Max Bill. Original Correspondence and Manuscript, Publications, Catalogs and Ephemera: A Collection of Fourty Max Bill Items. [SIGNED MATERIAL]
Box. The collection includes: correspondence with Hans Alexander Baier, editor-in-chief of MAGAZIN Kunst (KUNST Magazin), and a typed draft of an interview with Max Bill, with corrections, autographs, exhibition catalogs, publications, invitations and postcards by and about Max Bill, the preeminent Swiss architect, artist and designer. Bill studied at the Bauhaus from 1927 to 1929. Among his teachers were Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Oskar Schlemmer. Known for his art as much as his theoretical writings, Bill is considered the single most influential Swiss graphic designer. His architectural designs include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Florence (1981) and the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin (1987). Max Bill's propensity to write and print exclusively in lower case letters is reflected in some parts of this description.
Signed and Manuscript Items
1. Signed correspondence between Max Bill and Hans Alexander Baier: Journalist, museum director, editor-in-chief of Magazin KUNST, gallerist and collector, including the typed manuscript of the interview with handwritten corrections.
In 1961 Baier opened an avant-garde gallery in Mainz which was regularly covered by the major Frankfurt newspapers, Die Zeit and Die Welt, and in 1964 Baier bought the quarterly "Die Vernissage" from Agis-Verlag, renamed it and published under the name MAGAZIN Kunst, Quarterly for Painting, Graphic Design, Sculpture. Reports for Museums, Collectors, Galleries." By 1977, now as KUNST Magazin, it had become the quarterly with highest circulation in German language speaking regions, among the magazines with an international approach. In addition Baier established a collectors circle offering numbered and signed graphics by contemporary artists at a "rational" price level, to reach a wide audience. The KUNST Magazin ceased publication in 1983, due to financial pressure exerted by the big Art Publishers. Baier was named the director of Schloss Salder and in 1996 director of the art collections for the city of Salzgitter.
The correspondence covers an exchange between Bill and Baier from January/February 1968 concerning the publication of an interview of Max Bill, intended as a response to the "Ars multiplicata, Multiples since 1945" at the Kunsthalle Köln from January 13th to April 15th, 1968. In his letter from January 28th, a follow-up to a phone call between Baier and Bill in which Bill apparently consented to an interview, Baier refers to the exhibition as "superficial," emphasizing that an "authentic response" by by a "competent person" should be in order. Baier grants Max Bill full rein in the composition of questions and answer. Baier offers a visit to Max Bill and politely reiterates that time is of the essence.
Max Bill, in his letter from February 7, 1968, acknowledges the shipment of the interview text and a photo to the publisher, promising two additional photos to be shipped soon and adds "in this first contact ("raid on a harmless incubating Conceptualist, by sensationalist publisher") I discern that I didn't exist for you until now...," and alerts Baier to a traveling exhibition that is about to open in the Berlin Kunsthalle on April 5, 1968, displaying Max Bill paintings and sculptures and traveling to the Kestner Gesellschaft, the Kunstverein Düsseldorf, and after another yet undefined location, in expanded form, to the Kunsthaus Zurich on the occasion of Bill's 60th birthday, suggesting that coverage by the publisher would be greatly appreciated.
The ten page interview, with one page with biographical info on Max Bill, comprises one question and answer per page, both corrected by hand in red, provides indeed an in-depth view on pros and cons of multiples. Compared with Max Bill's handwriting on a postcard in this collection, the corrections to the text most likely are administered by Max Bill. However, Bill's propensity to to write continuously in lower case letters may suggest that the corrections may be editorial.
2. Signed catalogs and Ephemera
a) Eckhard Neumann; 6 items: Three promotional cards with printed artwork addressed to Eckhard Neumann featuring works of Max Bill, two of them in color, the one in b/w is postmarked, with handwritten text and signed Bill (30-8-66). This postcard shows the Max Bill sculpture "kontinuität. 1947." The small postcard in color is addressed "für eckhard neumann" dated "Berlin 12-1-85, signed Max Bill," is a "bauhaus-archiv" production "Zerstrahlung von Schwarz (1972/74). Acrylic on canvas." The third, folded card (6 5/8" square), also produced in color was printed by Waser Druck, Zurich, and is titled "acht farben im doppelquadrat (eight colors in double square)." It is housed in a postmarked envelope addressed to Eckhard Neumann and inscribed "die allerbesten wünsche für 1984 Max Bill" on inside.
