14 May

Posted at 11:52h in Artist's Books

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1998
11 x 10.8 x 2cm card slipcase content of two volumes - both 10.5 x 10.6cm and unpaginated. Printed card covers. The first volume consists of the names of boats followed by unprinted coloured pages such that the painted colours of the actual boat are displayed serially. The second volume follows the first in that the same boats are listed (without identification) but now with the words of the boat colours printed in a large font. The boat names are repeated at the end of the book. For some reason this is reminiscent of some Sol Lewitt books in its conception but it also recalls earlier Finlay publications that are often referred to as "kinetic" eg OCEAN STRIPE SERIES 3.
One of only 250 printed. VG+

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07 May

Posted at 10:27h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris/Munich: Editions des musées/ Gina Kehayoff Verlag, 1998. 26.5 x 20.5cm, 1168pp plus boards. First edition of this huge artist's book which reproduced 1148 black and white photographs all without detail taken from Botlanski's personal collection of found images. All are figurative - people in all of their different forms - and the title Kaddish is a Jewish call for praise of god - and sometimes part of mourning rituals.
There are four sections - Menschlich, Sachlich, Ortlich, Sterblich. Boltanski has adopted an interest in his father's religion and while not practising he clearly identifies with some of the religion's compassion.
VG+.

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09 Mar

Posted at 21:43h in Artist's Books

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1995 11 x 8cm, 8pp plus card covers. Artist's book with two poems by Finlay that share a similar structure:

willow
dogwood
daylily
azalea


hiding



and



daisy
foxglove
harebell
dog-rose


presencing



The first list of plants are all cultivated, the second list is made up of plants that are usually regarded as weeds or wild. Finlay in a note directs us to C.R. Carswell's Life of Robert Burns, page 452 - where while Burns is dying:

"And though it was too late in the year for some of his favourite plants to be in blossom, she and the boys found daisies and foxgloves and harebells and some late dog-roses." which account for the second list of flowers. VG+....

08 Jan

Posted at 16:55h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris: Editions 9 février, 1997
24 x 18cm, unpaginated plus printed boards - all bound in a thick metal spiral. A joint artists' book in which Jacques Roubaud takes three of Boltanski's "list" books (The work people of Halifax, Liste des Suisses morts dans le Canton du Valais en 1991 and Liste des artistes ayant participe a la Biennale de Venice 1895 - 1995) and utlising different arbitrary rules re-orders the names into 99 different lists.
This is followed by a number of unidentified portraits of people printed on semi-transparent paper which are split into three sections allowing parts of the faves to be rearranged to create "new" portraits. In some manner this latter re-organisation of the facial features reflects Roubaud's re-categorisation.
The cover displays the two artists but with their portraits cut up and recombined to create a new image. VG+. ...

15 Dec

Posted at 14:26h in Artist's Books

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
15.2 x 21.4cm, 48pp plus green card covers with tipped on title label. Artist's book with twelve b/w photographs by Robin Gillanders of trees in Little Sparta where Janet Boulton had painted "highlights" directly onto the branches and trunks and Gillanders photographed them on very dull days when there were no actual reflected highlights other than the paint. Each set of three images of each tree gets closer until the last close-up.
In this sense the work is similar to the Fauvist treatment of nature with colour and bright paint highlighting parts of nature - hence why this is a homage to Derrain who with Matisse founded the movement. One of only 250 copies. VG+.

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14 Nov

Posted at 23:06h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

München: Süddeutsche Zeitung, 1997
One part printed folder (black on blue) content of a 30 x 21cm, 92pp colour magazine. Artist’s book which was created annually by the newspaper for its Sunday supplement here dedicated to Christian Boltanski. Long essay text in German and many colour reproductions of works. The cover of the magazine has a tipped on card label printed with the text "Verloren in Munchen". VG+ in like folder and there is an ex libris "From the Library of Anthony d'Offey" on the inside of the folder. Not in any catalogue raisonne.

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14 Nov

Posted at 12:42h in UNIQUE WORKS

Munich: Boltanski/Haus der Kunst, 1997
Medium size green felt hat in the Bavarian traditional style (also known as Tyrolean) with two metal and enamel badges pinned on and bird feathers in a metal clasp in the braided cord headband.
This item was "found" in the Munich Underground Lost & Found offices and appropriated by Boltanski as a readymade artwork - a strategy which Boltanski had used before in various cities including Glasgow in 1993. Two cardboard labels (commonly used in Lost & Found Offices) are stamped with the title VERLOREN IN MUNCHEN (Lost in Munich) and one is signed by Boltanski in ink as the certificate for the work. The hat had been used in the exhibition prior being offered to sale where other "lost" items were exhibited.
In VG+ condition given that the item was previously lost on the underground. Unique within an unknown number of items sold as works after the exhibition.

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14 Nov

Posted at 10:15h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
5.2 x 18.6cm, 4pp, card printed which houses a 5.2 x 18.6cm, 1pp card with tipped on embroidered name tag (in red and white).
The tag reads: "TOM, DICK OR HARRY".

The card notes the boat names of drifters which being boys names are indeed "characteristic" as well as typical of the time. The phrase "Tom, Dick or Harry" is from an idiom - any Tom, Dick, or Harry", meaning anyone thus making the naming convention universal. This card is almost an object multiple but we have decided to retain it in this catalogue as an artist's card. VG+.

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12 Sep

Posted at 20:28h in Proposals

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
11 x 22cm, 20pp plus two fold outs and leaf patterned boards with tipped on label. A proposal for the grounds of London's Serpentine Gallery which consisted of semi-circle of 8 benches with plaques and a single central plaque in the Meadow Area. The texts are all translations from Vigil talking of a distant view - but each translation takes on different nuances of the original. Translations are by Finlay himself with Jessie Sheeler, Samuel Palmer, C Day Lewis, W F Jackson Knight, Harry Gilonis, John Caryll, and Charles Calverley. Virgil's own Latin quotation is also present on the final bench.
A further plaque again quotes Virgil: "Home, goats, home, replete, the evening star is coming." - a quotation that in which one recognises aspects of Finlay's most famous work - "Evening will come, they sew the blue sail."
A massive carved circular paving stone is also proposed to be placed at the entrance to the gallery listing the latin names of trees that are found near to the gallery. Lettering was drawn by Peter Coates and Andrew Whittle. Maps and cover paper by Gary Hincks.

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06 Aug

Posted at 09:06h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
7.7 x 7.4cm, 6pp card with two internal panels that read:
TRIMMING
THE
LAMP

and

STOWING
THE
SAIL.
This work is after an early poem by Thomas A. Clark. Lamp trimmers were a specialised role on boats maintaining the many oil lamps safely, stowing the sail was an activity done at the end of the day. Finlay has created a work representing a day at sea and by extension the countryside. VG+.

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01 Aug

Posted at 09:01h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
3.3 x 7.8cm, 4pp outer folder with tipped on inner concertina folded sheet that reads:
t a n k e r

A concrete poem where the length of the spaced out letters reflects the construction of the ship. B.P. Stands for British Petroleum. VG+.

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