Vintage photograph from a Black Mountain College performance by Elizabeth Jennerjahn; part of an evocative archive of materials issuing from Jennerjahn's time as both student and teacher in Asheville (1944-1951). See item number 1 below.

Harper's Books: September Selections

A late-monthly list of new arrivals relating to post-War art, photography, and subculture. Click the links for additional images and purchasing. To browse similar materials, visit our Chelsea bookshop at 504 West 22nd Street (Wednesday through Saturday, 11-6) and our East Hampton gallery (Thursday through Sunday, 10-6).

1. BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE / Elizabeth Jennerjahn, Josef Albers, Anni Albers, Ruth Asawa, Charles Olson, et al

[Small Archive of Black Mountain College Materials]

Asheville, NC: Black Mountain College, mostly 1943-1954. Small archive of materials from Elizabeth Jennerjahn, issuing from her time as Black Mountain College student (1944-1948), teacher (1948-1951), and alumni; richly illustrating various dimensions of the BMC experience. Jennerjahn first attended the College in the mid-1940s, where she studied under both Josef and Anni Albers, before being drawn to contemporary dance by Merce Cunningham. She would leave to study dance in New York with Martha Graham, before returning to Asheville as an instructor in 1948—just in time for the legendary Summer Institute cohort that included the likes of the Alberses, Ruth Asawa, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Buckminster Fuller, Ray Johnson, Kenneth Noland, and Arthur Penn. Perhaps her most notable contribution to the College was the development of the interdisciplinary Light-Sound-Movement workshop, together with her husband John, as well as her 1950 recruitment of dancer Katherine Litz. Present here: a substantial group of 15 issues of the elusive Black Mountain College Bulletin (1943-1954); three pages of refined manuscript notes from one of Josef Albers' color theory courses; a series of three scarce publications from the Alberses; a group of internal administrative and pedagogical materials, as well as student calendars and applications; programmes and invitations from performances in the 1949-1950 season; and a rich selection of promotional materials marketing the College's virtues to prospective students—including the well-illustrated brochure pictured above, with cover design reproducing an abstract textile work composed by Ruth Asawa from the BMC laundry stamp. More images on website; full descriptive list available upon request.

$5500.00

2. CASTELLI, Leo and Hans Namuth (photographer)

Palladium Requests the Pleasure of Your Company to Celebrate the Birthday of Leo Castelli (Announcement Card)

New York: Palladium, 1985. Trifold card (5.25 x 6.5 in. folded) announcing Leo Castelli's birthday celebration at Palladium nightclub (Sep. 19, 1985). With front panel illustrated after a black-and-white Hans Namuth photograph of the uber-gallerist with his stable of artists; including Robert Barry, Dan Flavin, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Ed Ruscha, Salvatore Scarpitta, Richard Serra, Andy Warhol, and Lawrence Weiner. Small blemish to rear folding flap and minor signs of handling; close to near fine.

$250.00

3. COLEN, Dan

Dan Colen: High Noon (Inscribed with Cowboy Drawing)

Gagosian, 2020. First Edition. Oblong quarto. This copy INSCRIBED by Colen to title page, with accompanying dead cowboy drawing. A lively catalogue published to commemorate the exhibition of Dan Colen's large Desert Paintings at Gagosian Beverly Hills (Nov. 2 - Dec. 15, 2018), with installation views of the paintings interspersed with documentation of two cowboy-themed performances choreographed by Colen and Dimitri Chamblas within the gallery space. Featuring an essay by Douglas Fogle and an interview with Colen and Chamblas. A near fine copy in photo-illustrated boards.

$350.00

4. DARBOVEN, Hanne

2=1,2; 1+1=1, 2; etc.

Hamburg: Self-published, 1976. Thick quarto. With her artist's book 1975, Hanne Darboven began her lifelong project of "writing time"—a sort of existential filibuster where she transcribed lines from the likes of Baudelaire, Heine, and Sartre using a variety of abstract operations, both logical and absurd. Writing as a form of drawing. One year later—under the post-mathematical title 2=1,2; 1+1=1,2; etc.—Darboven expanded upon that previous work by appropriating a series of additional texts from Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, quite literally accounting for the passage of time through the addition of volume (240 facsimile manuscript leaves versus 80). One of 200 copies (Bippus 18); remarkably clean, in plain white wrappers with hand-stamped titles to front and rear covers. Very minor spotting to cloth-tape spine, with bumping to margin of rear cover; overall near fine. Scarce, with only 2 OCLC records located in North America (Princeton, Clark).

