A Small Archive Including Broadsides, Exhibition Catalogs and Signed Pictures.

PROBST, Joachim [artist]

Published by V.p. 1959-1963, New York, 1959

About this Item

This offering is a biopic of Probst's life in New York and of his relationship with a friend of his in Brooklyn. Joachim Probst [1913?1980] was a notorious bohemian in Greenwich Village from 1936 to the mid 1970s. From the early 1940s onward, he fluidly pursued two styles of art in parallel. One style was the figurative expressionism in which he presented the Crucifixion and Biblical spectacles. His other style was completely non-objective, typically painted as black ink washes ? which grew to become an extensive series he called the Night Works.This assemblage is all from the 60s. It includes four gallery exhibit announcements (3 in color; one a larger black and white broadside), one magazine cut-out and one short ALS on Probst's very outlandish letterhead; all of these items are inscribed by Probst to Emanuel Edman, a friend of his and a doctor in the Bronx. There is also likely the largest collection of Probst exhibition catalogs ever assembled (he was infamous but not so terribly popular). The largest, by far, is that issued in 1962 by the Creer Galley of West 53rd. There is also a printed invitation to the opening of that exhibit. iI bears an introduction by Ernest Raboff ("Joachim Probst is, I believe, one of the few artists of truly international status that America has Produced in this century) and displays 42 works of art by Probst (the first 31 being full page and the remainder having two to a page). There is an addendum of works by Probst in Los Angeles Collections (Raboff lived in LA). Publisher stiff white wrappers. Next is a catalog for the Sixth Annual Sullivan County Art Show in 1962. Probst was the "Featured Artist" and this piece is also inscribed to friend Edman. The next is that issued by what seems to have been his main dealer; The Miglionico Gallery on Madison Avenue. It is a six panel bold-out brochure that has a photograph portrait of Probst and four of his paintings as well as the eleven works on offer. This gallery also issued a 2-page "Letter Digest about the paintings of Joachim Brobst (in original envelope) and a large broadside 10 x 19 inches) for an exhibit of his drawings at the Miglionico Gallery (there is another of thes but inscribed to Edman in the above grouping). Followed by a modest 4-panel brochure for his exhibition at the Southern Methodist Third Annual Fine Arts Festival. The next is a large broadside for the Collector's Gallery (which became The Creer); it shows a collage of newspaper articles about Probst, And the last is another broadside by Alexander Kirkland's Gallery 14 on West Avenue. It consists mainly of a long article by Roger Ortmayer entitled "Joachim Probst: He Causes You to Tremble." This is the earliest piece (1959). Surely the largest assemblage of Joachim Probst to come to market and many of them inscribed at the time. OCLC only records one Probst exhibition catalog dated 1965 (after these). Addenda; included is a Christmas card send out but the Collector's Gallery and it feature a drawing by Probst on the front. Probst is best remembered today for his influence on fellow artist Franz Kline.Critics wavered on Probst as he was not an easy person. And here is what Probst though of himself;?I was born September 1, 1913, in New York City. Self-taught. Through my endeavor to seek self-esteem, I became a misanthrope with a firm hand on delusion. This brilliance soon introduced me into poverty, and with so fearful a future granted me, I coined and struck this phrase, ?Art is the stand against decay.? And with this in mind, I entered my paradise of immortality. And with this paradise came my hell. And in hell I called on Satan. Joachim Probst is one of the few contemporary artists who has recklessly committed himself to deal with the ultimate symbols themselves; the Christ, the Mother, King David?and Ahab. These are some of the figures he dares to paint. ?Christ painter, go away,? was the epithet hurled at Probst by some of the Greenwich Village habitues who paint. Our Cathed.

Seller Inventory # 75543

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Small Archive Including Broadsides, Exhibition Catalogs and Signed Pictures.
• Publisher: V.p. 1959-1963, New York
• Publication Date: 1959