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)