Patent Urinoir. Zur Erinnerung an den 7. Juni 1968
Brus, Günter
Vienna. Self-published. 1968
Sold
On 7 June 1968, Brus staged the action Kunst und Revolution (Art and Revolution) before an audience of some 300 at the University of Vienna together with Otto Muehl, Peter Weibel and Oswald Wiener. The action, which was labelled as “Uni-Ferkelei” (filth at the university) by the popular press, caused a major scandal. Their nakedness, defecating, vomiting, masturbating, whipping, self-mutilation and the smearing of excrements on their naked bodies whilst they sang the national anthem of Austria standing on the national flag caused such a shock in the public, that in 1970, Günter Brus was sentenced to six months imprisonment for the “vilification of Austrian national symbols”.
During the months in which Günter Brus appealed against his sentence, he worked on the pamphlet Patent Urinoir. It is a kind of documentary account of the events following the university action scandal as well as the beginning of a new artistic strategy. Brus addressed the public with the help of a publication which, as a collage made up of facts and fiction, allowed him to come to terms with the repression and events around the university action. Patent Urinoir shows anonymous threatening letters, reprinted legal reports and psychiatric examinations, many illustrated by Günther Brus.
Limited to only 50 copies, this copy is signed and numbered by Brus on the initial blank and is also signed by Oswald Wiener on the title page. Of these 50 copies, a small number were issued with two original black and white photographs, mounted together on a piece of card and bound into the book. This copy has the two photographs - one shows a moment from the scandalous Kunst und Revolution action, and the other photograph is Brus performing his Vienna Walk of 1965 (Wiener Spaziergang) - Brus walked through the centre of Vienna, painted entirely in white, with a black strip over his face and body. The dark paint was used as a symbol of mutilation. During this action Brus was arrested almost immediately by the police for the trumped up charge of being potentially disturbing to the public.
The photographs are undoubtedly two of the most important vintage Aktionist images.
[Ref. Kellein - Frohliche Wissenschaft. Das Archiv Sohm, p. 135; Vienna Actionism. Art and Upheaval in 1960s' Vienna, MUMOK - pp. 237-239].
During the months in which Günter Brus appealed against his sentence, he worked on the pamphlet Patent Urinoir. It is a kind of documentary account of the events following the university action scandal as well as the beginning of a new artistic strategy. Brus addressed the public with the help of a publication which, as a collage made up of facts and fiction, allowed him to come to terms with the repression and events around the university action. Patent Urinoir shows anonymous threatening letters, reprinted legal reports and psychiatric examinations, many illustrated by Günther Brus.
Limited to only 50 copies, this copy is signed and numbered by Brus on the initial blank and is also signed by Oswald Wiener on the title page. Of these 50 copies, a small number were issued with two original black and white photographs, mounted together on a piece of card and bound into the book. This copy has the two photographs - one shows a moment from the scandalous Kunst und Revolution action, and the other photograph is Brus performing his Vienna Walk of 1965 (Wiener Spaziergang) - Brus walked through the centre of Vienna, painted entirely in white, with a black strip over his face and body. The dark paint was used as a symbol of mutilation. During this action Brus was arrested almost immediately by the police for the trumped up charge of being potentially disturbing to the public.
The photographs are undoubtedly two of the most important vintage Aktionist images.
[Ref. Kellein - Frohliche Wissenschaft. Das Archiv Sohm, p. 135; Vienna Actionism. Art and Upheaval in 1960s' Vienna, MUMOK - pp. 237-239].
4to. With two original photographs. 90 sheets bound in original screenprinted card wrappers, with metal rivet binding.
#41468
