A single issue of the limited-circulation art and literary journal (issue number 9 of 12 total issues published). Quarto (12 x 8 inches). Original wrappers with plastic binding, silkscreened cover. Some light scattered toning, overall excellent condition. Paris: Revue Trimestrielle d'Art Actuel/Lourdes Castro & René Bèrtholo, 1962. Limited edition of 300 copies.

KWY magazine was founded in Paris in 1958 by the Portuguese art couple Lourdes Castro and René Bèrtholo, named for the three letters which do not exist in the Portuguese alphabet. It began as a vehicle for the avant-garde KWY group, a group of Portuguese avant-garde artists in exile, which began around the same time as the journal. The group was active from 1960 to 1967, and the members were regular contributors to the magazine. Core members included Castro, Bèrtholo, João Vieira, José Escada, Costa Pinheiro, and Gonçalo Duarte, and grew to include Christo, Jan Voss, and Pol Bury.

Twelve issues of KWY were produced between 1958 and 1963. The magazine reflects ongoing social and artistic changes while opening up Portuguese art to an international dialogue. The group's first exhibition was held at the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes in Lisboa in 1960, and retrospectives were held at other sites in Portugal in 2001 and 2015.

This issue features color silkscreen prints by Guido Biasi, Georges Noel, Jan Voss, Paul Wunderlich, and René Bèrtholo, many fold-outs, along with black-and-white reproductions of works by Christo, Cy Twombly, and Lourdes Castro and performance scores by Fluxus artist Benjamin Patterson. There are also text contributions by Francois Dufrene, Carl Laszlo, J.J. Leveque and others.

Scarce institutionally.

Book ID: 53173

Price: $1,500.00