archives Jean-Dominique CARRE Contemporary Art
avant-gardes of the sixties and seventies
52 rue mazarine f -75006 paris france
tel. (33)(0)1 43 54 12 64
mob. (33)(0)7 69 17 25 00
archives.carre (at) wanadoo.fr
http://archives.carre.pagesperso-orange.fr
james lee byars
A James Lee Byars
Chacun le sait, la perfection n'existe pas. Sauf si on change de dimension: passer du temps à l'éternité, au prix du costume, du masque: renoncement à une certaine forme d'identité personnelle. Pour Byars, par la cérémonie, le rituel, le travestissement, le redoublement du sens, la profusion (lettres, etc). Comme pour Pessoa, l'utilisation de pseudonymes, pour Thomas Bernard, le martèlement de la répétition. C'est toujours la mise en scène du monde et de soi, la projection de soi vis-à-vis de soi. La distance qui se crée ainsi permet cette totale immédiateté, cette parfaite adéquation, que Platon nomme l'"Intuition". La profusion du quotidien qui, se mirant dans la mort, parvient à s'unifier. Tous les procédés pour casser le quotidien et créer l'ouverture, créer l'ÉTERNITÉ, le temps parfait, la PERFECTION. Est-ce ceci l'esthétique: la confusion du Beau et du Bon? Du Beau et du Vrai? Est-ce ceci, la perfection, l'éternité, que cet état et ce moment où esthétique et éthique se confondent?
Rien n'est parfait, seule la mort l'est. Chez Byars, tout est parfait. Seule sa mort ne l'est pas. Pour nous.
JDC
James Lee BYARS: A WHITE PAPER WILL BLOW THROUGH THE STREETS. 1967.
Offset lithograph printed in black on a white circulart paper sheet.
Diameter 63 cm (25 1/4in)
Edition of 10,000.
Perfect condition.
References:
J. Elliott, The Perfect Thought, Berkeley, p. 84.
James Lee Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, #43.
The Perfect Moment, Valencia, Spain, p. 292.
James Lee BYARS: 100,000 Minutes. 1969.
Artist book.
(200)p./pl. printed on pink paper, including the paper cover.
26.8 x 20.8 cm.
Antwerpen, A. de Decker, White Wide Space, Antwerpen, 1969.
1st edition of 150 unnumbered copies.
The 1st Byars's artist book.
"100,000 Minutes/ Or the big sample od Byars/ Or 1/2 an autobiography/ Or the first paper of philosophy."
Reference:
James Lee Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, p. (27), #1.
James Lee BYARS: 100,000 Minutes. 1969.
Artist book. Deluxe edition copy.
(200)p./pl. printed on pink paper, including the paper cover.
26.8x20.8 cm.
Antwerpen, A. de Decker, White Wide Space, Antwerpen, 1969.
1st edition.
Deluxe edition of 40 numbererd copies, signed by the artist. The 1st Byars's artist book.
"100,000 Minutes/ Or the big sample od Byars/ Or 1/2 an autobiography/ Or the first paper of philosophy."
Reference:
James Lee Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, p. (27), #1.
James Lee BYARS: The Epitaph of Con.Art is which Questions Have Disappeared. 1969.
Ephemera.
A long horizontal strip of white paper (7 x 80 cm), with text printed offset black (0.55 x 34.3 cm).
Together with the large white paper envelope (24.2 x 30 cm), with text printed offset black, in which the ephemera, being crumpled in a ball shape, had to be placed.
Our copy is flat and unfolded.
Published for the show at the Wide White Space, Antwerpen, Belgium, Summer 1969.
Wide White Space. Behind the museum, Richter Verlag, 1994, #30, p. 258. James Lee Byars, Bücher, Reference:
Editionen, Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, # 52.
James Lee BYARS: James Lee Byars at Wide White Space Gallery Antwerp April 18 to May 7. 1969.
Announcement.
Square piece of white card, text printed offset in green, on both sides.
12 x 12 cm.
References:
Wide White Space. Behind the museum, Richter Verlag, 1994, #27, p. 255. James Lee Byars, Bücher, Editionen, Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, n°137.
James Lee BYARS: This is the Ghost of James Lee Byars Calling. 1969.
Ephemera.
Pentagonal piece of white card gilded on one side. On the gilded side, text printed offset in red: "This is the Ghost of James Lee Byars Calling. 615 N. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.".
