John Rivers Coplans (British, 1920-2003). 10 photographs + 3 books including "A Body of Work: Self Portraits by John Coplans" (1987), "Hand: Self Portraits by John Coplans" (1988) and "Foot: Self Portraits by John Coplans" (1989) + Coplans' Letter to Galerie Lelong that includes an artist statement for "Hand: Self Portraits" dated December 12, 1988. A collection of 10 black-and-white photographs by John Coplans depicting sections of his own naked body (2 with handwritten notes identifying the artist, title, and date and 1 with editing notes), 3 books by Coplans: "A Body of Work", "Hand", and "Foot" as well as a letter to Galerie Lelong from Coplans that includes his artist statement for "Hands". A special ensemble featuring John Coplans' photography which he described as follows, "So, I'm using my body and saying, even though it's a 70-year-old body, I can make it interesting. .. I don't know how it happens, but when I pose for one of these photographs, I become immersed in the past...I am somewhere else, another person, or a woman in another life. At times, I'm in my youth." Size (largest photo): 7.25" L x 7" W (18.4 cm x 17.8 cm) Size (books): 9" L x 9" W (22.9 cm x 22.9 cm)

The artist statement for "Hands" typed in letter format begins as follows, "POSTSCRIPT ON THE HANDS Photography allows any object, event or perception to be isolated from the real world of time and space. In these images the hand is transformed by isolation from the rest of the body and represented at a vastly larger size. The viewer is not aware of the rest of the body to which the hand is attached, the hand in its isolation releasing the specifics of association and framing, much in the same manner as one-shot imagery, a convention of modern abstract art…" (see photos for complete letter)

In addition to being an artist, John Coplans was a curator, a museum director, and an art critic who was a founding member as well as an editor-in-chief of Artforum magazine. Born in London, Coplans pursued art following his service in World War II. He was most influenced by the work of Willem de Kooning and other Abstract Expressionists during this period. In 1960, Coplans moved to the United States where he lived in San Francisco, California and met the other founding members of Artforum Magazine. Two decades later, in the 1980s, Coplans began creating art again. His works have been collected by esteemed museums such as the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Tate Gallery in London.

Provenance: private Idledale, Colorado, USA collection

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#174099

Slight toning and minor smudges to book covers. Otherwise all 3 books are intact and excellent. Letter has very minor crease marks at corners that do not impact the text. Photo of nude frontal (shoulder to knees) has "John Coplans Self Portrait, 1987 SP11 87" written in pencil on the verso. Photo of hands holding feet has "John Coplans Self Portrait, 1985 SP4 85" written in blue pen on the verso. Photo of hand close-up with 2 fingers extended downward is mounted on white heavy gauge paper and has "SP 587 Too Dark" written in pencil at upper right. Photos are all in good condition save the occasional crease mark located at corners or peripheries and not impacting the image.