10 Jul

Posted at 10:54h in Exhibition Catalogues

Sunderland: Ceolfrith Bookshop Gallery, 1970
35 x 28cm, plastic bag with printed card header/closure content of 4 sections of commentary (by Stuart Mills) and 9 poem cards including dsh's GROVE SINGS RIVER A SONG which is a folding sheet designed to stand on a mirrored glass in such a way that the hand-drawn text 'glove sings' is read in its reflection as 'I love sings': the work is dedicated to Ian Hamilton Finlay by dsh.
Finlay's contribution to the publication is smaller in that Homage to Malevich (lackblockblackb version) is reproduced in the essay Concrete Poetry by Stuart Mills and the book Canal Game, the prints Star/Steer and Acrobats, the work Au Pair and three cards from Rapel were exhibited in the show.
Some rust to the staples and minor wear to plastic bag and header but else this is a very hard to find item and the first of the Ceolfrith publications.

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18 Jun

Posted at 12:05h in Unique Works

A collection of original papers, gallery proofs and the original photographs used for the production of the Ceolfrith Nr 65 publication which was the first major monograph on the poet and Stoneypath (later Little Sparta). The groop consists of:
The outer folder address by Finlay to Christopher Carrell at Ceofrith Bookshop; A hand drawn design for the poster for the exhibition with texts by Finlay in his own handwriting - we have never seen this poster and do not know if it was ever printed;
A text handwritten by Finlay for the blurb promotion the book;
A biography of Diane Tammes the photographer whose images were used in the book written by Finlay in his own hand;
The original typescript unused galley sheets reproducing the texts Finlay sent;
Eight original b/w photographs by Tammes used in the production showing Finlay sailing in his boat, flying toy gliders, sailing his model boats, in situ large sculptures and a kite. These were all taken in Stoneypath for the intent of publishing this book. Possibly unique and certainly vintage prints.
All in all an unique and important collection which shows the methods of production of one of Finlay's most important publications.

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04 Jun

Posted at 09:20h in Joseph Beuys Postcards

Koln: Schirmer Verlag, 1970
15 x 10.5cm, 4pp promotional card for one of Beuys very first monographs - here displaying drawings from the earliest period of his artistic output. One work reproduced on the front of the card, internally subscription card and details. VG+.

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03 Jun

Posted at 10:08h in Joseph Beuys Postcards

Antwerpen, Wide White Space, 1970 25 x 18.5cm, 4pp announcement leaflet for the cassette edition (with cassette recorder) of Ich versuche dich freizulassen (machen) which translates to "I am trying to set (make) you free). The recording is of the title Fluxus concert by Beuys and Christiansen at the opening of the Blockade ’69’ group exhibition at Galerie René Block in Berlin. During the action, Beuys and Christiansen covered a music stand with sauerkraut. One wrap around image of Beuys during the performance in b/w on the outside, inside edition details. VG+. Scarce. This announcement leaflet is not found in the Wide White Space catalogue raisonne....

29 Apr

Posted at 18:56h in Joseph Beuys Postcards

Dusseldorf, Gerry Schum, 1970 16 x 9cm, 2pp. Announcement card for release of the video edition of the famous work by Beuys that was originally broadcast as part of the Schum intervention into public television. The film was the Eurasienstab performance at the Wide White Space in 1968 produced in only 180 examples and sold for 1,500 DM at the time. The card also notes the multiple FILZ-TV which was released in 1970 in only 6 examples. The front of the card is a b/w still from the video. This is a mailed example which was sent to Henk Peeters. VG+....

19 Nov

Posted at 21:57h in James Lee Byars

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....

17 Nov

Posted at 17:06h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris: Edition Givaudon, 1969
18 x 29 x 0.4cm, deliberately tarnished and rusted metal outer box with silkscreen printed front (showing the supposed artist's "carte sanitaire" (health card) which is also the first page of the artist's book). The box contains the original artist's book - Boltanski's second - which is 17.5 x 28cm, 6pp offset (although designed to look like a photocopy with blurred, polarised photographs) and an unprinted blue protective front sheet.
The book/collection of sheets describes a fictitious accident which supposedly took place at the Boulevard Carnot and Avenue Jean Jaures (however the modern Paris seems not to have the Avenue anymore but one can find the location by following the Boulevard Carnot on Google street view and comparing Boltanski's photographs).
As with much of early Boltanski's work he is an unreliable narrator - the images and stories in his books and descriptions are not necessarily true and it is difficult to tease out reality from re-creation but then that is the point - history is not accurate, it is always mediated through human memory, frailties and biases.
This is a deluxe copy of the book - it has an original photographic portrait of the "dead" Boltanski on the 18 Novembre 1969 which is signed and numbered by the "dead" artist from an edition of 20 copies - a miracle in itself! All are fine in like rusty slipcase.
This deluxe version of the work is not mentioned in any catalogue raisonne or in the literature. When asked about it (by Paul Robertson) Boltanski remembered the work but no longer had a copy for himself in this deluxe format. A major rarity.

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10 Oct

Posted at 18:05h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris: American Center for Students and Artists, October 1969
18 x 28cm, 42pp (mostly printed one side only) plus rubber stamped card covers. Slide binder. The first edition of an assemblage group artist's book with original contributions by Boltanski, Paul-Armand Gette, Jean Le Gac (here Le Gag!), Gine Pane, Ben Vautier, Andre Cadere, Alain Kirili, and Eric Dietman as well as others.
Boltanski's work is a photograph and text showing a supposed 13 of 1,000 roses planted at the American centre on 9th of October 1969 by Boltanski, the other 987, it is claimed, will be planted in Dijon on 20th of November 1969. These claims are probably spurious.
The other contributions are significant and some copies were signed and numbered by Dietman but this is not one of them.
This example is in very good condition and the book is very rare. It is not mentioned to our knowledge in any Boltanski catalogue raisonne.

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04 Oct

Posted at 09:32h in Joseph Beuys Artists' Cards, Joseph Beuys Postcards

Heidelberg: Edition Tangent, 1969
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp offset. A printed edition in the form of an artist's postcard - this example being signed and hand addressed by Beuys with lengthy signed note to Dieter Schnebel - stamped three times on the front of the card in different colours - red, blue and dark blue. Unique thus.

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17 Aug

Posted at 18:14h in James Lee Byars

Antwerpen: Wide White Space, 1969<BR> 28 x 21.4cm, 1pp black on pink paper. A single offprinted sheet (not cut out) of a page from Byars' first ever book (1,000,000 minutes or the big sample of Byars or 1/2 an autobiography or the first paper of philosophy) with the title text "Baby Baudelaire" in the artist's facsimile hand. Folded and sent out by the Wide White Space gallery presumably to promote the book. Not found in any Byars reference. VG+. JOINT: Antwerpen: Wide White Space, 1969<BR> 12.5 x 15.5cm, white printed envelope with the address of the gallery top right on the front. This is a hand-written and franked item but in VG+ condition although there are two tiny holes for a past staple apparent at the top. Scarce if admittedly entirely ephemeral....

16 May

Posted at 15:09h in Joseph Beuys Postcards

Heidelberg: Intermedia '69, 1969 21 x 10cm, 6pp (single folded card) - the announcement and programme for the important art event where Beuys and Christiansen performed "Veranderungkonzert" (Change Concert)on the opening day at 8.30pm. Other happenings, films and performances by Spoeeri, Vautier, Lebel, Roth, Albrecht, Pistoletto, Christo, Brehmer, Rinke, and others. Typographic design apart from front cover. VG+. Very scarce documentation....

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