2024
20 copies
Signed and numbered
20 copies
Signed and numbered
31×31 cm
12.2×12.2 in.
Silkscreened perforated hardboard slipcase
12.2×12.2 in.
Silkscreened perforated hardboard slipcase
Silkscreened fabric on cardboard
Fedrigoni paper
Mirror PET
Fedrigoni paper
Mirror PET
John Armleder is renowned for his diverse and eclectic approach, employing materials ranging from furniture to neon lights without hierarchical distinctions. Among his recurrent patterns, polka dots challenge traditional distinctions between high art and decoration. Armleder uses dots to bring everyday motifs into fine art, showcasing versatility across paintings, installations, and furniture. Since the late 1970s, he has transformed dots from basic design elements into a nuanced system of representation, inspired by avant-garde figures like Francis Picabia. For Armleder, dots are as important as the infinite choice of ties with repetitive motifs that he wears, both serving as symbols of his playful and multifaceted artistic identity.
The evolution of polka dots from Eastern European folk art to 20th-century avant-garde reveals their transformation from decoration to a significant artistic motif. In regions like Poland and Hungary, polka dots symbolized fertility and protection, appearing in traditional crafts. Avant-garde artists such as Kandinsky and Miró used dots to explore rhythm and movement, while Kusama and Lichtenstein later employed them to examine themes of mass culture and infinity. Similarly, Armleder, influenced by Fluxus and Dada, embraces chance and spontaneity in his work, blurring the lines between art and everyday life, challenging traditional ideas of authorship and control.
“ƧTOꓷ” (the reverse of DOTS, a title that came to Armleder as if it were a “fait accompli”) emerged from a conversation with Three Star Books earlier in 2024. John Armleder's collaboration with onestar press / Three Star Books dates back to 2003 with “STEAL THIS BOOK” (onestar press) and continued with “BLACK CAT” in 2012 and “LEFT” in 2021 (both with Three Star Books). As always, the artist’s enthusiasm for book projects shines through.
The initial inspiration for the production of “ƧTOꓷ” came from the artist’s 2016 print titled “DIVISIONS,” which provided the pattern used as the foundation for the book. The concept evolved to blend the artist’s dot paintings with his fascination for disco balls, incorporating mirror paper into the design. As you flip through the pages of ƧTOꓷ, a captivating illusion emerges. The combination of holes and mirrored surfaces creates a magical interplay of “plein et vide” (full and empty), where the reflections give the impression of shifting spaces and layers. The result is a playful leporello that merges these two elements. “ƧTOꓷ” is housed in a pegboard perforated hardboard slipcase (another material favored by the artist), silkscreened with the title. Each book is numbered and signed on the colophon.
Three Star Books extends its gratitude to Giulia Ceccarelli for her skilled and dedicated assistance in the production of “ƧTOꓷ.” Movie by Giulia Ceccarelli and Gaia La Fisca Sarullo.