KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Once around the sun; Volume I and II, 1975
each 26,3 x 26,7 x 6 cm
offset, SC, book object, 2 volumes
edition 150, only ca 6-8 were made signed, numbered
first hand bound edition
published by Silver Press, Reykjavik / Amsterdam extremely rare
Collection Kees van Gelder, Amsterdam
€ 10.000,- plus courier costs
inv.KG 000-pr
This edition consists of two volumes that is hand bound (Lümbeck method) by Kristján Gudmundsson while he was living in Daniel Stalpertstraat, Amsterdam during the seventies. One book object contains parallel horizontal lines on each page. The second volume contains hundreds of full stops on each page. Both books are three times thicker than the reprinted version by Ottenhausen Verlag in 1982. The front page states that each line is equal to seconds, id est all lines together represent the total amount of 29,771 meters it takes for the earth to once orbit around the sun; equal to one year.
In 1976 the artist made volume II making use of the notion ‘time’ using dots instead of lines to visualize the length of the orbit around the sun. The front page states that each point is equal to a second. All points together represent the amount of seconds it takes for the earth to once orbit around the sun.
The production of this self published book by Silver Press – owned by the artist – was very laborious and definitely no more than 8 copies were made. In 1982 Ottenhausen Verlag in Aachen / Munich, Germany, took over the project and published 100 copies which were less voluminous than the original book object hand made by the artist. With the reprint the width of the spine of each volume is shrunken to almost half of its size, making the work less sculptural than the original.
History of price:
Antiquariat Übü, Zurich, Switzerland, June 2022 US$ 4,101.88 (2nd edition, unsigned as issued)
Extra information:
KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Once around the sun, 1982
each 27,6 x 27 x 3,5 cm
offset, 2 volumes in slipcase
edition 100
SC, book, 2nd ed.
published by Ottenhausen Verlag, Aachen / München 1982
History of prices:
Antiquariat Uebue, Zurich, Switzerland US$ 4,101.88 June 2022 2nd edition (unsigned as issued)
Boekie Woekie, Amsterdam € 4.000,00 February 2022 2nd edition (unsigned as issued)
Boekie Woekie, Amsterdam € 1.600,00 November 2012 2nd edition (unsigned as issued)
Stempelboek / Book of stamps, 1975
30 x 21 x 2 cm
edition 51 + 39 HC
published by Brummense uitgeverij van Luxe Werkjes / Jan Brand, Arnhem – Peter van Beveren, Middelburg
not available
This artists book with hand made stamps has been made in co-operation with the Kunstinformatiecentrum in Middelburg run by Peter van Beveren. Some of the 34 contributions are signed a.o. Tim Ulrichs, Marten Hendriks, Hans Werner Kalkman, Robert Jacks, Ken Friedman, Klaus Groh, Uwe Kreutzfeld, John Armleder, Ben Sleeuwenhoek, Endre Tot and Woody van Amen. A few pages are slightly wrinkled due to the technique of stamping.
SIGMAR POLKE, Mu nieltnam netorruprup, 1975
21 x 15 cm
offset, 160 pp. with 101 ill.
published by Kunsthalle zu Kiel / Schleswig-Holsteinischer Kunstverein, Kiel 1975
German language
condition excellent, although small scuffing on cover
€ 200,- plus € 12,- Track & Trace EU registered mail, Margin Scheme
inv.SPol 000-pr
During the 1970s Sigmar Polke travelled extensively, concentrating heavily on photography as a medium. Both in painting and printing his work often has an experimental attitude. This book is half catalogue with a list of 31 prints and half artist’s book which in the second part shows a series of 101 printed photos about dog/bear fights, men from the Far East gathering and smoking in contrast to photos of Hell’s Angels, police and rich people in the West. This chapter called Mu nieltnam netorruprup is equal to the title of print number 31 in the list of works in the first part of the book.
History of prices:
Antiquariat Reinhold Pabel, Hamburg, Germany February 2024 € 240,-
Specific Object/David Platzker, New York, USA May 2022 US$ 400.-
Artecontemporanea.com, Milan, Italy € 300,- February 2021
JOHN ARMLEDER, Niente, purtroppo!, 1975
20,8 x 14,6 cm
SC, 20 pp.
edition 650 + 50 signed
here not signed
published by Edition Galerie Gaëtan and Écart publications, Geneva, Switzerland
condition: fine, although slightly yellowed on spine
€ 140,- plus € 15,- Track & Trace registered EU mail
inv.JMA 279-pr
On top of the edition of 650 an extra 50 copies are signed, i.e. 10 signed, dated and numbered I – X by the artist and participants, incl. original documents and 40 signed, dated and numbered 1 – 40.
History of prices:
Julia J Agius, Geneva, Switzerland, March 2023 SFr 170,-
Laurence McGilvery, La Jolla, CA, USA, 7 July 2022 US$ 150.-
Anartist, New York, USA, 7 July 2022 US$ 100.-
KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Once around the sun – Volume I, 1975
26,3 x 26,7 x 6 cm
offset, SC, book object hand bound by the artist
edition 150, extremely rare, only ca 6-8 were produced
signed, numbered
published by Silver Press, Reykjavik / Amsterdam
Collection Kees van Gelder, Amsterdam
Margin Scheme
This book is a by Kristjan Gudmundsson hand made object while he was living in Daniel Stalpertstraat, Amsterdam during the seventies. The book object contains hundreds of full stops on each page and is three times thicker than the reprinted version by Ottenhausen Verlag in 1982. The front page states that each point is equal to a second. All points together represent the amount of seconds it takes for the earth to once orbit around the sun. In 1976 the artist made volume II making use of the notion ‘space’ using lines instead of full stops to visualize the orbit of the earth around the sun in length.
