We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed
During the early 1980s, Robert Combas introduced a new form of figurative painting that left a lasting impact on the art scene. His pioneering work in the movement dubbed “Figuration Libre” by Ben Vautier brought together other notable artists such as Rémi Blanchard, François Boisrond, and Hervé Di Rosa.
Inspired by a sense of freedom, this art form boldly depicts various aspects of society such as violence, sexuality, human suffering, and simple pleasures. It also sheds light on societal flaws and narrow-mindedness, as well as moments of greatness.
Influenced by rock culture, popular imagery, childhood literature, school textbooks, and all that defines popular culture accessible to the masses, my approach sometimes involves using abstract techniques, reminiscent of abstract expressionism. However, the humorous and down-to-earth side of me is reflected in the figurative aspect of my work. It was initially a response to the intellectual paintings of the mid-seventies. Growing up in a working-class background and navigating through two different worlds, my paintings hold a deeper meaning. They exude a sense of boundless energy and offer a glimpse into my unrestricted creativity. Unlike cartoons, where one must adhere to set characters, my paintings grant me complete freedom – even with the format.
www.ftn-books.com has a special selection of books on Combas available.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Lawrence Weiner was a conceptual artist and self-taught. He was early on impressed by Frank Stella and Jasper Johns. Verbal elements – texts and signs – play an important role in his work. He often presents cryptic texts, strongly magnified, on walls of museums and galleries, but also on graphics, photos, and everyday objects. The words form verbal abstractions of the artwork conceived by Weiner. It only comes to life in the mind of the spectator when they read the text and try to understand it.
Since 1970, Weiner has alternated between living in New York and Amsterdam, where he also creates books and graphics, often combining them with geometric graphic forms. For him, language is the most abstract thing that we have developed. He considers texts as sculptures that come alive in the minds of spectators.
Lawrence Weiner wants to break and change the conventional understanding of “visual art.” Initially, he worked with spray cans to let fire or bleach work on a fabric. In the late 1960s, that gave way to words, or statements. Over time, the texts became more abstract, philosophical, and poetic. He used adhesive letters to express his ideas.
Weiner also made films, in which texts were spoken and depicted. He is considered one of the first representatives of conceptual art. Later, he would also collaborate on performances in which artists made their own bodies the subject of the action: body art. In the Netherlands, Lawrence Weiner had major exhibitions at the Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, 1976) and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, 1988/89). At the Spui in Amsterdam, Weiner’s work “A Translation” lies, from one language to another, a commission from the University of Amsterdam to make it more visible in the city.
www.ftn-books.com just added 3 important Weiner titles to its collection.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Carl Andre was a sculptor and poet, known for his contributions to the minimal art movement. A central theme in his work is the juxtaposition of objects within space, often represented through stacked bricks or other simple materials to disrupt the imagined flow within a setting, such as a museum.
Andre’s education in art took place at academies in the United States and Europe, but his career took a different path before he became an artist. He worked as a magazine editor, army officer, and train conductor.
In the 1960s, he focused on creating sculptural pieces using easily attainable, ordinary materials. The work of Frank Stella, his studio mate, and Constantin Brâncuși’s sculptures had a significant influence on his early works, resulting in many vertical wooden sculptures. However, he eventually found this style unsatisfying and shifted his focus to creating horizontal works. His large metal plates, placed in a perfect square on the ground, became his most iconic pieces. These can be seen in museums across the Netherlands, including the Kunstmuseum in The Hague, Kröller-Muller in Otterlo, and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. The viewer is intended to walk around, over and along these pieces, although not everyone appreciates this method of viewing.
In 1968, Andre was invited to participate in Documenta 4 in Kassel. He also participated in the 6th (1977) and 7th (1982) editions. This five-yearly exhibition in Kassel is considered the most important global showcase for contemporary art since its inception in 1955.
Carl Andre frequently works with stone, such as in his Stone Field Sculpture (1977) where he arranged thirty-six colossal stones in a grass field, some weighing nearly eleven tons. His fascination with stones is likely connected to his hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts, where there are many old quarries.
