Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
13.6 x 8.9cm, 4pp light brown outer folder. Internally a 13.6 x 8.9cm, 4pp sheet with a poem:
Sackcloth
Stars
woven
in
The stars are compared with the rough hew of the flax cloth.
This is one of a series of works which the Wild Hawthorn Press denoted as "Poems in folders". VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
19.5 x 11.8cm, 4pp light brown outer folder with a drawing of a piece of turf. Internally a 19.5 x 11.8cm, 4pp sheet with a poem:
GOLDEN AGE
golden fields
golden flocks
golden flutes
golden hedgerows
golden hives
golden honeycombs
chuckie-stone currency
The repetition of golden initially refers to the light at the end of a summer day but turns into the colour of bees and their honeycombs. The abrupt last line is the key to the poem - a chuckie-stone is a stone that is thrown by children. The poem is a memory of a "golden age" when everything appeared bright and new.
This is one of a series of works which the Wild Hawthorn Press denoted as "Poems in folders". VG+.
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London: Whitechapel Gallery, 1980
22 x 15.8cm, 12pp. Second edition reprint of Boltanski's first ever artist's book showing the photographs from the first edition. The size of the pages differs from the original and does not have the text "On ne remarquera jamaise...
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
21 x 21cm, white outer folder content of two 21 x 21cm b/w lithographs by Gary Hincks which parody Victor Vasarely's op-art style. In both (one in outline, the other solid black) the outer square shapes slowly turn into guillotine blades much as OpArt works often show slow gradual change in shapes.
This is a visual poem which is made more poignant with the two quotes on the inside of the folder - one from Vasarely: "Let us first kill in ourselves egocentricity" and another from Anacharsis Cloots - the French anarchist - "France you will be happy when you are finally cured of individuals." by their addition the work reveals itself as being about the tension between the individuals role in the state versus his/her rights to individual liberty. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
17.6 x 11cm, 4pp grey outer folder with a drawing of a guillotine. Internally a 17.6 x 11cm, 4pp sheet with a poem:
1794.
The steeples fell silent.
The guillotine tolled.
1794 was the year in which the Committee of Public Safety under Robespierre became the most powerful centralised body in the state (or at least Paris). There had been a concerted campaign against the church by many of the Revolutionaries (but not Robespierre who thought it counter-productive) and churches and parts in many parts of France were closed. What was not closed was the guillotine. The tolling of that instrument of death is compared with the silence of the bells.
This is one of a series of works which the Wild hawthorn Press denoted as "Poems in folders". VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
9.8 x 9.3cm, 16pp and card wrappers and printed light green dust jacket. Drawings by Kathleen Lindsley of various baskets containing bread, wheat leaves and finally, heads are denoted as DOMESTIC, PASTORAL, PARNASSIAN and SUBLIME. Again Finlay sees the extremes of the Terror as somehow pure and homely even if evil.
Staples are a bit rusted else VG+. ...
Bordeaux: Musee d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, 1990
28 x 22cm, 206pp plus boards and typographic dust jacket. Exhibition catalogue for the seven artists (all of whom were very established practitioners by 1990).
Each artist has a section in the book dedicated to them and Boltanski has 10pp which has images of works not seen elsewhere before plus one fold out in full colour of an installation (here "Inventaire des objets appartenu a la jeune fille de Bordeaux").
VG but the dust jacket is slightly torn near the spine.
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Haute-Vienne: Musee Departmental, 1990
17 x 12.5cm, 4pp announcement card for a joint show between the partners. Inserted inside the card are two colour offset lithographic prints on thin paper. Boltanski's is a brightly coloured image of some purple flowers on a purple background. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
21.4 x 13.7cm, 4pp red outer folder. Internally a 21.4 x 13.7cm, 4pp sheet with a poem:
THE REVOLUTION
The Revolution is frozen; all
principles are weakened; there
remain only red bonnets
worn by Intrigue.
The waves in the rye grass
never reach the shore.
The poem is denoted to be from S-J (Saint-Just) and IHF (Finlay himself). Finlay is comparing Saint-Just's complaint of the stagnation of the revolution to the movement of grass in wind which may look similar to waves but do not affect the sea.
This is one of a series of works which the Wild hawthorn Press denoted as "Poems in folders". VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1990
14 x 12.4cm, 4pp and printed card wrappers. Internally are two poems by Finlay.
TOMBSTONE
Sundial
without
a gnomon
opposite to
MARBLE
Parachute
of
the gods.
Both images are of stones. The tombstone is a reminder of the passing of time even without the gnomon. The beauty of marble has landed from the heavens above.
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A colour photograph (10 x 15cm) of two wooden works by Finlay - Water's Edge/Water Sedge and Stem & Stern. Date unknown.
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London: Trustees of the Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1990
312 x 26 x 4cm, two part cardboard box with tipped on label content of 18 items some of which are reprints of early Boltanski artist's books.
The contents are four booklets with new content:
"Christian Boltanski: Reconstitution" exhibition catalogue, with essay by Lynn Gumpert, 40 pp., with numerous colour and black and white illustrations
"Christian Boltanski 1944-90" catalogue of works, exhibitions and bibliography, 36 pp., with numerous black and white illustrations
"Christian Boltanski: an Interview with Georgia Marsh, " 48 pp., with five black and white illustrations
And five reprints of soft cover artist's books:
"Reconstitution des gestes effectués par Christian Boltanski entre 1948 et 1954, "
"10 Portraits photographiques de Christian Boltanski 1946-1964, "
"Recherche et presentation de tout ce qui reste de mon enfance, "
"Inventaire des objets ayant appartenu a une femme des Bois-Colombes"
"Saynetes Comiques" 32 pp., with 22 black and white illustrations
Additionally there are two facsimile letters:
"Lettre de demande d'aide";
"Lettre aux conservateurs de Musee proposant le projet des inventaires."
And:
"Christian Boltanski a l'honneuer de vous faire ses offres de service, "
"Dispersion a l'amiable".
"Christian Boltanski a 5 ans 3 mois de distance";
"Christian Boltanski et ses freres".
Three color postcards: "Image modèle (La régate), 1975; "Composition decorative, " 1976; "Affiche, " 1974 and a colour poster: "L'Ange d'alliance, " 1986
The box applies Boltanski's interest in reconstituting the past to himself and his artistic career. Some of the books are hard to tell from the original first editions which is an issue for book dealers.
VG+ contents in like box although one booklet has slightly rusted staples.
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