Typographical device on title. Printed throughout in black letter. 11, [1] leaves. Small 4to, fine modern blue morocco, dentelles gilt, a.e.g. London: T. Purfoote, the assigne of R. Tottill, 1588.

Fourth edition of one of the earliest English books of "secrets," or manual of practical arts; this text appears to be entirely of English origins. It was first published in 1573 and reprinted in 1581 and 1583; there were also editions of 1596 and 1605. All editions are very scarce; of this printing the NSTC (24255) records five copies: L18, O; F, PN, NY Metropolitan Museum.

This is a very early... More

Printed on both sides. Square card, mailed. Paris: Yvon Lambert, 1971.

Invitation card to Andre’s solo debut with Yvon Lambert’s gallery. The artist’s work is represented on the recto with four squares representing aluminum, magnesium (2x), and zinc. In excellent condition. Mailed to Frits Keers (1936-2000), senior curator at the Stedelijk Museum.

❧ Sophie Richard, Unconcealed: The International Network of Conceptual Artists 1967-77, Dealers, Exhibitions and Public Collections (2010), p. 371. More

Woodblock-printed throughout in hangul & Chinese characters of different sizes. 350 woodcut illus. 70; 70; 70; 70; 70 folding leaves. Five kwŏn in five vols. (of six). 8vo (254 x 177 mm.), orig. white paper wrappers with printed title-slips, orig. stitching. [Korea]: [late Chosŏn period].

One of two known copies of this anonymous Korean erotic book, which juxtaposes the vernacularized hagiography of Śākyamuni with hundreds of erotic prints showing all manners of sexual intercourse and masturbation, as well as related scenes of courtship and violence. To our knowledge, this is the only known example of a Korean woodblock-printed erotica. Not... More

Three full-page engraved illus. by Taeuber-Arp. [28] pp. 8vo, orig. printed thick paper wrappers & orig. pictorial dust-jacket (a trifle worn), staple-bound. Grasse, France: Self-published, 1941.

A rare poetic artist’s book jointly created by the Arps, from a numbered edition of 150 (ours is no. 72); according to WorldCat there are only five copies in North America. The couple had escaped Paris before it fell to the Nazis and headed to Vichy France in the South. One of their stops was with Peggy Guggenheim in Veyrier. They settled in Grasse in 1941 and established an artist colony with colleagues Sonia... More

Color illus. throughout. 109, [1] p. 8vo, gray printed covers, title on spine. New York: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc., 2024.

Bookseller catalogue presenting a complete run of exhibition materials produced by the Art & Project gallery in between their celebrated numbered bulletins from its opening in September 1968 through 1978. As shown through these documents, the gallery proprietors Adriaan van Ravesteijn (1938-2015) and Geert van Beijeren (1933-2005) quickly pivoted from “architectural research” to the championing of conceptual and minimalist art. Although the 156 Art & Project bulletins are celebrated and oft cited, these mailings, cards, etc. recorded herein remain... More

Pictorial wrappers designed by Buren & several black & white illus. Unpaginated. Large 4to (268 x 198 mm.), pictorial wrappers (spine sunned), staple-bound. [Toronto: 1983].

A rare catalogue published by Art Metropole, with wrappers designed by Daniel Buren. Art Metropole, founded in 1974 by General Idea, was the first large-scale distributor of artists’ books and publications in North America.

Very good copy, a trifle browned. Unrecorded on WorldCat. The previous owner has annotated a number of the entries in pen and red marker.

❧ See “Art Metropole’s Publications and Events History with Related Ephemera, January 1971 – April 2006,“ on... More

Cover artwork by Stephen Ellwood. 71 pp. Large 4to (270 x 212 mm.), pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. Toronto: 1998.

[with]:

—. Catalogue No. 20 (Wholesale). Cover artwork by S. Ellwood. 11 pp. Large 4to (265 x 211 mm.), orig. pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. Toronto: 1998.

Two scarce catalogues of artists’ books, multiples, audio works, video works, and periodicals. The second is a wholesale catalogue, with items offered at a 35% discount.

Both in fine condition.

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

Black & white illus. (some full-page). 47 pp. Large 4to (277 x 205 mm.), pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. [Toronto: 1977].

[with]:

—. [From upper wrapper]: Supplement to Catalogue No. 5, Editions by Artists. [10] pp. (incl. inside wrappers). 4to, pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. Toronto: 1978.

Two rare and early catalogues issued by Art Metropole, the first large-scale distributor of artists’ books and publications in North America; offered with the subsequent Supplement distributed in the summer and featuring artists’ editions. The first catalogue offers dozens of works by European artists such as Abramovic, Beuys, Boltanski, Broodthaers, Buren, Darboven, Dibbets, Ehrenberg, Filliou, Fulton, Graham, Rebecca... More

Unpaginated. 59 pp. & ads. Large 4to, orig. printed wrappers designed by Holzer, staple-bound. Toronto: 1989.

[bound with]:

—. [From first sheet]: Catalogue Update, December 1989. Eight stapled sheets, printed on both sides. Toronto: 1989.

All three parts constituting Art Metropole’s thirteenth mail-order catalogue, including the “Catalogue Update” and a laid-in sheet of new publications not found in either of the previous. The first catalogue was designed by the artist Jenny Holzer. In this publication, “Artists’ bookworks” are denoted, this time with a triangle. The catalogues presents an impressive and vast range of materials, including video and audio works.

Fine copy... More

14 black & white illus. 36 unnumbered pages. Irregularly shaped small 4to (200 x 200 mm.), die-cut corners (spine faintly rubbed), staple-bound. [Chicago]: The University of Chicago Library, 1986.

An important exhibition catalogue as well as reference work on artists’ books. This catalogue was designed by the book artist Buzz Spector (b. 1948), and his pencil notes for the mock-up have been reproduced in this final version. Jeffrey Abt, the organizer of the exhibition, writes in an insightful essay: “The contemporary artist’s book…represents an evolution of the book’s use from a vehicle for text and its illustration to an artistically... More

Many color illus. 110 pp. 12mo, orig. yellow cloth (a little soiled), title-label to upper cover. Bremen: Edition Temmen, 1994.

An interesting catalogue of artists’ invitations of the 20th century. Edited by Karlheinz Kopanski and Karin Stengel. Near fine; marks to the yellow cloth. More

Black & white illus. Single sheet, folded as issued. Düsseldorf: Konrad Fischer, [1968].

Flyer announcing the artist’s only show with Konrad Fischer. The exhibition was organized in cooperation with Galerie Ricke in Cologne. Printed on one side of the flyer is a disorienting photograph of Fischer’s famously narrow gallery, with some of the artist’s blps.

“In June 1968, Artschwager invaded Konrad Fischer’s gallery space on Neubrückstrasse with his blps, which are black, sometimes white, three-dimensional signs made of wood, artificial turf, or horsehair. blps could be found anywhere, jumping out and surprising viewers in the city, on the street, or... More