Because of my perdonal fascination with this artist i acquired some very important Andre titles. Now available at www.ftn-books.com
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We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Sigmar Polke (Oleśnica, February 13, 1941 – Cologne, June 11, 2010) was a prolific German painter and photographer. His oeuvre gained renown in the early 1960s as a form of capitalist realism, often considered the European counterpart of pop art. He repeatedly topped the list of best-selling artists.
Polke taught himself to master cameras and employed a multitude of colorants, varnishes, and exotic chemicals in his paintings. His subject matter often includes images from antiquated books and modern magazines, as well as advertisements from the consumerist society. Within his work, he employs elements of irony, as seen in titles such as: “Higher beings commanded me to paint the upper right corner black” (German: “Höhere Wesen befahlen: Rechte obere Ecke schwarz malen!”). Sigmar Polke was the brother of Wilfrid Polke, also a painter.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Human Writer Action.
In the realm of art, enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism reign supreme. This can be seen in the works of Lucio Fontana, a pioneer of environments and abstract art. His famous “Concetto spaziale” works, in which he cut and pierced the canvas, are considered to be part of the conceptual art movement. However, Fontana did not limit himself to painting, as he also dabbled in jewelry design.
Fontana’s influence in the art world was significant, particularly in the 1960s. His return to Milan in 1947 marked the beginning of his “Movimento spaziale,” based on his theories as expressed in his 1946 manifesto, “Manifiesto blanco.”
Fontana’s work as a sculptor showcased his desire to merge form and space, evident in his “Tagli” and “Bucchi” pieces, where he sliced and punctured his usually monochromatic canvases in a precise, cool, and refined manner. The colors he used, much like the works of Yves Klein and Piero Manzoni, were bold, solid, and flawless.
Incorporating new materials and ideas into his art, Fontana also aimed to emphasize the growth of technology. He experimented with techniques such as adorning his canvases with precious gemstones. For Fontana, the act of creating the artwork was just as important as the final result; each stroke and gesture spoke for itself, forming a unique and mesmerizing piece.
Contrastingly, Jackson Pollock’s action painting creates a frozen memory of the action itself – the rhythmic dripping of paint over large canvases on the ground. However, by cutting into the canvas, the painting becomes a spatial image; light is then able to come from both the front and behind simultaneously, transforming the canvas from a flat surface to a dynamic element within the space. The tagli (slashes) of Lucio Fontana are arguably even more transformative than Kasimir Malewitsj’s black square. With Fontana’s work, one can no longer speak of different art disciplines such as painting and sculpture, but rather an integrated work that consists of elements from installation, performance, happening, and environment. He blurs the boundaries between flat and spatial art forms in their entirety.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Robin Winters is a conceptual artist whose work spans a wide range of media, including poetry, painting, sculpture (bronze and ceramic), installation art, and photography. Winters is known for his practice in Relational Aesthetics and has incorporated practices such as blind dates, double dates, and divination into his artistic works. W.B Bearman Bags a Job was one of the pieces in which he would invite his audience into a box he had created. While the audience and he were separated by a two-way mirror, he would speak with them, play music, and tell their future. There are several recurring themes in all of Winters’ work, including faces, boats, cars, and the image of the fool. In addition to his own artistic endeavors, Winters is also an art instructor and currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Dan Flavin, an iconic minimalist artist from America, gained fame for his unconventional approach to creating sculptures and installations using easily accessible fluorescent light fixtures.
Flavin was a visionary artist of the 20th century, renowned for his fusion of minimalism and Op art. He was best known for his unique technique of utilizing only fluorescent lights as his medium, obtained from commercial sources. These readymade lights consisted of four standard lengths and ten different colors, including four variations of white. Flavin’s focus was not only on the use of light as a material, but also on its ability to transform and interact with the surrounding space.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
François Morellet (1926 – 2016), a prolific self-taught artist who pursued painting, sculpting, and installation throughout a successful career spanning over six decades. His approach to geometric abstraction was radical and innovative, continuously exploring the creative potential of kinetic systems and challenging the viewer’s perception and understanding of the physical picture plane. Through a commitment to basic geometric forms and a methodology of rigorous objectivity and personal detachment, Morellet achieved a unique artistic voice.