Text: 0.2 cm high.
Card: diam.: 16 cm.
Published for the performance at Eugenia Butler gallery, Los Angeles, U.S.A., 1969.
Reference:
James Lee Byars, Bücher, Editionen, Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, # 53a.
James Lee BYARS: WWS Has Been Renamed The Institute for The Advanced Study of James Lee Byars. 1969.
Ephemera.
A 5-pointed star piece of white card, printed offset purple.
Text: 0.2x2.75 cm.
Star: diam. 11.5 cm.
Coming with its white paper envelope, with text printed offset purple, 12.5x15.5 cm.
Edition of 300 unnumbered copies.
WWS, Antwerp, Belgium, 1969.
References:
Wide White Space. Behind the museum, Richter Verlag, 1994, #27, p. 255. James Lee Byars, Bücher, Editionen, Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, # 55.
James Lee BYARS: The Black Book. 1971.
Artist book.
Collection of 100 questions from scientists in various disciplines printed in tiny characters in gold offset lithograph on a sheet of black tissue paper, with imaginary covers.
49.3 x 36.5cm.
Herman Daled, Brussels, Belgium, 1971.
First distributed to guests at Forêt de Soignes near Brussels, Belgium, in February 22, 1971. Later appeared as the cover of the December-January issue of Flash Art with a caption reading: "Distributed through James Lee Byars in Bruxelles in February 1971, by courtesy of Herman Daled; June 1971, Los Angeles County Museum; October 1971, Michael Werner Gallery, Cologne."
Having been kept for years half rolled, there is an horizontal soft bend in the middle of the sheet that will disappear after being left flat a short time.
A very good+ copy, almost fine.
References:
The Perfect Thought, University Art Museum, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. 1990, pp. 100-101.
James Lee Byars, Bucher, Editionen, Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserbur Bremen, 1995, n°4.
James Lee BYARS: A and B you ready to do some Fant. Show? Love B. 1973.
Announcement.
For the show at the Wide White Space Gallery, Antwerp, February 10-March 190, 1973. Text printed offset in violet on white card, on both sides.
12 x 15.8 cm.
References:
Wide White Space. Behind the museum, Richter Verlag, 1994, #64, p. 298. James Lee Byars, Bücher, Editionen, Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, # 138.
James Lee BYARS
The Golden Tower
Artist publication/Print.
Scroll of 2 conjoined sheets of black paper printed gold, at J.L. Byars height: 182 cm (x50 cm), rolled as issued. In two parts (two sheets): A: 100 sentences selected from Shakespeare by J.L. Byars, containing the word "Gold'. B: Texts by H. Szeemann, K. Ruhrberg, T. Deecke, H. Retzner, L. Burkhardt, W. Schmied, M. Haerdter, prof. Eliot. Issued as the "catalogue" for the exhibition "The Golden Tower", Galerie R. Springel, Berlin, under the artist program, the Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD, 1974. Berlin, Gal. R. Springer and Berliner Künstler Programm des DAAD, 1974. Rare.
"(Byars) presents an action, The First Step of the Golden Tower, in which visitors are lifted onto a large card-board cylinder, approximately six feet high, and asked to utter signifiant phrases. (...) Byars designs a one (sic, in fact two) meter(s) long, one page "catalogue", for this exhibition in the shape of a tower. Dec. 6-31".
Reference :
J.L. Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, #20.
James Lee BYARS by Sigmar Polke. 1974.
Artist postcard.
Color offset. Original photo by Sigmar Polke.
10.5x 15 cm.
Ed. Staeck, Heidelberg, Germany, 1974.
Reference:
The Perfect Thought, Valencia, Spain, p. 109 (repr.).
James Lee BYARS: The 100 Poems. 1975.
Original unique work mentioned by J. Elliott in the catalogue of the show "The Perfect Thought", Berkeley, 1990, p. 112 and in the catalogue of the show at the IVAM: "The Perfect Moment", Valencia, 1995, p. 297: "While living at the Toni Gerber gallery in Bern (1975), Byars creates two written works called: "The 100 Poems" and "The 1,000 Poems".
One of these two "written works", "The 100 poems" is offered here: 100 sheets of pink copying paper, loose. Each sheet with one typed sentence, or one word only, on one line, in its center. Typed in red ink. Each sheet: 29.7 x2 1 cm.
