Bici Hendricks | Punctuation Poems

Bici Hendricks

Punctuation Poems

New York City, USA: Black Thumb Press, 1966

14 x 8.5 cm.

Edition size unknown

Nye Ffarrabas (formerly Bici Forbes and Bici Forbes Hendricks) founded The Black Thumb Press in June of 1965, "to publish experimental work of high merit which, for various reasons - unconventional form, small size, or unpretentious nature - would necessarily be bypassed by the established publishers.”

This Kraft envelope with a white label contains twenty printed cards featuring typographic compositions each consisting of a single typewriter character.

"Many of her poems are also lozenges. You will find they feel good on your tongue, and can soothe an inflammation. In “Punctuation Poems” her words simply deliquesce, and melt away like ice (or identity), until all we are left with are the pauses, the stops and starts, joining and breaking the silence of the page.  Nye’s “Black Thumb Press” was not an artwork or a poem at all, but rather a laboratory for tinkering and experimentation with the elements of style and meaning, beauty and communication. Exalting the greasy thumbprint of the mechanic who repairs the press, and the technician who inks the plate, equally alongside the author who crafted the verse. The literal press that birthed the poem, remembered on the page, fingerprints pressed indelibly into the volume. Creator, fabricator, distributor, and reader all joined in conversation.”

- Bracken Hendricks

"Nye is a wordsmith, an alchemist with words. For a decade we traveled through life together. Two children. Three grandchildren. Shared memories. A lot bonds us. In 1964 we started the Black Thumb Press and sent out small mailings. Nye planned meals of single colors, turning meals into art. By the mid 60’s we were part of Fluxus, and also active participants in Charlotte Moorman’s Avant Garde Festivals. In 1967 at the New York Mycological Society Banquet1 Nye sat next to Marcel Duchamp. In 1970 we went to Cologne together for the “Happening and Fluxus” exhibition at the Kunstverein, where she had Dinner Service with hubcap plates on an American flag, and her powerful piece Neo/N [Über alleS] flashing on the wall behind. By the late ‘60’s, our passion for social engagement had us taking our children on our shoulders to Gay Rights marches and Anti-War demonstrations. In 1971 to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary we had a Flux Divorce. George Maciunas helped with ideas and John Lennon and Yoko Ono were guests, a special celebratory event."

- Geoff Hendricks

Jeremy Deller | What Would Neil Young Do?

When we co-hosted a retrospective of Jeremy Deller’s work with the Art Gallery of York University, Mercer Union produced two ephemeral projects with the artist: a bumper sticker that read GOD LESS AMERICA and a take-away poster that asked WHAT WOULD NEIL YOUNG DO? 

Together, they suggest that the latter’s inspiration was the What Would Jesus Do? bumper sticker or bracelet. This was my assumption, and I never asked. 

But later I learned that this story by Asylum Records founder and Neil Young manager Elliot Roberts  has made the rounds in classic rock circles: 

"It’s funny. Neil and I used to have this joke- whenever we were asked to do anything: a commercial, even a TV show- I would say to Neil, “What would Bob Dylan do?” From like, the very beginning. That’s how we made our decisions. And years later I’m managing Bob, and some decision came up, he turns to me and goes, “What would Neil do?”

So it’s possible Deller read a Neil Young biography and it prompted the poster. Elliot Roberts also managed Joni Mitchell, adding another detail to Cecilia Berkovic’s response work WHAT WOULD JONI MITCHELL DO? 

This entry continues one made over 14 years ago (yeesh) using social media posts to trace how these posters ended up the world. I’m glad to see them in more bedrooms, bathrooms, recording studios and record stores, than art galleries. 

See the original post here and send me pictures if you have a copy. We eventually got one to Neil Young, when curator Anthony Kiendl included my work and a project by Daniel Lanois in his Nuit Blanche zone (Lanois had just produced Young’s Le Noise LP). 

Ben Vautier | A Little Book of Ben [deluxe version]

Ben Vautier

A Little Book of Ben

Stuttgart, Germany:  Reflection Press, 1970

[unpaginated], 23.5 x 16.5 cm., staple-bound on cloth hard covers

Edition of 25 signed and numbered copies

The deluxe version of a staple-bound book released as the 14th issue in a series of handmade publications edited by Albrecht Dietrich called Future Culture [see previous post]. This version - released in an edition of twenty-five copies - comes with a unique hand-written element (“Ben is the Best”, “Reflection?”, “Love is not love but ego”, etc.). 

Also pictured above, are four blue pen drawings on white paper: 'Wann ich male dann ist es für meine Ehre', 'Gott ist da', 'Ich liebe mädchen', and 'Anonyme Kunst ist unmöglich ich bin ein hypokrit’. 

Ben Vautier | A little book of Ben

Ben Vautier

A little book of Ben

Stuttgart, Germany:  Reflection Press, 1970

[32] pp., 23.5 x 16.5 cm., staple-bound

Edition size unknown

The fourteenth title published as part of Albrecht D.'s fluxBLATTzeitung series at his Reflection Press. The series ran from 1968 to 1973 and included twenty-four hand-made titles, including works by Wolf Vostell, R.Hausmann, and Dick Higgins. 

A little book of Ben is available from Jonathan Hill Bookseller for $150.00 US, here. 

A special edition of 25 signed copies was also issued [see next post].