In his work, Morellet incorporated a range of materials such as steel, neon tubes, iron, adhesive tape, wire mesh, and wood, effectively breaking down traditional hierarchies and embracing elements of randomness and chance. This playfulness and wit are evident not only in his artwork itself, but also in the titles he gave to each piece, often utilizing tongue-in-cheek puns, parody, and wordplay.
The prolific artist’s dedication to his craft and his transformative use of materials have left a lasting impression on the world of contemporary art. His legacy continues to inspire and captivate audiences, reminding us of the importance of pushing boundaries and constantly evolving.
Born and raised in the charming town of Cholet, France, François Morellet devoted himself entirely to his literary pursuits before returning to take reins of his family’s toy factory. This provided him with financial stability, as well as the opportunity to familiarize himself with various fabrication techniques, ultimately shaping his artistic practice. Initially, Morellet delved into figurative painting in the 1940s, but it was his visit to Brazil in 1950 that proved to be a pivotal moment, exposing him to Concrete art and the captivating works of Max Bill. Other influential figures for the artist include Jean Arp and Theo van Doesburg, along with the precise geometric patterns and ethereal beauty of Islamic decorative art, which he encountered while exploring the Alhambra in Spain in 1952. As a result, Morellet’s works evolved into simple systems and rules, effectively removing his own subjectivity and challenging traditional notions of composition. In his own words, his artistic journey became “an adventure, as whimsical as it is systematic.” In the late 1950s, Morellet was introduced to the “Duo-collages” of Jean Arp and Sophie Taeuber-Arp through his friend, Ellsworth Kelly. This inspired him to incorporate chance as a central element in his works, often creating pieces based on random numbers found in his local phone directory or using the infinite sequence of decimals of pi.
One of the founding members of the experimental artist collective, Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV), Morellet delved into the possibilities of Kinetic art and the viewer’s active engagement, effectively demystifying the romantic notion of the individual genius artist. Before the group’s formation, Morellet, Piero Manzoni, and several other collaborators were invited to showcase their works at Manzoni’s Galleria Azimuth in Milan. The exhibition was an intriguing one, with the artists’ names withheld at the instigation of none other than François Morellet himself.
Morellet’s oeuvre has been featured in several noteworthy international group exhibitions including Documenta in Kassel, Germany (1964 [in collaboration with GRAV], 1968, and 1977), and the Venice Biennale (1970 and 1990). In 1971, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, the Netherlands organized his debut solo museum exhibition, which subsequently toured across Europe. Noteworthy about the exhibition was the varied presentation of Morellet’s pieces in each venue, creatively experimenting with different orientations such as horizontal, vertical, and even upside down. Some of the major retrospectives of Morellet’s work have been hosted by esteemed institutions such as Nationalgalerie in Berlin (1977), the Centre Pompidou (1986 and 2011), and the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume (2000-2001) in Paris. In an unprecedented move, Morellet became only the second living artist to exhibit at the Louvre Museum in 2010, showcasing a site-specific permanent installation titled ‘L’esprit d’escalier’. His work is prominently featured in notable public collections including Centre Pompidou, Dia Art Foundation, Los Angeles Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Seoul Museum of Art, Tate Britain, the Tel Aviv Museum, the Kunsthaus Zurich, and the Nationalgalerie Berlin.
Morellet first garnered attention from the American audience when his work was showcased at the iconic 1965 exhibition ‘The Responsive Eye’ at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A comprehensive retrospective of his work was later held in North America in 1984-85, traveling to acclaimed institutions such as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, Musée d’art contemporain in Montreal, Brooklyn Museum, and Center for the Fine Arts in Miami. In 2017, Dia Art Foundation presented the long-awaited major survey of Morellet’s work in the United States, marking over three decades since his last retrospective in the country.
www.ftn-books.com has some of the greatest Morellet titles available.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Marcel van Eeden (born in 1965 in The Hague) weaves intricate visual narratives. Drawing inspiration from existing images found in magazines, newspapers, and books, he skillfully reinterprets them through his own unique lens. Uniquely, all the source material he utilizes predates his own existence.