$2500.00

5. FIGGIS, Genieve

Genieve Figgis (Signed)

New York: Skira Rizzoli, 2017. First Edition. Quarto. A sumptuous monograph on the paintings of Genieve Figgis, thoroughly illustrated after dozens of her works (2014-2016), with an essay from Alison M. Gingeras and an interview with Dodie Kazanjian. This copy SIGNED by Figgis to half-title page. A fine copy in glossy black-papered boards, in fine illustrated jacket.

$275.00

6. FONTANA, Lucio

Lucio Fontana: Ten Paintings of Venice

New York: Martha Jackson Gallery, 1961. First Edition. Quarto. An exhibition catalogue published on the occasion of Lucio Fontana's first solo show in the United States, at Martha Jackson's Uptown gallery (Nov. 21 - Dec. 16, 1961). Illustrated by ten of Fontana's works, including five tipped-in color plates; complemented by a short text from Lawrence Alloway and a translated excerpt from Fontana's manifesto on Spatialism. Yellow-green covers executed with an irregular series of hole punches, revealing black endpapers beneath. This copy includes letterpress invitation card for the vernissage (Tuesday, November 21) and a bound-in order form for Michel Tapié's Devenir de Fontana. Minor rubbing to side-stapled wrappers; about fine. Uncommon to the trade.

$1000.00

7. GOKITA, Tomoo

Tomoo Gokita: 777 (Signed with Drawing)

Tokyo; 888books, 2015. First Edition. Quarto. Fully-illustrated b&w catalogue reproducing 777 of Tomoo Gokita's framed works-on-paper; concluding with an installation view from his 2014 exhibition The Great Circus (Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art), in which the frames have coalesced into a single mass. This copy SIGNED by Gokita to title page in black marker (dated 2016), with accompanying alien-like drawing. Near fine, save for some scuffing to plain black wrappers. Preserved in printed cardboard slipcase; uncommon, with 4 OCLC records located (two in North America).

$750.00

8. GRAFFITI / Francesca Alinovi (curator)

Arte di Frontiera: New York Graffiti

Milano: Gabriele Mazzotta, 1984. First Edition. Quarto. Trade version of this influential catalogue, published to commemorate a traveling exhibition of American graffiti art in Italy, a year after the shocking murder of its dynamic curator, Francesca Alinovi. "While in America as in Europe the triumph of tradition and fine painting is being celebrated, out comes the gurgling current of the underground like an impetuous, boiling hot spring. Avant-garde art is not only not dead but has dug up its battle-axe and is beating its tam tam along the lines of the frontier of Manhattan: 1982, escape from New York! The art of the future stares with big, dark wide-open eyes at the centre from the periphery, mixed with the wreckage and rubble of the decaying city..." Thoroughly illustrated, mostly in color; reproducing works from the likes of A One, Donald Baechler, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Crash, Fab Freddy, Futura 2000, Richard Hambleton, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer and Lady Pink, Lee Quiñones, Rammellzee, and Kenny Scharf. With a series of texts from Alinovi— including excerpts from her interviews with A One, Haring, Rammellzee, and Scharf—and a contribution from Tony Shafrazi. Texts printed in both Italian and English. Minor edgewear to photo-illustrated wrappers, with hint of toning; near fine.

$450.00

9. HARING, Keith

Keith Haring: Drawings (Exhibition Poster, Signed)

New York: Tony Shafrazi Gallery, 1982. Exhibition poster (24 x 18 inches) from Keith Haring's first show with Tony Shafrazi (Oct. 9 - Nov. 13, 1982). This copy remarkably SIGNED and dated by Haring in black marker within circled-cross element. Minor rubbing at edges; a near fine copy of this Haring milestone.

$2500.00

10. HARING, Keith and Brion Gysin

Keith Haring: Peintures, Sculptures, et Dessins

Bordeaux: CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, 1985. First Edition. Quarto. An uncommon catalogue for a Keith Haring survey at the contemporary art museum in Bordeaux (Dec. 15, 1985 - Feb. 23, 1986). With dozens of b&w photographs documenting Haring's process—as well as the context of his New York scene—followed by two dozen reproductions of paintings, sculptures, and drawings; twelve of these in color. Accompanied by essay from Sylvie Couderc ("The World of Keith Haring") printed in both English and French, along with a brief reflection from Brion Gysin ("The sculpted line"). Near fine copy in plain white wrappers, in neon-illustrated jacket with minor rubbing; close to near fine.

