Approximately 25 years ago, the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag embarked on a production of original Karel Appel lithographs, which were subsequently sold by galerie Vogtschmidt in Amsterdam. Despite being sold, none of these pieces were fully paid for. As a result, after much dispute over payment, my colleague and I decided to intervene and “rescue” whatever was left. During our visit, I came across a Roland Topor drawing amongst the items in stock at galerie Vogtschmidt, which I ended up buying privately through an auction that I organized for Gemeentemuseum employees. This, along with a series of prints, became part of my collection at a fair price, although not as cheap as I had hoped due to other bidders vying for the same items. Looking back after 15 years, the price paid has been forgotten, but the memories of the intense auction and the abundance of desirable pieces for sale remain vivid.
I do regret not bidding on the Henk Peeters set and the light drawing by Roland Topor, but as the saying goes, “You can’t always get what you want.” And as Martin Bril once said, “You miss more than you experience.”
In the Netherlands, many (special) publications were produced due to Topor’s popularity among publishers and curators. As a result, it is still possible to come across splendid publications on a regular basis. However, with the growing popularity of Fluxus each year, it has become increasingly challenging to secure these unique finds.
But do take a moment to peruse my inventory at www.ftn-books.com, where you may find some of the Topor books that I currently have available.
