Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Seth Siegelaub | March 1969















Seth Siegelaub (ed)
March 1969
New York City, USA: Self-published, 1973
31 pp., 21.5 x 18 cm., staplebound, card covers
Edition size unknown

Also known as One Month, this calendar-as-exhibition featured a different artist's work for each day of the month. Siegelaub invited 31 contemporary artists to contribute a "work", and those that replied are featured in the publication.

The calendar opens with the letter sent to the artists:


"Dear Mr. ___________________ ,

I am organizing an International Exhibition of the “work” of 31 artists during each of the 31 days in March 1969. The exhibition is titled “One Month.”....

You have been assigned March ___, 1969. 

Kindly return to me, as soon as possible, any relevant information regarding the nature of the "work" you intend to contribute to the exhibition on your day. 

Your reply should specify one of the following:
1) You want your name listed, with a description of your "work" and/or relevant information. 
2) You want your name listed, with no other information. 
3) You do not want your name listed at all. 

A list of the artists and their "work" will be published, and internationally distributed. (All replies become the property of the publisher.)

Kindly confine your replies to just verbal information. 

All replies must be received by February 15th. If You do not reply by that time, your name will not be listed at all. 


Thank you for your cooperation. 

Sincerely, 

SETH SIEGELAUB. 
21 January 1969


Terry Atkinson, Michael Baldwin, Robert Barry, Rick Bartheleme, N.E. Thing, James Lee Byars, John Chamberlain, Ron Cooper, Barry Flanagan, Alex Hay, Douglas Huebler, Robert Huot, Stephen Kaltenbach, Joseph Kosuth, Christine Kozlov, Richard Long, Robert Morris, Claes Oldenburg, Dennis Oppenheim, Allen Ruppersberg, Robert Smithson, Dewain Valentine, Lawrence Weiner and Ian Wilson all contributed text works.

The no-replies (represented by blank pages) include Carl Andre, Michael Asher, Dan Flavin, Sol Lewitt, Bruce Nauman and Ed Ruscha. Andre and Lewitt had previously participated in Siegelaub's important Xerox Book project.

Huebler sub-divided his day into 30 forty-six minute sections, divided amongst the participating artists. Robert Barry released helium into the air. Christine Kozlov (the only woman invited1), 24 years old at the time, condensed a 24 hour recording into a single looped hour. Dennis Oppenheim buried pages of a science fiction novel. Allen Ruppersberg proposed a walk in the desert, in a straight line. Claes Oldenburg's contribution was simply "Things Colored Red".




1. Ingrid Baxter was a part of the N.E.Thing Co. at the time, but only the name of her then-husband Iain appears. 


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