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Antique Print Department
313 Occidental Ave S. • Seattle, WA 98104 (Map)
Director: Emily Pothast (email) • 206 624.6700
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5:30pm
SMS: A Collection of Multiples
40th Anniversary Exhibition
Released in 1968, the SMS portfolio represented a collaboration between some of the most important artists of the 20th century. Centered around a loft on Manhattan's Upper West Side rented and maintained by the American Surrealist William Copley, SMS (a coy abbreviation for "Shit Must Stop") was an open-ended collective that epitomized the community ethos of the late 1960s. Frequented by artists, curators, performers and composers both accomplished and aspiring, Copley's loft became renowned for its utopian morale and hospitable working conditions, which included "a buffet perpetually replenished by nearby Zabar's Delicatessen, an open bar, and a pay phone with a cigar box filled with dimes." [Carter Ratcliff, "SMS: Art in Real Time," from SMS: A Collection of Multiples. Exhibition catalog. Published by Reinhold-Brown Gallery, NY. Oct. 1988.]
The six volumes of the SMS portfolio were the crowning achievement of Copley's experiment, embodying the spirit of the collective and serving as time capsules of an extraordinary moment in American art. Bypassing the institutions of museums and galleries, the portfolios were mailed directly to their subscribers, opening a direct line of communication between artist and audience. Each portfolio included meticulously editioned works by a roster of artists both world-famous and obscure--as well as some tongue-in-cheek contributions by art dealers and critics--each of whom received $100 for their contribution regardless of reputation or medium. Among the many artists and composers represented are Marcel Duchamp, Roy Lichtenstein, Man Ray, Christo, Richard Hamilton, Claes Oldenberg, John Cage, Terry Riley, and Yoko Ono.
Davidson Galleries is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of SMS by exhibiting a complete set of all six portfolios.
Publications:
SMS: A Collection of Multiples, 40th Anniversary Exhibition
Exhibition catalog. 12 full-color pages. 11 x 8-1/2 inches. $5 + tax.
Email us to order.
SMS No. 1: February 1968
Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press
Edition 2000
Irving Petling (American artist, b. 1934)
Little Box of Earthquake and cotton
Cover design for SMS: A Collection of Multiples vol.1.
11 x 7 x-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS101]
$100
SMS No. 1 (open)
Sue Braden (British, b. 1940)
Project for a Bridge
Drawings on vellum, die cut and folded.
6-3/8 x 6-3/8 inches (folded).
[SMS102]
$125
James Lee Byars (American artist, 1940-1997)
Black Dress
Model of “Friendship Dress,” meant to accommodate four people Black tissuewith photographic portraits.
10 x 10 inches (folded).
[SMS103]
$100
Christo (Bulgarian/American artist, b. 1935)
Store Front
Mylar and paper construction.
10-1/2 x 6-3/4 inches (folded).
[SMS104]
$925
Walter de Maria (American, b. 1935)
Chicago Project...
Documentation of proposal to install a telephone booth at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art for visitors to answer random phone calls from the artist.
10-1/4 x 6-3/4 inches (closed).
[SMS105]
$100
Richard Hamilton (English artist, b. 1922)
A Postal Card for Mother
Photographic construction.
5 x 8 inches (folded).
[SMS106]
$600
Kaspar Koening (German curator/critic, b. 1940)
My Country ‘Tis of Thee: West Germany, 1968 (Four Views)
Photographs with vellum overlay.
5 x 5 inches each.
[SMS107]
$175
Julian Levy (American dealer/critic, 1910-1981)
Pharmaceuticals
Prescription for ‘conception control,’ capsules.
5-1/4 x 5-1/4 inches .
[SMS108]
SOLD
Sol Mednick (American photographer, 1916-1970)
Hottentot Apron
Print of photogravure.
20-3/8 x 27-1/2 inches.
[SMS109]
$325
Nancy Reitkopf (American, b. 1938)
Luggage Labels
Six printed luggage labels commemorating famous disasters.
Up to 5 x 7-3/4 inches.
[SMS110]
$125
La Monte Young (American, b. 1936) and Marian Zazeela (American, b. 1940)
Two Propositions in Black
Young’s statements (on the relationship of tuning to time) in silver on folded construction paper with calligraphic border by Zazeela.
10 x 23-3/4 inches.
[SMS111]
$125
SMS No. 2: April 1968
Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press
Edition 2000
Marcel Duchamp (French/American artist, 1887-1968)
Seven minute recording of contrapetrie, a surrealist word game
Cover design for SMS: A Collection of Multiples vol.2, featuring a removable record.
