A GROUP OF DOCUMENTS FROM THE 2IEME FESTIVAL DE LA LIBRE EXPRESSION. MAI 17 – 25, 1965. INCLUDES THE FIRST EXPRESSION OF A FAMOUS FLUXUS WORK BY FILLIOU AND WILLIAMS – THE PINK SPAGHETTI HANDSHAKE.

Paris: Centre Americains des artistes, May 17 – 25, 1965.
Original poster/programme + three handbills and a 6pp programme along with 3 original b/w photographs from the event.
Poster: 44 x 32cm, black on pink paper – folded with some paper loss (3 x 4 cm) bottom right and left. Programme notes participation of Alain Jouffroy, Robert Filliou, Emett (sic) Williams, Earle Brown and many others. Poster design includes a reproduced photographic image.

Programme: hand out for the Earle Brown Lecture on “Composing Music by Chance” and the Filliou/Williams Extra-Sensory Misperception. 27 x 22cm, 6pp. Included in the stapled leaflet is a “souvenir sheet” which consists of a copy of the Filliou/Williams multiple “The Pink Spaghetti handshake” (each unique). The artists shook hands while holding painted spaghetti with a sheet of white paper between their grasps and the resulting “print” was allowed to dry and is included here stapled within the handout. This is a rare and important example of this famous work – which takes pride of place in both poet’s oeuvre and is oft amusingly mentioned in William’s autobiography as the poets’ most important joint contribution to the history of art. Some folding and tears without any paper loss – a very good example of this first edition example of this rare work – later this work was produced as an editioned print. 3 handbills: uniformly 4to, all 1pp. Mimeotext on white paper. Programme details of the first two bills are respectively for the Ferlinghetti contribution (“Underwear”) and a Lebel happening and le Groupe Panique International (a drama). Some small closed tears but no paper loss, previous creases where folded.

The third hand out is the programme for a concert by Nam June Paik and Charlotte Moorman on 21 May 1965 where works by Paik, Chiari, Brown, Corner, Cage, La Monte Young, Dick Higgins and Ichiyanagi were performed. Interestingly the programme notes the loss of a Paik sculpture “Robot” as having “disappeared mysteriously on the way from Iceland to Paris in the international air labyrinth.”

Three original photographs – respectively 18 x 24cm, (image 12.5 x 18.5cm); 24 x 18cm (image 18.5 x 12.5 cm) and 9 x 13 cm (image 5.5 x 9.5 cm). All are b/w and press shots from “Chapman-Fotogram” Cignac, France (company stamps and hand written descriptions verso). The images are of a performance by Alexandro Jodorowsky (2 images) where he and his naked female co-performers had their bodies smeared with honey and hair and a ‘sacrilegious’ ceremony was performed where a ‘priest’ handed out hosts for consumption by the same naked participants. The third smaller photograph is a portrait of Label. All have very minor surface scratches but are otherwise very good. Images on request.

Together – a rare group of material from this historic festival. The material is also with some significance to the works of several Fluxus affiliated artists (especially the bound in copy of the “Pink Spaghetti handshake”) and despite the typical wear associated with such freely distributed material a very desirable group of material.

PRICE IS FOR THE ENTIRE GROUP OF MATERIAL