Category: antiquarian books

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Avery Preesman ( continued)

Avery Preesman originates from a musical background. In the early ’90s, the self-taught artist has the opportunity to study at De Ateliers in Amsterdam, where he is recognized for revitalizing abstract painting. In ’94, he secures the second place in the Prix de Rome competition, and from ’96 to 2006, he exhibits internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent and with a traveling exhibition in America. He wins several other awards and resides at Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation in Texas. After 2006, he becomes less prominent in the art scene.

Preesman’s body of work can be divided into drawings and paintings. The artist himself does not divide his oeuvre, but refers to it as “pictorial sculptures.” “However plastic and sculptural my work may be, it is always created from a painter’s perspective,” he asserts. According to Preesman, the small painting ‘Bellamyplein’ (1992) was a defining piece that influenced all his subsequent paintings and sculptures. It is based on photos of the eponymous square in Amsterdam and demonstrates Preesman’s eye for architectural structures.

From the outset, Preesman’s paintings bear a heavy paint mass. Sometimes he incorporates coconuts or beans onto and into his canvases. His works have a solid feel, composed of thick layers. Within those layers, Preesman scratches as if he wants to liberate the space between them. It appears as though he wants to treat paintings simultaneously as carriers of imagery and as objects. Occasionally, his works feature letters or fragments of text. For instance, the letter ‘T’ references architecture: the symbol combines a vertical supporting element with a horizontal load-bearing element. The artist also draws parallels to how hip-hop musicians manipulate language, sound, and rhythm.

Through his exploration of space within the painting, Preesman quickly liberates it from traditional constraints. In ’93, he creates the first of his characteristic cage-like wall sculptures: straight or slanted wooden beams or metal profiles joined together in an open structure, with the ribs wrapped in a rich mixture of plaster with sand and/or cement. Preesman aims to avoid his artworks occupying all the available space, reserving space for our gaze. Hans Den Hartog Jager once wrote that Preesman “inflates the lines in his paintings into the third dimension and develops them as ‘concrete line systems.’ By pushing abstraction from the second into the third dimension, the works can claim real space and do not remain trapped in an illusionistic

www.ftn-books.com has the Preesman/NAI now available.

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Kees Timmer (continued)

A few months ago i wrote a blog on Kees Timer. The Rotterdam artist who is growing more important by the years. This importance was recognised in an early stage by the museum Bpoymans van Beuningen who presented 2 major one man show with this local artists and made with both exhibitions important publications. Last week I finally added the 1973 catalog to my inventory so now I am one of the very addresses that offers both publications on Kees Timmer.

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(Guillermo) MORDILLO (1932)

Raised in Villa Pueyrredón, Buenos Aires, Mordillo enjoyed his early years as the son of Spanish parents and developed a passion for drawing. In pursuit of his artistic aspirations, he acquired the title of Illustrator from the School of Journalism in 1948. Working with the animation team Burone Bruch, Mordillo beautifully brought to life classic children’s stories such as Perrault Tales, Schmid Tales, The Musicians of Bremen, and The Three Little Pigs, which were published by Codex. In 1952, Galas Studios was founded by Mordillo and his colleagues, focusing on animation production. Simultaneously, Mordillo pursued a promising career as an illustrator, making contributions to local magazines.

On the 7th of November, 1955, Mordillo embarked on an adventure to Lima, Peru, where he found himself employed as a freelance designer for the reputable advertising company McCann Erickson. In 1958, his skills in illustration were showcased in Aesop’s Fables and Samaniego for Editorial Iberia Lima.

After completing greeting-card illustrations for Hallmark Cards, a renowned company based in Kansas City, Mordillo set off to the United States in 1960, joining the esteemed Paramount Pictures Studios in New York. A significant milestone in his career was his involvement in the creation of two iconic characters, Popeye and Little Lulu, for a film performance. Additionally, he conceived two characters for the short film Trick for Tree.

Three years passed, and on the 20th of August, 1963, Mordillo experienced another transformative turn of events. This time, he embarked on a European journey, eventually arriving in Paris on the 19th of September. Initially, Mordillo found himself contributing humorous letters to Mic-Max Edition. In July 1966, he began collaborating with Le Pelerin magazine, followed shortly by Paris Match. By 1968, Mordillo’s work was gaining recognition around the globe, particularly in Germany’s Stern magazine. It was in Paris that he met his wife, Amparo Camarasa, and together, they tied the knot in 1969. This union blessed them with two children: Sebastian Jerome in 1970 and Cecile Isabelle in 1972.

In 1980, Mordillo relocated to Mallorca, Spain, where he assumed the role of President for the International Association of Authors of Comics and Cartoons (CFIA), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. After spending 18 fruitful years in Spain, Mordillo returned to France in 1998. The subsequent year saw him participate in the esteemed Creative Workshop Zermatt in Switzerland.

