Valie Export

Performance Artist Valie Export died yesterday, at the age of 85. 

Barbara Bloom | Lolita Rug

Barbara Bloom

Lolita Rug

New York City, USA: Self-published, 1999.

241.3 x 112.3 cm.

Edition of 10 [+2 AP] numbered copies

A hand-tufted wool rug that depicts a desecrated copy of Volume 2 of the Olympia Press edition of Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel Lolita [see below]. 

Bloom had previously made the novel the subject of her work Reading Lolita In The Dark [see earlier post, here]. 

An example of the work sold for $45,000 during the VIP opening of Art Basel’s Paris week last year. It was purchased by Greek shipping magnate Dr. John Koustas, who gifted the piece to his wife, Dimitra, for her name day.

Vera Molnar | Ni Queue Ni Tête

Vera Molnar

Ni Queue Ni Tête

Paris, France : Bernard Chauveau Éditeur, 2014

[46] pp., 15 x 15 cm., accordion-fold

Edition of 100 signed and numbered copies

Joseph Beuys

 

Joseph Beuys was born on this day a hundred and five years ago. 

Laurie Anderson | Notebook

Laurie Anderson

Notebook

New York City, USA: Collation Center, 1977

47 pp., 14 x 18 cm., softcover

Edition of 1000

A small, oblong Artist’s Book (Anderson's second) documents compositions for electronic violin performed in various ourdoor city spaces. The contents include Film/song in 24/24 time, Duets on ice, Two songs for violin and projector, Duet for door jamb and violin, etc.

“Duets On Ice was performed at five locations in New York City in 1974 and three places in Genoa, Italy, in 1975. The concerts were performed on a violin with a built-in speaker...a self-playing violin. Half the music was on tape, coming out of the violin. The other half was played, simultaneously, live. The timing depended on the a pair of ice-skates, their blades frozen in blocks of ice. When the ice melted, the concert was over.”

- Laurie Anderson, Notebook

La Monte Young | Composition 1960, #5

"Composition 1960, #5 reads:

Turn a butterfly (or any number of butterflies) loose in the performance area. When the composition is

over, be sure to allow the butterfly to fly away outside. The composition may be any length, but if an unlimited amount of time is available, the doors and windows may be opened before the butterfly is turned loose and the composition may be considered finished when the butterfly flies away.

When I sent copies of Compositions 1960, Numbers 2 Through 5 to some of my friends, I received different comments from all of them concerning which ones they liked or disliked with one exception. Almost all of them wrote back to me saying ‘they liked Number 5 which consists, quite simply of turning a butterfly or any number of butterflies loose in the auditorium. Diane agreed that it was a very lovely piece and said it would seem almost impossible for anyone not to like it. At any rate, I had hoped to perform either Composition 1960 #2 which consists of building a fire in front of the audience, or Composition 1960 #5, the butterfly piece, on whatever program came up next. Thus, when the time arrived to do another noon concert of contemporary music at the University in Berkeley, I told a friend who was communicating with the director of the noon concerts that I would like t o do either Composition 1960 #2 or #5. The next day he phoned and said he had asked the director. The director had said that both pieces were absolutely out of the question. I was shocked. I could easily understand anyone's concern for a fire in the auditorium, but what could be wrong with a butterfly? Well, Compositions 1960 Numbers 2 and 5 were banned from the auditorium and we performed Composition 1960 #4 instead. Sometime afterward Diane received a letter from Susan, who was visiting in New York. At the end of the letter she wrote, "I

saw a boy in the park today running, quite terrified, from a small yellow butterfly.”

- La Monte Young

Richard Tipping | Six by Six by Six

Richard Tipping

Six by Six by Six

New York City, USA: Purgatory Pie Press, 1999

[6] pp., 16 x 16 cm., softcover

Edition of 216 signed and numbered copies

A six by six accordion bound bookwork with wordworks by Richard Tipping, hand typography by Dikko Faust and art direction by Esther K. Smith. The book - printed on all rag museum board - is signed by all three.