MICHAEL GIBBS, Extinction, 1974
9,9 x 14,7 cm
booklet, 8 pp., stapled
published by In-Out productions, Amsterdam
condition: fine, 1 cm wide light scuffing at top edge of front cover, slightly colour aged
€ 180,- plus € 15,- Track & Trace registered EU mail
inv.MGib 1135

This booklet was purchased at Other Books and So in Amsterdam that was owned and run by Ulises Carrión. At the top right corner of the cover Ulises made notes in pencil about the price (Dfl. 1,-) and from whom the copies were taken in stock, here 8x ‘car’ in total. As such this copy has a special touch of archival history.

Gibbs’s first solo exhibition after having moved to Amsterdam was “Extinction” which was held from March 26 to April 6, 1974 in In-Out Center. It was closely related to the theme ‘language operations’ of his concrete and visual poetry, for which this booklet was published. He used photomontage superimposing an alphabet that becomes energized while obliterated by a fire extinguisher. For that action a polystyrene and hardboard template of the alphabet was doused in petrol, set on fire, and put out with an extinguisher by the artist. The same year Gibbs performed ‘Extinction’ life on 21 november 1974 at de Jan van Eyck Akademie in Maastricht.

History of price:
William Allen Word & Image, London, UK US$ 90.17, 1 October 2021