11 x 7-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS201]
$1200
SMS No. 2 (open)
Nicolas Calas (Swiss/American critic/poet, 1907-1989)
Cynocephalus & Co
Silkscreened essay in red on silver mylar encased in a vinyl-coated silkscreened sleeve.
10-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches.
[SMS202]
$75
Bruce Conner (American artist, b. 1933)
Legal Tender
Stack of “bills” printed with abstract drawings on both sides.
2-1/2 x 6 inches.
[SMS203]
SOLD
Marcia Herscovitz (American artist, 1925-1974)
Ten Collages
Photocollages printed on black stock.
Up to 4-1/2 x 6 inches.
[SMS204]
SOLD
Alain Jacquet (French artist, b. 1939)
Three Color Separations
Printed mylar.
6-3/4 x 9-1/4 inches.
[SMS205]
$225
Ray Johnson (American artist, 1927-1995)
A Two-Year-Old Girl Choked to Death Today on an Easter Egg
Duotone on chrome-coated photographic paper.
10-3/4 x 6-5/8 inches.
[SMS206]
$425
Lee Lozano (American artist, 1930-1999)
Thesis (All Men Are Hardly Created Equal)
Illustrated notebook with satin ribbon.
4-3/4 x 3 inches.
[SMS207]
SOLD
Meret Oppenheim (Swiss artist, 1913-1985)
The Mirror of Genoveva
Debossed print.
10 x 6-5/8 inches.
[SMS208]
$625
Bernard Pfreim (American artist, 1916-1996)
A Proposed Comic Section for the New York Times
Printed photographs in folded six page spread.
24 x 16 inches (front page).
[SMS209]
$175
George Reavey (British poet, 1907-1976)
Farewell to Faust
Poem by Christopher Marlowe’s ghost, as communicated to Reavey’s wife as she was gardening, printed on sheer tissue.
37 x 6-3/4 inches.
[SMS210]
$75
Clovis Trouille (French artist, 1899-1975)
Album
Photograph album with red flocked binding containing reproductions of 16 Trouille paintings.
11 x 6-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS211]
$75
SMS No. 3: June 1968
Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press
Edition 2000
John Battan (John Sebastian Matta) (American artist, son of Roberto Matta, 1943-1976)
Untitled abstract landscapes
Cover design for SMS: A Collection of Multiples vol.3.
11 x 7 x-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS301]
$100
SMS No. 3 (open)
Aftograf (Pseudonym of underground Russian poet)
Poems
Two bound albums of concrete and sound poetry, as “translated and smuggled” to US by George Reavey, (British,1907-1976).
5-1/2 x 8 inches each.
[SMS302]
$100
Enrico Baj (Italian artist, 1924-2003)
Glove
Folded vinyl glove encapsulated in plastic.
10-1/2 x 6-5/8 inches.
[SMS303]
$175
William Bryant (Billy Copley) (American artist, b. 1946)
Clouds
Eighteen page folio of sheet music with renderings of cloud formations.
12 x 9 inches (closed) .
[SMS304]
$225
Dick Higgens (American artist, 1938-1998)
Ode to London
Silkscreened text in lavender on mylar.
11 x 6-3/4 inches.
[SMS305]
$75
Joseph Kosuth (American artist, b. 1945)
Four Titled Abstracts
Printed dictionary excerpts on hand-folded black paper, enclosed in folder.
10-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS306]
SOLD
Ronnie Landfield (American artist, b. 1947)
Two Drawings
Colored preparatory drawings printed on parchment with philosophical notations.
10-3/4 x 6-7/8 inches.
[SMS307]
$150
Roland Penrose (British critic/artist/poet, 1900-1984)
Bush in Hand
Die-cut paper construction with printed photographs.
10-3/4 x 7 inches.
[SMS308]
$100
Man Ray (American artist, 1890-1976)
The Father of Mona Lisa
Printed ready-made on paper.
11-7/8 x 6-7/8 inches.
[SMS309]
$1200
Hannah Weiner (American poet, 1928-1997)
Signal Flag Poems
Two folded brochures, one with four poems and the other with pictorial translations of the poems using the International Code of Signals for ships at sea. Also included is Long Poem for Roy Lichtenstein and a pinwheel for generating chance poetry.
7-3/4 x 6-3/4 inches.
[SMS311]
SOLD
H.C. Westermann (American artist, 1922-1981)
Correspondence
Four postmarked letters tied together with a pink satin ribbon. Inside the envelopes are drawings with notes.
4-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches.
