Uni Art, Elblag: Pokaz Diapozytywow, Transparent Art Show, 1978

Black & white illus. & rubber-stamped illus. [10] leaves, [1] leaf with photographic film taped on, [5] leaves of contact sheets. Oblong 8vo, stamped covers, staple-bound. Elblag, Poland: Uni Art, 1978.


A very rare handmade exhibition catalogue published by Polish correspondence artist Pawel Petasz (1951-2019); WorldCat has a single record of this, contributed by the Museo Reina Sofia. Mail art’s “Eternal Network” reached even the Eastern Bloc, and this catalogue is an important document emblematic of the manifold artistic activities in the region. One of the boldest artists east of the Iron Curtain, Petasz maintained regular correspondence (truncated) with colleagues in the West despite strict censorship. With this in mind, he initiated Commonpress, a mail art magazine based on floating editorship in case he was imprisoned for communications deemed subversive. He was also a prodigious maker of rubber stamps, books and one-off magazines, linocuts, cinderella stamps, collages, paper and envelopes, paintings, etc.


For this exhibition, the 38 participants contributed their work in the form of slides. The artists included: Niels Lomholt (Denmark), Muriel Olesen (Switzerland), Ulises Carrión (Netherlands), Leonhard Frank Duch (Brazil), Steven Durland (U.S.A.), Davi Det Hompson (U.S.A.), Eleanor Kent (U.S.A.), Balint Szombathy (Yugoslavia), etc. A number of slides were sent from Eastern Europe. Petasz also presented his own work, an homage to Tristan Tzara. Their slides are all reproduced on the re-printed contact sheets at the end of the catalogue, and a selection is presented on the first 10 leaves.


In excellent condition. With the original rubber-stamped and mailed envelope, addressed to Niels Lomholt, and a lengthy letter from Petasz to Lomholt about the present exhibition. (Inventory #: 10879)