Text: 0, 25 high. Various lengths.
This piece has been mailed to his French dealer together with a short letter in German by "B.B" (JLB's compagnon), explaining, that, for some reason, one sheet, the one with the 'How do you do Shakespeare' verse has been water damaged, and is not enclosed in the sending. Asking his dealer, in the same note, to re-type on the same paper, in the same ink, the missing verse. Then only 99 sheets of the 100 are present. In the original mailing envelope, with location, Bern, Swiss, and date: 1975. 10.13.
"The 100 Poems":
YOU CANT FEL YOUR SMALLEST SMILE / PERFS THE PERFECT POEM / THE THE / BUT YOU DIDNT SAY IT GOOD ENOUGH / IM A WORLD RUMOR / SUCCESS IS WHEN YOU TELL ME SOMETHING I DONT KNOW / HUMES ALL DISTANCES ARE SIMULTANEOUS / I MADE THE WORLDS BIGGEST DRESS / SATIE WROTE NOTHING AS LIGHT AS HIS NAME / JAMES LEE BYARS ARE THE MOST HORRIBLE WORDS I CAN THINK OF / SHAKESPEARE IS SH / YOUR WALK IS THE CENTER OF GRAVITY / OTH IS MAX / LIKE TO ASK FOR A KISS / THANKYOU IS MY PRESUP / THE PERFECT LOVE LETTER IS WRITE I LOVE YOU BACKWARDS IN THE AIR / SEE HOW HE TITLES / WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASKING AND TELLING / WHEN IS NOW /
WHICH QUESTIONS HAVE DISAPPEARED / NUMBERS DONT COUNT / I CAN REPEAT THE QUESTION BUT AM I BRIGHT ENOUGH TO ASK IT / HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A PHONE CALL / MUONS PIONS MAYBQUARKS AND SUPERWEAKS / MR BYARS HAS A SANTA CLAUS PERSONALITY / I SPEAK ABBREV / FIRESUCK I WRITE GASSLETTERS / LIKE A DREAM LIKE A VISION LIKE A BUBBLE LIKE A SHADOW LIKE DEW LIKE LIGHTNING / PUT IS LOG / JAMES LEE BYARS DOES THE HOLY GHOST / 1000 THE WORLDS MOST FAMOUS BLACK BOOK PUBLISHED BY GALLIMARD IN GOLD PRINT /
REALITY IS NO TOTALS ANYMORE / I HALOED THE PENTAGON WITH 10000 PEOPLE JUST LOOKING IN / I CAN HEAR THE SENTENCE IN THE MUSIC / IM THE HIT PICKER / WHATS THE FIRST STEP / WHY DO THE CHINESE USE GOLD SO MUCH EVERYBODY LIKES IT / CRITS CRITS / I BOUGHT A GOOD MOOD / BLACK IS MY FAV / NOW TRY ANO MEANING / HYP DOESNT EXIST ALL IS TRUE / I LIKE 50 50 / ITS SO FAMOUS IT DOESNT NEED TO BE SEEN / A SPELL IS A WISH / TALK O / I CAN TALK TO PLACE AT CERN / JUST TO BE IN THE PROX OF THE EXTRAO / WATER MELTS BLOOD / IM FULL OF BYARS / I LOVE THE SOPHIS TO PAY NO ATTENTION / I TELEP YOU / WE ARE ALL THE SAME PERSON / THE PERFECT KISS AT THE LOUVRE IS MY MASTERPIECE / THERES A GOD OF CAKES IN JAPAN / WHAT DO I WANT FAME OR ANONYMITY / DEATH IS TH / GOEDEL CANT FIND THE PROOF OF GOD / WHEN I WAS BORN THE WIND BLEW FROM THE NORTH / WHEAT HAS NO ORIG / EVERYTH YOU SAYS ABO YOU / TO DO A PERFECT THING / WELL WAS HER FAV QUE / MALEOVITCHS WHITE SQUARE AND PEKINGS WHITE CIRCLE / GERMAIN IS THE SENSATION OF PARIS TRYING TO SELL THE PERFECT KISS FOR $ 10000 / PLA / I NEED A LANGUAGE BODYGUARD / THE SCULPTURES IN PARIS ARE SO STYLIZED THAT YOU DONT NEED TO LOOK AT THEM / ALL I WANT IS A PERFECT ILLUSION / THE FUT PERF TENSE REVIEW / I SHOWED LISTENING TO YOU / THE PAPERBULLETS OF