$450.00

11. JACOBSON, Bill

945 Madison Avenue (Signed)

New York: Some Planes Press, 2017. First Edition. Quarto. Hand-numbered as copy 86 of 100 and SIGNED by Jacobson to colophon. An elegant photobook, reproducing 30 of Bill Jacobson's architectural photographs of 945 Madison Avenue; documenting the building's interregnum following the departure of the Whitney Museum of American Art, and prior to its renovation into the Met Breuer (and eventual sale to Sotheby's). Supplemented by essay from David Deitcher. Minor creasing to corner of illustrated wrappers; near fine. Slight scuffing to slipcase, also near fine, with color image affixed to front panel.

$250.00

12. JUDD, Donald / Alan Kaprow, Joseph Kosuth, Bruce Nauman, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Serra, Andy Warhol, et al

Straight Information: A Dialogue Series of 13 Separate Evenings (Poster)

New York: The School of Visual Arts, 1971. Large broadside poster (23 x 17 inches) promoting two series of fundraising events organized to benefit the School of Visual Arts (Feb. - May, 1971 / Oct. 1971 - May 1972). A now-rather obscure project, composed of thirteen public dialogues headlined by an impressive list of post-War American artists: Carl Andre, Larry Bell, Michael Heizer, Donald Judd, Alan Kaprow, Joseph Kosuth, Sol Lewitt, Roy Lichtenstein, Bruce Nauman, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Serra, and Andy Warhol. Co-organized by Dayton’s Gallery 12. According to the poster, a subscription for the entire series was $100, with proceeds funding SVA scholarships for “Black, Puerto Rican & American Indian students.” Strong fold-lines, but otherwise a remarkably well-preserved copy; near fine.

$650.00

13. KIEFER, Anselm

The Secret Life of Plants (Signed)

Munich: Edition Heiner Bastian im Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2003. First Edition. Quarto. SIGNED by Kiefer to the front jacket flap in pencil. A cosmic botanical book, with plant fragments photographed by Kiefer overtop full bleed astronomical images. Contents: 64 pages, fully-illustrated. This bookwork part of a cycle of artworks pursued by Kiefer under the same title. A fine copy in illustrated boards, in near fine illustrated jacket.

$250.00

14. KRUGER, Barbara

Picture/Readings (Signed)

Self-published, 1978. First Edition. Oblong octavo. SIGNED by Kruger to the front end-paper. First artist's book from Barbara Kruger, having yet to pivot to her trademark paste-up aesthetic. Here, Kruger pairs 22 short narratives with her enigmatic black-and-white photographs of architectural exteriors; rather than condense her images into the direct appeal of photomontage, Kruger dreams-up a series of possible interiorities. Some scuffing to blue printed wrappers, with minor curling; close to near fine. A sharp copy of a bookwork that's prone to wear; quite uncommon signed.

$2500.00

15. KRUGER, Barbara

We Have Received Orders Not to Move (Inscribed Artist's Postcard)

New York: Fotofolio, circa 1987. Artist's postcard (6 x 4 inches). One of Barbara Kruger's collaborations with Fotofolio, reproducing her 1982 photomontage Untitled (We Have Received Orders Not to Move). This example INSCRIBED by Kruger to verso to journalist Sylvia Falcon: "Sylvia— Here's the photo we discussed... I hope the transcription was a speedy one and I look forward to the interview with both fear + dread— Barbara." Falcon's interview with Kruger would appear in the January 1987 issue of International Eye; the magazine that would eventually become the East Village Eye. An annotation to verso in a different hand (187%) appears to be from the Eye's printer. Some rubbing to corners and toning to recto; a close to near fine artifact illuminating the essential fluidity of Kruger's "Picture practice" (from paste-up to photomontage to postcard to review).

$500.00

16. LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY / Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy, et al

LAFMS Box Box (Signed)

Los Angeles: Box Editions, 2012. First Edition. Box set of 13 vinyl records, documenting experimental musical performances organized during the retrospective exhibition "Beneath the Valley of the Lowest Form of Music: The Los Angeles Free Music Society, 1972-2012" (Jan. 14 - Feb. 23, 2012). The first LP is particularly notable, recording improvisations from the opening reception, which included contributions from Mike Kelley, only a few weeks prior to his death. This copy SIGNED by 9 of the artists to the colorful slipcase, including Paul McCarthy, Mitchell Brown, Dennis Duck, Ace Farren Ford, Joseph Hammer, Rick Potts, and Vetza. A fine set, with 13 records in color sleeves, illustrated slipcase, three folded posters (each 36 x 24 inches), and a 52 page catalogue, illustrated with mostly color installation and performance images.

