was ist Backworks

Black & white illus. throughout. [30] pp. (incl. inside of wrappers). 4to (274 x 214 mm.), orig. printed wrappers, staple-bound. New York: 1976.

Scarce and essential early documentation of Fluxus materials and artists’ books. This is the first catalogue issued by Backworks, a New York-based collaboration between Barbara Moore and Jon Hendricks, specializing in documents and artifacts of avant-garde and experimental art. Located at 488 Greenwich Street, the store was active into the early 1980s. In 1981, Hendricks left the partnership to become curator of the Fluxus collection formed by Gilbert and Lila Silverman (now at the Museum of Modern (truncated) Art, New York), much of which had been purchased from Backworks.

Designed by Hendricks, the catalogue offers Fluxus editions by Maciunas, works by other Fluxus artists, non-Fluxus graphic works designed by Maciunas, and a tantalizing selection of art ephemera (192 items in total). In addition to numerous Maciunas pieces, we note works by Cage, Corner, Flynt, Friedman, Geoff Hendricks, Higgins, Kaprow, Knizak, Knowles, Kosugi, Mac Low, Moorman, Oldenburg, Ono, Paik, Rainer, Samaras, Schneemann, Shiomi, Spoerri, Vautier, Warhol, Watts, etc.

A fine copy, rare in this condition because of the cheap paper used.

❧ A. Desjardin, The Book on Books on Artists Books (2nd ed.: 2013) 418. For more information on Hendricks and the Silverman Fluxus Collection, see the interview “‘By the way, what’s Fluxus?’: Jon Hendricks on the Formation of the Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection” on MoMA’s website (accessed 31 March 2021). (Inventory #: 7647)