosti, 1975 21 x 20cm, 18pp plus white card covers. Artist's book issued during a show in Croatia where the "4 Saynetes Comiques Interpretees par Christian Boltansi" are reproduced in b/w and a short forward in Croatian. VG+. Very hard to find. ...

07 May LE PAPA BRICOLEURS. 1975.

Posted at 10:17h in EPHEMERA

Antibes: Arocaria Editions, 1975
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp b/w artist's postcard with an image of the artist with his ventriloquist's dummy - Boltanski is pretending to hammer a nail into the wall as if he is a father attempting DIY. Verso publisher's info and standard postcard design VG+.

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