This intentional choice reflects Van Eeden’s fascination with the notion of non-existence: the period that came before his own existence. By manipulating and adapting found images, he seeks to claim ownership over experiences that he himself cannot physically have.
Since 2005, Van Eeden has worked in a series format. One striking example is Cat. 2.8: Desserts (2015), a series of lithographs depicting various desserts. Although clearly not photographs, the glazed icing and greasy textures are brought to life through Van Eeden’s realistic style. More importantly, his “translations” of these images allow them to become part of a larger, more meaningful narrative. They take on new, personalized significance. Typography also plays a crucial role in Van Eeden’s work. It serves both as a preview of an aspect of the visual narrative and a standalone piece. By piecing together images from various sources and time periods, Van Eeden creates a fictional storyline.
Through his unique method of finding and utilizing visual elements, Van Eeden transforms seemingly unrelated images into a cohesive and multifaceted story. He integrates disparate sources, both in terms of content and time, to construct a fictional world. In his oeuvre, a few recurring characters appear time and time again: archaeologist Oswald Sollmann, botanist K.M. Wiegand, and psychiatrist Matheus Boryna.
I have always aspired to be a writer. However, I have discovered that building a story using photographs from magazines is indeed possible. It’s like using history as a giant bin of Lego pieces, with each piece representing a historical fact or photo. These pieces may seem unrelated, but they can be used to construct a story entirely made up of separate facts that, as a whole, may not be entirely true.
Van Eeden received his education at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague (1989-1993). His works have been exhibited at prestigious locations such as Albertina in Vienna, Drawing Room in London, Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin, and GEM in The Hague.
www.ftn-books.com has a nice selection of van Eeden titles available.
We are relocating! In the coming weeks we will be occupied with packing and moving our internet store inventory. The entire collection needs to be transferred from Leidschendam to Oegstgeest, and this will take some time. If all goes according to plan, we will be fully operational again on November 21st, but until then, it may happen that we are unable to immediately assist you with your order. We ask for your understanding, but as soon as possible, your order will be fulfilled with the utmost speed.
Enzo Cucchi, born in 1949 in Morro d’Alba, a rural village in the central Italian province of Ancona, embarked on a journey of self-taught painting that would earn him various accolades in his early years. Despite his initial focus on poetry, Cucchi was frequently in the company of poet Mino De Angelis, who oversaw the publication “Tau.” Through “La Nuova Foglio di Macerata,” a small publishing house, Cucchi forged a connection with art critic Achille Bonito Oliva, a crucial figure in the artist’s future success.
In its catalogues, “La Nuova Foglio di Macerata” featured written works by artists such as Cucchi’s “Il veleno è stato sollevato e trasportato!” in 1976. Cucchi’s frequent trips to Rome in the mid-seventies reignited his interest in the visual arts, prompting him to temporarily abandon his poetry in order to solely focus on his craft. It was during this time that Cucchi encountered various artists, including Sandro Chia, Francesco Clemente, Mimmo Paladino, and Nicola de Maria, with whom he engaged in close collaborations and thought-provoking intellectual dialogues.
Achille Bonito Oliva was the first to recognize this emerging group of Italian artists of the seventies as a cohesive unit. As a result, the group has often held exhibitions collectively or featured individual artists in the Netherlands. The Groninger Museum and the Stedelijk Museum both held exhibitions during the eighties and nineties and acquired several works for their collections. Along with these exhibitions, some outstanding catalogues were published, a selection of which can be found at www.ftn-books.com.
Artist/ Author: Oliver Boberg
Title : Memorial
Publisher: Oliver Boberg
Measurements: Frame measures 51 x 42 cm. original C print is 35 x 25 cm.
Condition: mint
signed by Oliver Boberg in pen and numbered 14/20 from an edition of 20