THE BRAIN / WHAT DO YOU WANT GREAT OR LITTLE / 500 PEOPLE WONT DISAPPOINT ME / ILL THINK OF IT I THOUGHT OF IT / MAYBS WHAT I KNOW / THE ONLY PREFERQ IS THAT YOU SHO BE EXCITED ABO SOMETH / THE WORD MAKES YOU SAY IT / 1000 MIRC SENTS / I DO SIGH WELL BUT I DONT KNOW IF I SIGH PERFECTLY / LOOKING AT IT MAKES YOU FORG WHAT ITS CALLED / BUS AND NOT / YOU CAN SAYANYTH ABO ANYTH / MATHEMATICS HAHA / THE CHINESE MADE BOOKS TO WEAR IN THEIR SLEEVES / A SINGLE SENTENE IS A COMPLETE AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Xest 25 75 / I GIVE YOU GENIUS / HE SAID YES BEFORE I ASKED / I IS THE PERFECT SUPERLATIVE / WHAT COULD BE MORE ELEGANT THAN A PIECE OF TISSUE PAPER / MY BUS IS ASKING AND ACCESS / I SHOUTED WHAT UNTIL IT BECAME SUBLIMINAL / I IN LOGIC IS THE PARTICULAR AFFIRMATIVE PROPOSITION SOME A IS B / POLITICO MEANS MORE TABLE / THE ONE GRAMMATICAL RULE IS FOLLOWS / A GOLDEN FOOTNOTE / LET ME HUG YOU FOR ME / (HOW DO YOU DO SHAKESPEARE) /
James Lee BYARS
I DO NOTHING. (1975).
Ephemera.
Strip of golden paper with text "I do nothing" printed black.
Folded and crimpled.
Strip: 3 x 33 cm.
Text: 0.5 x 5 cm.
Crimpled and folded: 3 x 3.5 cm.
Ephemera created for the performance I Do Nothing at Galerie de Appel, Amsterdam, Netherland, 1975.
Worn, as often.
James Lee BYARS: The Perfect Kiss. Paris, June 7, 1975.
Announcement.
A card (10 x 15.5 cm) of black paper in a black envelope (11.5 x 16.7 cm).
Embossed text: "The Louvre secretely invites you to the perfect kiss presented by James Lees Byars by the favour of the Germains at the door of the pavilion Denon on Saturday June 7th 1975 at 11 A.M. exactly". Designed by J.L. Byars.
James Lee BYARS: Since God is first cause ... c. 1975.
Art Work/Original manuscript.
3 sheets of white paper, loose, with an original typewritten text in English. The two frirst pages are double, the third one, is single. 143 justified lines in black block characters. Some handwritten typographical corrections in the margins, in black or blue pencil.
36.7 x 26.7 cm; 36.5 x 29.2 cm; 16.6 x 29.2 cm.
c. 1975.
Extracts: "SINCE GOD IS FIRST CAUSE THIS SCIENCE OF SCIENCE SAYS HE DIFFERS FROM ALL HIS CREATURES IN POSSESSING EXISTENCE (....) THIS IS CONTRARY TO TAO WHAT IS CONTRARY TO TAO SOON PERISHES JAMES LEE BYARS".
James Lee BYARS: Extra-Terrestrial. 1976.
Ephemera.
A sheet of white paper, 29.7 x 21 cm, with text in dutch and, tipped-in, a tiny b/w photo (gelatin silver print), from a 16mm film. Inside a black folder, 29.5 x 21.5 cm.
Published to accompagny the show at the International Cultural Center (ICC), Antwerp, 5. 15 - 6. 13, 1976.
Reference:
J.L. Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, n° 69, p. (35).
James Lee BYARS: The 5 Continent Documenta 7. 1979.
Edition. Ephemera.
3 sheets of black tissue paper mounted together to form the number "7".
Text "The Five Continent Documenta 7" printed offset gold.
Folded: 18.5 x 12.5 cm.
Unfolded: 225 x 125 cm.
Text: 0.2 x 3.4 cm.
Museum und Corps de Garde, Groningen, 1979.
