Piet Dirkx cigarbox 435 bis
Author: ftnbooks
Bookseller, with an expertise in art books for over 45 years.
Ilona Staller..La Cicciolina and Jeff Koons
Yesterday, i held a catalogue of a Jeff Koons exhibition in my hands and it reminded me that Koons at one time in his life was married to Ilona Staller . Staller known for her (soft) porn movies in those days must have been the ultimate muse for Koons , because in the years he was married to La Cicciolina (1991-1994)
he made several photo series with Staller in which he exposed himself and Ilona in erotic interaction. The series was shown in the Stedelijk Museum during the Jeff Koons exhibition, but it was one of the few occasions where it was shown, because on many occasions this series was forbidden.
Still it can be found in several Jeff Koons publications of which some are available at www.ftn-books.com
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Piet Dirkx 
Piet Dirkx cigarbox 434 bis
Wessel Couzijn (1912-1984)…iI
One of the most impressive publications i have in my inventory at www.ftn-books.com is a book in a limited edition of only 75 copies . Book design by Willem Sandberg and filled with 12 etchings ( signed/numbered ) by Wessel Couzijn.
The book was published in 1966, when abstract expressionism was at its height. Great quality etchings by Couzijn who beside a painter/ graphic artist was one of the most gifted sculptors from his generation. A multi talented artist which was recognized by Sandberg who admired him and gave him many times a platform to show his latest art in the Stedelijk Museum. This publication “iI” is rarely offered therefore i am proud to show in this blog the complete set of etchings from this rare and extremely important publication. Enjoy!
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Piet Dirkx cigarbox 434
Sigurður Guðmundsson / Gudmundsson(1942)…humor in art
My admiration for Gudmundsson started when i first saw his “paper boat” in an edition of only 20 copies. The reason i was attracted to this work was because the same boat was depicted in a painting by Massimo Rao and for years both works were combined in my living room.
Now i have only the boat nearby and it has not lost its appeal in 20+ years. The edition was bought after i had traded in a Pieter Laurens Mol which was not the right piece of art in the right place and so the Gudmundsson was bought to make the Rao more complete and it stayed in my collection. It has pure humor and because of its presentation in a show case it still has a lot of style. This edition is only 20 copies and it was bought at DE EXPEDITIE in Amsterdam and is of course sold out now for decades , but i know of a special edition of a unique life size large paper boat which is/was in the collection of the AMC Amsterdam which is even more unique than the smaller i have on my windowsill.
For some nice Gudmundsson publications please visit www.ftn-books.com
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Piet Dirkx cigarbox 432 bis
Marc Mulders (1958) …a real painter
Chosen as artist of the year in 2017 , Marc Mulders has proven to be among the best in the dutch art scene . A multi talent to whom i devoted a blog over a year ago in which i showed the complete set of a TRAVEL TO ROME I
https://wordpressstrato-pacfwc5kp0.live-website.com/2016/07/28/marc-mulders-a-travel-to-rome-part-i/
But Marc Mulders is much more than the complete artists he is. Glas, paint, paper all these materials that he uses do not have any secrets anymore for the multi talented artist he is. He always surprises with his works of art. Some times his work is raw and bloody and at other times it is outright sweet and lovely.
He seeks contrasts within his work but there is one constant given in his works and that is his religion. Mulders is a Catholic and a faithful believer and the respect he has for nature and his religion shows in his works. There is one other artist that i admire and who has the same attitude towards his religion in relation to his art and that is Janpeter Muilwijk ….( see blog tomorrow).
And of course when you admire an artist you collect a nice collection of his publications. These are ao available at www.ftn-books.com
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Piet Dirkx cigarbox 431 bis
Otto Egberts .. SCHAAMSTREKEN vol. 2
Here is the second volume within the series Schaamstreken by Otto Egberts. At first glance this looks the least spectacular, but study it closely and you see that each page is worked over. Erased inks, sandpapered surfaces, folds and stamped “vervallen” (dilapidated). These were original maps too and i found some names which make it look like these come from the German Dutch Wadden region.
measures : 39,5 x 10,9 cm.
contains : 38 pages plus goat leather cover
contains : 32 “drawings” on old geographical maps
signed and dated, 2000 by Otto Egberts at the end page in pencil