[SMS310]
SOLD
Terry Riley (American composer, b. 1935)
Poppy Nogoods All Night Flight (The First Ascent)
Cassette edition of work performed Nov. 17, 1967, 10:p.m.-6:30 a.m., at the Philadelphia College of Art. Cover drawing by Riley’s daughter Colleen, at age 9.
Edition 25. This cassette from the 1988 reissue by Reinhold-Brown Gallery, NY.
[SMS312]
$150
SMS No. 4: August 1968
Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press
Edition 2000
Robert Stanley (American artist, 1932-1997)
Untitled
Cover design for SMS: A Collection of Multiples vol.4.
11 x 7 x-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS401]
$100
SMS No. 4 (open)
Arman (French/American artist, 1928-2005)
Tortured Color
Materials to assemble a piece consisting of a paint tube entrapped in a plexiglass vice.
6 x 6-3/4 inches (as packaged).
[SMS402]
SOLD
Paul Bergtold (American artist, b. 1942)
Concept Bergtold
Pink tissue folio containing two “Machine Art” compositions using a typewriter and Xerox reproductions of objects.
8-1/2 x 11 inches.
[SMS403]
$100
John Cage (American composer, 1912-1992)
Diary: How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse) continued 1968
Mylar case containing twenty page booklet of autobiographical impressions printed on heavy stock with typeface, weight, and color chosed according to chance.
7-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches.
[SMS404]
$500
Hollis Frampton (American artist, 1936-1984)
Phenakistiscope
Paper disk with photographs for simulated motion.
6-3/4 inches, round.
[SMS405]
$100
On Kawara (Japanese/American artist, b. 1933)
100 Year Calendar
Single sheet containing calendar from 1901-2000.
20 x 37-1/2 inches.
[SMS406]
SOLD
Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997)
Folded Hat
Printed vinyl sheet folded into hat.
7-1/4 x 14 inches.
[SMS407]
SOLD
Lil Picard (German/American artist, 1899-1994)
Burned Bow Tie
Hand burned bow tie.
3 x 4 inches.
[SMS408]
$75
Domenico Rotella (Artist/poet, b. 1919)
6 Prison Poems
Collection of poems and sketch composed while Rotella was in prison in 1964 for marijuana possession.
Up to 13-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches.
[SMS409]
$75
Robert Watts (American artist, 1923-1988)
Permanent Parking Decal
Vinyl decal that makes the time indicator of a parking meter look like there is 45 minutes remaining.
7 x 6-3/4 inches.
[SMS410]
$375
Princess Winifred (American asylum inmate, active 1940s-60s)
Asylum Manuscripts
Drawings and writings on six brown paper towels.
9-1/2 x 9-3/4 inches each.
[SMS411]
$175
La Monte Young (American composer, b. 1936) and Marian Zazeela (American artist, b. 1940)
Drift Study 4:37:405:09:50 5 VIII 68
Cassette tape of composition by Young, cover design and packaging by Zazeela. Composition involves five sine-wave oscillators tuned to precise rational frequency ratios, recording the drift between phase angles that occur over time.
Edition 25. This cassette from the 1988 reissue by Reinhold-Brown Gallery, NY.
[SMS412]
SOLD
SMS No. 5: October 1968
Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press
Edition 2000
Congo (Chimpanzee, active 1960s)
Untitled
Cover design for SMS: A Collection of Multiples vol.5. Painting by chimpanzee whose creative activity was studied by Desmond Morris in The Naked Ape. Also William Anthony (American artist, b. 1934) Custer’s Last Stand. Inside cover drawing.
11 x 7 x-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS501]
$100
SMS No. 5 (open)
Custer’s Last Stand (SMS No. 5 inside cover)
Wall Batterton (British artist, b. 1932)
Splendid Person
Photograph.
9-3/4 x 6-1/2 inches.
[SMS502]
$125
William Copley (American artist, 1919-1996)
The Barber’s Shop
Dossier documenting a Chicago barber’s battle to reproduce a Picasso sculpture that had been donated to the city by the artist on his appointment cards.
12 x 9 inches (envelope).
[SMS503]
$175
Edward Fitzgerald (American artist, b. 1927)
24 Still Lifes
Two sheets of 24 color stamps depicting a painting.
10-1/4 x 7-1/4 inches each.
[SMS504]
$100
Neil Jenney (American artist, b. 1945)
Bucks American
Four sheets of annotated pencil drawings that have been stapled shut.
8-5/8 x 6-1/2 inches.
[SMS505]
$225
Angus MacLise (American poet/musician, 1938-1979)
The Inner Pages
20 page booklet of automatic writing and calligraphy done as drawings and collages.