In 2007, Mordillo delved into new artistic endeavors, experimenting with various materials such as acrylics, pastels, and crayons. The subsequent year, in collaboration with Art Petrus, Mordillo masterfully reproduced his artwork with astounding detail. During the same year, he released the Mordillo Collection, a numbered and autographed publication available on the internet.

www.ftn-books.com has the 1974 Stalling publication by Mordillo available.

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Helly Oestreicher (1939)

Amsterdam is the place where Helly Oestreicher resides and works. Her education was at the renowned Rietveld Academy, where she also took the role of an instructor for numerous years. What distinguishes her artwork is its distinctiveness and modernity. You won’t find any landscape paintings or portraits of individuals within her studio. Furthermore, she deviates from the conventional materials typically used by artists, such as wood, stone, or bronze. Instead, she employs self-molded glass, porcelain, or clay as her base materials, all created within her own oven. Occasionally, she incorporates pre-existing discarded materials like iron nuts, tree bark, or seashells, giving rise to entirely new creations.

www.ftn-books.com has 2 important Oestreicher publications now available.

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Oskar Nerlinger (1893-1969)

A painter, draughtsman, and commercial artist, Schwann was born in 1893 in Germany and passed away in 1969 in East Berlin. He later worked in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) under the pseudonym Nilgreen.

Since 1912, Schwann mainly worked in Berlin and focused on creating industrial landscapes during the 1920s. In 1925, he became the leader of a group called “the abstract ones,” which later changed its name to “the up-to-date ones.” In the 1930s, influenced by East Asian painting, Schwann began experimenting with vibrant landscape watercolors. This artistic shift aligned with the Soviet cultural policy in the GDR, where socialist realism became the dominant artistic style starting in 1949.

Schwann studied at the Strassburger College of Arts and Crafts from 1908 to 1912. From 1912 until 1915, he trained under Emil Orlik and Emil Rudolf White at the teaching institute of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Berlin. In 1921, he joined the storm movement. Then, in 1925, he assumed the leadership of the group known as “the abstract ones,” which later evolved into “the up-to-date ones.” In 1928, Schwann became a member of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Following the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, he faced an exhibition ban. After the end of World War II in 1945, Schwann served as a professor at the University for Screen and Art in Berlin Charlottenburg until 1951. During the years 1947 to 1949, he collaborated with Karl Hofer in publishing the magazine “Screen and Art.” In 1955, he became a professor at the Academy of Art Berlin Weissensee, where he remained until 1958.

www.ftn-books.com has the Nerlinger book from 1947 now available

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Jan Boom ( 1922-2001)

Jan Boom was born in Rotterdam and grew up in a Calvinist family. Religion, along with still life, would later become the common thread within his body of work. He painted still lifes, portraits, religious scenes, and cityscapes. Jan Boom was one of the promising young painters of Rotterdam.

The artist then decided to change course and move to the countryside. He settled in a small farmhouse in Leerbroek, located 50 kilometers away. For many, his decision was incomprehensible. Even Jan Boom himself occasionally had doubts about his choice. Suddenly, he was cut off from the city, from the government program for artists, and from other fellow artists. Despite his isolation, a few admirers continued to purchase his work.

Jan Boom’s departure to the countryside had a significant influence on his art. The tranquility of the rural surroundings seems to be reflected in his work. He continued to paint portraits, religious scenes, and landscapes, but still life became his main subject. He painted a small bouquet, fruits, jars, bottles, or other objects from “the kitchen cabinet.”

www.ftn-books.com has the Gorinchem catalog now available

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Mića Popović (1923-1996)

Born in Loznica on 12 June 1923, Mića Popović, a renowned painter from the second half of the 20th century, grew up in Belgrade after his family relocated there when he was four. He completed his primary and grammar school education in the city.
Following World War II, he started attending the Academy of Fine Arts in 1946 as a student of Nedeljko Gvozdenović, but later that same year, he transferred to the class of Ivan Tabaković. Alongside his classmates from Tabaković’s class, he formed the well-known Zadar Group in the spring of the following year. However, they were expelled from the Academy for neglecting their classes in the autumn. Although the others were eventually readmitted, Mića Popović continued his artistic journey as a freelance painter.

In 1950, Popović held an extraordinary solo exhibition featuring 160 paintings and accompanied by a catalogue containing his reflections on modern art. After the exhibition, he embarked on a journey to Paris with his wife, Vera Božičković Popović, exploring various Mediterranean destinations along the way. Upon their return to Belgrade in 1952, Popović curated an exhibition titled “The Village of Nepričava” at the Museum of Vuk and Dositej. During this period, he delved into the theory of art and published his first book on the subject, titled “Clashes and Harmonies,” in 1954. Subsequently, he showcased his exhibition “Fog to the Bones” at the Art Pavilion in Kalemegdan Park, followed by numerous exhibitions both in the country and abroad.

In the late 1950s, Popović began painting during his Informalism period, showcasing his works for the first time in 1960 at the Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade. He became a regular exhibitor at the October Salon and joined the art group Lada in 1965. Throughout the 1960s, he received various awards for his artwork and expanded his horizons to theater and direction. In 1963, he directed his first feature film, “The Man from the Oak Forest,” followed by a theater production titled “Viktor or Children in Power” at Atelje 212 two years later. Additionally, he directed films such as “Roj,” “Kameni despot i jedina mogućnost narodne pesme,” “Hasanaginica,” “Delije,” and “Burduš.”

