KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Cause and Consequence, 1976

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KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Cause and Consequence, 1976
23 x 17 x 2 cm, 3 parts
Tipp-Ex correction paper on coloured paper, original framing
edition 10
published by the artist, Amsterdam

 

Kristján Gudmundsson likes to see ‘the snake biting in its tail’ one could say. He is fascinated by closed logics after a simple work concept has been set. In Cause and Consequence (1976) he divided a square in three equal parts by drawing two horizontal lines. Then he decided to draw one line vertically, resulting in a correction paper transfer of six equal parts. In this first stage the effect is two lines and one broken line. On the second and third sheet of paper he did the same, yet in a different order. As a consequence the visual effect varies. Within the parameters of the concept all possible variations come to an end. KvG

In 1977 this work was for the first time shown in ‘Ça va, ça va’ in Centre George Pompidou, Paris, France. Three Icelandic artists Hreinn Fridfinnsson, Kristján Gudmundsson and his brother Sigurdur Gudmundsson showed together their works in ‘Les Galeries’ on the ground floor of the museum.

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KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Once around the sun – Vol. I + II, 1975

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)

KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Once around the sun – Vol. I, 1975

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 made
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 February 2022 (2nd edition)
Boekie Woekie Amsterdam € 1.600,00 November 2012 (2nd edition)

KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Orsök og Afleiðing, 1974 [Cause and Consequence]

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KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Orsök og Afleiðing [Cause and Consequence], 1974
32,5 x 33,3 cm (12,5 x 21,5)
Tipp-Ex correction paper on coloured paper, original frame
vintage edition
signed, numbered, dated
framed by artist (1974)
edition 10, here number 1/10
published by the artist, Amsterdam
€ 4.800,- plus € 32 track & Trace registred EU mail, Margin Scheme

In the seventies corrections on the typemachine could be made with the help of prefabricated paper correction strips of Tipp-Ex. Kristján Gudmundsson used these strips couvered with a film of chalk to make drawings. He was fascinated by the fact that the result of the zigzagging lines he drew did not have any memory of how they were drawn in a parallel or diagonal way on the Tipp-Ex paper strips, hence the title.

KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Shipwreck, 1973 – 1974

KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Shipwreck, 1973 – 1974
29,5 x 22,5 cm
offset on tracing paper, folded as issued
signed, dated, numbered
edition 20
published by the artist
condition: splendid, although aged semi-translucent tracing paper
Private collection
€ 3.500,- plus € 18,- Track & Trace registered EU mail
inv.KG 000-pr 

Kristjan Gudmundsson installed the print ‘Shipwreck’ behind a glass plate for the first time in Galerie van Gelder in Amsterdam in the late eighties. Originally in the seventies it used to be an object in a wooden box; a paper folded boat lying on its side at the bottom of the box. Now the paper sculpture is conserved in a wooden frame with a signature in capital letters.
In 1974 Kristjan Gudmundsson went to Drukkerij Andersen in Amsterdam that forwarded the order to Drukkerij Van der Stolk also in Amsterdam (Ruyschdaelkade). At that time Kees van Gelder was the only employee in this offset printer’s firm by which he had to print this order on tracing paper.

 

 

KRISTJÁN GUDMUNDSSON, Circles, 1973

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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
fine condition
€ 190,- plus € 8,- registered mail





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.

KRISTJAN GUDMUNDSSON, Nidur / Down, 1972 [handmade copy]

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.

Lesbian Dream Press, 1971

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Lesbian Dream Press, 1971
ca 24,5 x 17 cm
12 pp.,
paper collage, typed written texts on cover; recto and verso, book block of empty pages
edition unknown.
Published by Jón Gunnar Árnason, Reykjavik, Iceland
inv.SG 000-pr

 

This issue number 6 was handed out to Sigurdur Gudmundsson with machine types instructions on the back of the cover on how to participate with a contribution to the magazine. A handwritten text reads: Þessi bók er fyrir Sig Gu∂mundson (trans. ‘This book is for Sig Gudmundsson’).

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