A 3-cm long tear in the highest right part, without lack; 3 very small spots visible only by transparency, they don't show. Full condition report with pictures available on demand.
In general: Very good condition.
Very limited unnumbered edition.
"The Five Continent Documenta 7" was an action protesting against the Documenta 7 presenting only American or European artists' works and none from the other continents. Action organized by Jürgen Glaesemer in a private house with Francesca Pia, and again at the Groningen Museum.
References:
Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, n#84.
"The perfect moment, Valencia, Spain, p.299.
"The perfect thought", Univ. Art Mus., Berkeley, 1990, p. 153.
James Lee BYARS: WATER IS THE BEST. 1970s.
Artist book. Unique.
Sentence "WATER IS THE BEST" printed in gold offset lithograph in tiny characters on a leaf of black paper bound inside black cloth-covered card covers.
29 x 20.3 cm.
James Lee BYARS: "DEAR GREAT POET LAWYER JAMES G BUTLER FROM JAMES LEE BYARS" (1970s).
Unique.
Original text handwritten in ball point pen by J.L. Byars:
"DEAR GREAT POET LAWYER JAMES G BUTLER FROM JAMES LEE BYARS"
on the title page of a rare edition (2nd) of the book by William Lowes Rushton "Shakespeare's Legal Maxims".
Cloth bound, 20 x 13.3 cm
Henry Young & Sons, Liverpool, 1907.Created in the '70s for James G. Butler (husband of Eugenia Butler, who owned the Eugenia Butler Gallery, J.L. Byars gallery in Los Angeles, CA, husband and wife being close friends of J. L. Byars.
In his quest of perfection, Shakespeare has always been a major figure, a reference for J.L.B., what gives all its strength, its sense and its quality to this work.
James Lee BYARS: Untitled. '80s.
Unique work.
Circular piece of glass painted in glossy black wrapped inside a crumpled piece of black tissue paper.
Glass: diam.: 12.2 cm.
Provenance: Galerie Germain, his gallery in Paris at the time.
James Lee BYARS: The Exhibition of Perfect. 1980 (?).
Ephemera.
A square of white card, printed on one side in golden ink. Text: 0.1x0.75 cm. Card: 2.5x2.5 cm.
Similar to n° 87 in: J. L. Byars: Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Mus. Weserburg Bremen, 1995,
Joseph BEUYS & James Lee BYARS
Frammenti Veneziani (I - IIIIIIIIII). 1980.
Prints.
Work in common.
10 screenprints and graphite on black wove: 5 plates by Joseph Beuys and 5 by James Lee Byars.
Inside a black wooden box with sliding lid.
Each plate by J. Beuys is numbered and signed in black pencil on the verso.
Each plate by J.L. Byars is signed in black pencil on the verso.
Each plate: 35 x 50 cm.
Box: 38.5 x 54 x 4 cm.
Edition: 50 + X, signed and numbered.
One of the 50, signed and numbered.
Edizioni Factotum-Art, Verona, 1980.
Complete.Fine condition.
Reference:
Schellmann: J. Beuys, the Multiples, 8th edition, # 339-343, p. 274-275.
James Lee BYARS. ARC/MAMVP. 1983.
Exhibition catalogue/Artist publication.
Unpaginated. Thick white square book, Soft cover. Texts in French and English, mostly in English. B/w offset photo reproductions.
22 x 22 cm.
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, ARC, Paris, F., 1983. 1st edition.
James Lee BYARS: Untitled James Lee BYARS: Untitled James Lee BYARS: Untitled Letter
Black pencil handwriting on white tissue paper and 7 petals of white tissue paper, diam appr. 3 cm each, loose.
149 x 98.5 cm.
Created in the eighties.
Condition: 2 tiny holes and a 3 cm semi-circular tear without lack.
Full condition report with pictures available on demand. Very Good+.
Wrapped in a white delicate light Egyptian cotton scarf with fringes.
Letter
Golden ink handwriting on red China paper.
108 x 78 cm.
Created in the eighties.
Condition: 3 cm height horizontal light discoloration strip over the entire width.
Two vertical tears to the bottom edge: 12.5 and 2.2 cm high. Tiny holes to the intersection of some folds. Full condition report with pictures available on demand.
Good+.Letter
Golden ink handwriting on black China paper.
Untrimmed full leaf.