Subsequently, in terms of painting, Popović returned to figuration but in a unique manner. In 1971, he organized a solo exhibition titled “Scene Painting” at the Museum of Modern Art. He then embarked on a series of international travels, visiting China, Thailand, India, and Iran. While exhibitions continued to follow, his major solo exhibition at the Cultural Centre of Belgrade in 1974 was unexpectedly cancelled just before its opening.

In 1980, Popović and his family headed to America, embarking on an extensive journey throughout the country.

www.ftn-books.com has the Belgrade book from1984 now available.

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Otfried Rautenbach (1942-2016)

Two drawing compilations were bequeathed by Otfried Rautenbach (1942-2016) to the Artist Archive of the Kunstfonds Foundation. Photographic works are set to follow.

Rautenbach initially completed an apprenticeship as a typesetter in Cologne. In 1962 and 1964, he attended the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, studying with composers Stockhausen, Ligeti, Boulez, and Heinz-Klaus Metzger. Rautenbach garnered recognition as a typesetter, illustrator, photographer, and composer. In the publishing house he founded, “Hagar,” not only books are released, but also scores. Rautenbach often took charge of designing the artwork for publications by artist friends.

From 1963 to 1967, he published drawings under the pseudonym Friedrich Leinbereiter. These peculiar pencil drawings resemble functional sketches underlying inventions, despite the individual figures and motifs not forming a cohesive image.

For his photo series, the “Permanentschauen,” Rautenbach worked with a half-frame camera, which utilized a standard 35mm film but exposed it to 18 x 24mm, the original silent film cinema format. This effectively doubled the number of images. He showcased the slide series in the shop window of his Heidelberg apartment for passersby during the night.

Later, Rautenbach founded the OR-Film-Sound-Corporation. It led to several performances by the association in Munich, Heidelberg, and Berlin. Rautenbach now worked with 16mm films, which he exhibited along with specially composed live music. In Berlin, as well as later in other cities, he organized salon concerts featuring contemporary music.

www.ftn-books.com has a signed and numbered “38 PHOTOS” from 1980 available. Edition of only 300 copies , numbered 209

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RISSA (1938)

The painting style of Rissa is known for its reduction in style and focus on volume and form. Instead of relying on color transitions and light-dark gradations, she employs individual color areas that are placed alongside one another to create a spatial effect and a higher level of abstraction. The brush strokes used also give nods to Informalism as they break through the individual color areas.

Rissa’s subjects in her artwork encompass themes of sexuality, eroticism, emancipation, environmental dangers, and the animal kingdom. However, in the early 1990s, her focus shifted to include topics such as the Gulf War and Islam. Demonstrating this change, she painted veiled Bedouin men and women in pieces like ‘Wüstensohn’ from 1991 and ‘Wüstentochter’ from 1993. One notable painting from this period, ‘Am Golf’ from 1991, portrays a fish leaping out of an oil-infested and burning sea.

Aside from her paintings, Rissa has also released ink drawings and gouaches since the mid-1950s, often serving as accompaniments to poems by Karl Otto Götz.

www.ftn-books.com has several RISSA titles available.

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Albwert Oehlen (1954)

From 1978 to 1981, Oehlen pursued his studies at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg in Germany, establishing himself swiftly in the art scenes of Berlin and Cologne. He became a member of the Junge Wilde group, alongside Martin Kippenberger and Werner Büttner, who aimed to create art that defied categorization and challenged the existing artistic conventions. Oehlen’s artistic practice involved examining the fundamental aspects of painting – color, gesture, motion, and time – in order to deconstruct the medium. This approach led him to experiment with various styles and techniques.

Throughout his career, Oehlen continued to explore new possibilities by incorporating technology into his work. He embraced inkjet printers, computer-aided design programs, and referred to the pixelated lines of computer screens. By doing so, he constantly altered the parameters he had set for himself, presenting new obstacles and challenges. For instance, he imposed limitations on his palette and combined perambulating black lines with carefully blended gradations in his Baumbilder (Tree Paintings). Additionally, he utilized techniques such as erasure and layering to juxtapose bright and muddy colors in his Elevator Paintings, a nine-part work created in 2016. In the late 1990s, Oehlen even spray-painted over collaged imagery on canvas, using large industrial printers typically employed for billboards.

Notably, Oehlen embraced the concept of “bad” painting, which allowed for a deliberate embrace of awkwardness and ugliness in his work. He incorporated unsettling gestures, crudely drawn figures, visceral smears of artificial pigments, as well as bold hues and flesh tones. Through this approach, Oehlen demonstrated that painting offers infinite possibilities for exploring form, and highlighted the artist’s ability to manipulate these combinations to create new perceptual challenges for the viewer.

www.ftn-books.com has the Kunsthalle Zurich book ao available.