TABLEAU-FEU DE POCHE. UNIQUE SMALL WORK 1967

Mixed media. 8.5 x 6 x 4cm. Hand-made metal grid designed to hold 24 matches upright attached by screws to the top of a large commercial box of matches (content of unlit original matches). On the base of the box, hand written by Aubertin is the title and the words “Pour Petithory amicalement D’Aubertin”. The work is another one of Aubertin’s fire works and is designed to be placed on a table top and once matches have been placed on it in the grid – all should be set alight at the same time. This work has been used at one time (as it should be) and there are burn marks on the metal where fire has seared the metal as the matches have burnt down. The matchbox striking area has been torn in the past but has been repaired so that this is not too apparent. A rather nice work once one displays it on fire (as we have at a dinner party). Aubertin (independently of Klein) created several works utilising fire in the late 1950s/60s. This is a rather intriguing unique small example of such a work.