95.5 x 63.2 cm
Created in the eighties.
Fine condition
James Lee BYARS. ARC/MAMVP. 1983.
Announcement card.
Black card printed gold. On one side: "James Lee Byars", on the other side, exhibition information, both sides printed gold.
15.9 x 11.4.
Show at the ARC, Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, June 23 - September 6, 1983.
James Lee BYARS
The Introduction of the Sages to the Alps. 1984.
Multiple.
A 3 cm diameter golden metallic sphere with the tiny text (2mm high):"THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SAGES TO THE ALPS", silkprinted in black in a line all along the circumference.
It comes originally wrapped in a black tissue paper sheet in a black cardboard tube which are here lacking.
Gold color slightly worn at a few places. Still very good+.
Galerie Furk'Art (Galerie Media, Mark Hosttetler), Neuchâtel, Switzerland, 1984.
Published after the performance, same name, at the Furka Pass (Switzerland).
Reference:
J.L. Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, n° 96.
James Lee BYARS at Montin's. 1985.
Artist postcard.
Black and white offset.
15 x 10.5 cm.
Photo by Maria Gilissen.
Ed. Plaizier, Brussels, Belgium, 1985.
James Lee BYARS: Palast der Philosophie/The Philosophical Palace. 1986.
Exhibition catalogue.
150 pages and 51 plates. Two-language German-English texts, b/w and colored reproductions.
Black cloth under a golden card silpcase.
25.5 x 18 cm.
Published to end the show at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, October 18-November 30, 1986. Editor: J. Harten. Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Germany, 1986.
James Lee BYARS: J.-H.M.B.P.F.F. (Jean-Hubert Martin Bought Perfect For France). 1989.
Artist book.
(8) pages, including the covers. Sewn.
Softcover.
21 x 14.5 cm.
Germain et Ribettes, Paris, France, 1989. Edition of 1000 unnumbered, not-for-sale copies.
J.L. Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, # 13.
(detail) James Lee BYARS
The Palace of Good Luck. Castello di Rivoli. 1989.
Advertising street banner.
Banner for the show "The Palace of Good Luck" at Castello di Rivoli organized by Rudi Fuchs, Johannes Gachnang and Cristina Mundici in which Byars presented The Book of Perfect, The Spinning Oracle of Delphi and new works: The Angel, The Path of Luck, ten new marble books and the Dagger.
Golden plastic-coated cloth with text painted black.
100 x 800 cm.
Text on both sides:
James Lee BYARS, The Place of Good Luck, 12 Aprile - 11 Giugnio, Aperto da Martedi a Dominici, Ore 10-19.
James Lee BYARS: The Palace of Good Luck. 1989.
Ephemera. Invitation.
A blank black paper envelope containing a red plastic pearl supposed to figure a drop of blood.
Envelope: 11.4 x 22.3 cm.
Pearl: diam.: 0.4 cm.
The Palace of Good Luck, show organized by Rudi Fuchs, J. Gachnang and Chirstina Mundici at the Castello di Rivoli, Turin, Italy, April 12-June 11, 1989. Most of the pearls were lost in the mail.
Reference: "James Lee Byars, The Perfect Moment", IVAM, Valencia, Spain, 1995.
James Lee BYARS: J.-H.M.B.P.F.F. (Jean-Hubert Martin Bought Perfect For France). 1989.
Unique work. Postcard.
Original handwritten text by J.L. Byars in red ink, with five-pointed stars, on one side of the postcard: "John Hubert Martin Bought Perfect For France".
10.5 x 15 cm.
A similar copy is reproduced in the catalogue "The Perfect Moment", IVAM, Valencia, Spain, 1994, p. 223.
James Lee BYARS: P.I.I.T.L. (Perfect Is In The Louvre). 1990.
Artist book.
(8) pages, including the cover.
Sewn.
21 x 14.5 cm.
M. Nannucci, Exempla & Exit Ed. and Zona Archives, Florence, 1990.
Edition of 1000 numbered, not for sale copies.
Reference:
Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, n° 14.
James Lee BYARS: Bibiloteca Nazionale, Firenze, 1990.
Ephemera.
A 24 cm long strip of paper, 5.5 cm high, folded in four.
Folded: 5.5x5.5 cm.
Title on the "front cover". Inside, a 2,2 x 3.5 cm offset photo in colors, JLB during one of his actions, in a golden suit and black top hat.