A catalog for the Exhibition Max Bill at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart from February 13th to March 13th, 1960. Inscribed "für eckhard neumann bill (underlined) Zurich 16-6-60" on title page. Illustrated with two color and two b/w reproductions of Bill's work. Text by Adolf Vogt. Contains list 49 works exhibited and biographical data on Max Bill. With small threefold color announcement of exhibition with Verena Loewenberg by the gallery Suzanne Bollag tipped upside down in at rear.
In addition, there are two postmarked envelops with invitations from the Galerie Suzanne Bollag in Zurich addressed to Eckhard Neumann to Max Bill exhibitions in 1965 and 1968, the latter in honor of Bill's 60th birthday.
Eckhard Neumann, born near Königsberg (East Prussia), studied painting and art-pedagogy in Berlin (Hochschule der Künste), receiving his doctorate in art history at the Technical University Berlin. He complete his diploma in psychology at the Free University Berlin and habilitated in the fields of Aesthetics and Art and Art-therapy, teaching at the university from 1990 to 1997. Lives and works in Ibiza since 2000 where a big retrospective was curated by the B 12 Gallery in 2014. His most important books are considered "Symbolism of power and sexuality," 1983, "Funtionalistic-historical anthropology of aesthetic productivity," 1996, and "Myths about Artists: a psychohistorical study on creativity," 1986, the latter considered his masterpiece., last published in Spanish in 2016.
b) Catalog of the Max Bill exhibition at the City Museum Leverkusen, Schloß Morsbroich, from June 19th to July 26th, 1959. Signed "bill (underlined)" on title page. With contributions by Udo Kultermann and Eugen Gomringer (Max Bill - the universal designer). Contains two color illustrations and fifteen b/w reproductions of Bill's work in the fields of design, sculpture and architecture, all with detailed descriptions of each work. Contains biographical data and a list of the one hundred and eleven works exhibited. Photo credits at rear. Laid in a ticket stub for the exhibition, Cover lightly sunned along edges and very light smudging.
c) Two announcements of a Max Bill exhibition at the "galerie watari" in Tokyo, one of them threefold, with color illustration, the other a postcards, inscribed "Shitaro" - likely by gallery staff - on verso. "Concrete paintings and sculpture are the formation of what is optically perceptible and thus concrete art is its final result, to Bill the pure expression of harmonic laws and proportions (From the text describing Bill's work and life in the gallery announcement, undersigned by the Swiss Ambassador)." Contains biographical data and list of twenty-five works exhibited at rear.
d) Postcard published by the Allianz-Verlag in b/w, featuring the Max Bill sculpture "Unit of three equal volumes. 1961–1965." Verso with Max Bill's note "das wird dieses jahr in düsseldorf (450 cm h) gebaut (this will be built in düsseldorf (450 cm h) this year)."
3. Catalogs and publications
a) max bill / sextodecimo. 75pp. original wraps. list of 111 images of works by max bill, created between 1931 and 1956. they were exhibited in similar composition at the "museuo de arte in sao paulo, brazil, in 1951. The list contains all works selected by kurt fried and exhibited in the museum of the city of ulm starting in october 1956. due to the interest of other german museums the plan turned into becoming a traveling exhibition. the exhibition includes works in architecture, painting, sculpture, graphic design, typography, journalism and product design. with contributions by max bill, will grohmann and ernesto n. rogers. profusely illustrated with color and b/w reproductions of works by max bill. contains biographical data on max bill, publications by and about max bill at rear. laid in magazine clipping of max bill design for a kitchen clock, in color. photo credits listed at front. text in german.
b) Max Bill. Die gute Form. Sextodecimo. 38pp. Original wraps. Six years of awards "Die gute Form" at the Swiss Sample Fair in Basel. Published by the director of the fair and the Board of the Swiss Werkbund. Text on the principles and practices of the Werkbund, the special fair "Die gute Form," Swiss publications on the subject, the reception in foreign countries, Swiss and foreign awards, the education and practice of graphic design, including cost and education of designers. Illustrated with twelve full page b/w photographs of Swiss products. Text in German. Eck. Neumann inked to inside back cover.
c) Exhibition catalog for the exhibition of works by Antoine Pevsner, Georges Vantongerloo and Max Bill at the Kunsthaus Zurich from October 15th to November 13th, 1949. Octavo. Unpaginated. Original wraps. Introduction by W. Wartmann with contributions by the artists and lists of works exhibited at rear. Illustrated with b/w reproductions of work by the exhibiting artists. Text in German. Lightly rubbed.