6-3/4 x 8-3/4 inches.
[SMS506]
$250
Bruce Nauman (American artist, 1941)
Footsteps
Magnetic tape around card containing sound loop.
7-5/8 x 10-3/4 inches.
[SMS507]
$550
Yoko Ono (Japanese/American artist/composer, b. 1933)
Mend Piece for John
Box containing materials and instructions to “Take your favorite cup. Break it in many pieces with a hammer. Repair it with this glue and this poem in three stanzas dedicated to John.”.
6-1/4 x 6 x-1/4 (case).
[SMS508]
$950
Mel Ramos (American artist, b. 1935)
Candy
Materials and instructions for assembling three-dimensional sculpture.
10-3/4 x 13-3/4 inches.
[SMS509]
$575
Robert Rohm (American artist, b. 1934)
Cut Corners
Silver paper printed with pattern and scored for folding to form three sculptures.
11 x 7-1/8 inches (pieces).
[SMS510]
$175
William Schwedler (American artist, 1942-1982)
Against the Grain
Instructions for constructing conceptual assemblage.
13-1/2 x 10-5/8 inches.
[SMS511]
$125
Diane Wakoski (American poet, b. 1937)
The Magellanic Clouds
Folder containing poem and photographic portrait of the poet, impressed with grooves that allow it to be played as a recording of the poet reciting it.
6-3/4 x 14 inches.
[SMS512]
$150
Lawrence Weiner (American artist, b. 1940)
Turf, Stake and String
Self-adhesive vinyl sheet with drawings.
8-1/2 x 6-1/4 inches.
[SMS513]
$100
SMS No. 6: December 1968
Published by The Letter Edged in Black Press
Edition 2000
Richard Artschwager (American artist, b. 1924)
Untitled
Cover design for SMS: A Collection of Multiples vol.6.
11 x 7 x-1/2 inches (closed).
[SMS600]
$275
SMS No. 6 (open)
Ed Bereal (American artist, b. 1937)
Self-Portrait
Color print of a still from a Frankenstein film.
16 x 13-1/2 inches.
[SMS601]
$100
Betty Dodson (American artist, b. 1929)
Friends
Erotic print encased in hot pink cellophane.
5-3/4 x 9 inches.
[SMS603]
$250
Ronoldo Ferri (Artist, b. 1932)
Neon Construction
Pieces for assembling a construction from metallic die-cut paper rings.
6-3/4 x 6-3/4 inches (as packaged).
[SMS604]
$75
John Giorno (American poet, b. 1936)
Chinese Fortune Game
Silkscreened game cards, slotted trays, and instructions in black portfolio case.
10 x 6 inches (closed).
[SMS605]
$100
Toby Mussman (American writer, b. 1940)
Ten Xerox Sheets
Printed ephemera concerning Los Angeles life and culture, xeroxed with typed and written notations.
8-1/2 x 14 inches.
[SMS606]
$100
Adrian Nutbeem (British artist, b. 1946)
Twenty Down
Embossed colored card conceptualizing a crossword puzzle.
5-1/4 x 9-1/4 inches.
[SMS607]
$75
Claes Oldenburg (Swedish/American, b. 1929)
Unattended Lunches
Hand-bound pamphlet with magic marker cover drawing containing typewritten pages of proposed menus of American food.
8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches.
[SMS608]
$450
Mischa Petrov (Poet/filmmaker, b. 1927)
Junior Historical Theatre Playroom Kit
Die-cut playset comprised of punch-out figures and plastic packets of miniature weapons.
13-3/4 x 11 inches.
[SMS609]
$150
Jean Reavey (British poet, wife of George Reavey)
Adora
Surrealistic poem printed on paper, enclosed in a silkscreened aluminum binding with a seal that must be broken to open.
8-1/2 x 6-1/4 inches.
[SMS610]
$100
Diter Rot (German artist, b. 1934)
Chocolate Bar
Four colored “trading cards.” Intended to be accompanied by a sculptural chocolate bar, the inclusion of which proved to be unfeasible.
4-5/8 x 3 inches.
[SMS602]
SOLD
Paul Steiner (American writer)
Johns in Art Galleries
24 index cards with typography.
3-1/2 x 5 inches.
[SMS612]
$75
Bernar Venet (French artist, b. 1941)
Astrophysics
Record album made from an astronomer’s notes concerning the “Infrared Polarization of the Infrared Star in Cygnus.”.
7 x 8-1/8 inches (closed).
[SMS611]
$225
