Author: (Mapplethorpe, Robert). Fabre, Jan.
Title: The Power of Theatrical Madness: Jan Fabre / Photographs Robert Mapplethorpe. [Together with]: The Original Photographic Program Issued in Conjunction with the Theatrical Performances of Jan Fabre's Performance Art Work. [with]: An Original Photograph [and]: The Original Program for the Boston Shakespeare Theatre's Performance of the Work.
Description: London: ICA [Institute of Contemporary Arts], 1984 - 1986. [1984]. [1984]. - Quarto, 12 inches high by 8-5/8 inches wide. Pictorial black boards titled in white on the front cover and the spine with a photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe illustrating the front cover. The covers are rubbed and lightly bumped. 54 pages, with full-page illustrations of Mapplethorpe's photographs and Jan Fabre's theatrical drawings. Very good.

Together with:

JAN FABRE ; DE MACHT DER THEATERLIJKE DWAASHEDEN / DIE MACHT DER THEATERLICHEN TORHEITEN / THE POWER OF THEATRICAL MADNESS / LE POUVOIR DES FOLIES THEATRALES. An illustrated program designed for the original performance of Jan Fabre's theatrical work: "Prima Dello Spettacolo / 11 Giugno 1984 / Teatro Carlo Goldoni / Biennale di Venezia". Quarto, 10-5/8 inches high by 8-1/4 inches wide. Softcover, perfect bound white wrappers titled with a black & white photographic illustration on the front cover. 24 pages, including the covers, with text in Dutch, German, French and English. Profusely illustrated with photographs of the theatrical production throughout including many-full page. The photographs are by Fabre's friend, New York photographer Patrick Sellitto, who illustrated the later Boston Shakespeare Theatre program cover. A couple of sentences are marked in ink by the previous owner.

Laid into this program is an original black & white glossy gelatin silver photograph of a scene from the production. The 8 inch high by 10 inch wide photo portrays an androgynous figure, attired in white shirt and tie, carrying a nude man. A crown sits on the nude man's head and a sceptre is clutched in his hand. A mostly unseen man in the background brandishes 2 swords held by the blades as other disembodied arms reach out. Jan Fabre's name and phone number, following the word "info" are penned in blue ink on the verso of the photograph. There is a small spot of browning to the photo's right border, not affecting the image.

The original mechanically reproduced 4-page program for the ICA Current's and CM Productions 1986 performance at "The Boston Shakespeare Theater" is laid in. The program's cover is illustrated with a photograph by Patrick T. Sellitto.

Kathy Acker provides the introduction to Mapplethorpe's book, followed by an essay by Germano Celant.

The Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, director, choreographer and designer Jan Fabre (born 1958) wrote and performed his first solo works between 1976 and 1980. His performance art includes burning money and then writing the word from the ashes. Hs performance art work "The Bic-Art Room" involved his being locked up in a white cube for 3 days with a variety of objects as he drew art works with a "Bic" ballpoint pen. He established the Belgium based "Troubleyn/Jan Fabre theatre company" in 1986. Very good .

Keywords: THEATER; PERFORMANCE ART; PERFORMING ARTS; THEATRE; THE OWER OF THEATRICAL MADNESS; JAN FABRE; ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE; ILLUSTRATED; ILLUSTRATIONS; ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH; FIRST EDITION; 1ST EDITION; TWENTIETH CENTURY; 20TH CENTURY; ORIGINAL THEATER PROGRAM; STA

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