Arcana:

(KOONS, JEFF) (TASCHEN, BENEDIKT). Paz, Marga & Benedikt Taschen. Koln, GERMANY: Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 2004. First Edition. Folio. Boards in Illustrated Jacket. Exhibition Catalog. As New/As New. 256pp, profusely illustrated in color and b&w. Text in English, German and Spanish. With an exhibition checklist and bibliography. This is the beautifully produced, oversized hardbound catalogue published in conjunction with the 2004 Reina Sofia Madrid exhibition of works from the extraordinary contemporary art holdings amassed over the previous two decades by legendary publisher Benedikt Taschen. "Benedikt Taschen began seriously building his personal collection in 1985, through his involvement in the contemporary art world. It is limited to a small number of artists by whom he owns a great number of pieces. This concentration both traces the development of the work of a few over time and allows us to explore their scope and vision in greater depth. Among the best-represented artists of the collection are Germans Albert Oehlen and Martin Kippenberger (with more than a hundred works each), and the American artists Jeff Koons and Mike Kelley. Additionally, Taschen owns many quality pieces representing key artists from the generation that emerged in the 1980s and is still active today. Among them: Thomas Struth, Gunther Forg, Cindy Sherman, Christopher Wool, Darren Almond, Werner Buttner, Andre Butzer, and Wolfgang Tillmans, not to forget photography doyens Julius Shulman and Helmut Newton, and Elmer Batters and Eric Stanton. A brand new, most handsome example acquired directly from the publisher additionally BOLDLY SIGNED AND DATED "Jeff Koons / 12/3/04" WITH A FLOWER DRAWING executed at Art Basel Miami 2004 in black marker across the title page. 3-8228-4011-4 Inventory Number: 026516