Milano: Françoise Lambert, 1973 17.8cm dia. - cardboard imitation single record (two sided) for this early musical group show curated by Germano Cleat. A large number of artists are listed including Boltanski and Byars. Fine. Rare, ...
Antwerpen : Wide White Space, 1973 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. Announcement card printed blue on white on the front with the title starry drawing. This example of the card is hand addressed to James Butler and with a note from Byars to his close friend and gallerist. Fine with an amazing association. ...
30cm dia. black card circle with the printed text in small text in the centre of one side - THE PERFECT LOVE LETTER - and on the other WRITE I LOVE YOU BACKWARDS IN THE AIR. Both sides are signed in white by Byars in his starry letting. One of a number of such works released in 1973 - each unique. VG+....
Beckett, Samuel NOT I London: Faber & Faber, 1973 19.5 x 12cm, 16pp plus original wrappers. First edition of this printing of the famous solo play where an isolated mouth tells a rambling tale of a life from the point of death backwards. Byars has appropriated this important book as he often did with publications he deemed important or, in some way, conceptual and has written in pencil "J. LOVES J." on the first blank page in his starry letting. He then sent the book to James Butler - his close friend and gallerist. The text means "James Loves James". A unique work with amazing association....
Köln : Galerie Michael Werner, 1971 15 x 10.5cm, 1pp. Announcement card printed in gold on black. Fine. ...
Köln : Galerie Michael Werner, 1971 15 x 10.5cm, 1pp. Announcement card printed in gold on black. Fine. ...
USA: s.p. (Byars), 1970 48 x 28 cm b/w offset lithographic print on wove paper with a tiny text in the middle of the sheet. A scarce and relatively early print multiple by the romantic minimalist. VG+. Rare. ...
53 x 53 cm, blue ink on light blue paper. A unique handwritten letter from Byars to Isy Fiszman (a patron of the arts who supported a number of artists including Marcel Broodthaers, Joseph Beuys, Panamarenko, Hanne Darboven and others as well as Byars. The text of the letter is hinting (as always with Byars) for money. it reads: "Isi after all the Antwerp excitement I've lauded on cool circumstance, finding as I guess happened at Dusseldorf few details considered well done and compromise without informing me beforehand whereby I could have made adjustments so it is not good for me to ask for support for A at this time. I do hope it goes on and I will tell everybody about it - could you fly a young artist over? Later on? Of course I'll be looking for correspondence type works - the tape record didn't arrive not did the autobiography?? 1000s of messages are here - I'm editing for an eatable (sic) book - I look forward to more of you and Antwerp if all goes well. Love J'. Folded for storage/sending else VG+. ...
Byars, James Lee LETTER TO PAUL JOLLES c. 1968 - 1974 Three semi-circle sheets of black paper - approx 31 x 15.5cm, both with original gold writing on them - the texts read CONGRATULATE YOU, ON THE NEW FIVE 5 and R. COIN BRILLIANT respectively. All in original 11.5 x 11.5cm white envelope with a large J in starry lettering (also in gold) and numbered 1 also by Byars. The black paper is folded twice to fit the envelope. AND JOINT WITH Byars, James Lee LETTER TO PAUL JOLLES c. 1968 - 1974 Two semi-circle sheets of black paper - approx 31 x 15.5cm, all with original gold writing on them - the texts read MONEY (YR DESIGN) and P.S.I. respectively. Both in original 11.5 x 11.5cm white envelope with a large J in starry lettering (also in gold) and numbered 2 also by Byars. The black paper is folded twice to fit the envelope. Paul Jolles was a Swiss diplomat who Byars befriended after he met the artist at the Toni Gerber Gallery in Bern. One paper scuff on the opposite side of the letter (where there is no text) and heavily folded but a typical and early brief from the romantic minimalist. The two letters should be read in order to make sense of the entire message. ...
Los Angeles: Eugenia Butler Gallery, 1969 16cm dia, pentagon shaped gold card with the text printed offset in red: "This is the Ghost of James Lee Byars Calling. 615 N. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.”. The famous performance in the conceptual art gallery. This example has a short handwitten note by Byars in red pen on the reverse - " First meeting with RobbeGrillet (next word hard to read) phone silence". Presumably referring to the French cineast. Scarce....
Los Angeles: Eugenia Butler Gallery, 1969 15 x 21cm, 1pp typographic announcement card card with the text printed offset in black: "This is the Ghost of James Lee Byars Calling. 615 N. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.” on a pink yardstick. The famous performance in the conceptual art gallery. Rare variant announcement. Fine....
Antwerpen: A 37 90 89, 1969 21 x 15cm, 1pp printed red on white paper. The typographic design announcement of Broodthaer's Museum Voor Moderne Kunst Department des Aigles Section XVII E along with the performance by James Lee Byars of "This is the Ghost of James Lee Byars Calling" on the 5th October 1969 which lasted from 1pm until 7pm. This performance pre-dated the work being recreated and eveolved at the Eugenia Butler gallery in the same year (the first involved an entirely dark room, the Los Angeles recreation a room entirely decked in red. One slight ink mark next to the Broodthaers' listing else VG+. Very scarce....