ART METROPOLE, bookseller.

[From upper cover]: Catalogue No. 6.

46 pp. Large 4to (270 x 210 mm.), orig. printed wrappers, staple-bound. [Toronto: 1979].

A very rare and early catalogue published by Art Metropole; unrecorded on WorldCat. On the inside of the upper wrapper, Art Metropole’s archivist Tim Guest lays out a definition of the artist’s book: “Since the early 1960‘ [sic] artists have been producing bookworks as a completely autonomous artform. Different in that they exist outside the traditions of either the ‘literary text’ or the ‘illustrated book’, they are instead books as works of art in themselves. They belong to that movement in art history which seeks to de-emphasize form and aesthetics, focussing [sic] rather on ideas. In other words, revealing the world rather than decorating it…. or it’s the content which counts…

“Setting ourselves up as distributors, we are one of the very few outlets of artists’ books in the world. Our purpose then, is to construct and expand a modest network of art information, or speaking romantically, to encourage and develop new constellations of ideas.”

This catalogue offers works by Abramovic, Kathy Acker, Andre, Baldessari, Barry, Beuys, Boltanski, Broodthaers, Buren, Darboven, Dibbets, Duchamp, Hamish Fulton, Dan Graham, Guerrilla Art Action Group, Richard Hamilton, Higgins, Rebecca Horn, Huebler, Jasper Johns, Ray Johnson, Judd, Kaprow, Knowles, Kosuth, LeWitt, Lippard, Hansjörg Mayer, Nannucci, Nauman, Nonas, Oldenburg, Resnick, Martha Rosler, Ruscha, Siegelaub, Ulay, Vostell, etc. Also listed are periodicals, T-shirts, and records.

In nice condition. Lower wrapper a trifle worn.

❧ See “Art Metropole’s Publications and Events History with Related Ephemera, January 1971 – April 2006,“ on the National Gallery of Canada website.

Price: $275.00

Item ID: 6936