Published by Zona Archives, Florence, Italy, Nov. 1990.
James Lee BYARS: Tribute to the New Generation. 1991.
Ephemera.
A disc of golden cardboard, with an embossed spiral on one side.
Diameter: 1.8 cm.
Düsseldorf, Kassel, Germany, Venice, Italy, 1991.
Reference:
J.L. Byars, Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera, Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, 1995, # 112.
James Lee BYARS: Perfect is my Death Word. Bücher-Editionen-Ephemera. 1995.
Exhibition catalogue.
In three parts: 1) Catalogue: 60 p., two-language German-English tetxs by Th. Deecke, G. Schraenen, list and description, under chronological order, of the books, editions and multiples, ephemera; biography. 2) a transparent paper envelope containing some Byars ephemera reproduced at a light different size from the original. 3) A golden CD containingg only one sentence by Byars: "Perfect is my Death Word", original work. 1 page, loose, with a text by Th. Deecke. Each part comes in a white paper envelope. All of them inside a white card folder.
19.5 x 19.5 cm.
Neues Museum Weserburg Bremen, Germany, 1995. 1st edition.
James Lee BYARS: Untitled. 1995.
Unique work.
6 very thin sheets of wood veneer with letters, numbers and stars handwritten in red pen on 4 of the sheets, forming an unreadable text. Kind of unfolded book.
Each wooden sheet: approx. 24x14 cm.
Created for and given to the previous owner by J.L. Byars in 1995.
James Lee BYARS: Untitled. 1995.
Unique work.
Circle of black paper with gold point in the centre.
15.5 cm diameter.
Created for and given to the previous owner by J.L. Byars in 1995.
James Lee BYARS: WHAT IS QUESTION? 1996.
Artist publication.
Bilingual English-French responses to the artist inquiry: "What is Question?" posed by J.L.B. by 4 philosophers Friedhelm Mennekes, Heinrich Heil, William Charlton, and Jean-Michel Ribettes given at the Temple of the Four Winds. Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, 8th March 1996. Unpaginated. 2 mounted offset photos, one b/w and one colored.
Wrappers.
29.8 x 20.2 cm.
Includes : an invitation to the performance at the Henry Moore Institute, a sheet of white paper with text by Robert Hopper, director, printed in gold and another sheet of white paper with text printed in black, "James Lee Byars: The monument to Language", sentences selected by J.L.B. from the writings of W.B. Yeats for the exhibition of The Monument to Language at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, UK, 1996.
James Lee BYARS: Untitled. 1995.
Relic.
White porcelain circular dish, diameter 27.4 cm, filled with bread crumbs.
This piece was created by J.L.B. for the persons invited at the dinner offered by the Fondation Cartier pour L'Art Contemporain after the opening of his show at the restaurant "La Contre-Allée", Paris, 1995.
A filled dish has been installed, before his arrival, for each guest at his seat at the table of the official dinner.
James Lee BYARS: Untitled. (1995 ?)
(The two parts being printed in white ink on white paper, it is almost impossible to reproduce them. We show here only one, the handwritten one)
Print.
Silkprint in two parts. 2 square sheets of glossy white card, 33x33 cm each.
On the first one, contiunal 32-line text by Thomas McEvilley printed in white ink, in block characters, in the form of a square. This text is printed on both sides of the sheet, one side in English, the other one in German. First line in English: "THESUNTHEMOONTHESTARCOSMOSTOATHENIANSMEANTATHING"and, in German: "DIESONNEDERMONDEDIESTERNEKOSMOSBEDEUTETEFÜRDIEATHENERETWASDA".
On the second part, second sheet, handwritten 6-line text by James Lee Byars, letters illuminated with stars, also in white ink.
We are interested in purchasing artist books, multiples, prints and unique works of art by this artist.
Please contact us.Nous sommes intéressés par l'achat de livres d'artiste, estampes, multiples et oeuvres uniques de cet artiste.
Merci de nous contacter.
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Jean-Dominique CARRE Contemporary Art
archives
avant-gardes of the sixties and seventies
52 rue mazarine f -75006 paris france
tel. (33)(0)1 43 54 12 64
mob. (33)(0)7 69 17 25 00
archives.carre (at) wanadoo.fr
http://archives.carre.pagesperso-orange.fr
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