The telephone book (with pearls)

Info

The majority of Baldessari’s work is based on his collection of film stills: cropping, adding foreign elements such as coloured circles to cover faces, or juxtaposing them to create completely different contexts.
In this book, he restores the narrative function to the film still.
Yet, it is a narrative based on intuition and coincidence.
By building up a series of visual overtones, like the telephone chord or the pearl necklace, Baldassari invites the viewer to give meaning to these images which otherwise seem lost in space. Ref.1

From the master of re-photography comes this jewel of a book. Dames and dicks with telephones and pearls string together a murder mystery told in true pulp fiction style. Ref.2

Imschoot Uitgevers In 1987 publishing house Imschoot (Ghent- Belgium) started an exceptional series of artists’ books made by international artists (Giovanni Anselmo, Sol LeWitt, John Baldessari, Lawrence Weiner, Hanne Darboven, Robert Barry, Christian Boltanski, Dan Graham, a.o.). Ref.3
In addition to the regular softcover edition (500 to 1000 copies), a deluxe hardcover edition was also issued in a very limited edition, numbered and signed by the artists.
The publishing house ceased its activities in 2006.

References

• Ref.1: Imschoot, uitgevers Catalogue 1993-1994, Artists’ books What is an artist’s book? An artist’s book is … “… a book done for its own sake and not for the information it contains. That is: it doesn’t contain a lot of works, … it IS a work.” (Dick Higgins). > IC-series The IC-series is a collection of artists’ books brought together by Kaatje Cusse. The first publication was COME ON by Robert Barry in 1987. This ongoing process thus far embraces designs by 16 internationally renowned contemporary artists. New names may be added. The artists are given complete freedom to develop their projects. The format of the book, 14,8 x 21cm, is the only constant in the design. The first six publications were presented to the public at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York on January 11th, 1989. They were also shown – together with other Imschoot artists’ books – at the Archives in Rotterdam (1991) and at Art Metropole in Toronto (1992). The books are printed in a 1000 copy softcover version, and a 25 to 50 copy hardcover version, numbered and signed by the artist.
• Ref.2: Imschoot, uitgevers [2002] Catalogue
• Ref.3: Johan Pas (Een essay door -), Het kunstenaarsboek in België: de voorzet tot een geschiedenis., Kunstenpunt