The production of this self published book by Silver Press – owned by the artist – was very laborious and no more than circa 8 copies were made. In 1982 Ottenhausen Verlag in Aachen / Munich, Germany, took over the project and published 100 copies which were less voluminous than the original book object hand made by the artist. With the reprint the width of the spine of each volume is shrunken to almost half of its size, making the work less sculptural than the original.
KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Once around the sun, 1982
each 27,6 x 27 x 3,5 cm
offset, two books in slipcase
edition 100
SC, book, 2nd ed.
published by Ottenhausen Verlag, Aachen / München 1982
History of prices:
Boekie Woekie Amsterdam € 4.000,00 March 2024 (2nd edition, set with water damage)
Boekie Woekie Amsterdam € 4.000,00 February 2022 (2nd edition, set with water damage)
Boekie Woekie Amsterdam € 1.600,00 November 2012 (2nd edition)
TAKAKO SAITO, To my friends, n.d. [1974]
20,3 x 15,2 cm
book in hand-dyed slip case
Japanese bound, handwritten title and name, xerox printing, various color pencils, gouache, collages tipped-in miniature mini-books
series of very small hand made edition
signed
published by Beau Geste Press, Devon, England
mint; hand made extremely rare
€ 2.200,- plus € 12,- Track & Trace EU registered mail
inv.TSai 000-pr
In the mid-seventies Takako Saito commemorates her days in Devon. The main part is called “My friends” (with drawings of cattle and cats) and another part is described as “Days in Devon” that exists of a separate booklet with drawings, pasted in de back, 28 pages, small leporello and tipped-in miniature books.
Although Fondazione Bonotto mentions an edition of 120, it is extremely difficult to find a copy of this elaborated artist’s book.
SOL LEWITT, Incomplete Open Cubes, 1974
20,5 x 20,5 cm
artists book, offset, SC, 264 pp. (not paginated), 253 black & white illustrations
1st print
published by John Weber Gallery, New York 1974
used, nevertheless in very good condition
€ 680,- plus € 18,- Track & Trace EU registered mail
Published in conjunction with a 1974 John Weber Gallery exhibition, “Incomplete Open Cubes” is Sol LeWitt’s typically rigorous artist’s book that delineates each of the permutations of three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven part open cube sculpture and drawings.
KRISTJÁN GUDMUNDSSON, Circles, 1973
20,7 x 20,7 cm
artist’s book, 3 pp., cardboard covers
limited edition 500
published by Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
excellent condition
€ 125,- plus € 12,- registered mail
inv.KG 654
The first page in the book ‘Circles’ of Kristján Gudmundsson is made of thin paper, the next page is of a heavier kind and the third page is the thickest. On each page circles in water are depicted that were caused by a stone thrown into the water. As is stated in the book the weight of each thrown stone is equal to the weight of each individual page. The result of the consequently different circles are depicted on each page. Definitively a sculptural book.
History of prices:
FTN Books, The Hague, Netherlands April 2024 € 140,-
MARIA LASSNIG, Animation, 1973
29 x 21 cm
plastic transparent cover, ring binding
6 pp. with individual animation drawings
published by Galerie im Taxispalais, Innsbruck, Austria
splendid condition; hardly aged extremely rare
€ 500,- plus € 15,- Track & Trace registered EU mail
inv. MLas 544
Maureen Furniss: ‘Maria Lassnig’s animation is consistent with the larger body of feminist production appearing internationally, beginning just when she was creating her early work – focussing on domestic spaces and literally giving an authentic face to female experience.’
During the seventies Maria Lassnig produced her own films Encounter (1970), Chairs (1970), Shapes (1972), Palmistry (1974) a.o. These works refer to observations of the body or what she called the ‘bodily consciousness’. The latter is typically shown on the pages of this remarkable artist’s book.
The artist’s book ‘Animation’ contains 6 images related to animation techniques, incl. one page with an artist’s biography.
page 2
page 3
History of price:
Antiquariat Uebue, Zurich, Switzerland November 2023 € 533,-
KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Nidur / Down, 1972
26,4 x 27,2 x 2,2 cm
offset, SC, book object, hand bound by the artist
edition 150, of which very few handmade by the artist signed, numbered
condition: excellent, although aged, some traces of use on couver extremely rare
published by Silver Press, Reykjavik / Amsterdam, 1972
Collection Kees van Gelder, Amsterdam
p.o.r.
inv.KG 000-pr
‘Nidur / Down’ is an object book a hand bound by Kristjan Gudmundsson who produced several of these books in Daniel Stalpertstraat, Amsterdam, in the seventies. It is a book about the ‘Highest point of land’ and the ‘Lowest point of sea’ containing many parallel horizontal lines on each page. The total amount of lines are equal to the distance of the highest point on earth and the deepest point in the sea.
The production of this self published book by Silver Press – owned by the artist – was very laborious and no more than ‘circa 30-50’ [sic] copies were hand bound, as stated by the artist. (Probably much less have been made.) In 1982 Ottenhausen Verlag in Aachen / Munich, Germany, took over the project and published a limited edition of 100 copies.
History of price:
Zwiggelaar Auctions, Amsterdam 8 December 2023 € 2.600,- (hammer price)