d) Suisse 29me Biennale de Venise 1958. Octavo. Unpaginated (72pp.). Illustrated wraps by Théodore Bally. Swiss contributions to the Venice Biennale 1958, including works by Théodore Bally, Wolf Barth, Jacques Berger, Max Bill, Walter Bodmer, Theo Eble, Fritz Glarner, Camille Graeser, Leo Leuppi, Richard P. Lohse, Louis Moillet, Wilfrid Moser, Max von Mühlenen, Charles-Francois Philippe, Charles Rollier and Pierre Terbois. Introductions by Jean Arp and Franz Meyer. Profusely illustrated with b/w reproductions of participating artists. Photo credits at rear. Text in French. Light wear of wraps and lightly rubbed.
e) Max Bill. Galerie im Erker am Gallusplatz St. Gallen, 8. April to 27. May, 1967. Octavo. 51 (1)pp. Illustrated glossy wraps. The content includes works of Max Bill in chronological order and biographical information, and contributions by Will Grohmann, Max Bense, Max Bill and a list of works exhibited. Illustrated with b/w and color reproductions of works by Max Bill. Typography by Max Bill. Text in German. Lightly sunned along top edge of cover and near spine, lightly rubbed.
f) Max Bill. Malerei und Plastik 1928–1968. Exhibition catalog for the exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bern, April 6th to May 12th, 1968. Small Quarto. 92pp. Stiff orange wraps. With contributions by Adolf Max Vogt on Max Bill, biographical information, list of publications on Max Bill and collections with his work and list of works exhibited, solo and group exhibitions of Max Bill. Twenty-four pages with illustrated advertisements at rear.
g) Max Bill. Quarto. 20pp. Color illustrated stiff wraps. 1984. Published by the Deutsche Bank AG. An introduction into his work by Eugen Gomringer, including biographical notes. Illustrated with color photographs of Bill's graphic design work, b/w photographs of a sculpture and an architectural work by Bill. Text in German.
h) Max Bill: Typography, Reklame, Buchgestaltung. Kunsthalle Bielefeld; Richard Kaselowsky Haus. Large Quarto. 39 (1)pp. Color-illustrated stiff wraps. With editorial by Jean-Pierre Graber. With contributions by Gerd Fleischmann, Max Bill on typography and Jan Tschichold entitled "Belief and Reality." Profusely illustrated with color and b/w reproductions of Max Bill's typographical designs. Text of Fleischmann contribution in German and English, the others in German. Wraps lightly rubbed.
i) Max Bill. Marlborough Gallery catalog for exhibitions at Marlborough Fine Art London and Marlborough Galerie Zurich, both in in 1974. Large Quarto. Unpaginated. Color-illustrated wraps. Beautifully illustrated with full page reproductions of work by Max Bill in color. With statements by Anthony Hill, Eugen Gomringer, Max Bense, Norbert Lynton, Paul Overy and other art and architecture critics, relating to the artwork displayed on facing pages. First eight leaves loose but present.
j) Du European Art Magazine. June 1976. Folio. 80pp. Color-illustrated wraps. Issue with extensive feature on Max Bill, profusely illustrated with color and b/w reproductions of work by Max Bill.
4. Ephemera
a) Exhibition announcement for the exhibition "max bill original-grafik" at the "schlossgalerie der stadt arbon" in dezember 1978, with signature "max bill" on cover underneath original color lithograph of Bill's work.
b) Max Bill. Staempfli Gallery, New York. Announcement for exhibition March 19 to April 13, 1963
c) Max Bill. Galerie Bossin, Berlin. Invitation to exhibition opening on Monday, May 3, 1982, including announcement of Max Bill's presence at the opening.
d) Max Bill. Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. Invitation to opening reception on February 13, 1976. The invitation is designed in harmonica style with six connected surfaces diminishing from octagon to heptagon, hexagon, pentagon, square and finally, triangle. All surfaces with pertinent data relating to the exhibition.
e) Eight postcards published by the Allianz-Verlag depicting abstract designs by Max Bill in color, from 1961 to 1966.
f) Max Bill. Invitation to opening reception at the Marlborough Galerie in Zurich, June 6, 1974. Max Bill design on cover.
g) Max Bill. Invitation to opening reception at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, June 11,1987. Max Bill design on cover.
h) Folding announcement for Max Bill "Kontinuität. Granit-Monolith." An exhibition illustrating the development of the sculpture. October 8 to December 30, 1986, at the exhibition spaces of the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt. Large color photograph of Bill sculpture on front, twenty b/w reproductions of photographs showing the development of the sculpture on verso. Various work phases are shown in the time frame from 1983 to 1986.
i) Twenty newspaper clippings including the Frankfurter Rundschau, the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Zeit, BILD in Hamburg, the Welt am Sonntag and other publications. Very good condition. Item #50230
Price: $3,500.00