$2500.00

17. PETTIBON, Raymond

Homo Americanus: Collected Works (Signed)

New York: David Zwirner Books, 2016. First Edition. Thick octavo (688 pages). Impressive catalogue published to accompany the major Raymond Pettibon retrospective curated by Ulrich Loock at Deichtorhallen Hamburg (Feb. 28 - Sep. 25, 2016) and Museum der Moderne Salzburg (Nov. 19 - Feb. 12, 2017). This copy SIGNED by Pettibon in silver marker to front cover. Includes hundreds of reproduced works, divided into 32 formal and thematic sections (e.g. flyers, record covers, drawings, surfers, erections. mushroom clouds), each introduced by brief commentary from Pettibon—with the first section offering a full facsimile of Pettibon's first zine, Captive Chains. Illustrated board book, with some scuffing to front panel, else near fine.

$450.00

18. PRINCE, Richard / Louise Lawler, Jeff Koons, Haim Stienbach, et al

Post Production: Modern/Conceptual/Pop (Exhibition Poster)

Chicago: Feature, [1985]. Poster-mailer (10.5 x 16.5 inches, unfolded) for a group show at Hudson's legendary Feature gallery in Chicago (Dec. 6, 1985 - Jan. 11, 1986), drawing together George Horner, Jeff Koons, Louise Lawler, Stephen Long, Richard Prince, Haim Steinbach, and Tony Tasset, under a postmodern umbrella. Glossy recto designed after reproductions of works from Haim Steinbach and Richard Prince. Verso post-marked and addressed to NYC-based artist Nancy Chunn. Save for fold-lines and a shallow chip to top margin, a close to near fine copy.

$500.00

19. PRINCE, Richard

Inside World (Signed Deluxe Edition with Joke Drawing)

New York: Thea Westreich, 1989. Deluxe Edition. Quarto. Number 162 of 250 hand-numbered copies, SIGNED by Richard Prince to colophon and dated 1989; accompanied by an original joke drawing from Prince, SIGNED in pencil to lower edge. "What a kid I was. I remember practicing the violin in front of a roaring fire. My old man walked in. He was furious. We didn't have a fireplace." An artist's book from Richard Prince—mostly full-bleed color images of cowboys, bikers, girlfriends, and jokes, with several pages of birdtalk scattered in—published on the occasion of the exhibition he co-curated at Kent Gallery, with imagery from the likes of Man Ray, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol quite seamlessly interwoven with his own. A fine copy in gilt-stamped red cloth boards, in fine publisher's slipcase. Joke drawing loose, with marginal smudge; near fine.

$6500.00

20. RUSCHA, Ed and Jerry McMillan (photographer)

Picturing Ed: Jerry McMillan's Photographs of Ed Ruscha , 1958-1970

Santa Monica: Craig Krull Gallery / Smart Art Press, 2004. First Edition. Octavo. Catalogue published on the occasion of an exhibition of Jerry McMillan's photographs at Craig Krull Gallery (May 22 - Jun. 26, 2004), reproducing 47 black-and-white portraits of Ed Ruscha; accompanied by a short text from the photographer on his engaging artist-subject. Some rubbing to photo-illustrated wrappers, with minor scuffing; near fine.

$100.00

21. TILLMANS, Wolfgang

Wolfgang Tillmans (First Edition, Signed)

Zurich: Kunsthalle Zurich, 1995. First Edition. Quarto. Wolfgang Tillmans' elusive first book, published on the occasion of his exhibition at Kunsthalle Zurich (Mar. 25 - May 21, 1995); this copy remarkably SIGNED by Tillmans in pencil to front endpaper. A rhythmic, fully-illustrated montage of street photography, newspaper clippings, nudes, TV stills, ephemera, and textual fragments; a moody cartography of Tillmans' pre-digital world. Small abrasion to front hinge of illustrated boards, otherwise a near fine copy. This important work most often encountered as a 2008 reprint by JRP|Ringier; first edition copies uncommon, especially signed.

$2000.00

22. WARHOL, Andy

Andy Warhol: Mick Jagger, 1975 (Prospectus)

New York: Multiples Inc. / Castelli Graphics, 1975. First Edition. Duodecimo. Small portfolio of ten numbered cards (6 x 4 inches), reproducing Andy Warhol's 1975 dynamic suite of Mick Jagger screenprints. Housed in printed white folder. Minor scuffing to folder; cards fine, save for faint vertical impression to first card.

$1500.00

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