Selected Parts of Letters from my Aunt Evelyn. Volume 1. 1975

1975. First edition, signed by the artist on the title page in 1985. 8 folded sheets, loose, each rubber stamped, with glitter, and one sheet stenciled and hand-cut (Aloha Evelyn). 4to (11 1/2 x 7 3/4 inch sheets, as folded; 10 x 16 in fan), laid-into 12 x 9 1/4 inch. pouch. Fine, in canvas bag. First edition, signed by the artist on the title page in 1985. 8 folded sheets, loose, each rubber stamped, with glitter, and one sheet stenciled and hand-cut (Aloha Evelyn). 4to (11 1/2 x 7 3/4 inch sheets, as folded; 10 x 16 in fan), laid-into 12 x 9 1/4 inch. pouch. The first iteration in a series of art works in which Benes used fragments from letters from his aunt to narrate artists books and collages, lending to the works a dry, humorous, commentary on the humble aspirations of Americana. This work largely treats his aunt's rambling about Hawaii. The pages are stamped with fragments about travel, planes and seashells covered in glitter, and the folded fan is printed with the text: "I wish I could get to all these movies, but no way. I just cut an ad out of the paper, for the Luau Restaurant here with exotic Hawaiian food, and an exotic drink, the closest thing to being in Hawaii, they say, all the food you can eat for only $3.95........"

Barton Lidice Benes (1942-2012) was an important figure in the post-Stonewall gay scene in New York, and is best remembered for his humble works featuring shredded money and his HIV+ blood, which were a flashpoint during the culture wars of the 1990s. His small "museums" works resemble the conceptual provocations of Marcel Broodthaers or the boxes of Joseph Cornell. The contents of his apartment, including his own assemblages, the art of his peers, as well as ancient artifacts was sold to the North Dakota Museum of Art, where it was reassembled. Center for the Book Arts (Collection). Provenance: Private Collection, bought directly from the artist in 1985